SB-220 ... Where to get one... Hmmm...

[High Miler]

Now that I got the KLV 1000 on it's way, which will be here Tuesday Morning, Just checked the status on Fed-Ex's web site... I used to have an old SB 220 and am sorry I ever got rid of it.. I would like to get another one for the ham shack.. Anyone know of a place that's good I can pick one up??

If nothing else I will try the swap sheets... Thanks!

 

[EDUK8TR]

Try E-Bay, I see them there all the time.

hope this helps!

73's

 

[High Miler]

I was always worried 'bout getting stuff on Ebay... But I'll take a look to be sure. Guess I need to look at the reviews of the seller. Thanks! 8)

 

[nomadradio]

Buying a SB-220? I'd worry first about parts that may be 25 to 35 years old. Most of what goes bad is available, but you could spend a bundle for the "100,000-mile tuneup". And if that's already been done, the sale price will reflect that investment. The seller will always want to get back the money spent for that kind of "upkeep".

Umm. If you have a SB-220 shipped, worry about damage in transit.

When it was sold as a kit, it arrived in three cartons. One with the tubes, another with JUST the big, heavy High Voltage transformer, and one more with all the other parts.

The later SB-221 version was sold "factory assembled". It also shipped in three cartons. Once you received them, you had to install the H.V. transformer. Four screws/nuts to hold it in, and one big plug that went into a matching socket on the chassis.

Heathkit warned in the manual NOT to ship one of these with that monster HV transformer bolted in place. If Heath had made the chassis heavy enough to take the stress, the price would have been a LOT higher.

We have seen a number of SB-220/221 amplifiers with the chassis deck warped by the stress of shipping, especially if the shipper is UPS. Had one that sheared the chassis deck completely away from the deck's rear flange where it bolts to the rear panel. Had to stitch it back together with right-angle brackets. Had to replace both circuit breakers, also.

If the deck warps downwards far enough, it will damage one or both of the circuit breakers. They are made from fairly brittle plastic.

There is no easy way to remove that HV transformer, especially if it's the "soldered-in" type.

Don't really have a useful, positive suggestion to offer, except to recommend "buyer beware" if you have one of these shipped to you. You sure don't want to plug one in after it arrives, unless you have removed the cover and looked for shipping damage. It really was not designed to ship, once assembled.

73

 

[High Miler]

10/4.... Want one for the Nostalgic reasons as well as the practical... I'll have to keep an eye open at some ham fests...

Heck if it worked once I would be happy... Just as long as I have it setting on that table. Reminds me of simpler times, funner times, and a time when a guy could get on and rag chew without hearing all the blow hards you do today.

 

[Blackcat2950]

Buying a SB-220? I'd worry first about parts that may be 25 to 35 years old. Most of what goes bad is available, but you could spend a bundle for the "100,000-mile tuneup".

Nomad: I totally agree but do you have a recommendation for a newer, multi-band, dual 3-500z amp (newer) that will provide the same functionality as the SB-220 at roughly the same price point used? I've had an eye on picking up a SB-220 myself and have been monitoring Ebay and local hamfests... only to start contemplating whether I want 160m (which the Sb-220 can't do)... as well as sinking quite a bit of money into a 40 year old amp for required upgrades like softkeying, new filtering caps, metering, etc. Kinda looking at an AL-82, but even used the price is a little out of reach for me. Would love an Alpha 87a or 99, but not enough moo-la.

Just curious on your thoughts for a good multi-band, full legal power 'value' amp.

 

[High Miler]

An Alpha linear... There's a dandy...

 

[nomadradio]

Uh, BlackCat it's hard to find a 5 or 10 year-old car for the price of one that's 25 or 35 years old. Same reasons.

If I was going to spend $2445 for an AL-82, the additional $100 for the AL-1200 would be cheap insurance. The single 3CX1200 tube is far more rugged than a pair of 3-500Z. Has a bit more power gain, too.

Don't buy or sell amplifiers, so I have no real idea what a newer, say, ten year-old AL-82 might fetch. Like I stated before, the less money you need to spend catching up maintenance, the more you'll have to pay for it. Old SB-220s get cheaper, slowly, year by year on average. This reflects the slowly rising average cost to put one back into regular service. The older they get on average, the more it will cost to 'catch up' that maintenance on average.

Same safe bet that a car with 50,000 miles still "on the horizon" before it's likely to break down tends to cost more than a beater with only a few thousand left before something is likely to go "poof". Same reason.

You might consider that Ameritron's AL-80 and AL-572 cost roughly half what the '82 and '1200 run. What you'll sacrifice is at most one S-unit on the receiver at the other end. Typically a two-to-one power drop will be a half S-unit. Not a bad trade for a thousand-buck drop in price.

The AL-80 is exactly half the amplifier the AL-82 is. The AL-572 is closer to two-thirds that size. You do have to treat 572B tubes with respect. They are not so robust and forgiving as the 3-500Z. The 3CX1200 in the AL-1200 is by far the stoutest tube for AM in it's price category. A far better bet than a pair of 3-500Z, for no more than an additional hundred bucks (new).

Alpha stuff costs more. For a reason. They spend more to build that brand. Gotta get that money back in the sale price.

If somebody offers you one cheap, figure it needs one or more tubes that cost upwards of $600 each. The only reason to offer an expensive item cheap is when it will require a big investment to use it.

Or you could wait for somebody to start building them in China. Imagine, 2kW ham linears at Wally World.... Gotta figure they'd be cheap.

73