[UK-CONTEST] Amplifier Advice Please.

[Christopher Plummer]

Guys,
 
My experience with liears as below:-
 
VHF
1. Linear Amp UK, various tube type ones on 4m, 6m, and 2m. Not too badly made , slightly better since the crowd in Reading took over design and manufacture, runs well under contest conditions and fairly well protected.
2. BECO  superb built quality and performance, cannot fault in contest conditions, only niggle is fan noise, so put a bit further away from microphone.
3. Telecom, nowhere near suitably protected, very high noise from fans.  Not even my third choice amp.
 
HF/6m
1. Ameritron AL1500, no 6m coverage, and has flashed over a couple of times in contests causing loosening of sphincter, fan noise not too bad, fairly reliable in full contest mode even with 100% duty cycle RTTY
2. ACOM 1000 , inc 6m coverage, rock steady protection and good steady performance on aqll HF bands and 6m, fan almost silent, deffinately the first choice in my shack
3. MFJ/Ameritrom 500w Transistor mobile amp, no 6m coverage, but not really tried this out in the UK.
4. Alpha tube automatic band switching, used one of these the 8900 while I was in Canada, very nice amp.
5. ACOM 2000, friends and contest groups use these (under-run of course in the UK) fairly steady and also auto band switching with remote monitoring head.  Quiet yes but no 6m coverage (two tubes so anode capaity too big to tune to 6m)
 
If your budget stretches that far go for ACOM 1000 for HF (has the advantage of 6m coverage) and BECO amps for VHF.
 
Thats my two penny worth anyway.
 
73 de Chris G8APB
 

 

> To: g4odv at yahoo.co.uk
> From: alannottage at aol.com
> Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2012 10:53:08 -0500
> CC: uk-contest at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [UK-CONTEST] Amplifier Advice Please.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Another thought Brian is that a lot of solid state PAs nowadays (inc. in some rigs) don't sound like they're too well biased. A word like 'should' (on phone I mean here) comes out like it's spelt 'thould'. Kind of similar to the effect that RF feedback creates (also more prevalent). If you're contesting with significant audio processing, then that's probably not going to be too noticeable though.
> 
> Either way, you don't want charlie-four-zulu sounding like charlie-four-thulu :>) ...(which it doesn't at the moment btw!)
> 
> Al G0XBV 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: brian coyne <g4odv at yahoo.co.uk>
> To: UK Contest <uk-contest at contesting.com>
> Sent: Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:20
> Subject: [UK-CONTEST] Amplifier Advice Please.
> 
> 
> I would appreciate any views on Heatherlite amplifiers for serious contesting. I 
> ave read reviews on e-ham which are mixed opinion but I don't recognise any of 
> he reviewers as contesters. 
> 
> was intent on importing an Ameritron ALS1300 but a local ham has offered the 
> bove which would save a lot of hassle as well as expense. I could suck it and 
> ee but I am no dab hand with the soldering iron and am also wondering the cost 
> f replacement 3-500 bottles. This amp is pre ' Linear Amp' days and labelled as 
> eatherlite.
> 
> he amp I require will need to work hard for 24/24 or 36/40 hours in an 48 hour 
> vent so tendency to overheat is a no no.
> 
> he ALS1300 is a new model, does anyone know anything about it?
> 
> re there any opinions on Ameritron amplifiers?
> 
> hanks in advance for any help.
> 
> 3 Brian 5B4AIZ..
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