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| Reviews Summary for Ameritron AL-80B |
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write your own review of the Ameritron AL-80B.
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W5KG
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Rating: 4/5
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Aug 15, 2008 20:47
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VERY NICE AMP
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Very nice amp.
Easy to tune with smooth Plate and Load controls.
The only dislike are the meters. I hate duel meters. Too hard to read.
The AL80A that I had meters that looked like the same meters as the AL1500 and the AL80A looks a lot like the 1500.
However all and all the AL80B very well lade out on the inside and the fan is almost noise free.
I bought mine new but are a very good buy used in the $850 range.
Glad I have one.
Don, W5KG
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N4JA
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Rating: 5/5
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Jul 30, 2008 19:12
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it'll work all bands
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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This is the sweetest tuning amp Ameritron has ever made. Despite earlier reviews, drive it with 100 watts. The tube will take it and it will put out 1000* watts on all bands. If you use the loading control and increase the loading, your grid current will fall to a safe level and you will be putting out over 1000 watts without splattering. Hams who splatter do so by underlaoding the amp by tuning them up will low drive. There is no tuned circuit for 17 meters-it is a 15 meter tuned circuit. The simple solution is use the internal tuner in your transceiver to drive it on 17 meters. It will not hurt the amp and you will put out 1000 watts on 17 meters. I have had 3 of these amps, never blown a tube, nor never had an al 80B to fail or splatter at that drive level. Put 100 watts drive tune for maximum output and you are still not exceeding the tube's plate dissipation. Exceeding the tube's plate dissipation will blow any tube and if you tume it the way I suggest, Your 3-500zg tube will never exceed 500 watts dissipation, and by the way, the 3-500zg graphite tube is rated at 600 watts plate dissipation because of the graphite plate.I have built over 20 amplifiers in my ham career and was a licensed broadcast engineer for 22 years. I know what i'm talking about on this amp.
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KE4EX
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Rating: 5/5
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Jul 7, 2008 01:05
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Six Years Running
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I just had to brag about this baby...
I wrote a review in 10/02.
Six years later and still part of my shack.
Primary use on phone. However I run 500 watts on digital and 300-400 on C/W. Wired for 240V.
Last year I had new caps (1 was leaking) and tube replaced.
Had Ameritron changed out the relay and band switch for the new one.
This is my baby, stand-by, back up do all.
Sits next to my QRO.
73
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KG6POG
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Rating: 5/5
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Jun 11, 2008 06:50
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Over a year old and works like the day I opened the box
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I bought this amplifier after having a terrible experience with an AL-811 amp. I was leery but was repeatedly told it was a solid reliable amplifier and it was in a different league than the AL-811.
I converted my amp to run on 240 volts, and using a dummy load I get at least the advertised output.
On my antennas, I get a little over 1000 watts on 80, 1100-1200 watts on 40m, 800-900 watts on 20m, 600 watts on 17m, 800-900 watts on 15m, 600-700 watts on 12 meters, and at least 1000 watts on 10 meters. All tests where done with 75 watts drive with the antennas set at their lowest SWR frequencies.
I bought the model with the Grid Protector and for the small addition is cost I would highly recommend this upgrade for anyone, but particularly for new hams, and as a first amplifier for anyone.
I still have my Ameritron AL-811, and though I checked it out when it came back from Ameritron It hasn't been used in the past 15 months that I've owned the AL-80B.
I've tried to sell it locally along with 9913f jumpers and in the small community that I live in, no one wants an amp with 600 watts pep, even though it's completely gone through by Ameritron and does do 600 watts PEP on all bands.
I swear by the Ameritron AL-80B amp, and would recommend it to my best friend without hesitation.
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W1LDD
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Rating: 5/5
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Jun 1, 2008 17:09
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Best amp for the $$
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I have been running the amp for about a month so far and I have to say this is a really great amp.I had the Al-811H and the Al-1200 which are stone reliable.It puts a full KW and is so quiet you do not know thats it is running.Make sure you put it on 240 volts works even better!
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N5VU
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Rating: 5/5
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May 16, 2008 16:53
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Okie Dokie!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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It's a great GG amplifier. It tunes as advertised and produces everything that the specifications indicated that it would. I run mine on 240 VAC and I obtain much better results that when I tried it on 120 VAC. It would "work" on 120 VAC, but it kinda set down on its haunches under full load. It just sounds like it feels better when using 240 VAC. Ahhhh, Heathkit SB-1000,... It's a great amplifier.
73, Marcel, N5VU
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WV4I
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 4, 2008 12:35
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Simple and Dependable
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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This is Al-80B no 2 for me. Bought it used fm a major retailer at about going Eham/QTH/QRZ ask price. It's about a year old, some internal diffs fm older units. These are simple amplifiers. One tube, either it works or doesn't. If something does happen, i.e. arc, grid short, etc., result is usually very predictable and fixable by owner, albeit with some phone help fm A'tron.
Mine has not missed a beat and ran well in last weekend's ARRL SSB test. I run it on 240vac and shows 3100 HV idle, abt 2700 HV loaded to rated output. This amp works much better on 240vac as most 120vac home wiring cannot accommodate this amp plus a transceiver, perhaps more, all on the same circuit, in the typical shack. You simply run out of amps. I run 10/3 lamp cord fm the dryer outlet, but permanent 240vac svc better. On 240vac, also, the transformer is far less lossy, more efficient. Amp will run on 120vac, but not very well. Recommend nothing bigger than an AL-811/H for 120vac.
Anyway, getting rated output to matched load on 75m/40m/20m with 55w-65w input, respectively. On 17m/15m, takes about 75w input. The 17/15 input pad has to be set for either one or the other, changed upon band change, best match about 1.3:1. On mine, 15M, slug is cranked almost all the way in, 17M 6-8 turns out. 20/30, don't know as stick with just 100w on 30m and as 200w pep is limit anyway. Probably could get 200w out on 30m without adjust fm 20m setting, albeit with a mismatch, but could damage 20m section of input pad.
If you find one of these used that has not been abused, they are an excellent dollar per watt value, and there's a large buy/sell market out there. If you do suspect abuse, get it cheap, because likely more wrong than just a tube, and may take some time to get right, and of course $$.
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KC2FTN
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 29, 2007 22:30
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GREAT Amp
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I've been running my AL-80B on/off now for a couple of years and have never had a problem. I generally keep 'er throtted back to about 600 watts, and even then it's generally one call, one contact. Great pile-up buster!
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K5MRM
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 19, 2007 17:29
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Very forgiving
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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I've had this for 8 months and I've made some mistakes on my part and the amp keeps right on working as it should. The only thing I would like to see different is indivdual band tuning instead of the 20/30, 15/17 and aux.
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W6RTW
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Rating: 5/5
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Sep 10, 2007 21:48
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Works Great. Solid Design
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have used this amp for over two years and it has been a solid performer. I use this amp during high power SO2R contesting with an Icom 756 Pro II as the Search and Pounce side of the shack. The single 3-500 is a great tube used in a classic design circuit. It does the job and is very forgiving. The key to keeping this amplifier running is to operate it within its design parameters. If you do that, it will perform flawlessly and not let you down.
73, Bob W6RTW
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