eHam.net - Amateur Radio (Ham Radio) Community

Call Search
     

New to Ham Radio?
My Profile

Community
Articles
Forums
News
Reviews
Friends Remembered
Strays
Survey Question

Operating
Contesting
DX Cluster Spots
Propagation

Resources
Calendar
Classifieds
Ham Exams
Ham Links
List Archives
News Articles
Product Reviews
QSL Managers

Site Info
eHam Help (FAQ)
Support the site
The eHam Team
Advertising Info
Vision Statement
About eHam.net


QSL Managers
     

Ham Links
     


Reviews Categories | Amplifiers: HF | Alpha 87A Help


Reviews Summary for Alpha 87A
Alpha 87A Reviews: 61 Average rating: 4.6/5 MSRP: $6500 + shipping
Description: The Ultimate Linear Amplifier
Product is not in production.
More info: http://www.rfconcepts.com
Email Subscription
You are not subscribed to this review.

Subscribe!
My Subscriptions
Subscriptions Help

You can write your own review of the Alpha 87A.

Page 1 of 7 —>

AB4IQ Rating: 5/5 Jan 24, 2012 04:25 Send this review to a friend
Rock Solid  Time owned: 0 to 3 months
I finally decided to bite the bullet and look for a refurbished Alpha 87A from RF Concepts since my old amp decided to quit working. I called Molly and she had one and said the tubes were a little weak but it did look good. To make a long story short they replaced the tubes and I had it in several days. I could not believe the packaging because it was really packed well. When I finally got the amp out of the box I thought it was a new one. It works as good as it looks needless to say. The amp is built like a tank and so far I have been able to work Malpelo (My last one for #1 Honor roll) only 19 times so far. The auto tune function is really slick and this amp should last me a long time until I get a 9500.
 
KJ4UY Rating: 5/5 Jan 16, 2012 15:26 Send this review to a friend
Had the Alpha 87A since 1992 and love it.  Time owned: more than 12 months
I purchased the Alpha 87A in 1992 and will always have it. It has been returned for updates, a couple of lightning strikes, pin diodes, etc., but always returned in great shape. I have also owned the Alpha 374 % Alpha 77, but this one is the best. Service has always been excellent and Molly and Brad really care about their cleints satisfaction.
 
W0KH Rating: 5/5 Jan 15, 2012 20:15 Send this review to a friend
Alpha 87A  Time owned: more than 12 months
WØKH
I bought my 87A new back in 1988 and I have NEVER had a lick of trouble with it. When I want to work a new DX station it's nice to know I will get the contact made.
Thanks Alpha
 
WB0BBY Rating: 5/5 Sep 28, 2011 06:42 Send this review to a friend
What a wonderful amp  Time owned: more than 12 months
I have owned my Alpha 87A for over 10 years. In that 10 year period, not one problem. I enjoy phone but RTTY is my preference. I installed the fan kit and the amp just floats along without any problems at "full" output. If anyone is thinking about the purchase of a pre-owned amplifier, don't think twice about this one.
 
8P6SL Rating: 5/5 Mar 22, 2011 08:41 Send this review to a friend
Simply Fantastic  Time owned: 0 to 3 months
I acquired this amp from a retired ham. This is my first experience with an amp after 23 years of being licensed. The performance of the 87A is unbelievable. It moves effortlessly from band to band and it's output is achieved without any effort. It is used mainly in SSB and the exhaust is always cool even when the ambient temperature is 28-29 degrees Celsius. The Alpha 87A is a powerhouse with grace, flexiblity and speed. It can be described as the athlete amongst HF amplifiers.Was received DOA but was repaired by RF Concepts... more on that in the repair section. Thanks to Molly Hardman and Petar. I have thoroughly enjoyed the Alpha 87A and the out of this world customer service from Molly Hardman and the RF Concepts team. Great product..keep the good work up.
 
K4VUD Rating: 0/5 Jan 3, 2011 02:58 Send this review to a friend
still a piece of junk  Time owned: more than 12 months
PIN Diodes fault #9 will drive you crazy. Unless you really like opening up a 90lbs. thing often to tinker inside, buy a different amp. This model is junk.
 
DL8OBF Rating: 4/5 Dec 17, 2010 04:30 Send this review to a friend
Great Amp and solid performer  Time owned: more than 12 months
This is a great amp. The automatic features are awesome and it is easy to use. It has lots of "safety features". Why am I giving a "4" instead of a "5":
- A new ACOM2000 is rougly the same price tag but a bit easier to use
- The Tubes in the Alpha87 are expensive (at least compared to a pair of GU74Bs, which is used in most competitor products)
- My particular Amp had some arcing issues on 40m, I had to ship it back to Co and finally found some spare contacts to put in parallel to solve the issue)

So ultimately: If you can get hold of it at a good price then go for it!

Vy 73
Uwe, DL8OBF
 
W9QNE Rating: 5/5 Sep 16, 2010 21:50 Send this review to a friend
Wonderfull Amp  Time owned: more than 12 months
I bought the Alpha 87A April 27, 2009 & it is the best amp I have ever used & my 4th Alpha. I can't wait to try the 9500
 
KC1SQ Rating: 5/5 Jul 23, 2010 04:28 Send this review to a friend
Never Disappoints  Time owned: more than 12 months
I've used my 87A for many years now (bought it new in 2000 or so). I've driven it with a Kenwood TS-850, now an Icom 756ProII & Drake C Twins and a Drake TR4C. Just works, never disappoints.

Best 73's

KC1SQ
 
SM5HUA Rating: 5/5 Jul 17, 2010 12:54 Send this review to a friend
Excellent!  Time owned: 0 to 3 months
Had my Alpha 87a now for a couple of months, its the very last production run and only 2 years old. Works excellent and I have it located in my attic using alpha remote to control it. Easily gives 1500W out with 45-50W drive, a bit higher drive and 2KW carrier measured on my LP-100A. With todays tube prices there's no need to overrun it.

Mine has all the mods done from factory and seems to be nothing but a work horse :) Back in the early 80'ies I had a 374 wich worked equally good. Really like the quality of Alpha, nothing to complain about.

73s de Peter SM5HUA
 
Page 1 of 7 —>


If you have any questions, problems, or suggestions about Reviews, please email your Reviews Manager.