16 pill

[pumphouse]

"no one builds a Class AB 16X."

Introducing the messenger 2kw. Hi

Freecell,

Please send me the following I paid for over 6 months ago:
(1) Francis "di bar"
(1) NEW DP50 mic
(1) custom made 4 antenna mount for the francis amazers.

Thank you,
Pumphouse. You know my number. PLease call or PM m regarding this matter.

"I don't think any 16 pill CB amp would be acceptable in Freecells eyes."

no one builds a Class AB 16X. the last one was built by TS.
only a Linear Amplifier can faithfully reproduce the original
(amplitude modulated) signal of an am/ssb transmitter.

AmPower, Davemade, Destroyer, Fatboy, Gator & XForce
are NOT Linear Amplifiers.

 

[Bionic Chicken]

Are my eyes playing tricks on me or is that a 18 transistor amp? There appears to be two drivers on the left unit.

BC

 

[pumphouse]

Are my eyes playing tricks on me or is that a 18 transistor amp? There appears to be two drivers on the left unit.

BC

2 2879's Drv 16 2879's class AB. This is a real linear amplifier. No class C here.

Rebuilt by Justin back in 2005.

 

[W5LZ]

A 16 transistor 'ham' amplifier? None that I'm aware of being sold commercially. Probably a few floating around that were not bought commercially. And when you really get down to it, why would you even need one? Oh, I'm sure one could occasionally have been of some use, some where, but those occasions are sort of few and far between.
As far as fixed use is concerned, if you've got access to AC power, why not use it? Why would you need a solid state amplifier when a 'hollow state' one would be so much easier and cheaper to run?
Oh well, lot's of things that don't make a lot of sense to me, big deal, right?
- 'Doc

 

[Bionic Chicken]

2 2879's Drv 16 2879's class AB. This is a real linear amplifier. No class C here.

Rebuilt by Justin back in 2005.

Nice amp.

BC

 

[niterider]

Solid State amplifiers have many advantages, and yes, the PEP figures for both transistors and tubes alike, can be 4-5 times higher than the RMS figures quoted by manufacture specs. They don't recommend or warrant them beyond those levels is all.

The reason Hams use tube amplifiers is because they need to meet FCC guidelines, and using an amplifier that has to be tuned for each band makes for an easier way to control spurious emmissions, harmonics, and the alike. This is because solid state amplifiers are very broad banded by design. Also many hams run at a higher SWR due to the larger range of frequencies they operate, and tube type amplifiers tend to hand abuse without total destruction/failure better.

For a ham to use a legal limit solid state amplifier, they have to use a design that makes it less broad banded, and protection circuitry to handle the SWR stresses.

Sounds silly to make an amplifier less broadbanded, when a Ham operates many frequencies, but this is normally required to meet FCC specs. The ham than needs to tune or switch relays to switch bands.. Thus the benefits are outweighed by these extra costs to auto switch the bands and the added protection circuitry.

 

[HiDef]

Solid State amplifiers have many advantages, and yes, the PEP figures for both transistors and tubes alike, can be 4-5 times higher than the RMS figures quoted by manufacture specs. They don't recommend or warrant them beyond those levels is all.

The reason Hams use tube amplifiers is because they need to meet FCC guidelines, and using an amplifier that has to be tuned for each band makes for an easier way to control spurious emmissions, harmonics, and the alike. This is because solid state amplifiers are very broad banded by design. Also many hams run at a higher SWR due to the larger range of frequencies they operate, and tube type amplifiers tend to hand abuse without total destruction/failure better.

For a ham to use a legal limit solid state amplifier, they have to use a design that makes it less broad banded, and protection circuitry to handle the SWR stresses.

Sounds silly to make an amplifier less broadbanded, when a Ham operates many frequencies, but this is normally required to meet FCC specs. The ham than needs to tune or switch relays to switch bands.. Thus the benefits are outweighed by these extra costs to auto switch the bands and the added protection circuitry.

And

Hams would never pay good money for an amplifier that blows up the instant something goes wrong with the load (antenna).

Most of the higher power solid state amps seen for sale for chicken band lack protection circuitry. Something happens, you need all new transistors. These amps would cost a lot more with a power supply crowbar, SWR foldback bandpass filtering and thermally stable bias scheme. Even with all that the IMD is still poor. Hams can talk with each other with extremely strong signal levels. Any IMD garbage will be noticed right away.

When talking kilowatt level and up tubes start to look good. I don't even own solder wick.

 

[purenrg]

2 2879's Drv 16 2879's class AB. This is a real linear amplifier. No class C here.

Rebuilt by Justin back in 2005.

Are these still obtainable

 

[pumphouse]

Are these still obtainable

Unfortunately, they are not available. These were made in the late 80's to early 90's to compete with the texas star dx3200.

If you can find one, you wont be disappointed with it. Made to run on a 12 volt setup. Volt it to 16 volts and bye bye.

Basically, its two messenger m4v's slapped together. 2879 pills were used. (2) drv (16).

It comes with a remote to turn off and on and adjust power output

 

[purenrg]

Man bet she pulls some series alternator amps on ssb, I have the 455 m4v and it pulls pretty good on ssb, so I can imagine what a monster she must be. What kind of charging system you running with her?

 

[Toll_Free]

Freecell, I used to drive this 16 pill with a 500 watt deadkey on the driver and let it swing. The Firebird deadkeys about 250 watts and swings to 350 or 400 watts. It has 1 6me6 driving 3 6me6 tubes. I can't find the specs for those tubes. I ran the 16 in my mobile for two years untill i switched vehicles so I am familiar with the setup of a 16 pill. I just haven't used it this way before and I thought I would throw some feelers out there and see what came up. I really need to check reflect as I have several antennas on one tower. Oh by the way the 16 pill pegged out my 2000 watt el cheapo meter. I am waiting to get some slugs for my Bird meters so experimentation is at a standstill for now.

500 watts of carrier into a 16 pill!

Must be a

1. Real Deal
2. Dominator
3. EARLY Pirate

Otherwise, you need help on your 16 pill. Mine does 1400 watts with 85 watts PEP into it.

200 watts PEP gives me almost 3K output.

How much do you WANT them little chicks doin each?

Seriously, if your 16 pill requires 500 watts carrier (thats 2Kw PEP), then you have serious problems, as that's shoving what, 100 watts +++ pep into EACH transistor!


--Toll_Free

 

[Toll_Free]

Solid State amplifiers have many advantages, and yes, the PEP figures for both transistors and tubes alike, can be 4-5 times higher than the RMS figures quoted by manufacture specs. They don't recommend or warrant them beyond those levels is all.

The reason Hams use tube amplifiers is because they need to meet FCC guidelines, and using an amplifier that has to be tuned for each band makes for an easier way to control spurious emmissions, harmonics, and the alike. This is because solid state amplifiers are very broad banded by design. Also many hams run at a higher SWR due to the larger range of frequencies they operate, and tube type amplifiers tend to hand abuse without total destruction/failure better.

For a ham to use a legal limit solid state amplifier, they have to use a design that makes it less broad banded, and protection circuitry to handle the SWR stresses.

Sounds silly to make an amplifier less broadbanded, when a Ham operates many frequencies, but this is normally required to meet FCC specs. The ham than needs to tune or switch relays to switch bands.. Thus the benefits are outweighed by these extra costs to auto switch the bands and the added protection circuitry.

Transistorized amplifiers are inherintely broadbanded. They cover from 1.6 to 30+ mhz, depending on the mix of ferrite used.

There are only 2 commercial NO TUNE amplifiers using tubes I know of.

With a tube amp, you have to bandswitch it, then tune it.

With solid state, you bandswitch.

Which sounds simpler and more broadbanded.

Amateur operators use tubes because they don't take as much current. It's a HELL of a lot easier for me to create 3.5 kv DC at an amp than it is for me to come up with the same 12 volts at 400A!

On a short, the HV will just go POP. The LV DC will actually weld wires together.

ICOM and Yeasu both make legal limit solid state stuff. So does Ten Tec, MFJ, JRC, Henry, and a plethora of other manufacturers.

People don't purchase them because it's a pain in the ass to create a legal limit 75M mobile antenna. I know, I have a 16 transistor legal limit FT-857 Yeasu powered mobile. So far, I can fire the amp up on 10, 11, 12 and 15 meters. Working on antennas for the other bands.

So, it has nothing to do with broadbanded or anything else... If anything, your comments where about 100 percent backwards in regards to current tech.

Solid State will take over, but it's gonna be a LONG, HARD FOUGHT battle.

--Toll_Free

 

[Toll_Free]

And

Hams would never pay good money for an amplifier that blows up the instant something goes wrong with the load (antenna).

Most of the higher power solid state amps seen for sale for chicken band lack protection circuitry. Something happens, you need all new transistors. These amps would cost a lot more with a power supply crowbar, SWR foldback bandpass filtering and thermally stable bias scheme. Even with all that the IMD is still poor. Hams can talk with each other with extremely strong signal levels. Any IMD garbage will be noticed right away.

When talking kilowatt level and up tubes start to look good. I don't even own solder wick.

Actually, SWR cutoff would cost about a dollar / dollar n a half to implement.

ALL my amplifiers have it.

It's called a 36V Zener diode across the output, on the collector of an output transistor.

VSWR goes above 3, the zener fires, shorts the DC lead out, and power supply fuse is blown (or, breaker, but a fuse opens twice as fast).

Simple, huh? Wonder why nobody does it. I protected my 400 dollars in transistors in my legal limit mobile just this way... After blowing them the first time in a coax cable screwup (no antenna, just wattmeter, I'll leave it at that).

--Toll_Free

 

[Toll_Free]

Man bet she pulls some series alternator amps on ssb, I have the 455 m4v and it pulls pretty good on ssb, so I can imagine what a monster she must be. What kind of charging system you running with her?

I have the original M2000 16 pill, modified bias (regulated on a seperate 12V rail, can go up to 18 volts in to the amp, no bad effects on the transistors, other than my SWR cutout drops at SWR 2.0).

It runs straight 16 x 2879s. It takes 130A to key it (at 300 watts output, it fires the breaker in my 70A power supply), and will pull 400A peak. The 2879 is RATED 20A constant, 25A peak.

Picture my amplifier as 4 of the M4Vs. I have one of those, as well. Converted to 2879s, and found the combiner was crappy, started a fire in the amplifier. This was originally 16X455s, called an M1000. When Texas Star came out with the Sweet Sixteen (when the 454 ceased to be the "monster pill" commonly available), Victor asked to get the amp back for a day. When we got it back from him, it did LOTS more, to the tune of 3kw PEP. We got the M2000 (new to us, same heat sinks, new boards installed), and the 2 banks of MRF454s (which was basically the M4V with the bigger transistors in it, although the "daughter board" in my M2000 now contains a 7 pole Chebyshev (from the factory, it did CQWW and took top mobile one year in the 80s))..... And we got the original boards back.

Didn't cost us anything, as this was the 'beta amplifier'.

The only real prob I could find was that Victor was using WAY too much bias on the 2879s at this time.... Which would also explain the strange blowing problems we had with the amp until I redid it about a decade ago. 1.5+ vdc on the base of EACH 2879 meant they where on 25 percent, just idling.

Hope this might help someone, thought I'd pass it along.


--Toll_Free

 

[HiDef]

Actually, SWR cutoff would cost about a dollar / dollar n a half to implement.

ALL my amplifiers have it.

It's called a 36V Zener diode across the output, on the collector of an output transistor.

VSWR goes above 3, the zener fires, shorts the DC lead out, and power supply fuse is blown (or, breaker, but a fuse opens twice as fast).

Simple, huh? Wonder why nobody does it. I protected my 400 dollars in transistors in my legal limit mobile just this way... After blowing them the first time in a coax cable screwup (no antenna, just wattmeter, I'll leave it at that).

--Toll_Free

Very simple. Way too simple for anyone paying good money. OK for someone who does their own tinkering. At least add a crowbar or an automotive type circuit breaker ala Metron. The ham amplifier market would not tolerate your solution IMHO.