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Reviews For: ACOM 1000

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

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Review Summary For : ACOM 1000
Reviews: 203MSRP: 3250 USD
Description:
HF+6M Linear Amplifier

The ACOM 1000 HF Linear Amplifier is the world's best value in an amateur HF amplifier. The ACOM 1000 gives you a comfortable 1000 watts output on all amateur bands from 160 through 6 meters.
Power Output: 1000W PEP or continuous carrier, no mode limit. Uses single 4CX800A (GU74B)
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.acom-bg.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
152034.8
MM0XXW Rating: 2025-01-07
Excellent piece of kit Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I haven’t owned mine for years however I can see this sitting on my desk for a good while!
Mine is coupled to a Palstar AK2D and, as my VK colleague stated, 30w to get 450-500 on CW of digital and it’ll loaf along all day at that.
We’ve recently upgraded our power levels in the UK so the 1kw limit is way more than I need but I like having the extra oomph just in case!
Buy one you won’t be disappointed.
ON6ZK Rating: 2024-05-27
nice amp Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Great amp overall. I only had one problem in the first 3 years. I use it as a back up amp. I m quite satisfied about it.
W7REE Rating: 2024-05-03
Acom A-1000 is an Unreliable Amplifier Time Owned: more than 12 months.
After two years of intermittent usage (perhaps 25-50 hours) the HV transformer flashed-over and took-out several other components. It happened with the A-1000 just resting on the operating table in stand-by, so no stress on the amplifier from transmitting. The transformer appears to have been defective or poorly wound/built. HRO (where I purchased the A-1000 two years ago) no longer sells Acom amplifiers because of unreliable/defective parts. I will never buy another Acom again! Just throwing-away my money!
WU7X Rating: 2024-03-24
Superior performance and support Time Owned: more than 12 months.
#/24/2024 - After six years of extensive service on FT8 and CW I just replaced the tube. With the new GU74B in place she is up and running just like new. I'm very impressed with this amp. Too bad the tubes are getting pretty pricey.

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1/22/2022 - Nine band WAS FT8 2-1/2 years. I honestly believe that this amp is what helped me complete this in such a short time. I don't think I ever ran it over 300 watts due to the 50/50 duty cycle while on FT8. But that is all I needed. Also worked a lot of 160, 80, 40, etc. DX on FT8 using this incredible instrument. Now it is on to WAS on CW and SSB and increasing my DXCC numbers on all modes. Acom I salute you!
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12/14/2020 - I'm just about to complete my 8 band WAS on FT8. Two more on 15 M and less than 15 on 10 M. I've driven this amp for hours on end over the past three years, typically at 100-200 w. These old Russian tubes are like T34 tanks. They just keep plowing ahead. On CW I run ~600W and the amp is just loafing along. I've not had it on SSB much but when needed it did the job. Setup here is a IC7600 putting out 25-50W into the Acom 1000, then into a Palstar AT2K. I just picked up a LP-100A to make sure the SWR is at 1.0:1 or very close, and the output is where I want it. I still believe this is the best $$ one can spend on an amp. The antennas used for 160 through 6 M are a MyAntennas EFHW 8010 1KW in an inverted L configuration, and a Mosley TA63N.

This is an update to my 8/28/2017 review. Within six months of acquiring the amp it fizzled out on me. Several emails to DXE with no response. So I emailed the factory in Bulgaria directly. Within 24 I was in contact with one of their techs. Working with him via email it took less than a day to diagnose the problem (bad tube and primary board). Replacements were sent to me immediately along with excellent written instructions, with clear color pictures, describing how to replace both and then how to neutralize the tube. The only expense was to ship the broken parts back to them. Since then I have made literally thousands of digital contacts using the amp without a hiccup. This means running it for hours at a time on a 50% duty cycle with 200-300 watts output. It doesn't get hot, it just keeps going. The protection built into it has saved me several times from my stupid late night errors. I don't think a manual tuner can get any better than this. It is staying on my desk for the foreseeable future. Dare I say perfection? Thank you ACOM support!
LZ2CSK Rating: 2024-03-24
a good amplifier Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
i bought mine second hand from a friend with 2 new replacement tubes. it is 10 years oild and works perfect. no complaints at all. highly recommended
NN2L Rating: 2024-01-21
Both new Acom 1000 amps needed returning Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
My experiences with Acom 1000 amplifiers have been extremely disappointing. In November of 2023 I purchased one thru DX Engineering and it arrived safely. Following the manual closely I began operating it and things seemed great. It's an extremely nice looking amp and I love the display. However within just a couple days I noticed that my transceiver sensitivity cut out after transmitting on cw with the amp. I had to key it a few times to restore it. Emails with the Acom factory were returned with suggestions but in the end, they decided the TR relay(s) were sticking and the unit needed to be returned. DX Engineering was very good about paying for my having to ship it to their repair person in VA. DXE also immediately shipped me a brand new Acom 1000 to replace it. Ok. Upon receiving amp #2, I tested it carefully and all seemed well except that the final amp seemed a bit soft. The manual states that 50-60W is sufficient to drive it to full power but this amp now needed 70- 80W. Acom advised me that this was of no concern since tube characteristics vary. Just drive it at the higher power.Hmmm, was this a factory fresh tube or from a secondary market as some folks have reported? I continued to operate the amp for about 3 weeks when yet another darn issue appeared! I was running the amp at about 600w swr below 2:1) during a RTTY contest when it suddenly went into a Level 3 self protect fault. Repowering the unit did nothing to restore operation. Emails with the Acom factory asked me to check for blown HV capacitors in the tube compartment as well as fuses F2 and F3 on the HV board. They sent pictures of exactly what to investigate. Sure enough, the fuses had blown but caps seemed undamaged. Replacing the fuses, as Acom suggested, resulted in just another set of blown fuses. They subsequently recommended sending Amp #2 back to DXE. To their credit, DXE was very professional and gracious in offering a 3rd Acom 1000 amp or if desired, a full refund. I requested a full refund. If I was unlucky enough to be given two defective factory tested amps, my chances of being handed a 3rd seemed pretty good. This seems totally contrary to the many great reviews I've read that led me to purchase the Acom. Yet...here we are. No thank you.
VA3VVV Rating: 2023-10-23
Transformer failed. Used tube installed at the factory. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Transformer went leaky after 4 months...New amplifier...Stiffed me on the labor to replace it...Seems they have a quality issue with their high voltage transformers...They knew what it was right away...Many other hams have had this same problem...Now I'm worried the replacement transformer will fail the same way after it's out of warranty...I doubt they will help me if it does...Then the tube failed after only 18 months...Pulled out the tube and found it was a banged up, used tube near the end of its life...Has a big dent from being dropped at the factory....Obvious heat blackening like it was run hard...My amplifier was run at only 750 W maximum...Installed the extra fan when I got it...Obviously, they installed a nasty used tube at the factory instead of a proper new one...The tube price has jumped from $150 to $650...Acom and other speculators have bought up all the stock to drive the price up...The NOS tubes that are available are mostly fakes...Used tubes sandblasted and marked with fake printing...My aamplifier is useless as I can't get a replacement tube...Acom are ignoring my emails...$3000 down the drain...What a huge mistake.
W6JBR Rating: 2023-10-14
This is a reliable, excellent RF amplifier. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Hi All.

I have now owned my ACOM 1000A for nearly 5-1/2 years. I also own an SB-200, and a Clipperton-L. I bought this ACOM from a good friend and well-known contester, who maintained it in immaculate condition as a backup for his ACOM 2000A. It is my main amp, used regularly for contesting and DXing in all modes, CW, SSB, RTTY at full output. It never breaks a sweat, runs cool and silent, with the same GU-74b tube that I received it with. As others have noted, it is incredibly fast & easy to tune, and very reliable. The fault monitoring facilities have saved it from damage due to inadvertent over driving, bad loads, arc faults, etc.

This 2002 amp is now over 21 years old, and still works like new. I have just started to notice the HV sagging a bit at full power. After consulting with the fabulously responsive folks at the factory in Bulgaria, I am going to do a preemptive recap, using, of course, the best high reliability 105°C caps currently available.
The amp will probably outlast me!

Of note: since the start of the Russian war against democratic Ukraine, the Svetlana GU-74b ceramic tetrodes used in ACOM amps have become very difficult to obtain domestically. I am thankful that I have a good spare on hand.

New, used- and questionable- GU-74b offerings on eBay and elsewhere now have greatly inflated prices, and should be treated with skepticism. Fortunately, ACOM Bulgaria does have inventory on factory new tubes- at a premium price.

I hope that you have found this information helpful.

73 de John W6JBR
KE4EX Rating: 2023-04-09
worth every dollar Time Owned: more than 12 months.
One year mark, works pretty darn good.
No issues, extreemly quiet, easy KW.
I hit it with 200 watts once, she went to default
Saftey, normally select the 50 watt out of my FTDX5K gives me 850 to 925 output.
If drive her with 65 watts 1050 to 1100.
I am happy with her tuning, very easy.
If i had to pick one of the many many features,
QUIET ......
73

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Earlier 5-star review posted by KE4EX on 2015-09-22

normally 40 to 50 watt drive = 1kw pep
whisper quiet
very fast tuning.

Would I buy it again, yes.
73


N3DXD Rating: 2022-10-24
Excellent Time Owned: more than 12 months.
It’s great . 73s