A 6500 and an Acom 200A or an SPE 2k

Ross Biggar

I am looking at an amplifier, and I would appreciate some comments.
Has anyone connected a 6500 (or 6700 etc) to an Acom 2000A or the SPE 2K, and if so where there any problems and what are your opinions on the amplifier.

Thanks
Ross
ZL1WN

Steve Parker

I'm running a 6500 with the 2000À........great combo, no issues;

Georges

Hi Ross,

I have a Flex 6500 connected to an ACOM 2000A and an HF-Auto tuner where 2 antennas
and a Dummy are connected to.
There was not the slightest problem to set those up. The Acom Amp is very good.

73  George  LX1BB

KY6LA_Howard

ACom has hot noisy expensive tubes. I love my 2KFA. Easy to remote. Solid state. Quiet. Loafs along at 2K+. Most Important it's instant on compared to the slow warm up time of the Acom.

Steve Parker

2.5 min warm up, not a big deal......and my Acom isn't hot, and its very quiet. I've not played a lot with the spe, but enough to rule it out. My last contest, WPX, 12 hours or so, no issues.......not hot..... I've owned a Alpha 9500, about ever Ameritron, I will keep my Acom. The remote head is an awesome feature.

Jim K4JAF

I use the 6500 with an Acom 2000A.  Great combination, tubes are relatively cheap compared to others, totally quiet.  Don't know why anyone would say hot and noisy, quietest amp I have ever owned both fan noise, relay noise, etc.  Much quieter than a couple of solid state amps I have owned in the past, THP and Yaesu Quadra.  Had finals problems with both of them, you do have to baby the solid state stuff.  The Acom 1000 is another great amp for the money.   73s Jim K4JAF

KY6LA_Howard

2.5 minutes is forever when trying to catch rare Dx Instant on us the way to go BTW I have owned Alpha Acom. Icom amps Not ameritron. Prefer solid state. Never downgrading to tubes anymore.

VK7WH Winston

I have not had any experience with the Acom however I am very, very happy with the 2K-FA which I have had for almost three years now. Instant on, automatic everything, six antennas and bullet proof.

Doug Hall

The comment about Acom amps being hot and noisy is just nonsense. The Acom is extremely quiet, quieter than some solid state KW amps. It's a well-made amp.

But the tube cost is a concern. The 4CX800A is not being manufactured on a regular basis, and most readily available tubes are new old stock (NOS.) That doesn't mean you won't be able to get tubes (after all, you can still find 8874s for old Alphas) but it does mean that the tubes could get pretty expensive. This would be enough to give me pause, especially considering that the Acom 2000 and the 2K-FA are similarly priced. If my choice was down to only those two I'd lean toward the  2K-FA.
73,
Doug

Jim Hawkins

Running Flex-6500 with Expert 2K for many months.  No problems at all.  Forgot to switch antenna a few times, 2K, just kicks to standby with an alarm.  Runs very quiet.  Auto tuner works beautifully.  I don't expect to need another amp.  I have a Elecraft KPA500 as backup.  Never had to use it.  No warm up time.  Runs cool.

tom.k3io@gmail.com

Hi Ross -- long time no see !!
I'm running a 6700 with a SPE 1k and it works fine. I usually am able to break a pile-up with the 1k on "low" power -- ~500 watts.

Here @ Dayton the US rep for SPE is showing a real 1.3k, A big factor, especially if you want to take it out for a DXpedition, is that the 1.3k weighs about one-third of of my 1k, which in turn is lighter than a 2k. Most of the difference is in the power supply -- the 1.3k is using a switcher instead of the toroid transformer in the older 1k & 2k.

73, Tom K3IO (ex W3IWI)  
     
P.S. Keep in touch. My Email is k3io@verizon.net). Where is Darryl these days?

Sergey R5AU

In use F6700+2K-FA, quiet, fast, easy to use, contest without troubles, long life...... since June 2013

David Decoons, wo2x

I've got the Acom 2000a and love it. Best amp I've owned (I've had the Quadra, PW1, several 9500s). It is very quiet, silent tx/rx, no problem with high speed QSK, and loafs along at 1500 watts. Tubes are readily available. I bought a tested pair or tubes as a spare set from Vine Antennas. Cost was right around $600. Didn't need them. Original tubes were still full output at same drive level and amp has been online here and at my friend's house for six years. So it sounds like either amp will fit your needs. 73 Dave wo2x

K1UO Larry

Ive had the Acom and the 2Kfa and both are very good amps. and the Acom was the quieter of the two.  The SPE has a quiet mode for SSB but did not help reduce the power supply fan whine while in the CW mode which I now use 95% of the time... Now, during my 'downsizing' years, I can't wait for my new, lighter, instant on, single PA element SPE 1.3Kfa to arrive and pair it with the 6500.  Both units are to be eventually placed in a WAN situation as we will need to have antennas at a remote location about 8 miles away from the HOA..  YMMV

wb4dwd

I have a 6500 set up with a 2000A which I prefer to the Alpha 9500,
but I think I will have to try the SPE-2k as I have had a lot of difficulty 
with the ACOM, I have one of their antenna switches and the two
do not always follow correctly.  I would never buy another Acom.
Took over two months for a very simple, no parts involved repair.