-
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.
4 pill amp
- Thread starter skip searcher
- Start date
Greg T
WDX-945 (Jazz Singer) Upper Peninsula of Michigan
I don't know the availability, but I'm using a Texas Star DX-500 that is incredible with the 955. If you can find one in working order, don't hesitate. To be efficient, you'll need the full power wire upgrade, tho.
Judging by your post, a texas star amp amp is in your league.
If you lived near me here in Western NC, I have a straight four transistor Toshiba 2879 plug in the wall that has an iron core transformer. It was B biased about a year ago by a local tech. New double ball AC fan was installed too during the B biasing. Stops that up and down whine from a DC fan, and lots quieter while doing more CFM air flow.
Definitely will not ship it because it is heavy. Amp was built by EvilJay, and the B biasing was done by BuckEye.
Definitely will not ship it because it is heavy. Amp was built by EvilJay, and the B biasing was done by BuckEye.
I have had good luck with my carlbuilt 4pill. That said I like to under drive my amps, currently running an 8pill carlbuilt with 75watts in and 1.1bushel out, it sounds very bright and is clean, plus I can talk on it until the cows come home without worry of overheating it.
Carl is getting very consistent with HG's.
I have a 4x2879 with bias he built, it has seen some abuse in its lifetime and still keeps ticking.
73
Jeff
I have a 4x2879 with bias he built, it has seen some abuse in its lifetime and still keeps ticking.
73
Jeff
Greg T
WDX-945 (Jazz Singer) Upper Peninsula of Michigan
Been driving my DEI equipped DX-500V with about 40 to 50 pep for a couple of years now. Runs flawlessly. The most important issue with the Texas Star is to do the proper power wire upgrade and fuse elimination.
I'm using a 307 built 4x2879 w/bias with my 955 V2. I had a Carl built 4 pill, but it had input tune issues, as did the Fat Boy 4 pill. Both went back. The 307 was a keeper.
I hope it keeps working for you, the DEI Texas Stars had issues. (DEI failures and impedance mismatch problems) As long as you keep the 955 dialed back you should be fine. If you ever have an oops moment where the RF power is wide open and you start talking away with the amp on it might not be so good.
The chokes that keep rf out of the bias can roast and if your really having a really bad day the amp goes into oscillation, latches the relay closed and things get fun.
Texas stars up to the 500 are good to a point if you don't push things too much.
Or forget.
Most of the straight 4 builders have enough padding built into the front end to take today's radios, Texas Star started back when radios struggled to make 3 watts.
73
Jeff
Greg T
WDX-945 (Jazz Singer) Upper Peninsula of Michigan
This is easy for me. I never run full power on my radio. With the upgraded finals I have the ability to push 150 pep, but I don't see the point. I set my radio up so that I have the capability to run a 25W Deadkey on AM, but I don't. I have the radio set up so that when I run a 10W deadkey, my SSB pep is about 35 to 50 w, depending upon my voice volume and proximity to the mic. I leave it there. Switching between AM and SSB is a quick flip and I never have to touch the RF power knob. If I need more power for SSB I just flip the amp on. And, I never use the amp on AM anyway. I have no need.
I do have to say, though, the fuse elimination and power wire upgrade are imperative on these amps. From the factory, they are under-fed.