While it can be a waste to run a 2 x 4 box, it can run well and sound good, if it has proper biasing and is not overdriven.
My X-Force 2 x 4 base amp that I run sounds fantastic on SSB, and I run about 16-17W PEP into it. I compared my X-Force amp to my AEA LA-30 (which is a legit ham amp) on a friend's spectrum analyzer and they showed almost identical patterns.
However, I will admit I did some reworking of the X-Force to get it there (mainly in biasing and a new power supply), and I'm not seeing outrageous wattage for output out of it either, about 600W PEP.
Keep in mind that the amount of turns on the input transformers in the final section will have an effect on how much "drive" the final section will need to drive the transistors to full output. As a test, I bypassed the driver section of my X-Force amp, and went directly to the final section. 20W PEP in = 100W out. I then took my old Galaxy Saturn Turbo I had at the time, set it at 100W and drove it into the final section. Guess what? 100W PEP in = 550W out. I compared the turns on the input transformers on the X-Force to a Texas Star DX-500, and my X-Force has one less turn on the input transformer on each pair of finals. Also, the density and physical size of the ferrites used in the construction of the input transformers come into play as well.
Is a 2 x 4 box efficient? Nope. Not even close. Can it work? It can, but it has to be setup correctly to do so. Will I invest in something like this again down the road? Probably not, as I only bought my current box for experimentation purposes only, and right now, since it works the way I want it to, there isn't a need to experiment further. Hope all this puts things into perspective.
~Cheers~
My X-Force 2 x 4 base amp that I run sounds fantastic on SSB, and I run about 16-17W PEP into it. I compared my X-Force amp to my AEA LA-30 (which is a legit ham amp) on a friend's spectrum analyzer and they showed almost identical patterns.
However, I will admit I did some reworking of the X-Force to get it there (mainly in biasing and a new power supply), and I'm not seeing outrageous wattage for output out of it either, about 600W PEP.
Keep in mind that the amount of turns on the input transformers in the final section will have an effect on how much "drive" the final section will need to drive the transistors to full output. As a test, I bypassed the driver section of my X-Force amp, and went directly to the final section. 20W PEP in = 100W out. I then took my old Galaxy Saturn Turbo I had at the time, set it at 100W and drove it into the final section. Guess what? 100W PEP in = 550W out. I compared the turns on the input transformers on the X-Force to a Texas Star DX-500, and my X-Force has one less turn on the input transformer on each pair of finals. Also, the density and physical size of the ferrites used in the construction of the input transformers come into play as well.
Is a 2 x 4 box efficient? Nope. Not even close. Can it work? It can, but it has to be setup correctly to do so. Will I invest in something like this again down the road? Probably not, as I only bought my current box for experimentation purposes only, and right now, since it works the way I want it to, there isn't a need to experiment further. Hope all this puts things into perspective.
~Cheers~
