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LEGAL LIMIT SOLIDSTATE AMPLIFIER
- Thread starter TonyV225
- Start date
Dang..
Seems like a Decent linear..
But so so expensive..
what about good filtering .. like the Icom has..
No Antenna tuner..
Does look really nice though
Seems like a Decent linear..
But so so expensive..
what about good filtering .. like the Icom has..
No Antenna tuner..
Does look really nice though
The Prometheus was reported in 2004 at Dayton. That may not be quite as fancy (or expensive) as the current model, but it's not at all "new".
Earlier ones were supposed to have an autotuner. I wouldn't want an amplifier with one - just more stuff to break and add to the expense. I much prefer a good manual tuner.
Earlier ones were supposed to have an autotuner. I wouldn't want an amplifier with one - just more stuff to break and add to the expense. I much prefer a good manual tuner.
The technology for all the monitoring and safety processes is neat on these amps....and the 'catch' with solid state finals. You simply MUST have all these control circuits or your finals will go 'poof'. That's what costs so much with these.
Do a bang for the buck comparison with something like an AL-1500 or even the higher end amps like Acom or OM-2500 and it becomes a really difficult thing to justify just to avoid tuning up a tube amp...which with just a bit of practice just takes seconds to do.
Some guys are afraid of tubes for some reason and that is what I believe is driving the market.
If you compare the Yaesu Quadra or Icom PW-1, they have lower power but are rated at full duty cycle unlike many other solid state units and they have full integration with their designed rig pairings giving essentially a kW transceiver because the integration is so slick. With a system that well integrated I can see a bit more benefit, particularly if someone is an obsessed contester.
Until you get full protection circuitry integrated into base power modules, high power at solid state will continue to be an expensive and very proprietary proposition. One thing to note, if those control boards die on the smaller manufacturer's amps, you are tied to them for replacements....with Emtron as an example, they just leave their customers sitting in the dust with no parts, with Alpha as an example, they take care of you but at 1/3 the cost of a new amp. So you pay $6k+ for an amp, lose a board and it costs you another $1500...because you are basically stuck buying from the one source.
Even the higher priced tubes are nowhere near that expensive to replace.
Do a bang for the buck comparison with something like an AL-1500 or even the higher end amps like Acom or OM-2500 and it becomes a really difficult thing to justify just to avoid tuning up a tube amp...which with just a bit of practice just takes seconds to do.
Some guys are afraid of tubes for some reason and that is what I believe is driving the market.
If you compare the Yaesu Quadra or Icom PW-1, they have lower power but are rated at full duty cycle unlike many other solid state units and they have full integration with their designed rig pairings giving essentially a kW transceiver because the integration is so slick. With a system that well integrated I can see a bit more benefit, particularly if someone is an obsessed contester.
Until you get full protection circuitry integrated into base power modules, high power at solid state will continue to be an expensive and very proprietary proposition. One thing to note, if those control boards die on the smaller manufacturer's amps, you are tied to them for replacements....with Emtron as an example, they just leave their customers sitting in the dust with no parts, with Alpha as an example, they take care of you but at 1/3 the cost of a new amp. So you pay $6k+ for an amp, lose a board and it costs you another $1500...because you are basically stuck buying from the one source.
Even the higher priced tubes are nowhere near that expensive to replace.
Toll_Free
Well-Known Member
8877 = 2250 watts with longevity and reasonable IMD
16 X 2SC2879 = 880 watts with longevity and reasonable IMD.
Please recheck the original post. It mentions legal limit. That implies someone who is attempting to comply with FCC part 97 instead of free for all fuzzy radio.
Yep, and an 8877 does not cost $1250. You can purchase a Chinese made 8877 for around $600.00 and it works just as good as the higher priced Eimac. I have a Penta branded 8877 that came factory in my Alpha, 35-40 watts in = 1500 watts out.
73
Tokyo Hi-Power did the same thing at Dayton in 2008 with the 2.5K model. I think they ran it at 1.8KW for the entire weekend. The only problem I see with the Tokyo Hi-Power is custom made transistors they use, if I had one of those amps, I would buy two sets of spares just in case.
Further, concerning the price of an 8877, I've seen pulls for a little as $250.00.
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