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

[EP Swynar]

Hi Clint,

I was afraid you'd say that...!

That is a very common fallacy --- parts ARE cheap and plentiful, but you have to bide your time, and do a lot of looking UNDER the tables at the different Hamfests to get what you'll (eventually) need. 

Yes, even eBay has some well-priced items, if you know specifically what you're looking for. 

You most assuredly do NOT buy new! If you did, you'd surely go broke fast, and how (have you seen the prices on brand new QRO-type air variable capacitors of late...?).

Let me ask you this: what sort of a price would you put on an amplifier that covered the whole HF spectrum (no gaps) with equal efficiency from 1.8- to 29.7-MHz, had tuned input circuitry per frequency segment, contained ruggedized components (fixed vacuum padders, etc.), incorporated a variable final pi-tank coil to maximize efficiency, had built-in meters to monitor filament voltage / line voltage / plate current / grid current / plate voltage, had an automatic delayed start-up for HV, had flash-over protection for the diodes, and came with a separate full-wave power supply that loafs at the legal limit...?

I BUILT a unit just like this here some 15 years ago that continues to see daily use to the present...and it was all 100% made from components that came from surplus outfits, Hamfests, or "freebies" from fellow Hams.

Best of all, it did NOT cost me an arm & a leg, and I'm happy to say that it remains a source of education for me as I continue to improve & overhaul different parts of it as the need(s) arises, and as I learn more...

It's been a great teacher & companion to me & my Ham Radio adventures, and NOT some "appliance" that gained access to the inner sanctum of my shack by way of a VISA card!

Try "...rolling your own" sometime, Clint --- it just might open up a whole new facet of Amateur Radio for you, and unlock hidden talents that you may well never have known even existed...seriously!

~73~ Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Clint Talmadge 
  To: EP Swynar 
  Sent: Monday, October 23, 2006 2:19 PM
  Subject: Re: [Amps] More information for "What NOT to buy"..


  Eddy,
   I thought very seriously about that.  I then started to figure what it would cost. It would take conservetadly 2 to 3 times the cost to collect the parts needed to build one than it would to buy one.  If I already had a "junk" box full of amp parts this might be very different but since I don't, the best way is to find a Project Amp to start with, as is my intention.

  Clint - W5CPT
    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: EP Swynar 
    To: Clint Talmadge ; Amps 
    Sent: Monday, October 23, 2006 1:12 PM
    Subject: Re: [Amps] More information for "What NOT to buy"..


    Hi Clint,

    Here's a radical question for you to ponder:

    WHY NOT HOMEBREW YOUR OWN LINEAR AMPLIFIER?

    If you're serious about wanting "...to learn", you'll do just that, and in
    spades too!

    ~73~ Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ



    ----- Original Message -----
    From: "Clint Talmadge" <unclebudd at bellsouth.net>
    To: "Amps" <Amps at contesting.com>
    Sent: Monday, October 23, 2006 1:39 PM
    Subject: [Amps] More information for "What NOT to buy"..


    > 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
    >
    >
    >
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