Who's the best?

[TexasTalker]

Looking for a 2 pill. Just tons of people building amps. Since this will be my main rig I will need something that's gonna last.

IN YOUR OPINION

Who's the best amp builder?
And why?

I know this is a sticky subject but let's be adults. I'm just looking for the best bang for my bucks that's gonna sound good and last a while.

This is for 11m. I know its illgeal but I'm a grown adult with a ham license, who happens to enjoy 11m. I just need something that's gonna hang with the crowd, nothing like on Ch 6.

 

[9C1Driver]

Not enough information. Do you talk AM only, some SSB, base, mobile? What radio will be the driver? How many watts you wanting to run?

 

[BammBamm]

I’m running a Uniden 980ssb into a RM 203p and it does great for me. I’m getting about 90 Watts am and 140 in ssb. By no means am I the big dog on the block but I can make contacts and with my Tram triple mag mount and Tram TBC-9 antenna I have about $300 invested including the tune on the radio to a 1 1/2 watt dead key swinging to about 9 watts on am and about 12 watts ssb. I heard a lot of negative about my antenna but at Walmart.com it was $14 shipped to my door and if it gets stolen...it was $14!

 

[TexasTalker]

Not enough information. Do you talk AM only, some SSB, base, mobile? What radio will be the driver? How many watts you wanting to run?

AM only for this rig.

It will be mobile, running at 14.0v. no volting no crazy voodoo magic.

The radio will be a President Ronald, all stock, pushing ~50 pep, but it does have a variable power on it.

I don't need more than 250 of true watts. That's running at 14.0 volts with 2 toshibas or HG 2879.

FWIW I have a old old Dave Made 1x4 but that's too much pull of power for my car.

 

[w9cll]

Scrap the amp idea and find a good deal on a Kenwood TS-50, that way if you do decide to you your license you have it there.

 

[sp5it]

True, clean 250W from 2 transistors not gonna happen.
Mike

 

[fourstringburn]

Consider the RM Italy KL 7505.

It is a FCC certified ( legal ) amplifier for 10 meters. As a licensed Ham, you can modify it as you see fit as long as you operate it within the means of your license. In other words, what you do at your station is your business as far as were concerned.

This amp only requires adding a jumper wire and the TX coverage will cover what you're looking for. The KL-7505 V model is the dual fan version.

Is this the best amp? depends what side of the fence you are on. If you want a class C splatter box as many are known for to have a big deadkey and "get down" with the big maul, then no.

If you want what should be a clean amp for Amateur use being it's FCC certified, then yes.

The only downside I came across using this amp is that it requires a low deadkey below 5 watts if used on AM/FM. My Kenwood's lowest watt setting is 5w and would occasionally trip this amp into fault mode. I now use it with an older President HR2600 where I can get the deadkey down to 3 watts and it seems to hold up just fine.

Also look at the current price, not bad at all for a 300 watt amp with SSB and dual fans.

 

[TexasTalker]

Scrap the amp idea and find a good deal on a Kenwood TS-50, that way if you do decide to you your license you have it there.

I already have a nice base station setup. I need 11m in my car for my side job, which is oversized escorting. This Cobra 19 isn't cutting it.

 

[TexasTalker]

Consider the RM Italy KL 7505.

It is a FCC certified ( legal ) amplifier for 10 meters. As a licensed Ham, you can modify it as you see fit as long as you operate it within the means of your license. In other words, what you do at your station is your business as far as were concerned.

This amp only requires adding a jumper wire and the TX coverage will cover what you're looking for. The KL-7505 V model is the dual fan version.

Is this the best amp? depends what side of the fence you are on. If you want a class C splatter box as many are known for to have a big deadkey and "get down" with the big maul, then no.

If you want what should be a clean amp for Amateur use being it's FCC certified, then yes.

The only downside I came across using this amp is that it requires a low deadkey below 5 watts if used on AM/FM. My Kenwood's lowest watt setting is 5w and would occasionally trip this amp into fault mode. I now use it with an older President HR2600 where I can get the deadkey down to 3 watts and it seems to hold up just fine.

Also look at the current price, not bad at all for a 300 watt amp with SSB and dual fans.

I appreciate it. The President radio has a variable deadkey/power that goes down to 1.5 watts.

 

[DainBramage]

I already have a nice base station setup. I need 11m in my car for my side job, which is oversized escorting. This Cobra 19 isn't cutting it.

I don't understand that,............. most people that talk "close" don't even use an "active" antenna,
they have a dummyload on a switch and don't hear anything more than 1/4 mile away.

 

[jon666]

i like Texas star they always been my go to amp. if i was to run one.

 

[543_Dallas]

Back when Toshiba transistors were plentiful and there were only a few amp builders you could get better quality from davemade nc or xforce. Plenty of heatsink, they were using decent parts and took time to assemble and tune them right.

Now that everyone and their mother is building the same amp everyone is cutting corners to save a buck. Small cases, barely enough heatsink to mount the transistors to, cheap fans, sloppy assembly.

I would buy something commercially made or build your own. Get something that will do twice the power you want and cruise it along. I don't care for texas star but people seem to like them. If you build your own you can buy the same parts all the builders use from ica manufacturing and rf parts. Amps are sold as kits so its really like putting together a model car these days.

 

[TexasTalker]

I don't understand that,............. most people that talk "close" don't even use an "active" antenna,
they have a dummyload on a switch and don't hear anything more than 1/4 mile away.

I have never seen anyone talk into a dummy load. And sometimes your running with a pack of trucks that will be spread out over a few miles. Between all the idiots on 11m and all the extra noise, sometimes you need some extra watts. I use to run a Galaxy 98vhp but those stupid mosfets eat each other after one got a bit too hot.

 

[w9cll]

And sometimes your running with a pack of trucks that will be spread out over a few miles. Between all the idiots on 11m and all the extra noise, sometimes you need some extra watts.

150w for a few miles? Wow... Here is an idea. MURS, its free to use, will easily travel the "Few" miles needed and there will be no noise. Simple HT's would work when hooked to a decent antenna. Now if your real intention is to run watts... enjoy.

 

[TexasTalker]

150w for a few miles? Wow... Here is an idea. MURS, its free to use, will easily travel the "Few" miles needed and there will be no noise. Simple HT's would work when hooked to a decent antenna. Now if your real intention is to run watts... enjoy.

Or since I'm a ham operator, pretty much any other mode/band. But try to get the rest of the trucking community onboard with that........