[Amps] More information for "What NOT to buy"..

[Clint Talmadge]

I have received some great responses to my post.   W1NR sent wonderful information on different tubes that will prove to be invaluable.  Others have sent specific amps to avoid and why I should do so, and this is exactly what I was looking for.

In response to my first post Bob, W9GE asked some valid questions.  I thought I would post them here since others may have the same questions.

Bob asked:
"What bands do you want it to operate on?"

Answer: I am not looking for a band specific amp. While I would like to use it on the usual Ham Bands, I am not tied to one band.  If the amp did not work on 160M or 10M it would not eliminate it for me.

Bob asked:
"What modes do you want it to operate on?"

SSB & CW mostly. I do some RTTY but that is not a requirement.

Bob asked:
"Are you a contest op?"

Not a serious one. I do operate the contests, but just for the contacts, not the score (Sweepstakes being the exception, but I don't NEED and amp for that).

Bob asked:
"How much power do you want to run?  "

Legal Limit is not a consideration. I want to learn about amps.  

Bob asked:
"Do you have a 240VAC dedicated line to operate it from?  "

Yes.

Bob asked:
"Do you want an autotune amp and if not how quickly can you tune it up?  (will be easier to eliminate some tubes based on your answer) "

No. In fact I think an Autotune amp would confuse the issue more than help it.  A No-Tune amp such as an AL600 would be O.K. but I don't think there is much of a learning curve on a Solid State amp.


Bob asked:
"How much desk/rack/floor space do you have available? "

Lots. Space is not a consideration.

Bob asked:
"Is a separate HV PS important to you?  Do you need or want qsk? "

No and no.


I appreciate his questions and the warning about the Kenwood TL-922.

Still learning,
Clint - W5CPT