Info on Solid State amp with outputs for HF and 6M (Affordable)

Bob Brown - N8OB

Looking for info on a Solid State amp for HF and 6M with 2 connectors for antennas   (Affordable)   I t seems that most newer radios have antenna connectors for HF and 6M, but not so for amps.  Any suggestions?

Ria

Well, the Power Genius XL is $6999. Not sure of your budget. It has 2 outputs. I just had to put it out there as an option. 

SPE 1.3K-FA has four outputs and can do about 1kw with acceptable IMD, 1.3 to 1.4kw really pushing it. The ports are assignable by band. It is very versatile.

You can get a used SPE 1K-FA for even less money.

B26-PA has a couple of outputs. It does 1kw on 6m. It has two transistors. Chris, DL5NAM who posts here is one of the people in that group. It is not really a company, just a group of hams who put together a kit. The price is not too bad. About the same as a legal limit tube amp. 

Ria

[Deleted User]

Most of the newer radios I have had do have multiple antenna tx outputs but I don't recall them being dedicated to 6 meters. The Acom 1500 has multiple rf antenna outputs. You can run a dipole on one output and a 6 meter quad on another output.

Mike va3mw

The B26-PA is a bit beefier than that.  It has 4 antenna outputs, each assignable by band (including 6M), optional tuner, Flex direct interface on the radio USB/RS232 connector and is controller by a VNC remote connection or the 7" touch screen panel.  

Yes, it is a kit, but it comes 99% complete and can be assembled in about 2 nights.  You do require a 1kw dummy load to finish the alignment.  

I am just finishing mine. 

http://rf-kit.de/en/RF2K5.php - contact them for pricing.

2K + on all bands from 160m-10m

·         1K5 at 6m

·          2 Watt input  - max. 2500 watts output

·         Bias temperature compensation for  each of  the two LDMOS.

·         Input power peak limitation

·         Current limit adjustable, and thus the performance limited.

·         Current sensor on the PCB, suitable for the B26 RF01 controller.

·         50V on / off on the circuit board

·         Temperature sensor for indicating the heat sink temperature and fan control suitable for the B26 RF01 controller

Ria

Well, I did say that. Maybe in not so many words. 

Delbert McCord

I have a Ameritron ALS-1306 it will work from 6 meters to 160 meters. One antenna connection for in and one for out. But if something else is needed its easy to use a switch of some kind. I like my amp. American Made and I purchased it new (on sale) for I think around 2400 From HRO). Its a 1200 Watt solid state amp.  I can not justify spending 7000$ on a amp. Before I had this amp I had (still do) a ALS-600 600 watt solid state amp. Had it over 10 years with no problems and I have made mistakes like being on the wrong antenna or something and the protection always protected me from one of those mistakes.

Ria

Oh yes, I forgot about that one. That is a good choice as well.

Gary NC3Z

Just finished my RF2K+ that I got the other week. Less than $3500 delivered with the optional ATU and optional attenuator (your choice, I did a 13dB). Easy 1250W out at 20W drive and legal limit with 30W.  Uses a pair of BLF188XR's.

And it is a very quiet amp as far as fan noise goes. In fact the fans only start to come on when it reaches 42 C.

Steven Linley

Yes, I also like my B26 RF2K+ amplifier.

Rick - W5FCX

The Elecraft KPA-500 amp and KAT-500 tuner work great for me - 160 though 6 meters.  Just 500 watts but very reliable operation with Flex radios.

Rich - N5ZC

And the KAT-500 tuner provides 3 antenna connections.  I have one and it's a very nice amplifier. 

KY6LA_Howard

A very wise man said “Life is too short. For QRP’. I assume he meant QRP rigs like the little KPA-500

Adde Tjernberg

Define "Affordable"

Bob Brown - N8OB

"Affordable" is a price that is much less than 2 or 3 times what I have spent on all my radios.  I have the Flex 6300, Kenwood TS-590 and older TS-2000.  I have been licensed for 50 years and retired for 12 years.  My income is limited, so looking for "Affordable".

Steven Linley

Can't beat the RF kits B-26 rf2k Plus

Ria

500 watts is decent for many applications. 

Ken - NM9P

500 Watts is just a hair under 7 dB gain (6.99 dB), which is a little over 1 S-Unit over 100 Watts.  It's nothing to sneeze at, especially if your signal before the amp was 4 dB below the noise or QRM.  It would make the difference between QSO or NIL.

1500 Watts, on the other hand, is just under 12 dB (11.76 dB), which is a full 2 S-Units, which may make the difference between holding your "run" frequency or getting run off.

Compared to a more nominal 85 Watts that some are getting because their supply does not deliver full voltage, and the gain is 7.69 dB and 12.47 dB respectively.

A 1200 Watt amp is 10.8 dB over 100 Watts (11.5 dB over 85 Watts) or just barely under 2 S-Units.  I doubt that anyone without precision test equipment could tell the difference between 1500 and 1200 Watts on the air.  (0.97 dB)

If you can afford the price difference between a 500 Watt amp and a 1200 or 1500 Watt amp, it would be a noticeable difference, in certain circumstances.

Right now, I am having lots of fun at 100 Watts.  But once I have worked all the DX I can get with 100 Watts and my current antennas, something will need to change - either bigger antennas or more power....(Retirement looms ahead in 4-5 years....DOW Jones...please be good to me!)

Ken - NM9P

Rick - W5FCX

Great write up and perspective, Ken. 500 watts enables me to work anyone I can hear. As you said, at 100 watts it’s easy to get lost in the noise. Working DX in a pileup with 500 watts requires a high gain antenna and favorable propagation. Even then, it’s not enough to break through over the big guns running 1500 watts. That’s my experience. If you afford the big amp, you’ll be glad you did. I plan on upgrading mine soon.

Rich - N5ZC

Rick,

What size/model monitor is that on  your desk?

Rich - N5ZC

Ria

I have used an ameritron AL811H for contesting and DXing. It’s not too bad although 1500 watts is better. I still did manage 318 DXCC with it as well. Now new DXCCs are harder to come by but that’s because after 300 it gets hard. Even Bouvet is not a new one for me but I would love the band fills. The team is fantastic and did i mention they are using flex gear?

Rick - W5FCX

Rich - it's an Acer XR341CK.

Acer Curved 34-inch UltraWide QHD (3440 x 1440) Display with 21:9 Aspect Ratio.

I like it much better than my prior multi-monitor setup.

Steve G1XOW

Agreed on that. Great amp.

Rick - W5FCX

Trying to figure out what the costs and options are for the RF kits B-26 rf2k Plus.  Looks like a great build and very "Affordable", if I'm reading it correctly.  Looks like both Affordable and more importantly, FUN!

http://rf-kit.de/en/2k_Kit.php

Rich - N5ZC

Thanks for the info Rick.

I have a pair of 29" ASUS ultra wide monitors but I would like to get down to a single monitor.

Rich - N5ZC

Gary NC3Z

Options are a) attenuator and b) internal ATU. With those 2 options plus shipping it was less than $3500. BTW, shipping from Germany to very rural NC was 1.5 days! I can't even get Amazon Prime that fast.

Dale KB5VE

QRP is Quite Respectable Power

Larry - WA7LZO

This may be a bit off topic, but I just can't seem to find a solid state Ham amp that will put out 1500 watts true continuous duty, all day long, like for RTTY contests, or yakking for overly long periods of time on dstar (digital modes, like dstar, is essentially the same amplifier challenge as is RTTY, AM, FM, or CW key down modes, continuous). You can run something of the ilk of a nice SPE Expert Amp 2K-FA continuous duty, but the SPE manual cautions to use even this beautiful big beast strictly at mid-power only for true continuous duty, which is about 750 to 1kW, but definitely not 1500 heart hammering watts. I know, 1500 watts vs/ 1kW yields but a fraction of an S-unit improvement in received signal strength,  but then this makes the entire issue of getting a 1500 watt amp over a 1kW amp a moot point, which maybe it is! :-)

The Alpha 9500 and ACOM 2000A amps will do 1500 watts key down, all day and all night  long. 

The only solid state amp I know of that can support 1500 watts true continuous duty (not ICAS krappola) is something akin to a Rohde & Schwarz solid state amp (2 qty 1kW solid state amps running thru a R&S awesome combiner, with each 1kW amp throttled back to 750 watts to meet the FCC Part 97 Ham limit of 1.5kW, otherwise 2kW continuous duty for military use). But, those 1kW solid state amps cost nearly $80k+ each, with their switcher P/S. 

Just my opinion, and I know the original post was looking for a solid state amp a lot less than $8k. 

I guess this is the market left for Ham amps using tubes, such as the venerable Eimac 8877,putting out a true 1.5kW continuous duty. For intermittent Ham needs, there are certainly a plethora of low priced amps out there, that are very decent at ICS duty cycles.

Br,
Larry
WA7LZO

Gordon, ve7on

Look up Dishtronix.  They make a key down full legal limit solid state amp that is capable of 2400 watts.  I have one and it is terrific.  Not cheap but worth it.  Made in Ohio.

Gordon, ve7on

Larry - WA7LZO

Excellent point, Gordon. I forgot about that husky beast. My house of cards has just collapsed!

Br,

Larry

WA7LZO