[TenTec] QSK or not?

[Gary Smith]

I currently have my old Corsair II & a K3. Both are stellar QSK rigs. 

That SB-220 had the Rich Measures QSK board I made & installed with 
its reverse string of diodes to attain an ideal bias for the 3-500Zs. 
The QSK in that SB-220 was every bit as good as was in the 425 and my 
Alpha PA-77. 

The problem with the Measures QSK was that you pretty much removed 
the guts of the TR components and replaced them. When selling the amp 
you either kept the old parts, replaced them and removed the Measures 
QSK to reuse or, you left the amp modified which may or may not make 
the next owner happy, however this way you lost your universal QSK 
board. Some people just don't want prior owners to upgrade their 
amps.

Same issue with my external QSK unit which is effectively the same 
thing as the Array Solutions Power Master. There are two wires in the 
amp to unsolder, you make an external jumper to short out the key, 
route the coaxes to their proper terminations and you are good to go 
with any amp you wish. Sell the amp and all you need to do is 
resolder those two internal wires and its as new.

I used that external QSK box with the AL-1500 and I don't use the 
1500 any more as I have an alpha I prefer. However both Alpha & 
AL-1500 need three minutes warm-up and I hate the wait in a pile-up 
so when my father's old Vector amp with clunky relay becomes mine I'm 
moving that QSK box to it and will have a legal limit, instant on, 
true QSK amplifier. 

That's one of the advantages of the remote QSK. You can keep it 
forever and leave your old amp as originally designed with zero 
permanent modifications for the next owner.

Gary
KA1J

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