[Amps] Different amp recommendations

[Rob Atkinson]

Not looking for an argument, but nothing you have written has
unsubstantiated what I posted.  As I wrote earlier, the factor is
transmit time.  someone wrote that Ameritron says 1.5 KW with that amp
for 30 minutes.  I guess the blower on high speed is not one of those
quiet jobs.

I would be delighted to be proven wrong.  Run an AL-82 into a DL @ 1.5
KW dead key for 30 minutes.  do it on 1.8 MHz.  Let us know how it
does.  You have to have an exciter that can do the drive power for
that time too.   Maybe one of the 200 W SSB rigs, but I'd put extra
fans on the heat sink.  Rig with pair 6146 or 4D32 will work okay for
the driver.   Don't use one of those Cantenna DLs--you'll need a 1 KW
or more Bird or a few 200 W. Carborundum resistors paralleled with a
fan on them.

73

Rob
K5UJ



On Mon, Feb 6, 2012 at 3:35 PM, Charlie Young <weeksmgr at hotmail.com> wrote:
> I have two  AL-82 amplifiers, plus an Alpha 77DX, an AL-1500  and an
> assortment of other amplifiers.   The one I use 90% of the time is the
> AL-82, precisely because it takes a licking and keeps on ticking.  It is
> the Ford or Chevy pickup truck of legal limit amplifiers.
>
> I can change bands with it in 10 or 15 seconds, and don't have to baby it
> during tuneup.  It has no trouble producing legal limit output on any
> band.  One of the AL-82 amplifiers is on standby when I am in the shack,
> which being retired is nearly all the time.  I run 1500 watts output with it
> on RTTY.  I am not a contester any longer but am a serious DX'er.  My RTTY
> transmissions are short DX pileup calls, not 10 minute ragchews, which may
> be why the equipment has not failed.  Maybe if I were a RTTY contester or
> ragchewer, the results would be different.
>
> Certainly these AL series amps are not built like Alpha amps but they make
> RF power at the legal limit for far less cost.  I push the heck out of this
> one and don't worry about it.  If we do ever lose a tube (it has not
> happened yet), it won't break the bank.  These Chinese graphite tubes seem
> to be pretty rugged.   I can fix anything that would go wrong and can get
> the parts from Ameritron.
>
> At $1500 to $1800 on the used market for an AL-82, it is a pretty cost
> effective way to make legal limit power, in my experience.
>
> Why do I have two?  They came together in an estate sale.  One of my friends
> is using my spare AL-82 while the pin diodes are replaced in his  Alpha 87.
>
> Others may have different experiences.  Your mileage may vary.
>
> 73 Charlie N8RR
>