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Reviews For: ACOM 1500

Category: Amplifiers: RF Power - HF & HF+6M

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Review Summary For : ACOM 1500
Reviews: 41MSRP: 4540. USD
Description:
Acom 1500 - 1500w PEP (1200w carrier modes) 160 through 6m
manual band change and tuning. 3 Antenna Outputs, 1x 4CX1000
final.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.acom-bg.com/home.html
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
25415
KE6L Rating: 2023-03-31
Thoughtfully engineered. Great Amp Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Everyone is right about this amp. Bought mine new about 4 months ago in the UK. Date code is late 2021, interestingly, so there must be some stock in Bulgaria. I'd like to know what date code recent buyers got...

Thoughts:

a) I like the way you can use the antenna switcher (3-way) without powering the tube.

b) Fast SWR/grid current fault protection - instant.

c) quiet fan. Not silent, but quiet. Non-issue, especially with headphones. My fan has not sped up yet - always purrs on low, even at 1200W CW.

d) Tuning is really quick. Total keydown time is truly less than 5 seconds if you record and preset TUNE/LOAD values. Always get low screen currents < 10 ma).

e) Size is really quite compact; fits in my shack nicely. Good-looking piece of gear.

Reliability will be demonstrated as time goes on, but I don't see complaints in forums about the 1500. The ONLY failure I've found was one transformer failure. I think it is a great amp to tune-up to 1KW and run at 800W. Tuning up to full power did not change the tuning settings, so this seems fine. I get about 14 dB +/- 0.5 dB of gain on all bands (except 6M - have not tried it).
W4BSS Rating: 2023-02-05
It's Excellent, I Love it! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I love it! This is a excellent easy to operate amplifier.
Solid Desktop 1.5 Kilowatt, Tune up is a breeze, Multiple Protection Parameters built in. What's not to love?
73!
F6EML Rating: 2022-08-28
awesome Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Hello, after the irreparable breakdown of my previous amp, I bought a new amp, with a tube from a new brand: day and night.
No more screen current problems, causes of recurring breakdowns, on the peaks of modulation in ssb, the adjustment is childish.
I am very satisfied .
KN4IDF Rating: 2022-08-22
The Creme De La Creme of Transmitters Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This rig has everything you can ever want in a transmitter. It's running so surreptitiously it seems the only way you know there's an amplifier running is if you could make the trip and see the S-meter on the other side at the receiving station. I still keep an Ameritron AL-811 with Taylor Select 572B finals in the shack in case I feel nostalgic and want to 'peak the grids and dip the plates' with my hybrid Kenwood rigs. (I wouldn't consider the 811 a backup for the 1500; in fact, the opposite would be more accurate.)
I run my Acom 1500 on 6 through 20 meters from 220 volt mains to an SP7IDX hex beam fed with LMR400 coax. I never run real QRO into the hex beam or the amp could easily burn it up. I just let it loaf along at 1000-1100 watts at the most. I have yet to build antennas to take me all the way to 160 meters, but that's on my agenda and the Acom 1500 will accomodate me.
This arrangement could outlast me, so you can buy my Acom 1500 at my estate sale.
Thanks for reading, and best 73 from KN4IDF in Pahrump, Nevada; good on QRZ.
N4SL Rating: 2022-05-21
Groovy Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This amp really is that good.

Full built-in metering including VSWR plus the three different antenna outputs streamlines the cabling.
Best protection circuits/system I’ve seen - works with no false trips and clearly communicates the issue.

The manual doesn’t say this, but with the amp turned off at the rear panel power switch, it defaults to ANT1.
I leave that disconnected so the internal vacuum relays disconnects the antenna when not in use.
You can flip the rear switch without powering-up the amp to reconnect the antenna.

Having 1500W PEP on 6m is very nice.

WR4N Rating: 2021-05-17
Designed To NOT Push It Too Hard Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I’ll not revisit all the great stuff often noted (ease of tuning, 3 antenna outputs, etc). I want to focus on why I bought the amp.

Merely IMHO: The thing I love most about this amp is that when ACOM designed it, they didn’t push it too hard. That’s why I’ve never read or heard of a problem. It runs the same 4CX1000 that’s in the ACOM 2100, but with less output; that’s a very good thing. ACOM 2100 has a transformer so large and heavy that they had to create a side door through which to install it. I’m told merely installing the transformer is a nightmare. And I’m told that it is the rare tube model with a significant percentage needing repair while In Warranty; just trying to get too many Watts from a 4CX1000 (no way it could do 1500 Watts key down with no time limit - without inviting problems - IMHO). In contrast, the ACOM 1500 comes “Plug-In-Play” - Literally! The transformer and tube are installed (neat way they protect the tube!), just power up. With 70 Watts Drive, I’ll see between 1.3 KW - 1.4 KW. (All Output Power is measured via PowerMaster II). Yes, if I crank up the drive to 85 - 90 Watts, I can hit 1.5 KW - but there’s a reason it’s rated 1.2 KW Continuous Modes. On a great day with perfect voltage, that’s a safe 1.3 KW and 1.4 KW is starting to push it a tad hard. Go further and you’ll stress the tube and amp. Yes, it will produce 1.5 KW, but that’s the waaaay up upward limit.

At 1.3 KW - 1.4 KW, I believe an ACOM 1500 will outlast me. It’s rugged and tough, and not designed to invite being pushed too hard.
N9CHM Rating: 2021-04-23
Most EXCELLENT!!! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
UPDATE: Deja VU, all over again, as Yogi would say. Made a mistake and sold the ACOM 1500 to try a few other amps, and while nice, they were just too noisy and too heavy. Had a chance to pick up another ACOM 1500, as I really missed the quiet operation of this amp. So I'm now enjoying the legal limit and quiet nature of the ACOM 1500, and the fact that it doesn't mind a 2:1 SWR (which does sometimes occur due to weather conditions or operating near the edge limits of my antenna, is a BIG plus.

I've had the 1500 for 3+ months now, and like the ACOM 1000 I had, it is the easiest turning amp I've ever had (and I've had a bunch over the last 42 yrs). The protection circuits are excellent in case you select the wrong antenna or don't switch to the correct band on the amp (not that I would ever do something like that!). Does legal limit+ at the rated input (70-80W), really nice to have one amp which can run legal out from 160M to 6M (which I have done). I also asked about using a N.O.S. EIMAC 4CX1000A which I happen to have, should I ever find the need, as the ACOMs are sold with a Chinese version of this tube. The reply direct from ACOM (Val) and from Array Solutions (Jay) was that the EIMAC tube is the best replacement, but that the voltage bias will need to be readjusted for the EIMAC tube (the amp will not work unless the bias is re-set, at least according to several who have tried a direct replacement without changing the bias setting, just an FYI). So it looks like this is one amp which will stay in my shack for a long...long, time.
WB4CW Rating: 2021-04-22
A Beast of an Amp Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I have had the ACOM 1500 for 4 months or so now, and use it every day. I won't repeat the other excellent reviews - just say ditto. It is a beast and reminds me of my Commander 2500 amp. Tuning bar makes tune-up a breeze and protection is extensive.
N4NUI Rating: 2021-04-19
Very nice HF/6m Amp and reasonably goof-proof Time Owned: more than 12 months.
My 1980s SB-220 with Harbach mods died and I needed a new amp while I was repairing the SB-220. I bought this unit from HRO as an "open box" so I would have a QRO amp. It has very good protection and system monitoring software. The tune and load is easy to set and has good repeatability but would be nicer with Vernier drive on the knobs. This unit does 1500 W CW on 40m with 85 watts of drive into an antenna with 1:15 SWR. 82 watts required on 80/75m. It has three SO-239 antenna connectors. I use only antenna #1 to a Palstar HF-Auto 1800 tuner. The Chinese 4CX1000A appears to be reasonably robust. It weighs 58.4 pounds so be aware of that when you pick a location for it in your shack.
IV3EPO Rating: 2019-09-30
Another Acom's masterpiece Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I've used for many years Acom-1000, Acom-2000A and now this Acom-1500.No question about it : Acom has done one more masterpiece. Mine has full 1500 watts out on any band with 65/70 watts input. Well built and easy to tune. Great deal for me.