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Reviews For: Drake L-7

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

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Review Summary For : Drake L-7
Reviews: 21MSRP: 1090.00 in 1981
Description:
160 thru 15 (10 optional) 2KW PEP Pair 3-500Z Tuned input 100 watt drive - 110 or 220 V
Product is not in production
More Info: http://
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00215
K9CSM Rating: 2004-07-18
Great Amp & Quiet! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have used many different amplifiers since they became popular in the Sixties. First one was a Collins 30S-1 I believe. The first L-7 came to me recently & I must say its a champ. Relay is quiet,FAN IS VERY QUIET(!), its easy to tune, provides plenty of output, looks great, is quite compact. The power supply is seperate, runs cool and thats easy to place out of the way. Looks like THIS IS A KEEPER. Ben Piller, K9CSM
LU1YNE Rating: 2004-07-07
JUST GREAT! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
This amp is really impressive AND cheap! Not A problem in 6 months... Best amp for it´s price! Buy one if you can!...
W0AD Rating: 2004-05-28
Industrial strength Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've been an amp fan since the beginning.. (WNØBQA in 1970). I've used Dentron, Heathkit (SB-200, SB-220), BTI (LK-2000HD), Alpha (76PA), Collins (30L-1), homebrew 8877s (lots of versions of that .. see K3LR's website, I sold mine to Tim) Ameritron (AL-1200, AL-80A), and the Drake L-7.

Other than the Collins 30L1, I've never felt so comfortable in changing bands and antenna loads without fear of an arc or an overload. 160 meters is a great addition which I use frequently without resorting to the maximum tune and load positions as I've had to do with other amps.

Mil spec mechanical and electrical design, remote (conservative) power supply, nicely built and looks great on the desk.

Finally, Bill Frost is still at Drake, any questions or help you need with the amp will be handled with professional care by Bill....
N2CU Rating: 2004-04-09
Love it! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I wanted a classic 3-500Z amp with 160m capability. After reading a lot of reviews, I decided I would grab a Drake L7 if one came along. Got a NOS (new old stock) one on eBay for a decent price and haven't regretted it one bit. A solidly built unit that easily puts out 1kW. Beautiful styling to boot. There are some mods I will perform to increase its lifespan, which you should do to any amp that doesn't have them.

K9XK Rating: 2003-06-30
Try to get one Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This amp is perhaps the best choice of any 3-500Z amp out there, and about as good as any legal limit amp you can buy. Not many amps meet all these criteria:

- separate power supply to save significantly on the weight and size of the desktop unit.
- extremely quiet. Even when the thermostatically controlled fan runs full blast, it is quieter than some others at their idling fan speed (I have one of those "others" so I know)
- very good looking. Matches **current** HF gear in color and styling, and does not look like a garage project as do a few competitors' offerings.
- tubes are tough and inexpensive. I never replaced mine in ten years of ownership.
- the inside is clean and well constructed. Mechanically, the name "Drake" tells the story.

If you can find one, grab it and you won't be sorry. Only if you want to break FCC regs or need auto-tune would you need to look somewhere else.


KC5CQF Rating: 2003-06-28
THE NAME SAYS IT ALL Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
This amp was worth the money I spent. It will handle anything I throw at it, including working AM with 375 Watts of carrier for Old Buzzard transmissions. The output is exceptionly clean and complements my FT-102. Mine still has the origional Eimac tubes in it and they still have full output. This amp is built like a tank, but of course it is. It's a Drake
NZ4I Rating: 2003-04-05
Very Good Amp Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
An excellent amplifier for ssb operation. It does not make to much noise nor does it break the desk down, and runs cool for a glass tube amplifier.

If you are looking for a vintage 3-500Z amplifier, this is a good choice. With a modified external supply, providing higher voltage and current it will amaze.
K7BG Rating: 2003-01-15
Smoooth Time Owned: more than 12 months.
A great amp. I did the 10 meter mod and the amp tunes very smoothly on all bands 160-10 including 12 and 17. I've never heard an arc or a groan come out of it and it just keeps on cranking. Fan is super quiet and auto switches to higher speed if she gets a bit warm during a contest, etc. Just a nice piece of work.
K4HX Rating: 2002-11-17
Superbly built Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This is one sweet amp! "Mil-spec" construction all the way. Tunes up smoothly and runs cool and quiet. The seperate power supply is great for placing remotely, allowing the amp to rest safely upon a shelf, since most of the heavy weight is in the power transformer of the power supply.

I have made long transmissions at well over a killowatt out, and the amp's case remained at room temperature! That's efficiency!!!

A Drake classic! You'll pay to get one, but you'll enjoy owning it and likely retrieve all of your investment when you sell. Maybe even make a profit. The good rigs appreciate in value!
K3ICH Rating: 2002-04-27
Best Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I feel that this is the best amp on the market that uses the tough 3-500Z tubes. Loafs at 1200 watts key down (not PEP) and can easily make 1500 if you push it. Separate power supply is the only way to go to conserve bench space and your back. I like a double decker set-up with the amps on top with the rigs at desk level. Had a nice QRO TEC, which is also a fine amp, but, in a word, it would have colapsed my operation bench! The two piece L-7 and Titan are quite stable there on the top shelf and the power supplies as a foot warmers. Never had any instability problems and it tunes up smoothly with no hic-ups. Nice build construction and a quiet cooling. Rarely does the fan shift to high speed and even then it's a barely noticeable noise increase.