11m operators will never get used to that. Over driving amplifiers on 11m seems to be standard operating procedure and actually condoned by the manufacturers when you look at their driving recommendations.
-
You can now help support WorldwideDX when you shop on Amazon at no additional cost to you! Simply follow this Shop on Amazon link first and a portion of any purchase is sent to WorldwideDX to help with site costs.
donkeystomper amps
- Thread starter roger460xvr
- Start date
11m operators will never get used to that. Over driving amplifiers on 11m seems to be standard operating procedure and actually condoned by the manufacturers when you look at their driving recommendations.
That's how alc works on 11 meters. The limitations of the final transistors do all the peak limiting. This is why it's ok to clip the mod limiter in the radio.
Agreed. But without some kind of clamping circuit. Still not a good idea. Ppl don't listen. Personal use only. I bought some real bird attenuators to put inline to compare to my home brew resistor attenuators. Just to compare 6db,10db, 15db and 20db. I wanted to compare my networks to the Bird ones. Make sure I was pretty close. Expensive lessen when u start popping them. Lol.
Damn expensive if you purchasing products from BIRD.
Agreed, the over drive problem is very rampant in the radio community.
Basically, if the amplifiers in use are operated within specifications they will last for years.
Even sweep tube amps, D&A products still around, every now and then one comes across the bench that still have the D&A print on the 6LQ6 tubes in it.
Sonar to answer your questions about the "BEST" type amp??
Depends on what you want to do with it and how you want to operate it.
The "BEST" amp is the one that satisfies your operating needs.
It may be a biased amp for SSB
It could be a class C amp for AM use
Or a combination of both.
Agreed, the over drive problem is very rampant in the radio community.
Basically, if the amplifiers in use are operated within specifications they will last for years.
Even sweep tube amps, D&A products still around, every now and then one comes across the bench that still have the D&A print on the 6LQ6 tubes in it.
Sonar to answer your questions about the "BEST" type amp??
Depends on what you want to do with it and how you want to operate it.
The "BEST" amp is the one that satisfies your operating needs.
It may be a biased amp for SSB
It could be a class C amp for AM use
Or a combination of both.
I watched EBay for a long time and found some good used ones fairly nexpensive. $30-50 each. All for less than the cost of a single device. To me was worth it. Forced me to To do some reading and expand my knowledge base a little.
Shadetree Mechanic
Delaware Base Station 808
I have never personally seen an amp that big, only in pictures. Pop the lid and post some pictures of it if you can.
Unfortunately amp builders are reduced to hg pills which imo are not worth the money or $200/pc for Toshibas if you can find some or $110 for red dots. Pill amps are going the way of sweep tube units without quality Toshiba transistors. If I were to go with something high power it would be a home brew tube unit. 1 tube and be done with it.
Be nice to it and keep your drive to under 90 watts and it should last for a while.
Be nice to it and keep your drive to under 90 watts and it should last for a while.
I've my own driving recommendations when it come to low drive CB amps.
Those drive standards go for tube or transistorized/pill. 11/2-2 dead key with 12-18 pep.
Even if I could get 300 watts more out of a particular amp by hitting it with 3 or 4 dead key I won't exceed 2 watts (dead key.) Even if the amp builder suggests a dk of 4 watts I won't go there.
I'm fairly sure driving an amp lower than the manuals suggested drive requirements one can't damage the amplifier driving it lower than the builders suggested drive requirements. While driving it as per the builders suggested DK/pep will shorten the life of the amps components when compared to driving it with half the suggested drive requirements.
If an amp and it's pills/tubes rated output is 1kw when driven with 4 watts I'd drop down the driving power to where the final amps output is
5-700 watts. Most know they'll be no difference on the other end between 1kw or 5-700 watts so why push the amps components to an early grave?
Letting an amp loaf along @ 1/2 or 31/4 of its rated output imo is a good idea. In the long run your're losing 11/2 or 31/4 of the amps potential output but you're putting less stress on components without lessening your received signal. I know that CB operators have this get every single watt and more if possible out of an amp/transmitter attitude. I was one of them @ one time. Of course there's no guarantee components won't fail but driving amps the way I suggest will certainly turn the odds in your favor as far as components not failing. I've learned a lot over the past 5+ year's. Wwdx is a great place to learn and I'm glad I found and joined. 73
I don't know what you paid for it, and that's your business.
I'm curious why you didn't consider a brand new Texas Star? A 1kw+ amp with a proven history of good build quality, AB1 (maybe AB) biased, decently priced, and from the ones I've heard (being properly driven) sound great. Is a 1 s-unit gain worth buying an amp that was most likely built in a garage by who knows who? I'm also not sure what your using as an antenna, but I'm guessing running a 2kw+ amp your using either a beam or one of the better Omni directional antennas that can handle the output a 16 pill amp produces? Everyone obviously has the choice to spend their money the way they'd like to, but Donkey Stomper!?! On top of that it's used and holding your breath until it gets to you is justified. There's a Brooklyn eBay seller with 100% feedback that sell brand new bench tested texas Star amps @ what I think is a fair price. Buying used 11 meter amps is a crap shoot to say the least.
Theres so many golden screwdriver "techs" that love experimenting on other people's equipment, and grttget paid for it @ the same time. I suggest anyone new to the hobby who's looking for an amp do their research. And do some of that research on Texas Star amplifiers. Stay away from xforce and the like class C amps. Consider getting an amp that's going to allow you to work SSB as well as AM.
Even if your only intrest is in AM operation. You may find SSB something you enjoy. Having to rebias your class C amp means having to find a tech who knows what their doing and most likely having to ship it. I truly wish you nothing but the best with your Donkey Stomper. When all my station issues are straightened out I'll be going with a Texas Star in place of my phantom, 300a, and 350z. God bless and happy holidays. 73