[TenTec] Solid State Amps

[John Clifford]

Refurbing an existing amp is not manufacturing, it is repairing.  The door
is wide open for someone to buy old basket-case amps, rebuild 'em, and
resell them to amateurs.  I've seen a couple of repair companies advertise
amps for sale... I'm sure the tech/owner goes looking for bargains that he
can fix between the paying customers (I would if I were in this business)
and sell to make extra $$.  When you think about how much a tech makes, or
needs to make, to earn a living, there isn't a lot of profit in this.
Now... perhaps someone could spend a little time optimizing/improving
current-production amps (like the Ameritron 811) to add internal QSK, etc.
If you could buy this at dealer cost (say 30% under retail), add QSK, maybe
update the meters to LED/digital, then sell it for a premium over the
production model... would there be a market?

If someone wants the Herc II so badly, how hard would it be to make a clone
of this amp, but perhaps a little smarter/more flexible than the original,
i.e., a better computer interface to work with Icom/Yaesu/Kenwood/Ten-Tec
rigs.  Surely a Herc II manual provides the broad schematics.  And, make it
run off of 120v (rectify the voltage to DC) to keep the current requirements
down.

Lots of us have the imagination, but few have the engineering skills to pull
this stuff off.  Evidently, THP thinks there's enough of a market to make
developing a 1 KW SS amp.  How about it, Ten-Tec?  Heck, maybe you could
have THP build an OEM version of this amp that you could sell.

 - jgc

John Clifford KD7KGX

Heathkit HW-9 WARC/HFT-9/HM-9
Elecraft K2 #1678 /KSB2/KIO2/KBT2/KAT2/KNB2/KAF2/KPA100
Ten-Tec Omni VI/Opt1
Alinco DR-605TQ
Icom T90A

email: kd7kgx at arrl.net