[Amps] Sunset of old technologies

[Roger (K8RI)]

I think it's a mistake to call stand alone rigs "using" SDR tech 
internally as SDR as we don't have access to control them as with true 
SDR rigs

73, Roger (K8RI)


On 4/21/2017 11:57 AM, Carl wrote:
> Maybe it is about time for the Chinese to get serious about entering 
> the HF side of ham radio from rigs to amps. They are already 
> manufacturing some Eimac type tubes with Eimac supplied tooling.
>
> Carl
>
>
>
> Subject: Re: [Amps] Sunset of old technologies
>
>
>> Mark,
>>
>> I think you are right about this, but the sunset of analog front-ends 
>> is happening
>> faster than the HF tube PA one.
>>
>> Price of late-generation analog transceivers:
>>
>> Kenwood TS-590SG, about $1700
>> Yaesu FT-991A, about $1500
>> K3S, about $2900 (assembled, 100 watts)
>>
>> Price of next-generation SDR radios:
>>
>> Icom IC-7300, about $1400
>> KX3, about $1900 (assembled, with 100 watt outboard amplifier)
>>
>> So we are already at a point where you can move to the next 
>> generation of transceiver design
>> without paying a huge premium for comparable performance. For about 
>> $1500, you can get
>> a seat in the game, and you won't find a new analog rig of similar 
>> performance for less.
>>
>>
>> But what does the situation in HF amps look like?
>>
>> Price of tube-based amps:
>>
>> Ameritron AL-811H, ~600 watts, about $900
>> Ameritron AL-80B, ~800 watts, about $1500
>> Ameritron AL-82, 1500 watts, about $2800
>> ACOM 1000, 1000 watts, about $2800
>> ACOM 1500, 1500 watts, about $4000
>>
>> Cost per watt:  $1.50 - $2.80
>>
>>
>> Price of solid-state amps:
>>
>> Ameritron ALS-600, 500 watts, about $1400
>> ACOM 600, 600 watts, about $2800
>> Elecraft KPA-500, 500 watts, about $3000
>> Elecraft KPA-1500, 1500 watts, about $6000
>> ICOM PW-1, 1500 watts, about $4900
>>
>> Cost per watt:  $2.80 - $6.00
>>
>>
>> So it's still not practical to get the same performance *at the same 
>> price* from
>> solid state power amplifiers.  It will come, but it's not there yet.
>>
>> You can quibble with the choices of amps that I picked to make the 
>> point, but
>> I don't think you can refute the core argument.
>>
>> 73,
>> Cathy
>> N5WVR
>>
>> --------------------------------------------
>> Mark Hill <g4fph at mjha.co.uk> wrote:
>>> I think we are truly seeing the sun setting on valve HF PA and analogue
>>> front-end transceivers.
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>
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