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Reviews For: Alpha 77Dx

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

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Review Summary For : Alpha 77Dx
Reviews: 16MSRP: 4500
Description:
Single 8877; QSK; 160-10 including the new bands
Product is not in production
More Info: http://www.rkrdesignsllc.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00164.7
K4MK Rating: 2021-02-07
Old fashioned solid RF Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I' ve got the SX; 1500 watts out effortlessly for 14 years of heavy use. Have the Alpha 99 for back-up, but the SX never fails. 1500 watts just tickles the tubes and provides a little exercise for them.
KE4AMQ Rating: 2021-02-07
A great Amp Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I think I have had every alpha made this is the 2nd 77 I have owned ,the 1st was a factory sx with 2 tubes the one I own now is a dx with 2 tubes. I run my amp at 20 watts in for 1000 watts out and could keep it keyyed down for days without it getting hot. Its a great amp but not for a newbie 2 tubes will cost you 6000.00 for 2 new ones. I happen to have 4 spares and I will never need then. The amp is so quite I forget its on.
KX2T Rating: 2019-01-12
Awesome! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I owned one of these beasts back in the nineties, serial number was over 3200 in which I was told it had the newer larger transformer that supplied around 4000VDC on the plate. The way that amp was build was a work of art and I never tried to even place another tube in there to make it an SX cause in my way of thinking the stock supply was built for one 8877 and in testing into a dummy load with 100w of drive the amp would do 2700W out on a Bird meter with a 5K slug so to me running at 1500W was a walk in the park for that amp. It was a great amp that was an excellent DX'ers prime choice but for a contester running single op and switching bands it did take some time to spin those dials fast so unless you had six of them well an amp like the 87A,9500,Acom 2000 were better for those purposes but if you had this amp on 20m running station 24/7 this was its sweet spot of on 75m at night running EU it was the King but it was a true legal limit plus amp only slightly under the legendary Henry 4K Ultra but one person could lift this amp if you ate your Wheaties in the morning but the Henry you needed at least 2 people to lift it but consider its size it was far easier amp to move around at over 110 pound table top, LOL. After two years of ownership I sold it and purchased the Bulgarian /Alpha 91B which was another great but easier amp to use with excellent protection circuit which was the prelude to the Acom amp company but nothing built today replaces the 77DX, the Alpha 9500 is built like a tonka toy next to the 77DX and the only thing the old 77DX needs is a grid protection circuit so you don't kill the expensive 8877 tube but I think Ameritron sells a board that would give you that for the legendary Alpha. BTW we once tested the 77DX driven with a FT1000D at around 200w into the broadband input transformer which is switched in on the RF deck into a 5K commercial dummy load and bird meter in line on 14.2Mhz with still withing grid current specs on the tube at 3900W out, not bad for a table top amp.

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Earlier 4-star review posted by KX2T on 2002-07-14

I owned a late model 77DX serial # over 3200 a few years back, was a good amp but here are the cons first. Not very well protected for a multi contest use amp. If your in the know of the 8877 tube and you understand an amp's operation its a great amp but if you a contest op who know how to do rate but is a dummy as far as electronics is concerned this is not the amp for your station. I have built HB 8877 amps in the past but this ones a work of art, robust contruction, very well design and a cabinet with excellent cooling, large footprint and decent power but frankly I owned a alpha 91B and that amp had it all over the 77DX. It didn't look as good but its performance was far better. This amp is a DXers amp who sits on 20 meters all the time lookin for the new one, takes to long to change bands and you must watch out for grid current at all times cause that will damage the fragile 8877 tube so its an amp for a seasoned ham not a newbie with limited experiance.
KB2ZVP Rating: 2019-01-12
No contest! The best! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
So I've had a ton of really nice amps in the past but nothing like the 77dx. It's an absolutely wonderful piece to have in the shack! Its simply a beast. 1500 watts is almost to easy.... Well ok lets face it - it is to easy!!!

Best 73
Stop by and say hi on the World famous Toad Harbor Net 1.930
KT9D Rating: 2014-02-06
Well built and reliable amplifier Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I own 2 Alpha 77s running single 8877s. Both amps work great. The workmanship on the cabinets and the components is second to none. These are heavy duty amps capable of 2KW. I own at least 10 working HF amplifiers and these are by far my favorite.
W9AC Rating: 2013-03-31
Dependable. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Time owned is 20 years and this amp always delivers. Please, stay away from making the amp into the Sx model. The single 8877 will produce 2.5KW output power, 24/7 - and still have headroom.

I've never understood the fascination for a pair of 8877s, apart from ill-perceived "bragging rights." That results in twice the tube replacement price, and if an RF deck problem does develop, localizing it is a lot easier with one 8877, rather than two.

Also consider that the RF output connector, wiring, fuse holders, and power supply were simply not designed for the higher power level that the Sx version is thought to supply. In short, those opting for the Sx are gullible in thinking they're making their amp better and more powerful.

Rather than adding a tube, take the time and funds to make some other worthwhile upgrades to the amp like balancing the filaments and removing the high return current off the chassis.
W4WIA Rating: 2011-01-25
Worth The Money Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I see lots of complaints about the price of this amp. Well, I bought mine new in 1979 for $2995 and only replaced some lamps and the panels were the ones with the "soft" paint. Beat on it doing RTTY contesting @ 1300W output, and much SSB contesting @ 1500W. Replaced the tube after 27 years. That's a lot less cost than the 20 Ameritron/Dentron/Kenwood amps I would have bought to get to 2011.
5 star rating from W4WIA
W8IDL Rating: 2010-07-03
THE Quintessential 8877 Amplifier Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The ETO Alpha 77Dx is THE quintessential 8877 amplifier, and is a work of art as well as a GREAT performer. It started out as the Alpha 70V using the 3CV1500A7 vapor cooled tube, with ten air cooled amps (70A) using the 3CX1000A7 tube being built. The Alpha 77 came next, built in the 70V cabinet, with the 8877 air cooled tube. The next revisions for the 77D and 77Dx came by building the amplifier into a larger and better enclosure. The 77Dx has it all: vacuum variable tuning capacitor with turns counter, vacuum T/R relay, RadioSwitch heavy duty bandswitch, excellent metering, elegant electronic signal and keying controls, beautiful anodized aluminum sheet metal work: the list goes on and on. The only way to improve on this amplifier is to be lucky enough to get one of the two ETO built for Don Wallace, W6AM, that have a turns-counter vacuum variable for the loading capacitor as well!

Yes, yes... I know... the 77Dx is expensive. You can easily buy an amplifier that will put out almost as much power, or be roughly functionally equivalent, for less money. The Alpha 78 is a great example, and a great amplifier, and has its own allure; but it IS NOT an Alpha 77Dx or 77Sx (two tube version). The 77Dx is in a league of its own with an elegance that has never been duplicated. IMO it has earned a 5 star rating for being one of the best amplifiers ever built, and has easily withstood the test of time.
NA1A Rating: 2009-02-18
The best can't be beat Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I've had several Alpha amplifier through the year... including the 86, 87A, 89, 99, 76, 78 but never owned the 77 up until now. Mine is a 77DX, with a single YU209 which is the pulsating 8877. The only thing I can say about this amp is WOW! Amp is big, in fact it is the BIGGEST item in my shack. It has plenty of power, runs quiet and not as much heat as others that I've had. I LOVE this amp! It's the best of all the ALPHA.
KK5DR Rating: 2007-05-16
Old war horse Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I own a PA-77 which predates the 77Dx. It is slightly lighter and minus a few features found in the later version.
Mine was damaged when I got it (shipping damage). But was repairable with little trouble.
It is amazing that the unit still runs great at 34+ years old.
Stop in on my web site for a more detailed page on it. www.kk5dr.com

73 de Matt KK5DR