Who works on Texas Star amps?

[Greg T]

Well a change of plans in the texas star pre-order for me. They notified me that they receive the 350hdv and a few 500's so I went with the 500 instead. It ships today and should hit me around Friday.

Hopefully I made a good decision going with the 500 instead. For 130 bucks more I get two more pills so why not. I hope why not anyways.

I'll report with photos and we'll see what the mystery is behind the current pills being used.

Those amps DO need the power wire upgrade. Desperately! Far less voltage drop, more output mon less drive. Also run cooler. Look up Gatekeeper's vids.

 

[Eldorado828]

Those amps DO need the power wire upgrade. Desperately! Far less voltage drop, more output mon less drive. Also run cooler. Look up Gatekeeper's vids.

Thank you for the advice Greg T. Hoping to put it behind the q5n2 to have a little more overhead.

I figured I better get one while they're available but this time I won't sell it and regret it. I can't tell you how many I've had, the 250 killer bee, 350hdv and a 500 all which I sold years ago only to kick myself later. Not this time!

 

[nomadradio]

a good decision going with the 500 instead

I'd say so. If only because four transistors will be harder to overdrive than two.

73

 

[Greg T]

Thank you for the advice Greg T. Hoping to put it behind the q5n2 to have a little more overhead.

I figured I better get one while they're available but this time I won't sell it and regret it. I can't tell you how many I've had, the 250 killer bee, 350hdv and a 500 all which I sold years ago only to kick myself later. Not this time!

I got mine just before the viral fiasco. I had the option to go with DEI or Toshiba. The Toshibas were about $150 more so I declined. I'm not sorry. I started with 40 pep drive on 100 amp supply @ 14.4 volts. Got 450 pep drawing 55 amps and pulling down to 13.6 volts. I removed the fuses, did a 10 ga. wire upgrade, feeding each board separately, and replacing the transformer feeds with 14ga wire. Now driving with 40 pep I'm getting around 600 pep (bounces between 500 and 700), draws about 55 to 57 amps and drops to 13.9 to 14.0. Driving with a Stryker 955 I get super audio reports from everyone.

 

[Eldorado828]

I got mine just before the viral fiasco. I had the option to go with DEI or Toshiba. The Toshibas were about $150 more so I declined. I'm not sorry. I started with 40 pep drive on 100 amp supply @ 14.4 volts. Got 450 pep drawing 55 amps and pulling down to 13.6 volts. I removed the fuses, did a 10 ga. wire upgrade, feeding each board separately, and replacing the transformer feeds with 14ga wire. Now driving with 40 pep I'm getting around 600 pep (bounces between 500 and 700), draws about 55 to 57 amps and drops to 13.9 to 14.0. Driving with a Stryker 955 I get super audio reports from everyone.

I'll consider those upgrades and that's good to hear how well yours does. I'll expect similar result with the q5n2 but I'm running a df3000 low pass after it just to keep the neighbors happy or to appease my own conscience at least.

Greg I don't yet know what pills this one will have but I've heard either dei or hg, we'll see.

 

[Greg T]

I'll consider those upgrades and that's good to hear how well yours does. I'll expect similar result with the q5n2 but I'm running a df3000 low pass after it just to keep the neighbors happy or to appease my own conscience at least.

Greg I don't yet know what pills this one will have but I've heard either dei or hg, we'll see.

I was told by MANY that the DEIs are junk and that I would be spending big money to replace them within a year. So far, I see no issues. I have been know to drive this thing with up to 60 pep for long periods of time. Yeah, the case got kinda warm, but never had an issue. One other mod you may want to consider is just popping a large, low RPM fan to the heatsink, and adding two tiny fans and two tiny exhaust holes in the cover. I did this as well and this thing can run all day long at maximum output. *I also use a LPF just before my antenna. In fact, I'm using an ancient Johnson 250-20. Works perfectly*

 

[Eldorado828]

I was told by MANY that the DEIs are junk and that I would be spending big money to replace them within a year. So far, I see no issues. I have been know to drive this thing with up to 60 pep for long periods of time. Yeah, the case got kinda warm, but never had an issue. One other mod you may want to consider is just popping a large, low RPM fan to the heatsink, and adding two tiny fans and two tiny exhaust holes in the cover. I did this as well and this thing can run all day long at maximum output. *I also use a LPF just before my antenna. In fact, I'm using an ancient Johnson 250-20. Works perfectly*

I'm working on an experimental power supply just for this amp and I caught that you're running yours at 14.4 volts. I accidentally got the supply doing about that range so I might just leave it that way to see how the dx500 behaves with it.

 

[lonestarbandit]

Just gonna leave this here....

 

[Eldorado828]

Just gonna leave this here....

So what is your opinion? I'm curious as to what exactly you think.

 

[lonestarbandit]

So what is your opinion? I'm curious as to what exactly you think.

I dont actually have an opinion on the DEI. He did the work and tests. The results are what they are. It would seem the DEI are less stout but I'm just a layman. As for the 14.5 volt supply, my base amp was set @14.5 by the builder w HGs it never blew. Only reason I popped that pill was the failure of the external LP filter. Not the fault of the box or voltage.

 

[9C1Driver]

Those amps DO need the power wire upgrade. Desperately! Far less voltage drop, more output mon less drive. Also run cooler. Look up Gatekeeper's vids.

I agree, I have all my 250’s upgraded. And I love those Anderson plugs.

 

[lonestarbandit]

I agree, I have all my 250’s upgraded. And I love those Anderson plugs.

The accessory hiding in plain sight is quite nice too.

 

[linearone]

Since the demise of the Toshiba everybody has had to figure out how to make junk work. To me, its not worth the hassle and , tbh, very low profit margins, to build a dc box. Ive learned that the hg transistors must be matched well and more than that the circuit must be matched well. Not alot of guys take the time to do this.
I've read a few threads on here of guys buying brand new fat boys, four pills and larger, and they have issues almost immediately.

The only builder that I've seen that's been able to keep these boxes together and withstand far more voltage than everybody else is Dave made. And I mean Dave made in Alabama. However he's doing it. The boxes seem to be staying together. I was impressed enough that I bought a couple to use as drivers. Another thing is, even at the boxes stay together and they run well, they just don't make the same power that the Toshiba do. End of story.

 

[Greg T]

I'm working on an experimental power supply just for this amp and I caught that you're running yours at 14.4 volts. I accidentally got the supply doing about that range so I might just leave it that way to see how the dx500 behaves with it.

Mine has been running on 14.4 to 14.3 (temperature seems to vary my voltage a bit) since it came home with me. I used this voltage for all my testing and this is the way it runs today. There may come a time when something blows, but I have no ill effects so far.

 

[Ranch55]

I'm working on an experimental power supply just for this amp and I caught that you're running yours at 14.4 volts. I accidentally got the supply doing about that range so I might just leave it that way to see how the dx500 behaves with it.

It is a mobile amplifier. 12 volt mobile electrical systems actually operate continuously from 13.8 volts to 15 volts.
I have found over the years that operating a mobile amp in a stationary station works best at about 14.2 volts to 14.7ish volts ......
And all is good at that voltage....... Will not hurt a thing......