Anyone have any experience with TenTec Amps?

Ameritron makes a nice amp.Had a new Al-1200 for 8 years no problems.Now have a new AL-80B with 1 x 3-500ZG tube.Love this small amp.

Alpha

Picked up an AL-80B myself, bang for the buck, it's a great amp. I get a kW out of it on plain 120 wiring too, which surprised me. It would be much happier on 220 when I get around to it.

SR385,
Put the thing on 220/240 volts, it does very well. Won't get any more out of it, just makes it easier on the house wiring (if yours is like my house wiring), and operates more efficiently, sort of. The plate voltage really gets 'stiffer'.

If the objective is as much power as legally possible with the least worries, the AL-1200 is really about as good as it gets. That 3CX1200 is a very 'easy going' tube, not as 'touchy' as the 3CX1500 is (grid dissipation).

Ten-Tec makes some nice amplifiers. Nothing particularly outstanding about them (or a lot of the other manufacturers for that matter), and one or two are very nice looking too. Prettier than an old HeathKit or Ameritron or whatever. But that's cosmetics, not anything to do with what it can/will do electrically.

What would I really like to see in a new amplifier? How about just pushing a 'disassembly' button and it just un-folds so you don't have to take half of the @#$ thing apart to reach that one itty-bitty stinking cap to replace it?? I'm holding my breath in anticipation!
- 'Doc

Yeah that's exactly my reasoning, I was honestly shocked that I could pull it through the same circuit as a 50A Astron supply and all the rest of my shack gear without tripping the breaker....just because it works doesn't make it right. It does a fair job of dimming lights if I run it at 700+. I generally just tune for max and drive it for 500 or so anyway.

I run a net on it and rag chew pretty frequently, so it gets a fair workout. So far so good.

Ameritrons are nice I have one but also own a YAESU FL-2100B which is also a fast tunning amplifier simple and extremely reliable

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