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Reviews For: Ameritron AL-811

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

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Review Summary For : Ameritron AL-811
Reviews: 151MSRP: 650
Description:
Uses three tough 811A transmitting tubes
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.ameritron.com/products.php?prodid=AL-811
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
001514.5
KC4CP Rating: 2006-04-20
A WINNER Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
OVER THE YEARS, I HAVE BOUGHT AND SOLD 4 OF THESE AMPS ... & I KEEP COMING BACK. IT GIVES ME THE POWER I NEED WITHOUT CAUSING INTERFERENCE. PRESENTLY, I DRIVE IT WITH ICOM 7000, USING SM-6 MIC. THE AMP LOVES THIS SETUP! IT PUTS OUT A SOLID 600 WATTS ALL DAY LONG.
PA3GVI Rating: 2006-03-12
Good amp for me! Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I bought this one second hand with the 10 meter mod and 572b's in it.
Used it in the PACC contest februari/2006 and it didn't run hot in this 24 hour contest.
I did not push it, only up to 400 watts(legal limit here!).
Great amplifier,400 watts, all I need!
W8NWN Rating: 2006-02-11
Great Amp Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Never had a problem. I don't really need any more power.
K8OCN Rating: 2006-02-04
Very Happy With It Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
This is my first amplifier. I did a lot of reading (Thanks to eHam for the reviews) and finally called AES and ordered one. It came in about 4 days and was packed very well, after removing all the packing from inside I plugged in the buffer and turned it on. I really did not know what to expect, I wish that the manual gave a little more detailed information about tuning it up, for totaly inexperenced people like myself. I have learned to tune it up easly and it works great.

Thanks to all the people that took the time to type their reviews, that is why I purchased mine and I dont think I made a mistake.
VE4MM Rating: 2006-01-27
SO FAR SO GOOD Time Owned: more than 12 months.
NO PROBLEMS AT ALL. 10M MOD WAS EASY!
W4HWD Rating: 2005-12-24
A good value Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I had an AL-811 back about twelve years ago and sold it...picked up another recently and it's just as good quality as the one I had years ago. At roughly $1 per watt the price can't be beat! I have consistently been able to break through pileups in the 75M DX window on the first or second call, at most. Not bad for 600W...I believe the antenna is more important than the amplifier but if you have both you don't need legal limit, unless of course you just have to have it! This one arrived with a broken tube (years ago Ameritron shipped the tubes in separate boxes) but a call to AES rectified the situation. It's a great tube box at a price that can't be beat!
WD9CVP Rating: 2005-10-29
Great amp Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought this amp used at a hamfest from a guy who forgot his call and told me the amp will not load on 10 meters.When I got it home I turned the tuning slug and the input swr fell and the amp works fine.Since I bought it as a backup I have driven the amp for max output and have put it to very hard use so if it is going to fail it will do it now while its not needed.The amp is tough and very forgiving.Good deal for about 50 cents per watt used!! Keep it clean inside and it should last a very long time under normal use.
WD0CT Rating: 2005-07-24
fine amp Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I bought this amp new in January. I ran the 811s for a few months then installed some Penta Labs 572b.

It now has more power [with more drive though]. One of the new pentas did develope an intermittent grid to filament short very quicklt. After a month this became a permanent short.

This problem will take out the meter protection diode on the board in the top of the amp. I knew where it was but Ameritron techs will help you out.

I replaced mine with a diode of larger current rating and it survived many more negative grid current readings from the grid to filament shorts with no problem.


Penta was good to deal with though and sent me a new tube this week. All seems okay now.

The amp is very tough, easy to tune, relays fairly quiet, light weight, and works like a champ. This has been one of my better amp purchases.

I wired mine for 240v after about one week. Power went up quite a bit and voltage sag was much less. Maybe my house 120v wiring leaves something to be desired ?
KC2GOW Rating: 2005-07-19
Good, If You Get Lucky..... Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I got my AL-811 from Ham Radio Outlet About two weeks ago. It showed up, I unpacked it CAREFULLY and brought it into the shack to power it up. AS SOON AS I HIT THE POWER SWITCH THE GRID CURRENT METER WENT HARD NEGATIVE in its reading. No it was not an improperly wired meter (it shouldn't be anyway for $600+). The problem was intermittent in that it the amp was moved the slightest bit the meter would read normal and show correct grid current. Anyone who knows the slightest bit about tube amplifiers is that they cannot be safley run with a meter out of comission. That weekend we took a ride to HRO Delaware and after some struggle got a BRAND NEW ONE. --------------------------------------- As for my review of the amp itself I give it a 4 1/2 out of 5. It is a great amp for a beginner. I can get 550watts out on 20meters with aroun 35-40watts of drive. It would be nice if the conversion to 220V was easier though. Otherwise it is pretty enjoyable to operate. It is a shame that for the money it FAILED on its first power up. Then again, wait, who owns Ameritron? MFJ!!!!!!!!

GOOD LUCK (I mean it)
Andy KC2GOW
W0DKM Rating: 2005-01-29
Come on, all this for $600.00 Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Nice, well built, Quiet. I run at about 75w in get 450w out. Compared to other Ham items in the $600.00 range. This AMP is worth every Dollar.