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Reviews For: Ameritron AL-1200

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

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Review Summary For : Ameritron AL-1200
Reviews: 58MSRP: 3310
Description:
Tube Type Linear Amplifier
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.ameritron.com/products.php?prodid=AL-1200
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00584.9
KD5EZR Rating: 2000-07-01
Awsome Amp Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I am very happy with this amp. On 80 meters it will peg 2000W plus and runs cool. The only drawback to this amp is the noise. It can be rewired to adjust the fan speed, however stock is med/high and is quite noisy. This amp is easily tunable and will give you 1500 on all bands even 160. Mine will be a permanent establishment in my shack.
W4AN Rating: 1999-11-16
Yep, really good product. Time Owned: unknown months.
I have used this amplifier twice now at other stations. It's a great amplifier and a great tube. 1500 watts is no problem on any band. Highly recommended.
W9QX Rating: 1999-11-16
GET YOURS BEFORE THAY CHANGE IT!!!!!!! Time Owned: unknown months.
ALL I CAN SAY IT IS THE BEST AMP OUT THERE HURRY GET ONE BEFORE THAY CHANGE IT
KG7BM Rating: 1999-09-25
Nice AMP Time Owned: unknown months.
I have used the AL1200 for 5 months now ...So far so good! Not as noisey as the 2KD, plus more power and 160M ! 1500 out at 80W drive just as they advertise. The new stainless steel chassis is very SOLID! Probably the best buy for the buck/watt on the market today. 3300V at 900MA under Dummy Load conditions will get the oil warm fast...Reduce drive and have fun with the DX !!
K2AV Rating: 1999-09-21
Solid, best buy 1.5 kw Time Owned: unknown months.
If you belong to the "I'd never be able to explain 5K$ for an Alpha to the wife." crowd, this is the one. No grid current kickouts, very broad and gentle tuning, runs up nicely to 1.5 kw. Colored tape triangles on the tuning settings work fine for the contest bandchange tuneups. Tube is bulletproof, very low failure rate out in the commercial world. All of this is very good if you let others operate your station.

Downs: If you set the fan speed at max for contests, it's noisey, probably uncomfortably for some. Some have installed a speed switch: Quiet/Contests.

Downtimes: Burnt up 80m input coil operating 15 minutes on 40 meters with bandswitch set at 80 (hey, I was working guys, and it was the end of the contest...see prior comments about other ops). The inrush protection relay had a bad contact which burned up and started popping fuses when amp was turned on.
K4SUS Rating: 1999-09-16
BEST NEW 1.5 KW AMP VALUE Time Owned: unknown months.
AFTER SHIPPING A NEW AL572B (POOR-MANY PROBLEMS), AMP BACK TO AMERITRON I DECIDED TO TRY THEIR AL1200. THIS IS A GREAT 1.5 KW AMP VALUE! MINE WORKS GREAT AFTER 6-7 MOS. FAST, ALMOST INSTANT WARMUP. STRONG, SINGLE, 3CX1200A7 TUBE, EASILY GIVES CLEAN, LEGAL LIMIT, IF NEEDED, WITH LESS THAN 100W DRIVE. I LIKE IT!
W9XT Rating: 1999-09-09
Rugged and good value Time Owned: unknown months.
I bought one of the first AL1200, something like S/N 23. The thing I really like is the tube, a 3CX1200A. It is a high gain tube and can be driven to full power with a solid state rig where 100W means 100W. On mine it typically takes about 65W to drive.

The other nice thing about the 3CX1200A is the high grid dissipation. It is rated at 40W. This gives you some margin for error in the middle of a contest when you are tired and maybe didn't tune it as well as you should or had the wrong antenna switched in.

I have had a couple of problems. The worst was during the last 10M contest when something flashed over on the plate voltage metering circuit. Afterwards there was some small amount of HV arching over the fried trace that gave me solid S7 noise. I ended running barefoot the second half of the contest because I could not hear anyone. Still, one amp failure in about 12 years of heavy contest use is probably much better than average.
HC8N Rating: 1999-09-05
It works Time Owned: unknown months.
We have settled on this amplifer as the standard at the island QTH. It's easy to tune up, puts out adequate power when driven by a TS-850S, and fits inside the giant Samsonite suitcase favored by ZD8Z. Furthermore, you don't have to sit through a three minute warmup cycle every time the line voltage hiccups, and believe me, this is something you care about when you operate from a place like HC8.



W6NL and I like this rig so much that we now own five of them.