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You can
write your own review of the ACOM 1000.
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ON5ZO
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Rating: 5/5
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Jan 21, 2009 09:41
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No regrets - good amp
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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If you're looking for an amplifier and the ACOM 1000 fits your needs and budget: don't hesitate and buy one.
I thought it over for a long time but it's three years and 55 000 HF contacts later, and I am very happy I bought this amp.
No problems, good protection, almost no noise.
No regrets and I've enjoyed QRO with this amplifier.
- Franki ON5ZO
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OE4VIE
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Rating: 5/5
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Jan 13, 2009 09:58
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Perfect amplifier
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I use it since nearly 1 1/2 years, only had a small problem with a relay after a short time using it, which was solved by ACOM Bulgaria within a short time. ACOM service is perfectly, they give you all support you need. I use it rough in many CW contests, QSK is wonderful silent working. This linear is built like a tank. A good choice if you are looking for a 1 kW linear amplifier.
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F6DEX
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 22, 2008 12:44
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Extremely good
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Having it since one year. Extremely stable, and no problem (forget it) amplifier. One of my best purchase in HAM radio.
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PA3FUN
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 22, 2008 10:53
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Value for money
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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This amplifier simply is the best value for money one can get in my honest opinion. Excellent craftmanship, very well build. I would buy a second one if they should ever become available in black painting ;)
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AE1Z
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 8, 2008 09:05
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Sheer excellence!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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IMHO Acom 1000 is one of the best amplifiers on the market. It is made in Bulgaria by the same company which used to build Alpha 91b for ETO Alpha back in the ‘90s. The amplifier represents an absolute excellence in RF design. It is built around a single 4CX800A tetrode in grid-driven configuration. 4CX800A/GU74b are a little more expensive than what they used to be but still very cheap compared to some other tubes. These tubes are also very robust (GU74b was manufactured by Svetlana for military applications).
The RF deck has a very nice and well thought outt layout – not much space is wasted but it is not cramped as with some other amps. The built quality is superb – all high quality, heavy duty components, silver plated coils, heavy duty band-switch, etc. All RF components (band-switch, tank coils, tuning caps, parasitic suppresors, etc.) are connected with wide silver-plated copper strips. Full-QSK is standard (and near silent thanks to special relay mounting) using a vacuum relay for the output! The amplifier has a huge power transformer with galore of taps for different AC voltages and very well designed HV and screen supply. Now – the best part – a microprocessor monitors all important parameters
and circuits, controls and protects the amplifier, displays data and even aids in the tuning process. This offers an incredible level of protection – something I have not seen in any other amplifier – it makes almost impossible to damage the amplifier with the controls, even on purpose! Backlit LCD shows all of the important parameters (voltages, currents, SWR, gain, temperature, power levels) and warning messages. Built-in attenuator is automatically switched in-line by the microcontroller if the amplifier is not properly tuned to assist the coarse tuning process at low power and switched off (automatically again) for final tuning at high-power. This means that you don’t have to touch the power control on the rig. The actual tuning process is assisted by the on-board microcontroller and makes the procedure very quick (5-10 sec), easy and accurate. The amp is almost silent – the computer in my shack is much louder! The blower is controlled (based on the exhaust air temperature) by the microcontroller (it also actually monitors the health of the blower and it will shut off the amp if the blower fails - just one of more than a dozen protections). There is a provision for an optional intake fan for high-duty cycle modes. The amp delivers a full kilowatt with only 65W drive on any mode and it will actually do more on SSB. When I contacted the factory in Bulgaria about information on updates/upgrades, all of my emails were answered by the principal engineer – Stan, LZ1IU who offered me the level of support I’ve only seen with one other company – Elecraft. He literally flooded my email with technical information, explaining in details everything I wanted to know about the amplifier. Great company and absolutely great amplifier!!!
As for the cons – there are very few I can think of – the LCD display could be a little bigger – 4 lines instead of 2, showing the plate and grid currents at the same time during the tuning. (It normally shows the output power and one other user-selectable parameter with its two lines of text). I wouldn’t mind Vernier dials on the tuning caps. Customer service in US could be a little better too, but one can always address the company in Bulgaria.
The other thing is the price – it is on the high end if compared watt-to-watt with some other models. On another hand, taking into an account the absolute quality , features, protection and level of support – you are getting what you are paying for –excellence! It will be my last amplifier until I get the ACOM 2000.
Did I mention that I picked up my second one?
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G0WCK
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 8, 2008 03:24
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wow !
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I been looking for a replacement amp for some time i read all the reviews on the acom 1000 and new i had to get me one.
what can i say this amp is super in every way looks , time tuning , lcd info screen , protection , and so quiet.
if you ever get the chance to own one , go ahead buy with confidence
thanks guys .
daz G0WCK
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G4RRA
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Rating: 5/5
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Nov 17, 2008 11:19
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Great amp
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I was a lucky man and got one of these second hand.
Its every bit as good as all the reviews say.
Whisper quiet,easy to use,plenty of power,and nice to look at.
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OH2XX
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Rating: 5/5
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Oct 28, 2008 14:38
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Great amp
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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Just adding my rating (5) here - this amp truly deserves it. Ordered mine from Vine Antennas. Everything has just been perfect with this one - from the purchase to heavy contest use. If there have been any surprises they have all been pleasant ones. How often can you say that.
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PA5CW
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Rating: 4/5
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Oct 20, 2008 10:41
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tr4b error
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Great Amp for cw very quiet, but after 1 year had a tr4b error. Ron of Vine antennas had a few suggestions, (low main voltage), but I could not solve the problem because of all the safety checks mad by the CPU. I suspected the output relay, but could not test this. Returned the unit to Ron and it was repaired without costs (2 year warranty). Indeed the output relay caused the error. I wonder if the relay lasts when heavely used with CW (semi QSK with K3).
Kees PA5CW
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W4TDC
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Rating: 5/5
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Oct 13, 2008 08:46
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A superb amp!
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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I've been active for nearly fifty years and owned a half dozen amplifiers, but none of these come close to the Acom 1000 in terms of quality, ease of use, and value. I am very pleased with
my purchase.
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