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Purchased new Texas Star DX1600X

Turn it to the right

Turn it to the right

Member
Feb 9, 2012
20
13
13
VA
Hello all just wanted to give a short review of this brand new Texas Star DX1600X. In a word fantastic! Yes it has the DEI 2SC2879's. It is very well made with very good parts and very good soldering. Modification is necessary before it will operate, but it's a very simple modification. Not the typical CW to AMP conversion found on CBradiotricks.com.
Have tested this 1600X very thoroughly. Input matching appears good. Yes it will put out over 1500 watts peak with 15.5volts on the DC input. Driving it very conservative with 12 watt dead key swinging up to 170 watts peak. 12 watt dead key equals to 500 watts RMS out. It will do 800+ watts RMS with a max of around 1500+ peak@15.5vdc. Lots of really cool functions that work great and not found on many of the other amps seen for sale. Paid $775 plus shipping from HYelectronics. Not a full blown competion amp but will still hold its own if fed right. Using it on a 300 amp 13.7 vdc supply with 15 watt dead key my DX1600X just loafs along getting a easy 600 watt carrier with 1200-1300 peak watts. No TVI or any other weirdness from it. Anyway check these TS DX1600X's out. I'm glad I did.
73's
 
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Yes 15.5vdc. Using a Ranger 6900F 150 to excite the DX1600X. My SWR at the output of the amp is 1.06:1. Amp input tuning is very good. Voltage drop is .07 vdc at 1400 watts output. No issues with the DEI transistors. I know of several folks running 16 vdc on this and the TS SweetSixteen with no issues. VSWR must be at or below 1.2:1. Draws over 100 amps at full output so you need a serious DC power supply. I have video of all my testing. Been beating up this new Texas Star DX1600x talking skip and to the local crowd. It hasn't missed a beat. I keep hearing folks having issues with these DEI transistors. From what I've seen and been instructed as long as the output VSWR is 1.2:1 and you keep the collectors at or below 16 vdc the DEI's will play for a long time. About your RF parts link, well aware of what the retailers are saying about these DEI transistors as far as collector voltage and RF output. I recall similar issues with Toshiba transistors and volting the collectors. Toshiba's could handle more voltage on the collector but to a point. Same with these DEI's.
How many have damaged their DEI transistor based amp if they kept the collector voltage under 16 vdc and the VSWR is a verified 1.2:1 or less. Also the DEI's must be kept cool as it's the current that builds up heat that these cheap chinese transistors can't take. So to sum up Texas Star DX1600X needs to be kept cool run under 16vdc and your output VSWR is 1.2:1 or less and it should just fine.
 
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You will have a hard time convincing anyone, including me, that TS amps can handle over 15 volts......DEI or Toshiba. 99.9% of the time they will do this. Have fun with your $775 Texas Star! I wonder how you got a Texas Star 1600X for $775 when they sell them for $875.


 
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I found the same amp on the sister site of Copper Electronics for $875 and both sites usually have the same prices. Considering the short output transformers, I can't see how the posted power output is possible.
One of the locals bought one for $900 shipped from copper and he drives it with a one pill and gets 1200 watts peak.
Run any Texas Star on 16 volts and it's toast.
A Texas Star 8 pill putting out the same power as a competition amp just doesn't add up.
 
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psycho said:
I found the same amp on the sister site of Copper Electronics for $875 and both sites usually have the same prices. Considering the short output transformers, I can't see how the posted power output is possible.
One of the locals bought one for $900 shipped from copper and he drives it with a one pill and gets 1200 watts peak.
Run any Texas Star on 16 volts and it's toast.
A Texas Star 8 pill putting out the same power as a competition amp just doesn't add up.
Click to expand...

You don't seem to understand the bias circuit in a tx star is the main reason they die when volted. When you increase input voltage the pills draw more bias current and since their bias is unregulated you also bring up the bias voltage at the base of the pills which also increases bias current...yes you will smoke most texas stars if you volt them. A class c amp doesn't have this problem.

The amp he has is not an old sweet 16. If he switches it to class c (grounds bases of the transistors) it will not roll over and die like a sweet 16 will above 15 volts. I have no reason to doubt he sees 1500 pep on his meter. It may not do that on my meter or yours. It may do more on someone else's meter but I think the guy is being honest about what he is seeing.

Is the 1 pill driver your friend using doing 170 watts? I wouldn't run a daily driver box this hard but the op says he's driving it with 170 to get 1500 out. What is your friend hitting his with to get 1200?
 
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psycho said:
Run any Texas Star on 16 volts and it's toast.
A Texas Star 8 pill putting out the same power as a competition amp just doesn't add up.
Click to expand...

I have to disagree. About 15 - 20 years ago, I ran a DX350 mobile as a base unit, using an RV power supply at about 14.5 volts. One day I was talkign along and noticed I was showing quite a bit more output than usual. I didnt think anything of it other than "cool!!", and kept on talking. After a while the amp quit, and I noticed it was too hot to touch. I shut everything down as quickly as I could, let the amp cool off, then started trouble-shooting. The power supply had failed and the amp was seeing about 22 volts instead of 14.5. I took the amp apart, and found that it had gotten so hot that solder had melted and parts had fallen off the board (I had it mounted vertically on the side of a desk). I re-installed the parts, took care of the power supply issue, and tried the amp again. It ran as if nothing had happened at all. I've been a Texas Star fan ever since.
 
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DTB Radio said:
I have to disagree. About 15 - 20 years ago, I ran a DX350 mobile as a base unit, using an RV power supply at about 14.5 volts. One day I was talkign along and noticed I was showing quite a bit more output than usual. I didnt think anything of it other than "cool!!", and kept on talking. After a while the amp quit, and I noticed it was too hot to touch. I shut everything down as quickly as I could, let the amp cool off, then started trouble-shooting. The power supply had failed and the amp was seeing about 22 volts instead of 14.5. I took the amp apart, and found that it had gotten so hot that solder had melted and parts had fallen off the board (I had it mounted vertically on the side of a desk). I re-installed the parts, took care of the power supply issue, and tried the amp again. It ran as if nothing had happened at all. I've been a Texas Star fan ever since.
Click to expand...
I personally think that TS amps are the tried and true good amps out there on the market.
I've been playin with them for 32 years and have never had any issue from them. Unless it was my stupidity like high swr.
I just baught a new DX1600X. This is a beast.
I've had probably no less than 10 1600s over the years and I believe this is far and above the old style.
Next would be a old Palomar.
I am speaking mobile units. Just my 2 cents Triple 5. Sidewinder. 73s
 
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I have one of these DX 1600X on the way from Copper and was looking for the conversion details on line to no avail. I'm not sure if it will come ready to run phone in 10/11 meters or not.
Anyone have information on this conversion?
Thanks.
 
Cookie Monster said:
I have one of these DX 1600X on the way from Copper and was looking for the conversion details on line to no avail. I'm not sure if it will come ready to run phone in 10/11 meters or not.
Anyone have information on this conversion?
Thanks.
Click to expand...

Copper used to do the conversion before they ship them. There was never an option or mention of "converting" it for legal reasons.
 
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