[TenTec] re buy centurion

[Rob Atkinson, K5UJ]

a few things to consider:  If you scrape together the cash for a centurion 
and get it, then decide you needed more power, you'll have to sell the 
centurion, or get to the $3500 point starting from zero.  If you have the 
bux for a centurion now, you're a lot closer to having the cash for 1.5 kw 
right now.

part of it depends on what you want to do.  I have a centurion and I am 
happy with it because of the features (no need to go over them again) and 
also I have come to like the grounded grid pair of 3-500 design (instant on, 
grids can take more Ig, and I'm told gg amps have lower distortion).  There 
was a time when I wanted more power but for me, I have decided the centurion 
is enough.  But I'm mostly a casual ragchewer.  The somewhat lower power and 
need for more drive are not big problems.

If I were going to want to run stations in a contest for 48 hours at 1200 or 
more watts, I'd probably go for one of the amps using the ceramic triodes or 
tetrodes and put up with what I've heard is the fussy grid protection 
circuits they have, in exchange for the wattage headroom.

While I have nothing bad to say about the Centurion among the 3-500 amps 
(except possibly for the b+ transformer they use) I think your options open 
up if you get into the 1.5 kw $3K+ range.  At the low end you have the 
AL-1500 and at the top, the Alpha 99 in terms of price.  In between, you 
have the QRO HF2500 and the Commander amp (but it uses the expensive 
3cx800s) in addition to the Titan III.  Then there's the Henrys with their 
massive 200 lb power supplies available.  I may be forgetting some others.  
Assuming you can wait a few months, if I were you, I'd go to Dayton next 
year and see as many of these in person as possible and talk to the vendors. 
     I don't usually go, but when I'm about to make a serious purchase 
(which I define as anything over around $1.5K) I consider a trip to eyeball 
the goodies in person worth the expense within reason.

Rob Atkinson
K5UJ



<<<I know this opens a gigantic can of worms but the Titan III is within my
reach if I eat pinto beans and bacon for the next 12 months.

I'm guessing i'd run the Centurion at 800W output but would probably run
the Titan pretty close to the legal limit - the comfort zone for each amp.

So is having the ability to double my output power worth changing my diet
or will the 1000-1300 W output from the Centurion be adequate?


I guess i'm trying to ask the difficult question of whether the difference
between 1000W and 1500W+ for SSB is noticeable - I haven't "heard" for my
own ears the difference between someone running 800W cleanly vs. 1500W+.
It would seem that to make a big impact from 800W I'd have to push out at
least 2400W and i'm not set-up for that kind of operation.>>>

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