I would think a properly tuned and aligned 955 will do 80-100 watts depending on your watt meter. Probably quite a bit less on FM mode. Since it's a higher powered radio you will have to get an amplifier that can handle that level of input
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Stryker 955 Amp.
- Thread starter Buck Morre
- Start date
I would think a properly tuned and aligned 955 will do 80-100 watts depending on your watt meter. Probably quite a bit less on FM mode. Since it's a higher powered radio you will have to get an amplifier that can handle that level of input
Those are average power amounts though, aren’t they? I was told years ago that I couldn’t run a 2 pill behind an S9, BS I said. Have ran the same amp behind the same S9 forever and a night - that’s eons to you and me, Russ. Was told the same thing about the 4300HP I sold new to a guy along with a 2 pill. He ran it daily for several years without so much as a hiccup.
I’m not saying anyone who says it’s not a good idea or it’s not the correct thing is wrong, I’ll agree it’s not the best idea in the world. But like I said before, I know it can be done cause I have a friend who is running a 2 behind a 655 on a daily basis. Still not the best idea anyone could come up with and I’m sure it’ll get one at some point. I have yet to experience it though. I do think a straight 4 would be a better choice.
Good question.
Here's the way it was explained to me by one of the moderators:
Look at the data sheet for the transistor in the amp, they have a voltage requirement, input power requirement, and an output spec, as well as other bits of info. It states that they are spec'd to run at 12.5v; all of the output curves on that page use that standard. Yes, they can run at 13.8v. But each time we push it out of its designed zone we stress the device further.
So, let's say that we have a 2290 (or mrf 454s or any other small pill) 2 pill amp. Spec sheet says that it requires no more than 5w of drive each pill to reach saturation for full output. We have two of them in that amp; so it requires no more than 10w input to get full output (2 x 5w = 10w). Now a 2879 pill spec sheet has a greater requirement of 10w per device; so therefore a 2 pill 2879 amp needs no more than 20w for total saturation to produce full output.
What happens when we go outside of the spec sheet from the mfr? Distortion - for one. Strong harmonic output also on other freq other than the one we intend to TX on - for another. Part is running more voltage and has more input power too, so now it is being stressed and heating up. Things are adding up. If we push it even farther, not only is it throwing off harmonics, we are now courting its failure. Sure a watt meter will show more output, but once we push it out of its designed spec range, we cannot count on it to perform clean and safe. A watt meter is essentially blind and dumb, in the sense that it reads any watts put across it circuits and doesn't discriminate if they are either on freq or several channels away. So we think that all is well and fine; right? Wrong!
So the point is: we don't have to push more watts into the amp to get more power. Simply because it stops making usable power once we do that. A 2 pill 2879 is going to have clean and full output with just 20w. Twenty. Just 20w; and no more is needed.
So along comes the export radio. The dual 1969 bipolar transistor radio has 35-40w output, so the 4 pill 2879 amp will work fine within the input specs. A 40 channel single final/1969 CB radio has a 20w output, and will work within the spec of the 2 pill 2879 amp. But now we have mosfets radios that have 60w with dual finals. SO either we turn down the radio to the spec of the amp, or we get crap out of an over-driven amp and blow it up somewhere down the line and wonder what happened.
Does it matter who builds the amp? Nope; because the spec sheet for the device is still dictating how it operates and what it requires.
SO the radio has a say in all of this too. If we remove the limiter we cause the radio to create more distortion because we are now feeding the radio's finals a distorted audio signal. And you guess it; the amp is forced to amplify all of that same distortion too. Crap in; means there will be - crap out. Plus whatever distortion we create in the amp because we have gone further past its input requirements. So we don't have a bad azz radio setup; we just have a bad radio and a bad system - overall . . .
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Ok stopped by the CB shop today to have someone check the power of my radio on low power it is DK 1.5 volts and swings about 18 watts. Now with those readings I should be well within the range of a 350HD Texas Star correct? Or am I missing something because this radio has 4 mosfets? On high I have a DK of 25 and swings 80 but I would not run my amp on high settings on the radio.
Gave up ordered a TS 500v like suggested.
Price difference was minimal not worth risking burning up the 350 would cost more in the long run. Are you running stock alternator? No way in hell I am going through all of that shit to run a amp.
I remember when using an amp with a cb radio was simple. Set the radio's dead key to 3 watts and flip the power stage switch until the dead key is 25% of peak power.
It is not complicated unless you get into the bigger competition amps.
The best rule of thumb is.......if you are determined to run an amp, don't use a high watt radio.
It is not complicated unless you get into the bigger competition amps.
The best rule of thumb is.......if you are determined to run an amp, don't use a high watt radio.
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Yes, your stock alternator should be just fine, unless it is an older, lower output alternator.
Set the Stryker 955 AM dead key at 3 watts, and just let the Texas Star 500V do it's thing.
I haven't had any issues with doing 3 of these 955 radios pushing 500V amps for several years.
If you have a problem, please feel free to contact me. I'll be glad to help.
I’ve been running a Xforce TNT 350 with my 955 getting a little over 325 Watts I set the radio and amp together at a 50 watt dead key and let it swing from there seems like I get that 50 watt dead key out of the combo with a 3.50 watt dead key out of the radio. It’s been a great trouble free talker every day for 4 years. I talk 95% SSB and it’s got me world wide during DX conditions
Well that’s what, two 2879’s? Definitely goes against the grain of things said previously in this thread. I’d do it. But if I goes boom, I can fix it. Some can’t and it’d cost them more get it fixed.
Makes me want to swap 2879’s in my current 2290 amp and shove my 497 up its backside. Come on...
Makes me want to swap 2879’s in my current 2290 amp and shove my 497 up its backside. Come on...
Not surprising at all . . .
His 4+ year old amp probably still has the real Toshiba pills, so they don't break as easy as all the new amps do using the new DEI transistors - which are crap and break if you do anything more than the recommended input power.
No more Toshibas available.
So sorry.
Sure, you can put 50w into your Toshibas and get more power but the extra power above 275w output is still going to be pure crap. Is that what you want?
His 4+ year old amp probably still has the real Toshiba pills, so they don't break as easy as all the new amps do using the new DEI transistors - which are crap and break if you do anything more than the recommended input power.
No more Toshibas available.
So sorry.
Sure, you can put 50w into your Toshibas and get more power but the extra power above 275w output is still going to be pure crap. Is that what you want?
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