Topband: Preamplifiers

[Eddy Swynar]

On 2015-02-03, at 1:19 AM, Charlie Cunningham wrote:

> Hi, Eddy
> 
> I used one of the old Ameco vacuum tube preamp/pre-selectors, that I
> borrowed from my friend, bill, K4CIA, for my KAZ terminated receiving loops
> several years ago. It was great!  - had plenty of gain and because it was
> vacuum tube, it wasn't susceptible to damage from transmit RF picked up in
> the loop. I no longer have the KAZ loop, but I'm going to build another one.
> Bill had a second newer JFET version o fthe Ameco, that I bought from him.
> I expect I'll have to take more care with protecting the JFET device. T he
> old vacuum tube Ameco pream work great onn 160, 80, 40 and 30m, where I used
> it. F course I didn't need it with the 5-band quad for the higher bands -
> mostly on loop on 160, where the antenna gain was low, but it was a very
> quiet antenna, and I heard things on 160 that I couldn't hear before. I ran
> the Ameco into the receive antenna input on my FT-1000MP. Worked great!
> 
> 73,
> Charlie, K4OTV\




Hi Charlie,

Yes, they do, indeed, work great for me, too...

I have both the AMECO nuvistor version here that I place before my old back-up Drake R-4---and which I got for a mere five bucks at a Hamfest!---as well as the solidstate version that I had before my K9AY loops & Beverage antenna.

As I mentioned before, if overly strong signals happen to overload either one, I merely reduce the gain on them.

Why any Ham who sees these wonderful old devices practically being GIVEN away at 'fests doesn't pick them up, is beyond me---I guess the more "proper" thing to do anymore is to whip out the ol' VISA card, & to buy a more modern "designer" pre-amp! 

~73!~ de Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ