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Reviews For: FlexRadio POWER GENIUS XL

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

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Review Summary For : FlexRadio POWER GENIUS XL
Reviews: 29MSRP: $6995
Description:
Legal Limit Solid State Amplifier
Product is in production
More Info: http://flexradio.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
75294.7
K1TTT Rating: 2021-04-22
Built like a brick, performs great. Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
This amp was bought to replace two ACOM 2000a's on my SO2R station that is used mostly by remote guest operators. I simply unplugged the two ACOMs and plugged this in and everything worked. I haven't even wired in the band data yet so am just letting it use it's RF sensing to switch bands. I like that it doesn't need to know when antennas are changed, I had to write a utility to send GreenHeron data to the ACOM on 160m to get it to tune properly when switching antennas, this one just handles it on its own. It is driven by two FT-2000's which I have set the max power out to 50w which is plenty to drive the amp to the legal limit on all the HF bands, I haven't tried it on 6m yet as those antennas are on a different station. I really like that there is a lifting handle on the front and that the connectors on the back are recessed so it is safe to stand it on end while moving it. The fans do get a bit loud, especially when remote ops are running SO2R FT-8! But since much of the operating this last year has been remote, no one but me can hear them.
NA5RF Rating: 2021-04-04
Full Legal Limit LDMOS Amp Exceeds All Exceptions Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Update: 4/2021 Flex updated the firmware to significantly reduce fan operational noise at low duty cycle modes. This has the effect of silent operation during SSB. Big improvement!

I purchased the Power Genius XL amplifier recently after my ACOM tube amp failed. I wanted a full legal limit LDMOS amp that would integrate with my Flex Radio 6600.

The design looks and feels like a modern piece of military equipment similar to hardware I've worked with over the years as an electrical engineer. The only button other than the touchscreen on the front is a transmit/ standby mode button and an on off switch on the back. No button arrays, miscellaneous LEDs other than the case back light for status. No other knobs or separate power supply bricks to deal with.

The connection to a modern transceiver is simple but the connection to a Flex 6000 series is remarkable. Just power, coax in and out, and a LAN connection are all that's required. Using DHCP setup on the LAN and the PGXL application the amplifier is ready in minutes. Manual IP setup is optional. Amplifier data is immediately available on the SmartSDR screen with power, SWR, and temperature of the amp. The Power Genius XL Utility application acts as a repeater for the screen on the amp. This gives the operator the flexibility of placing the amp anywhere in the shack or in a closet or another room as long as there is adequate airflow.

The amp also has two separate channels for full CAT (DB9) and or PTT (RCA) control inputs for non Flex radios. It also has an RF sampled port 60 DB attenuated for PureSignal radios. I added a big 400 volt 60 amp contactor and WIFI based switch to remotely control power to the big amp. I don't like leaving it on standby when not using it. Now I can power up all my Flex equipment and tuners with a single phone app.

As with my Flex Radio 6600, the PGXL operation is solid. The amp changes bands automatically and instantly follows the transceiver. It behaves more like a tube amp in that it doesn't prematurely trip unless it really senses a problem. It will produce 2000 watts on most bands. 20 Meters and 160 Meters are restricted to 1750 and 1650 respectively. It has two distinct RF signal paths (in out) for two antennas and or two radios.

In order to keep those 50 volt LDMOS devices cool, they use cooling fan designs similar to today's modern computer servers. They are somewhat loud if you place the amp right next to your operating position. I put mine on the floor on one side of the shack and don't notice it unless running high duty cycle transmissions. I have a FLIR photo of the amp's heat distribution on my QRZ site along with other photos.

A quick check with my Siglent SVA spectrum analyzer showed a very clean signal, as good or better than most modern amps tube or solid state. The PGXL uses a tuned circuit trap for IMD and harmonics. It funnels undesirable RF into an onboard dummy load which dissipates the energy. A gigabit Ethernet switch is installed only one foot away from the amp, and there is no packet loss from RFI during full power transmissions on any band.

The FLEX Power Genius XL is a great amp from a great company.




KM4CQG Rating: 2021-04-01
1 year lookback Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The Good:
This Amp power output has always been outstanding. It's interaction with my Flex 6700 is seamless either remote or SO2R. I have also tested it with my KX3 on digital and SSB with excellent results. Build Quality is excellent.

The Bad:
The amps physical footprint is very deep info: 24? x 12?x 19? 45 lbs. Extremely fast SWR cutoff with not Auto Tuner built in.

The Ugly:
As delivered with original software the PGXL was the loudest Amp db sound I have ever heard for Amateur radio.

Latest:
Since upgrading v3.5.23 it has proved to be near perfect. The Fans now still operate in 3 modes S, C & B. The S is STD, C is Contest and B is broadcast. The difference is Fan speed in S and C is dramatically improved. Below 50c in S mode Fan is silent til below 40c. In contest Mode slightly more Fan noise but with Amp 6 feet from me it's less DB then prior Firmware. Broadcast is still very loud and best for remote operation or Amp located in another room.

Conclusion:
I highly recommend this AMP and it's excellent integration with Flex 6000 series Radios. To date I have not suffered a single Amplifier issue

KM4CQG


NJ0F Rating: 2021-02-17
Cutting edge technology - Industrial design Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I was hesitant to order this amp as I have not had the opportunity to have seen one in person. Once I saw how well this unit was built it soon became apparent that this is no ordinary solid state amplifier. It is built like a tank. Installation to a Flex 6600 was a breeze and this amp will serve its purpose as my remote station amplifier. The fans are noisy but show me a solid state amp that is not. Plus I am happy that I supported an American company. I will follow up on this post after some extensive use but I am very impressed and pleased with my purchase. Another great Flex product.
W5GA Rating: 2020-12-20
No QSK Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The lack of QSK on an amplifier of this caliber (and price point), regardless of its other laudable qualities, makes this a complete deal breaker.
W8ZR Rating: 2020-03-18
A remarkable amplifier Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I've used my PGXL for several weeks now, comparing it to my Alpha 9500 and several homebrew amps. On balance, it is my amplifier of choice. Here I address some of the criticisms and strengths:

1. Fan Noise: The PGXL has several fans which switch on as the temperature changes. The highest speed is like having a threshing machine in the room. One important point: Fan noise is always going to be an issue with solid state amplifiers because the generated heat is very localized and has to be exhausted quickly. The PGXL does as good or better a job at flushing the heat as any solid state amp, but is somewhat louder than a comparable, well-designed vacuum tube amp. Incidentally, the front air vent is for intake air only, and does not blow in your face or contribute to the fan noise. Between transmissions the fans switch off and are dead quiet. Keep in mind also that the PGXL runs 2000-2100 Watts output and generates 500 more watts of heat than, e.g., a KPA1500. It's a very rugged amplifier.

2. Remote operation: Although reviewers have commented on the PGXL's remote capability, I want to make sure that really sinks in. There is no reason the PGXL has to be on your operating desk. It has only one button (operate/standby) on the panel, and that is also operated remotely. (Compare that to the front panel of a KPA1500.) The neat little LCD on the front is duplicated exactly on your computer screen. The ONLY reasons to put the amp on your operating desk are (a) you don't have floor or table space elsewhere, and (b) it looks so cool you want to show it off.

3. Interfacing: With a Flex transceiver, the PGXL is nearly effortless to hook up. All controls (T/R switching, everything) is done via your LAN or an ethernet cable to the transceiver. The coax is the only other connection to radio. If you run SmartSDR, you'll have a new menu on your computer when the amp is running. If you're using an 6600M or 4400M, you'll see a new icon on the transceiver's front panel, plus a menu showing power output and other amplifier parameters. With Yaesu, Kenwood, Elecraft radios, etc.,you'll also need a phono cable to handle the amp relay keying. For those radios, the PGXL hooks up like any other amplifier, except that you'll also have a menu on your PC display that shows a duplicate of the amp's LCD.

4. CW operation: The PGXL is not intended for QSK, but that doesn't mean CW is an afterthought even if, like me, you don't run SO2R. You'll need to set the delay from your transceiver (the time between a key closure and the appearance of RF at the amplifer) to at least 10 mSec. Note that Flex transceivers handle that delay in a completely different way from other brands. Flex radios time-shift your CW by whatever delay time your select, so that the RF never arrives at the amplifier before the amp is ready to receive it. There's never any clipping of the first dit, no matter how fast you send it. On a Flex transceiver, you can set the delay to anything. For fun, I set it at 1000 mSec and listened to my signal on another receiver. I sent "hello" at 30wpm, and waited. A second later I heard my transceiver send "hello," delayed by a second. Fun. What this means is that whatever delay you choose is pretty much irrelevant. You can't do that with any other brand, so for, e.g., an Elecraft, you'd just set it at 10mSec. Other CW features, like independent sidetone volume and frequency, separate headphone and speaker volume controls, adjustable AGC times, (and AGC threshold), bandpass tuning, etc. filter slope and latency, work well on CW. Flex transceivers don't have quite as many CW bells and whistles as a K3 (e.g., automatic zero beating), but it has everthing most CW ops want.

5. Software Design: In my opinion, the software developers at Flex are hands down the best in the industry, and the PGXL reflects this level of sophistication. Pretty much everything is done for you. You can't damage the amplifer by choosing the wrong antenna, the wrong frequency, overdriving it, or overheating it. It's designed to withstand almost any abuse you can think of, which is why its unsurpassed for remote operation.

6. Nits: The PGXL uses fast, German, open-frame relays, and the relays make an audible clicking sound which will bother some users. At the 2000W power level, I don't think pin diode switching is appropriate, but I would have preferred near-silent vacuum relays. Of course if you remote the amplifier or wear headphones, like I do, the clicking is irrelevant. I am told the life expectancy of the open frame relays exceeds that of vacuum relays, but I haven't verified that.
My other nit is the near lack of information about what's inside the PGXL cabinet. There is no circuit diagram provided, nor circuit description, nor even interior photographs. While there's not much point in providing information about the insides of a transceiver, which are just a collection of circuit boards, that's not the case with RF power amplifiers. I don't doubt the amplifier is well-constructed, but like most hams, I would like to know what I'm spending $7000 on. By the way, the PGXL is larger than you might expect for a solid state amplifier. The depth is 19.5 inches, which is the same as an Alpha 9500. So whatever is inside the cabinet, there's a lot of it. I hope Flex will change their policy and be more forthcoming.

The PGXL is my first solid state amplifier. It's a brute and produces 2000W output effortlessly. (I set the maximum power on my transceiver to 55W, which gives me full flexibility for power output.) A lot of thought went into its design, and the more I use it, the more I like it.
AI1W Rating: 2020-01-09
Great amp, really noisy Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I purchased this amp and had to wait over a year and a half to get it. It works flawlessly with the Flex-6700. I generally agree with KF4HR's review. The size and weight are very good. I also have an ACOM 2000A, so it's very nice to turn the PG-XL on and be able to work the DX station right away. Unfortunately, the fans are so loud (I had never realized how quiet the Acom really is).
K4QXX Rating: 2019-06-04
Great SS Amp Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have owned the PGXL amp for a couple of weeks now. It was expensive but I will never go back to a tube amp again. My old Ten Tec Titan worked great for many years but not having to tune every time I change bands is really nice. The Flex amp is very well built and runs 100% duty cycle on 160-6 meters. I have tried it on all bands but 6 so far and it works great. It interfaces flawlessly with my Flex 6700 and it also works great with my Icom 7300. The amp has a built in C-IV interface for Icom rigs and works as it should. The front touch panel shows all the relevant information (band, 2 temperature readings, voltage, transmit time, etc). The amp is built for SO2R operation. There are two inputs and two outputs so you can have two radios connected with two different antennas. I haven't used it in this configuration but I can see how this would be beneficial to contesters. There are 3 fan settings (normal, contest and broadcast) with each setting raising the fan speeds. During SSB and FT8 transmissions, I have only used the normal setting. The fans will increase more on some bands than others. If the PA gets over 70C, the fans kick into high gear but they keep the unit cool. I don't think the fan noise is bad but noise is subjective. In stand by mode the amp is very quiet. During SSB operation, the fans usually don't ramp up much except for prolonged transmit times running high power. This is my first SS amp so I don't have anything to compare it to but I really love this amp so far. It is expensive but you get what you pay for.
K7ERQ Rating: 2018-06-16
Flex Radio, Congratulations Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Attractive Desk Top Unit. Easy computer control.
Looks Terrific. Weight is such one person can handle.
Great Protective Packaging.
Total set up time for me was only 10 minutes.
Critical in set up is properly setting transmit delay. Flex recommends 20Ms.
RF Sense switching is great for the operator with a variety of transceivers in that station.
..
will update review after another 20 hours of operation