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Linear
- Thread starter Mgdnow24
- Start date
Thanks for the info, I knew someone would send me in the right direction. I do have a switch that I can flip off and only run a dead key 1/2 watt and pep 30 so I assume a low drive will work if I don't forget to switch it off. Lol Really I am looking for a amplifier capable of around 500 to 800 watts if someone has one to sell. Thanks again for the info, Steve
A single 3-500z would put you around 150 carrier and 750 pep, two tubes would be nice. It would probably need around 50 to 60 watts drive from your saturn turbo.
If you wait and watch you can find a good deal on an ameritron al82 in the ham classifieds, pretty solid amplifier. A drake L4b is a pretty good amp too. A heathkit sb220 is a good one for ssb. The plate transformer and cooling system is lacking for AM service unless you run a low carrier.
Sweep tube amps like the phantoms are money pits. You get them cheap then nickle and dime yourself to keep it running for years. Tubes are overpriced and the amps are harmonic and IMD generators.
If you wait and watch you can find a good deal on an ameritron al82 in the ham classifieds, pretty solid amplifier. A drake L4b is a pretty good amp too. A heathkit sb220 is a good one for ssb. The plate transformer and cooling system is lacking for AM service unless you run a low carrier.
Sweep tube amps like the phantoms are money pits. You get them cheap then nickle and dime yourself to keep it running for years. Tubes are overpriced and the amps are harmonic and IMD generators.
543_Dallas thanks for your helpful knowledge, I have been out of the radio business for years now and I am trying to get a station reestblished and I am finding out that a lot has changed. My Galaxy Saturn Turbo has a on & off switch installed for the built in linear, switch off variable from 1/4 watt to 30 Pep or switch on 1/4 watt to 180 pep. Guess I need to research for what's best to increase wattage without a catastrophic failure. Once again thanks for your help. Steve
Space cowboy Thanks for your response. I would assume you mean to have the wattage output reduced on the Saturn? If I turn the built in linear off it produces 30 watts pep on am so I assume that should be enough to drive a bigger linear and produce more wattage than the 180 watts pep that it produces with the built in linear on. Thanks Steve
I'd send to someone who can set it to factory spec. With the internal amp on it should be around 10 to 30 watts deadkey with the variable and 100 pep max...going off bad memory. Pep will drop off as you turn the variable down unless someone has done some kind of swing mod to it.
For that radio its best to decide if you want it with or without the amp. Set to spec the last one I did would only do about 10 watts pep with the internal amp off. You can turn it up to get more power but if you ever turn the amp back on it needs to be readjusted.
There are good amplifiers out there built to be used with a 100 watt radio. Usually much better quality that most CB amps. If price is an issue even an ameritron 811h would be much better than a sweep toob cb amp.
Thanks 543_Dallas, It has had a Mod swing kit installed and tuned up. Might just be best to leave it as is and try and find something around 400 or 500 if possible that I can drive with the amp off and use the 1/4 watt swinging 30 to drive it with. I really appreciate your time in responding to my post, Thanks again Steve
The turbo was made for a long time. Earliest ones would bust a gut to show 120 Watts PEP. Every few years the amplifier got revised, and you would see a bit more output than the previous version. By the time they quit making it you might see 160 Watt peaks from the last version.
The power supply is the weak link. Tends to break down and shoot 24 Volts into the radio and fry the computer. Really does require a fan on the rear heat sink.
Ham amplifiers that use two 3-500Z would be a good match. Some newer amplifiers are built to assume your radio can be turned down to 50 or 60 Watts peak. Tubes like the 8877 and 3CX800 may not tolerate the full output of a late-production Turbo.
Any time the power supply fails in a Turbo we replace it with a 30-Amp switchmode "brick" power supply. Has voltage and current protection in it. The original one with the heavy transformer doesn't.
They show up on fleabay for under 40 bucks.
You can skip the fan once a switchmode brick is installed. Over half the heat on the heat sink comes from the old power supply. Once it's been replaced with a brick, you no longer need a fan. The heat sink is plenty big enough for the heat from two 2SC2290s alone.
Most amplifiers that take this much drive have a gain factor of at least ten-to-one. Anything rated for less than 1200 or 1500 Watts peak output is probably too small to tolerate this drive level.
A switch that shuts off the internal linear is what we call the "Suicide Switch". Sooner or later it gets turned to "high" at the wrong time.
Oddly enough, the Turbo's built-in amplifier has a power gain of about ten-to-one. The Turbo running 'barefoot' on the radio board's single final transistor usually shows no more than 15 or 16 Watt peaks.
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The power supply is the weak link. Tends to break down and shoot 24 Volts into the radio and fry the computer. Really does require a fan on the rear heat sink.
Ham amplifiers that use two 3-500Z would be a good match. Some newer amplifiers are built to assume your radio can be turned down to 50 or 60 Watts peak. Tubes like the 8877 and 3CX800 may not tolerate the full output of a late-production Turbo.
Any time the power supply fails in a Turbo we replace it with a 30-Amp switchmode "brick" power supply. Has voltage and current protection in it. The original one with the heavy transformer doesn't.
They show up on fleabay for under 40 bucks.
You can skip the fan once a switchmode brick is installed. Over half the heat on the heat sink comes from the old power supply. Once it's been replaced with a brick, you no longer need a fan. The heat sink is plenty big enough for the heat from two 2SC2290s alone.
Most amplifiers that take this much drive have a gain factor of at least ten-to-one. Anything rated for less than 1200 or 1500 Watts peak output is probably too small to tolerate this drive level.
A switch that shuts off the internal linear is what we call the "Suicide Switch". Sooner or later it gets turned to "high" at the wrong time.
Oddly enough, the Turbo's built-in amplifier has a power gain of about ten-to-one. The Turbo running 'barefoot' on the radio board's single final transistor usually shows no more than 15 or 16 Watt peaks.
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Thanks Nomadradio, You don't personally know me but you do know a few of my fellow CBer's around town. You have worked on this very Saturn Turbo I speak of. It does have a switch installed to turn off the amplifier for low wattage of 30 watts pep, or full power of 180 pep. I also believe a mod swing kit as well. It does have a fan installed to keep the unit cool so I believe the power supply is stock equipment of the radio. I do understand the dreaded suicide switch issue so I was basically trying to find the best combination to try for more wattage than the 180 without destroying any equipment. Thanks Chris for responding to post.
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A pair of 2290s doing 160 watts on a tiny heatsink is less than smart if you talk on your rig more than just saying "10-4" or "no dought" every few minutes.
Might as well defeat the bias, ground the bases of the pills and run the internal amp in class C. The pills will run cooler if youre going to abuse them. The IMD is already off the chart from overdriving them so why not...
Cheap watts and low duty cycle sucks. Guys get away with this by running a low carrier and super swing mods. If they ran a proper amount of carrier their stuff would not last. They sound loud and powerful down the street but in the distance selective fading kills them.
Might as well defeat the bias, ground the bases of the pills and run the internal amp in class C. The pills will run cooler if youre going to abuse them. The IMD is already off the chart from overdriving them so why not...
Cheap watts and low duty cycle sucks. Guys get away with this by running a low carrier and super swing mods. If they ran a proper amount of carrier their stuff would not last. They sound loud and powerful down the street but in the distance selective fading kills them.
If it were mine I would remove the swing mod and amp switch and set it up to do a max 25 watt carrier and 100 peak, this is a common output for ham radios and you should be able to find a good ham amp that you could drive with it this way.
Just my $0.02 but I'm not a tech so take it for what it's worth (about 2 cents).
Just my $0.02 but I'm not a tech so take it for what it's worth (about 2 cents).
If you were talking dollars, probably not going to happen on 3-500z tube amp unless you find one on Craigs list or at a Ham fest. Typically they run around $650+++ used.
A dual 2290 final radio can run a heavy duty Toshiba (4) 2979 pill comp amp and up. These boxes are usually class C and do not sound well on SSB.
Note: 20 amps per pill (2sc2879 transistor) is required so you're looking at an 80 amp continuous duty power supply. Typically that means a 100 amp peak rated supply. That is the hidden cost of running big transistor amps as a base.
I took the 400 to 500 as wattage, I didn't even think of dollars. The amps I mentioned are a out of that price range but cost of ownership will make up for it in a few years...as long as the operator does his part right.