Texas Star amplifier.

[fourstringburn]

Please keep your Texas Star CB junk off the amateur bands. You could sell it to a trucker and put the money towards something nice.

I don't have too! This amp has been tested on a spectrum analyzer and other equipment to make sure it meets spurious emissions requirements as required by the FCC. It is within my license to use such an amplifier for amateur radio service.

I primarily use this amp for 10 meter FM since these amps can withstand 100% duty cycles and I learned the hard way that my Ameritron ALS500M can't.

Why would I sell it to a trucker? I already have 2 nice HF amps which suit me fine. It's ridiculous that people like you and others in the amateur community think that truck drivers are still the most flagrant violators polluting the frequency spectrum with illegal amplifiers. Listen to CB channels 6,11,17,20,26,28, that's not truck drivers, that's the everyday base stations running mostly class C amps with over modulated and/or clipped radios. Sure there is the occasional truck driver, but as a truck driver myself, CB use among us has rapidly declined to the point where I see more drivers don't even own one anymore. I only monitor my CB on the rare occasion I might get a useful traffic alert or possibly strike up a conversation which does not happen very often these days. Most of the conversations are about my funky looking HF antennas on my truck.

 

[543_Dallas]

Of course you don't have to get rid of it. If you're happy with that grade of quality that's all that matters.

That was a lengthy reply but I see you chose not to answer my question about how you tested the output impedance of your Texas Star. How did you determine it is 50 ohms? It's ok...you don't have to do that ether.

 

[fourstringburn]

Just wanted to rag on you some for the Texas star bashing...and possibly truck driver one too.

 

[543_Dallas]

Just wanted to rag on you some for the Texas star bashing...and possibly truck driver one too.

Its all in good fun. I might have stirred the pot a bit myself. LOL

 

[TonyV225]

The Texas Star have been around a long time and they are nice amplifiers I use my DX 500 amplifiers on 10 and 12 meters they work and sound great no problems and never had issues other that a keying transistor 1 time and lightbulbs in pushbuttons. That's why Ive ran these same amplifiers for 20 years!! as far as a mismatch then A someone had their fingers in it or B theirs a part failure "which happens" no matter what amplifier you own.

If TNT Xforce and a few others were all that much better I would think the other companies would go out of business because they so called better amplifiers that are "Cheaper" as pointed out would crash the market and everyobody would want and buy them and not the other amplifiers.

Ive seen people post and complain about just about every single amplifier on the market how their junk and built crappy and this or that other one is better. Its all based on experience and preference. Like my opinion is Class C splatter boxes are a joke and a waste of money and the claims are FILLED with lies and Bull$h!+ but hey the 11 meter guys are hearing just what they want to and that's what sells and keeps making sales. I don't care what the amp,lifier is aslong as its Class AB biased there nice and clean sounding and will last will be trouble free aslong as your not pounding the Piss out of it volting and driving to get everylittle last watt possible that nobody is even ever going to notice until you sound like a bag of $h!+.

Another again "preference". of mine is how professional they look inside and outside I" personally" don't care for the silver box with a few pin switches look but if they look like jimbob built it in his basement while suckin down a case of beer while watching the Red Green show but its biased and looks decent inside and sounds nice on the air then I could live with that.

Every competition amplifier builder guy makes "THE BST AMPLIFIER AROUND" and his amp is stronger better and puts ou more then the other guys whos already defies physics already and if your not sure just read his claims and specs or hell JUST ASK HIM!! I run what I do and have because its been good to me and I don't see the beyond reality claims in "Their specs" I see this with 11 meter antennas Jo Gunn is a good one for this they even went as far as to put in their specs how much "Audio Boost" you will gain from running one of their maigical products.

All in all with amplifiers and antennas alike their all the same electrical components (Final Transistors) or as the CB world call them 'Pills" and aluminum / metal materials. I have several amplifiers in my collection and my 2 favorites as far as mobile is my Texas Stars and my True Palomar TX 5200 with the bandpass filtering Band selector etc Its built the way ALL amplifiers should be very professional. I often thought of trying one of the midnight special amplifiers and wouldn't mind trying one of the Black Cat Mosfet 500 High Drives but do not know anyone who has to get input from. Im not a fan of mosfets because of the failure rate but none the less wouldn't mind trying one and would rather find one used but will look for one after a few other items here sell first. I have to post a 2970 and a few others on EBAY and then I may look into trying a mosfet amplifier.

 

[psycho]

You forgot to add "Illegal" before custom amp builders...still no science behind the accusations.

Well duuhh, all amps show great matches into a purely resistive 50 ohm dummy load. Good thing you let us know that custom CB amps are illegal, I doubt if anyone here knew that.

 

[TonyV225]

You guys behave yourselves!! LMAO!!

 

[Oatmeal]

I've heard alot of good things about the TS amps, and using them on the 10m band, and saw a video of one on a scope and it was clean...never ran one myself...

Have ran several those XF amps over the years, when I used to talk dx on AM, and some SSB on the 11m band....now, I don't mean to open a can of worms here just curious if anyone has had a TNT amp on a scope before, if so how did it look ?...there suppose to be a class B amp....

 

[Kikker]

I don't have too! This amp has been tested on a spectrum analyzer and other equipment to make sure it meets spurious emissions requirements as required by the FCC. It is within my license to use such an amplifier for amateur radio service.

I primarily use this amp for 10 meter FM since these amps can withstand 100% duty cycles and I learned the hard way that my Ameritron ALS500M can't.

Why would I sell it to a trucker? I already have 2 nice HF amps which suit me fine. It's ridiculous that people like you and others in the amateur community think that truck drivers are still the most flagrant violators polluting the frequency spectrum with illegal amplifiers. Listen to CB channels 6,11,17,20,26,28, that's not truck drivers, that's the everyday base stations running mostly class C amps with over modulated and/or clipped radios. Sure there is the occasional truck driver, but as a truck driver myself, CB use among us has rapidly declined to the point where I see more drivers don't even own one anymore. I only monitor my CB on the rare occasion I might get a useful traffic alert or possibly strike up a conversation which does not happen very often these days. Most of the conversations are about my funky looking HF antennas on my truck.

Just another HAM sticking his chest out because most of them don't like illegal use of amps on 11 meters. I've listened a few armature radio operators using illegal equipment and a lot of their buddies just laugh it off. What hypocrites!

 

[psycho]

I've heard alot of good things about the TS amps, and using them on the 10m band, and saw a video of one on a scope and it was clean...never ran one myself...

Have ran several those XF amps over the years, when I used to talk dx on AM, and some SSB on the 11m band....now, I don't mean to open a can of worms here just curious if anyone has had a TNT amp on a scope before, if so how did it look ?...there suppose to be a class B amp....

I could care less what my TNT amps look like on a scope but I do care about the way the way my station sounds. If my 40 channel 11 meter station is so messed up that it is messing up 10 meters then I'll deal with it at that time.

 

[fourstringburn]

Just another HAM sticking his chest out because most of them don't like illegal use of amps on 11 meters. I've listened a few armature radio operators using illegal equipment and a lot of their buddies just laugh it off. What hypocrites!

At least we can spell "Amateur" , But at least you admit to illegal amps on 11 meters, and what Illegal equipment specifically? I'm sure you will Google search something to justify your statement.

My biggest problem is the many of you guys that jam up channel 19 and are very proud of that fact, does this describe you?

This is supposed to be the calling frequency and the highway channel. Yet any day of the week it is jammed up by a lot of you guys talking to no one just a long drawn out monologue with over-modulated clipped radios, noise toys, roger beeps, overblown echo boards, and at least once a week I will hear a moron going "davemade-davemade-davemade 1-1-1-1-1-1-1" That's brilliant! what a first class radio operator, wouldn't you agree???

Do that on the other channels or better yet, learn to become a more respectful operator and you will get respect in return.

 

[fourstringburn]

I could care less what my TNT amps look like on a scope but I do care about the way the way my station sounds. If my 40 channel 11 meter station is so messed up that it is messing up 10 meters then I'll deal with it at that time.

Typical...doesn't care if his amp is dirty or not, just that he sounds big and loud!

Go get em!

 

[jdobbs2001]

Yeah I never understood why people spend so much to set up a radio, amp etc.. to do nothing but talk to themselves all day and key up the channel so no one can use it. Oh and transmit about 40khz wide AM. LOL

 

[bassman21]

Texas Star makes some great amps and HY Electronics were the ones I bought my last one from. Be advised they don't include the mod in their price like Copper does, but they are still the cheapest I've found.

I've owned 4 Texas Star's. I have a DX 500 now with upgraded power wire and I can talk to other mobiles up to 35 miles away on channel 19. They are clean amps and cause less interference than a lot of other amps out there. I can sit in my driveway and talk with it and not bother any of my electronics in my house other than it turning on my music keyboard (probably bother some neighbors cheap electronic though). They also sound great on side band.

Their weak points is the wire they use from the factory, their lack of a fan and their large power consumption. However all these things can be addressed. The main reason I think people buy them is they are easily available new online, easy to repair and the prices are reasonable. Also they are one of the few amps in that price range that have AB biasing.

I'm getting a Dave Made customer built now. I'm actually getting the last Toshiba Dave Made as they are switching transistor due to price. If you go to their site you'll notice they are down and this is because their web admin isn't available to upgrade the site. They were nice enough to call to tell me this.

The custom built amps will generally do more wattage without frying with the same transistors. A 2 driving 4 Texas Star 667 will do 800 to 1000 watts and this is after upgrading the power wire and driving it hard. If you do this long something will likely pop. A Dave made 6 pill will do 800 to 1200 watts all day and last for years. You'll also likely be louder and get more RMS power out of it. This of course come at a cost. For those just wanting to be stronger, but sounding clean, Texas Star is a great option. Don't bother with those MOSET amps out there that do less than 200 watts. Get a DX 350, 500 or 667 and call it a day. Otherwise go with Xforce, Dave Made or Fat Boy if you want a quality amp.

 

[phantom309]

As a trucker I'm offended, I think, not sure if I'm smart enough to be offended though.