Texas star sweet 16 vs Messenger 1200

[purenrg]

As for comparison of the two, does anyone have any suggestions on witch would be the right choice?

 

[dudmuck]

Not sure if the Messenger 1200 is still made, but i believe it included a driver.
They are both 8-pill AB1.
So it just depends on how much drive your radio provides.

 

[fly442]

sweet 16 vr messenger 1200

i like the sweet 16 but it does not come with driver. the messenger has 2 1446 driver pill's. i do not know if messenger are still sold . i use a texas star modulator v to drive my sweet 16 and works great.

 

[Cotton Mouth]

I have both amps and they both are a fine amp to own. The Messenger Amps are still being built today just not being built and produced like they were in the 80's & 90's.
Really is a guy is compairing Apples to Apples the M800 is a better match with the Texas Star Sweet 16 than the Messenger M1200.
The Messenger Amps being built today like the M800 are being built with 1X1446's Driving 8X2290's and the M1200 has 2X1446's Driving 8X2879's.
The Messenger amps like the M125V, M250V & M350V all have variable power and make great drivers for the bigger class C boxes that require a driver. Class AB-1 into a class C box makes for some sweet Audio when you want to drop the Hammer and try and get your name called.
I can get you any or the Messenger Amps if I don't have already available. Fan kits and full remotes too. If I don't have the one you want it usually takes a couple weeks to get it.

But both the Texas Star Sweet 16 and the Messenger Amps you will like and they will last you many years too if you don't abuse them. When ran right the produce some one of a kind sound thats for sure.


Thanks,

Cotton Mouth/Darrin.

 

[dd18]

messenger amps

will the messenger amps work down to 3.5mhz on HF?
meaning are they a broadband amp or just 27 mhz.
thanks,
Dave

 

[Toll_Free]

will the messenger amps work down to 3.5mhz on HF?
meaning are they a broadband amp or just 27 mhz.
thanks,
Dave

Neither the sweet sixteen nor the messengers will go down to the bottom of 80 with full Pout.

I own a M2000, a converted M4V (converted to a pair of 455s driving 8 2879s... Combiners will NOT hold up, started a fire in it, and I keep it a a conversation piece), a M1200, Sweet Sixteen, Hot Plate and a few others... I've run almost all the Messengers made, and built a few AM30s when Messenger was in San Diego / Mission Valley.

THAT BEING SAID... They both work fine through 40 meters. Mine start to drop off in efficiency around 60M. They will still work, you just need to reduce Pin to keep Pdiss in the ferrite to a reasonable level... I keep my M2000 at half power below 40, and it's happy.

I've NOT tried retuning either amp.

My sweet sixteen is about the same. The combiners in it are about a quarter the size of the combiners in the Messenger equip.... Meaning, a COMBINER in a Texas Star is about the size of the SPLITTERS in the INPUT side of a Messenger.

Having a driver in an amplifier is a recipe for disaster. Transistors are inverting amplifiers, so two stages of amplification in the same box really does invite oscillations, especially with the stage gains we see on 'CB'.

Where it me, I'd go with my Messengers on the amateur bands. They run REAL bias networks, LOTS of bias on the bases (too much, in fact, IME) and are a cleaner amp than the Texas Stars..... Matter of fact, legal limit mobile for me is my Messenger M2000.

--Toll_Free

 

[TonyV225]

Those older Messengers were great and extremely well built the way an amplifier should be I also think the Texas Stars are built well. Ive not seen any of these new Messengers so cant say anything about them. I also totally agree that drvers can cause havoc and make things a bit more technical aswell and I personally dont care for them but then again I have several rigs that are capable of anywhere from 50 - 100 and 50 watts of output to drive these amplifiers.

 

[dd18]

messenger amps

I have both amps and they both are a fine amp to own. The Messenger Amps are still being built today just not being built and produced like they were in the 80's & 90's.
Really is a guy is compairing Apples to Apples the M800 is a better match with the Texas Star Sweet 16 than the Messenger M1200.
The Messenger Amps being built today like the M800 are being built with 1X1446's Driving 8X2290's and the M1200 has 2X1446's Driving 8X2879's.
The Messenger amps like the M125V, M250V & M350V all have variable power and make great drivers for the bigger class C boxes that require a driver. Class AB-1 into a class C box makes for some sweet Audio when you want to drop the Hammer and try and get your name called.
I can get you any or the Messenger Amps if I don't have already available. Fan kits and full remotes too. If I don't have the one you want it usually takes a couple weeks to get it.

But both the Texas Star Sweet 16 and the Messenger Amps you will like and they will last you many years too if you don't abuse them. When ran right the produce some one of a kind sound thats for sure.


Thanks,

Cotton Mouth/Darrin.

Thanks,
where can we go to get prices on the messenger amps.
can they make a straight 16 pill class Ab amp? No driver. all in parallel.
These are for export only of course and would not be used in the USA.
thanks Dave (overseas Dave)

 

[down2earth411]

I'm having trouble.... what amp will work with my galaxy 98vhp

 

[Toll_Free]

I'm having trouble.... what amp will work with my galaxy 98vhp

If you want to run SSB, not very many.

I had a local purchase one, and he had 2 amps... A 4 pill battlebox and my sweet sixteen. The VHP was WAY too much radio for BOTH amps. After it blew up 3 times, I spoke with Monika and their tech at Galaxy at length.

The basic premise was, that radio HAS to do pretty much the factory power output. It can go up and down, but at the sake of the reliability of the FETs. They flatly told me that if we adjusted the carrier power again, they wouldn't honor the warantee. To their credit, they did offer to swap the gentleman with another radio that was more suited to his needs... We said nah, and he gave the radio to his dad who is now happily operating it during the solar cycle mobile on 10 meters.

All that being said, you need a 16 pill. If you're going to go with 2879s, in class AB config, they will saturate with 15 or less watts in (in a proper circuit). Do the math :/


Hope that helps. If you're looking for base use, you can get a pair of 3-500Z's and overdrive them

--Toll_Free

 

[pumphouse]

Toll Free,

When did this messenger come out? Messenger MR1500 turbo (what the sticker says)

http://www.worldwidedx.com/amplifiers/38376-inside-messenger-m1500-fr-turbo-2-drv-8-a.html

Is this the same as the m1200?

confused.

Pump

If you want to run SSB, not very many.

I had a local purchase one, and he had 2 amps... A 4 pill battlebox and my sweet sixteen. The VHP was WAY too much radio for BOTH amps. After it blew up 3 times, I spoke with Monika and their tech at Galaxy at length.

The basic premise was, that radio HAS to do pretty much the factory power output. It can go up and down, but at the sake of the reliability of the FETs. They flatly told me that if we adjusted the carrier power again, they wouldn't honor the warantee. To their credit, they did offer to swap the gentleman with another radio that was more suited to his needs... We said nah, and he gave the radio to his dad who is now happily operating it during the solar cycle mobile on 10 meters.

All that being said, you need a 16 pill. If you're going to go with 2879s, in class AB config, they will saturate with 15 or less watts in (in a proper circuit). Do the math :/


Hope that helps. If you're looking for base use, you can get a pair of 3-500Z's and overdrive them

--Toll_Free

 

[Toll_Free]

I'll ask around, but I haven't seen that one before...

I'm going to go with either someone's knock off (the original builder and designer of Messenger isn't involved anymore, but before he moved from San Diego, I understand their where a couple copycats going, as well as Victor doing some amps "to pay the bills") or something that they produced for a short timeframe.

I'd go with the knockoff because Messenger NEVER claimed 180+++ watts PER 2879. EVER. They claim more like 150 or less.


--Toll_Free

 

[Kikker]

I still have all three of my Messengers. A 350, 4V and a Messenger 600 with remote. I would have a hard time parting with. They were bought new and have never been repaired or worked on.

 

[psycho]

If you look inside a Messenger and Texas Star of a similar configuration, you wouldn't even give the Texas Star a second thought.

 

[776 New York]

I have both amps and they both are a fine amp to own. The Messenger Amps are still being built today just not being built and produced like they were in the 80's & 90's.
Really is a guy is compairing Apples to Apples the M800 is a better match with the Texas Star Sweet 16 than the Messenger M1200.
The Messenger Amps being built today like the M800 are being built with 1X1446's Driving 8X2290's and the M1200 has 2X1446's Driving 8X2879's.
The Messenger amps like the M125V, M250V & M350V all have variable power and make great drivers for the bigger class C boxes that require a driver. Class AB-1 into a class C box makes for some sweet Audio when you want to drop the Hammer and try and get your name called.
I can get you any or the Messenger Amps if I don't have already available. Fan kits and full remotes too. If I don't have the one you want it usually takes a couple weeks to get it.

But both the Texas Star Sweet 16 and the Messenger Amps you will like and they will last you many years too if you don't abuse them. When ran right the produce some one of a kind sound thats for sure.


Thanks,

Cotton Mouth/Darrin.

Can you still get messenger remotes? I have a 1200 and have been searching for either an mr3 or mr4 for it.