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write your own review of the Tokyo Hy-Power HL2.5FX.
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N1ZJ
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Rating: 1/5
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Oct 28, 2011 06:59
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Failed repeatedly
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I owned a THP 2.5Kfx for about a year and a half. Allowing for time it was in the shop, I got about a year's operation out of it, and when it worked, it worked well. It is virtually transparent in operation, changing bands automatically and not needing retuning. During the time I owned it its finals failed four different times at roughly 4-5 month intervals. The first three times it was repaired and returned - took about 6 weeks; the last time THP gave up fixing it and bought it back from me (at a used price). At no time did they try replacing it. Through the whole adventure, THP seemed convinced that the problem had to be in my station and not their amp, and proposed a long list of possible defects in virtually every part of the station. I dutifully checked every suggestion, and none of them turned out to be the case. At one point they suggested that the problem was a tuner of questionable quality, even though the tuner was not involved in 3/4 of the failures and seemed to work well. In one failure analysis, THP Japan said "We suspect the cause of the second failure has come from this odd action of the filter. At first, it seemed fine...when we reduced power on 21MHz, we noticed some noise coming from the unit. We replaced all parts other than the air wound coil, and the noise stopped, but still, the value is queer." Nevertheless they continued to blame my station. I suggest that anyone contemplating purchasing a 2.5Kfx read the cautions and caveats in THP's guidance,
http://www.tokyohypower.com/solid_state_amps.html
and take them to heart. Right now, they have just one dealer in the US (HRO) and one repair depot, AVSL. Array Solutions no longer carries their products, although their service was excellent while they did. I am now using an ACOM 2000A and am having no trouble at all.
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KG4LUQ
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Rating: 5/5
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Jul 23, 2011 10:47
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Boring In The Shack...Exciting On The Air!!!
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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Terrific amp and nothing to add to previous reviews except for those looking to interface it to a Flex 5000a:
1)In "Antenna" setting, set tx delay to 40 ms in order to avoid "hot switching" the amp
2)You may need a null cable modem adapter to connect the Kenwood interface cable to the computer's db9 port (I did)
3)In PSDR's CAT settings: set the CAT COM port to the same port as your computer's serial port-9600-none-8-0-stop, Allow Kenwood AI Command and set the ID to TS2000. NOTE:If you are using DDUTIL with the Amp's COM port set up under "Passive Listening"-it won't work until you have the amp following the Flex with the same port in PSDR's CAT setup settings, then you can change the settings in PSDR and DDUTIL and for the rest of that operating session, the amp will follow the Flex. If I can help you, please feel free to contact me.
I would like to thank the following individuals for their kindness in answering my numerous questions before and after I bought the amp:Jim AB2CD, Steve Gilmore W4SHG the manager at HRO Woodbridge, VA and last but certainly not least-Tom Rum W5RUM Tokyo Hy Power technical support USA.
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VK3YW
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Rating: 5/5
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Jul 4, 2011 01:29
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Perfect " 10 "
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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What can one say? And how do words describe this amplifier
Have you ever seen the mac burger add on TV? The beautiful bun, ripe juicy tomato, succulent beef? only to buy one and unwrap it and see a shriveled piece of *rap , soggy bun , over cooked meat and a tomato that looks like it was grown last century
Well this is not the HL2.5Kfx … it is as beautifully built as all the promo pictures show down to the last detail
Opening the amp to change the tapping presented a view that was identical to the promo pictures
This is one classy bit of gear … professional and world class … and I haven’t even plugged it in at this point
On Air
To say it works is an understatement … 10 – 80 where I work it works like a dream and follows the radio around like a puppy
On air audio gets nothing but high praises … and I might add unsolicited ones … I have even had emails on it as well
Virtually no noise to speak of … well no more than a high end pc tower and barely breaks a sweat with the fan kicking in mildly at about 50 c
Power output
Well here is a curly one as here in VK we can only run 400 watts so all testing is done into a dummy load
The “USA LEAGAL LIMIT “ … * LAUGH * … like some others have said … the “ HL 2.5 K moniker is not put on the front for looks
This is by far the best built , best presented , best operating , amplifier I have ever used
CHEAP? ……. Not by a long shot … but worth every penny … and if you have the $$$$ readies this is one bit of gear you will never regret purchasing … not everyone’s cup of tea … sure … but I drink bourbon anyhow
Cheers 73 de Steve
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AB2CD
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Rating: 5/5
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Apr 17, 2011 22:06
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Superb Amplifier
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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After using the amplifier for more than two years, I felt an updated review was in order.
My earlier review was last posted 09/10/2009.
I can’t say enough good things about this amplifier. Tokyo Hy-Power makes superb equipment and the HL 2.5Kfx is a rock solid HF amplifier. As a former broadcast engineer, I am inclined to describe this amplifier as “commercial grade” rather than amateur. Rated at legal limit, the 2.5 has headroom galore and can easily do 2 kW without breaking a sweat. The extra headroom insures perfect punchy audio without fear of clipping or overdrive.
This is not my first Tokyo. I was one of the first hams to take delivery of the 1.5Kfx over 4 years ago. Unlike the 1.5 Kfx, this legal limit amplifier requires a dedicated 15 amp 240 volt circuit to power the amp.
The amp is quiet. Mine is only 3 feet from my condenser microphone and even with such a sensitive microphone you can’t hear the fan on the air. The fan speed is determined by the temperature of the finals. It’s rare that that the fan ramps up to more than a whisper.
One of the great features of this amp is its ability to automatically change bands by connecting a data cable between your rig and the amp. Tokyo provides band data cables for Icom, Kenwood and Yasue radios. I use our 2.5 Kfx with a Flex 5000A SDR (software defined radio).
The Flex 5000A has the unique feature of being able to delay the RF presented to the amp’s input. I have been told that “Hot switching” can stress solid state amplifiers and can sometimes lead to the premature failure of the MOSFET finals. I had a Yasue 1000MP and it often spiked above 140 watts. The Flex 5000A protects against power spikes with a special algorithm that insures absolute ALC. Because the ALC is defined in the software domain, there are no additional cables to run. There are also no critical adjustments to make and worry about.
Nobuki Wakabayashi, JA1DJW, the company’s president, is an excellent engineer and a man of upmost integrity. Tom Rum, Tokyo’s US representative, is very knowledgeable and is very responsive to your needs. He represents the company very well.
When it comes to purchasing new equipment, especially an expensive piece like an amplifier, I always try and pick a supplier who accepts American Express. I do this because AMEX doubles the warranty adding up to one additional year. HRO takes AMEX and they also take good care of their customers. So a THP purchased from HRO with an AMEX card equals one great amp with a two year warranty.
If you have any questions about the amp or my experience using the Tokyo Hy-Power amplifier with a Flex SDR radio, please feel free to contact me directly. Again, I can’t say enough good things about this amplifier and everyone connected with it.
73’s and God bless
Jim AB2CD Shelly AB1CD
Atlanta, GA
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WR4N
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 13, 2011 05:37
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One Year + Review
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have owned this amp for over a year and I run it with the matching tuner. For over a year, the set has run flawlessly!
Recently I hooked it up to a new Kenwood 590 and experienced true automatic band selection (with my FLEX 5000 I still have to select the proper band - but no problem). The full automation is sweet. Reminds me of my PW-1.
What "con" have I experienced in this time period? Only one thing that I would note: The fans are loud! I can live with this because I know the air flow is protecting the amp, but just beware of the noise.
Would I buy this setup again? Absolutely!
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N9SW
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Rating: 5/5
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Nov 10, 2010 09:56
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Superb Engineering & Performance
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Recently purchased from Array Solutions for use with an Elecraft K3. The sales & customer service at Array was outstanding and efficient, and the unit arrived completely checked-out with the appropriate K3 interface cable as well as those for other brands, and was prewired with a 240VAC plug.
The amp is plug'n'play all the way. Worked perfectly right out of the box, and easily works to spec with a reasonably quiet fan as well as a compact footprint on the desk. Highly recommended!
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KC4CP
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 25, 2010 04:25
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My Money's Worth +++++
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I have an Alpha 89, so I am not lacking for power. But having once owned a PW-1, I missed the quick band changes and "no-tune" ease of operation offered by a solid state amp. But I did not want another amp that was the size of a normal kitchen dish washer! Having done a lot of research, I decided on the THP 2.5. Yes, it isn't cheap. However, this is an occassion where you get your money's worth and a lot more! It is great having all that power in such a relatively small amp.
When I took it out of the box and examined it, I was immediately impressed. This amp is a work of art! The control knobs feel like they are floating on ball bearings, the internal components are unsurpassed, and the "fit & finish" are world-class! (When I took off the cover/lid, I was even impressed with the precision fit of the screws ... and I do mean "precision.") Overall cosmetic appearance is also beautiful. But how does it operate?
I had it hooked up and on the air in 5 minutes. (ARRAY SOLUTIONS had shipped the amp ready to operate; the AC plug was installed, it was tapped per my instructions at 240v, etc. Jay is a customer service wizard.) I could not resist quickly bouncing from band to band (I had so missed this feature) and I finally settled in on 75 meters for my first extended "on-the-air" test. The amp does legal limit with 50 watts of drive and has plenty of head-room! (There is a reason its moniker contains "2.5" - hi, hi ... enough said ...). My friends reported signals from S-9 +30db to +60db!!! Most importantly, they reported a super clean sound with absolutey no distortion (I enjoy ESSB on 3.630 and running a "clean" amp is critical to me).
Overall I could not be more impressed! I absolutely love the amp. Today I am ordering the matching tuner. That should be the ideal set-up. When I install the THP automatic tuner, my FLEX 5000 will basically become a fully automatic - legal limit - transceiver. Sweet!
I will keep my Alpha 89 (love Alpha amps), but I think the THP 2.5 will be permanently staying in my shack and will replace the Alpha as my "primary" amp.
Final summation: Having finally bit the bullet and spent the big bucks ... I discovered that I had gotten my money's worth and a whole lot more!
David
WR4N (ex KC4CP, AC4CP)
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AE5RE
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Rating: 5/5
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Jan 16, 2010 19:38
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Best SS Amplifier
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Back in Nov 09 I moved from the 1.5Kfx to the 2.5Kfx. This is by far the best solid amplifier. It blends perfectly with my IC-7600. I do not have to worry about band change since the amplifier follows the radio when using the CIV interface. The amplifier puts 1000w with about 45W in and can do 1500W without sweating. Customer support is second to none. I have to thank AB2CD and Tom Rum for recommending me the 2.5Kfx.
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K9YEQ
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 19, 2009 16:54
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The best!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I really cannot add more to the reviews. This is a superior design. I picked it up from an estate sale. I had read the papers on the actual design of the amp and was so impressed that I really, really wanted one, but price was beyond my budget. This is the flagship of all solid state amps. The construction is unreal. It is also very heavy.
You will need to add an external power peak reading wattmeter if you want to know what power you are actually running as the infomative intenal amps give you average. Then again, does it matter? I am running around 40-60 watt drive. My signal reports on 75M are excellent. The quality of this piece of equipment is excellent.
I called a US vendor to purchase a radio to amp cable, won't mention names, was not given the same respectfulness as the owners of the manufacturer. Nothing like being told what to do rather than making suggestions. Good luck here. No wonder the US is losing manufacturing. On the other hand, this product is engineered to meet all the requirments. And need I mention, I am not using a tuner. The 75 meter bazooka and loop handle the output directly. So no losses there. Probably another good thing. If I were to buy a tuner I would use either the THP or the Palstar auto tuners.
This will be my only and last amp. I have wasted money on lesser amps but was able to "scrounge up" the cash for this one, even used. Did I mention: It is the best engineered, best built, full legal limit amp there is IMHO. It is everything you could want.
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N4JA
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Rating: 5/5
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Oct 8, 2009 13:54
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great amp great service
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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I had an unfortunate experience with the HL-2.5kfx. I had a loose connector on the input to my remote antenna switch. The connector was finger tight, but after some time the connection became intermittent. The amp worked perfectly for 4 months and blew the finals while I was experimenting with the grounding of the amp. The intermittent faulting I was having on 10 meters was said by Tom Rum to be an rf ground problem. He also said the amp was bullet-proof. If you have an intermittent coax connector, you should check all connections before using this amp. I had assumed my connections were good because I had been using this antenna set-up for 5 or more years with no problem. All my tube amps worked fine with this condition because applying power to the switch caused the connector to arc and temporary weld the connection. I gave this amp a poor rating in a previous review and I hope this rating will fix that poor rating. Would I recommend this amp and would I buy another one? The answer is yes,but I will recommend you use a pair of pliers to tighten all PL-259's before you turn it on. Don't accept finger tight PL-259's because those connections eventually oxidize and become intermittent. I later discovered the intermittent connection because my SWR would be good one time on my SteppIR and the next time I used it the SWR would be high. I have proved you can blow up an HL-2.5Kfx.
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