• You can now help support WorldwideDX when you shop on Amazon at no additional cost to you! Simply follow this Shop on Amazon link first and a portion of any purchase is sent to WorldwideDX to help with site costs.

Palomar ELITE 400 HD input wattage?

maddog355

Member
Sep 22, 2011
34
1
16
I just picked up a used Palomar elite 400 hd with a cooling fan. I am planning on putting this in my truck to replace the little 100 watt box I am putting in the wifes truck. I have a Uniden PC78 that is supposed to be peaked and tuned and a bone stock Cobra 29, I assume the 78 will be too much but what about the 29? Or do I need to have the radio tuned down to run this? Is there any tips or sugestions on this amp?
 

On that particular amp, HD stands for "Hardly Drive" not "High Drive". Any more input than 1.5-2W DK will let all of the magic smoke escape.

(I own one)

(I know)

;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: NZ8N
Ok thanks for the info, I will put it on a shelf untill I can get them on a watt meter and see what they are doing. Pro151: Any idea what the actual output is?

Also can anyone recomend a good watt/swr meter that will read the low wattage as well as 500-600 watts?
 
If you can get in the 2 watt dead key range you will be fine. 3 watts max on the key. I ran one years ago with 1.8 watts swinging 30 and I got 380 watts pep. Sounden good on AM.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ziploc
I just picked up a used Palomar elite 400 hd with a cooling fan. I am planning on putting this in my truck to replace the little 100 watt box I am putting in the wifes truck. I have a Uniden PC78 that is supposed to be peaked and tuned and a bone stock Cobra 29, I assume the 78 will be too much but what about the 29? Or do I need to have the radio tuned down to run this? Is there any tips or sugestions on this amp?

.75 watt carrier, 3 watts peak = 360 watts peak out approximately.
 
.75 watt carrier, 3 watts peak = 360 watts peak out approximately.

I'm just not seeing that. I have had Rat Shack radio's that would swing maybe 5 watts from a 3 watt dead key. Any amplifier I ran it into would not even hit half the normal peak wattage. There is no way a pep wattage or 3 will drive a Palomar 4 pill to 360 watts.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ziploc
I'm just not seeing that. I have had Rat Shack radio's that would swing maybe 5 watts from a 3 watt dead key. Any amplifier I ran it into would not even hit half the normal peak wattage. There is no way a pep wattage or 3 will drive a Palomar 4 pill to 360 watts.
It all depends on who your technician is. I might have been slightly off on my figures though. I might have quoted the low setting of the radio. It might have been 1.5 watts carrier, 6 watts peak = 360 pep out of amp, but I was somewhere in the ballpark. My tech doesn't use a wattmeter, he only uses a scope, so watts are not anything I ever pay too much attention to.
 
It all depends on who your technician is. I might have been slightly off on my figures though. I might have quoted the low setting of the radio. It might have been 1.5 watts carrier, 6 watts peak = 360 pep out of amp, but I was somewhere in the ballpark. My tech doesn't use a wattmeter, he only uses a scope, so watts are not anything I ever pay too much attention to.


There is no way 6 watts PEP into a four pill 1446 Palomar amplifier will get you anyplace close to 360 watts. I think maybe your tech was using a Bird 43 meter. A 6 watt reading on a Bird 43 is like 18-20 watts PEP. That would make sense.

With a Palomar 4 pill with 1446 final an 8 watt dead key is way way too much. I would not key more then 4 into it if you want it to last and sound good. Use whatever dead key gives you an 80-90 watt dead key out of the amp on Hi.
 
I ran across a old sales flyer for that amp today Says Boomer, but it is the same amp

400
4 sd 1446 transistors
4-13 watts input power 300 watts output power
I agree with 9c1 about the 80-90 watt dead key.


They list the 600, 1 1446 driving 4 1446`s @
input power 1-4 watts 400 watts output power

73
Jeff
 
I realize this is an old old thread but I just found the site. I have a Palomar 400 elite HD and by putting to watch into it from my galaxy 99V2 I can get right at 400 out.
 
Palomar 400 is 300 watts out as Shockwav said. If you're seeing 400 watts you're not seeing real watts.
Palomar 400 is 300 watts out as Shockwav said. If you're seeing 400 watts you're not seeing real watts.
You know what that's really funny because I've had two different people bring their meters over and measure the out and both are seein 350-380. Now I see what you want the 2 m or 3 m not all of them can be wrong.
 

dxChat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
  • dxBot:
    Tucker442 has left the room.
  • @ BJ radionut:
    LIVE 10:00 AM EST :cool:
  • @ Charles Edwards:
    I'm looking for factory settings 1 through 59 for a AT 5555 n2 or AT500 M2 I only wrote down half the values feel like a idiot I need help will be appreciated