[Amps] The SB220 Mystique

[Jeff Carter]

I succumbed to the desire to revive a SB-220.  "I did it myself" was a
huge part of it.  I wasn't able to identify a production amplifier
with the same specs that was going to be as easy to bring back as the
SB-220.  When you add the huge following, multiple Yahoo and email
special interest groups, suddenly there's a huge population of Elmers
who have seen every problem this amp can possibly put forth and who
will take lots of their own time to help.

I even had folks send me parts out of their own stash.  It seems all
hams in a certain demographic have at least part of one of these amps
lying around somewhere.

Maybe there's a better "first amp" than this, but I couldn't find it.
It gave me the confidence to build an amp from scratch if I decide
later to do so.  And it set me forever apart from thousands of
"appliance operators" who may never even try to solder a PL-259 onto a
piece of coax.   I could have dropped 2.5 kilobux on a brand new
amplifier, but it would never be *mine* the way this SB-220 is, and I
think I've still got less than $1k in it.

You can still get everything you need to bring one up from the metal.

I did.

Jeff/KD4RBG
http://www.kd4rbg.com


---- Original message ----
>Date: Tue, 10 Feb 2009 08:59:21 -0800
>From: "Gary Smith" <wa6fgi at sbcglobal.net>
>Subject: Re: [Amps] The SB220 Mystique
>To: "Lee Buller" <k0wa at swbell.net>,<amps at contesting.com>
>
>My .02; I believe it is the mystique of " I did it myself" that keeps buyers wanting Heath gear, SB-220's in particular.  That and the idea of "radios that glow in the dark" adds to the panache.  For a while (recently) I too had the desire to revive a SB-220. But now that I have been reminded of the down side (TVI,etc,) not to mention the spiraling cost of replacement parts, I'll stick with my AL-800H with its two metal/ceramic tubes. Although they are pricey (if I were to mistreat them) EVERY part inside of that back/grey box is a E-Z phone call away.
>I'm done.
>73,
>Gary...wa6fgi