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High Drive Amp

C

cswguy

Member
Jun 13, 2011
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Oshawa Ontario Canada
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Hi Everyone

I'm looking for a decent high drive amp to use with my 2510, not to expensive but a decent output would be ideal.

I already have my maul and large amp and driver, but need a smaller amp for my other vehicle, something that will handle at least 25w on ssb and 12w on am.

Let me know
Duane
:D
 

You can have Dave made or xforce add SSB delay to their amps and they will sound fine on SSB. The 400HD or similar would work. Have them add the ssb delay in and have them make the amp a class b instead of class c amp. Also if possible, have them build it with toshiba 2879 transistors, cost more, but IMO, a much better transistor. I use an older magnaforce 350hd and also a new style TNT 600hd from time to time and both work well. The key is not to over drive them. That's what causes bad or crappy sound on SSB most of the time is just over modulated and over driven amps. Clean in equals clean out. Keep the radios dead key at around 2-4 watts max and you should be fine. Pep shouldn't be an issue, I know my magnaforce 350hd, same amp as the TNT 350hd (almost), will handle up to 100 watts pep with a 2-4 watt dead key. I don't recommend pushing the amp this hard, but it will work. If your pep is 25-50 watts, you should be fine, it's the dead key carrier out of the amp that is most important in your case, you want the amp to key up about 1/4 of the total output. Just because it says HD, doesn't mean squat. Check the spec sheets on the amp, and have a Dave made built. They aren't cheap for a good one. I looked the other day and to have a 2 transistor amp with ssb and pre amp built in and toshiba 2879's being used, the amps cost was over 400. Amps are getting expensive. But Dave made is the one that started it all, copying Motorola designs and building off that he makes one hell of an amp. All the other big guys minus a couple of clowns have worked for Dave made at one time. Again, a good custom built amp is going to cost!! Ask around here and maybe there will be someone that has an old amp that is worth looking at. May save some bucks this way. I will say I have pushed my 350hd pretty hard and it is still kicking, but by doing so I also know that I have most likely decreased the life span of the amp. These are all JMO, and are based off what I have experienced or know. Nothing more, nothing less. God bless and good luck.
 
The guy building davemade amps is not the Dave that started it. He just makes money off the design like everyone else. His name is Joe and if you call him about adding biasing you might get an ear full. If you buy from the davemade.mobi site you will get the same amp but Chris is more of a people person. Xforce may be your best bet for a biased CB amp.

A bias circuit is a must for a SSB amp. The delay will stop the relay from chattering but since there is no bias to turn the transistors on and keep them from rapidly switching on and off the audio quality is degraded. You can get away with it if you don't overdrive the amp but if you're going to spend the money spend a little more and make it right.
 
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Thanks for clearing the air 543. Been a while since I was in the loop of that whole thing. When i got out xforce was just making a name for themselves! Been a while. The old gold Dave made's were and still are one great amp. Find one with ssb delay and you are good to go!! Just don't see them too often as most keep them! I was fortunate and got a decent deal on an new style TNT 600hd with toshiba 2879's in it. It's a great amp. Built well and looks clean inside. It's one of the first ones I believe as it looks like someone took their time building it. It works well on both AM and SSB. Haven't really pushed it TBO, using a stock uniden 980. Am dead key down to 2 watts am ssb power is right at 15 watts. No power monster but the amp never gets warm even with a good rag chew session. Wanna keep this one for a while. So it will not be over driven ever!! Them dang toshiba's aren't cheap!! But anyway, I appreciate the comments and to the poster, listen to what 543 is telling ya, he KNOWS HIS STUFF!!! Have a good day and god bless, I'm off to take my tower safety renewal course!!
 
His name is Joe and if you call him about adding biasing you might get an ear full.
Click to expand...

Ya, call Joe and ask him why a class C amp sounds choppy on SSB, you will get an education alright.
Record it and post the gate LOL

Just adding a delay to a class C amp will not help the choppy audio, the transistors must have some bias.
I agree that The Magna/TnT/Texas star line with the some kind of bias scheme is better that any class c amp with no bias at all.

73
Jeff
 
No doubt Audioshockwav, adding the bias scheme as well as the delay. Sorry I didn't catch that. I know that it's definitely needed and the better the biasing, the cleaner the signal. A clean radio is a good start as well. I have had good luck with both my magnaforce 350hd and the TNT 600hd. I did drive the 350 a lot more than the 600hd, but that magnaforce is a well built little amp!! It takes it and smiles back lol. Never got a bad report with it on either ssb or am. Now the 600hd, I'm loafing that thing right now as I am really being cautious with it. I want it to last. I am happy with the results and I make the contacts when I want to. Conditions are the only thing keeping me from having a good day of dx'ing these days. I had about a 20 min qso with Barbados this morning while traveling to work on I-4 lol. No power, just an optima mk3 with a sirio turbo 5000 mag mount. I enjoy making contacts with less power, but sometimes it helps to have a bit of power. I am not in the business of cutting people off, more of the just trying to make contact with friends!! Anyway, god bless and have a great day.
 
cswguy said:
Hi Everyone

I'm looking for a decent high drive amp to use with my 2510, not to expensive but a decent output would be ideal.

I already have my maul and large amp and driver, but need a smaller amp for my other vehicle, something that will handle at least 25w on ssb and 12w on am.

Let me know
Duane
:D
Click to expand...
You can get a RFX-150 installed on it and that would handle the high drive requirement. You need around 40 watts dead key to drive it to the maximum.
It also simplifies installation for a first time vehicle. You don't need welding cables for the amp power.
 
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You can get a RFX-150 installed on it
Click to expand...

This is my opinion, take it for what it is worth, but putting a RFX 150 on a HR 2510 is a train wreck.


Csw, why not just have X force build you a B biased 4 transistor amp?
The HR 2510 will be fine in front of 4 2879`s.
On AM drop the carrier on the president to 10 watts and the amp will take anything the radio can throw at it peak, on SSB do not even worry about it.
Even a T/S 500 can run behind 2510, I have done it for years.
In fact I have a Lincoln in front of a 500 right now that is my daily driver.


73
Jeff
 
The davemade (built by Joe) are still very good amps as far as a comp box. Just a different guy building them. I haven't had my hands on one with DEI pills so I can't comment.

The other copies are ok but the time the builder takes to make them right is what makes one brand better than the other. Fatboy took a good design and crammed on the smallest heatsink and put it in the smallest case they could. Poor building practices and not taking time to tune the LC in larger amps is just cheap and lazy. I've owned a few xforce amps over the years and can't complain. A decent bias circuit is easy to add. The first one I used came from this forum.

If you take a good running comp amp that's built like a tank, add a bias circuit with voltage regulation and thermal tracking you'll be way ahead of a TX star. After I bought a new dx250 with an oscillation issue I really don't care for TX star. Just saw a YouTube video where they've cheaped out on the 667. Now they use two irf520s for the driver instead of a 2290. I guess it saves them $25-$30 per unit.
 
Yep, my TNT (xforce) and my magnaforce (xforce) have both done me well. The 350hd with toshiba 2879's would be a great amp for the radio the poster wants to use. Get your dead key down to 2-3 watts max, pep shouldn't be a factor here, and you should be good to go IMO. I am just not a fan of the DEI transistors myself. I like the real deal toshiba's. JMO. God bless.
 

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