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Reviews For: Linear Amps UK Challenger

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

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Review Summary For : Linear Amps UK Challenger
Reviews: 7MSRP: 2095 Pounds
Description:
HF amplifier models
Product is not in production
More Info: http://www.linamp.co.uk
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0073.7
M0KKW Rating: 2015-02-05
Utter Junk Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Had one to repair. How anyone could sell rubbish like this commercially amazes me. Lousy construction, corners cut everywhere, terrible workmanship and cheap components. As an amateur made one off it would be poor.
Take a look inside one of these and compare it to an Acom and you'll see how an amplifier should be built.
M0VEY Rating: 2009-12-06
Rugged British Amp Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I bought the Challenger 3 amp as an upgrade to a Ranger 811H amp I'd owned for around 4 years.

The Challenger delivers the UK legal limit of 400w for just 20w drive from my transceiver.

Input swr is low on all bands. The Challenger is a very reliable & rugged amp, that I'm sure will be in my shack for many years to come.

The GS35 Triode is a very rugged valve,which is capable of producing high power for long operating periods.

Specifications
Output power - 1500W SSB or CW Max, 1000W RTTY Max
Gain - 13dB nominal
Power requirements - 230V AC at 13A, 50/60 Hz
Frequency coverage - All amateur bands 1.8 - 29.7MHz
Valve - single GS35b ceramic triode
DC voltage - 3600V DC
Metering - Plate current, Grid current/RF O/P
Dimensions - 16in wide x 9.5in high x 17in deep 410mm x 240mm x 475mm
Weight - 29kg

I rate the amp as a 5 based on performance & price. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this amp to anyone.

Regards,
Phil. m0vey
M0PRO Rating: 2008-09-02
Could do better Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I owned a Challenger III GS-35 model for over a year. Purchased new and it was returned to Peter 3 times. Wasn't particularly impressed. It always ran hot on 10m, even at 400 watts.

IMO, if 1 kW will do, an Acom 1000 is a much better alternative and it's resale value is MUCH higher.

73

Jack
M0MGF Rating: 2007-12-23
WOW !!! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Peter, you make a wonderful Amplifier. I have now added a Challenger IV amplifier to my shack and i wonder why i never did it earlier on.
This is my first amp and what a start, I do not think that i will ever need to change this one. 160m through to 10m, 1.5KW output(when the UK authorities decide to allow more power then the current 400W limit, I will be ready for it). Those distant DX stations are now able to hear me and are giving good reports of a strong signal and good audio.
If there was going to be a criticism then it would be the slightly lethargic dial on the LOAD, but nothing to be overly worried about.
Do yourself a favour and save time on looking at the rest, just get one of these beasts.
G0CVL Rating: 2007-04-15
Exellent Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Having previously written about the Challenger III amp, I took the plunge, and invested in Peters newest amp, A Challenger IV. This amp, uses the mighty 8877 (3cx1500) tube, and as expected, is more powerful than the previous GS35. Peter evolves his amps slowly, and never produces a new model, without a reason. The 8877, is a high gain tube, and as such, is more suited to lower drive levels, Where the GS35, needed a good 100w of drive for 1500w, the 8877 takes considerably less. As such, the modern solid state radios, can drive it to 1500w out using about 65 watts, HOWEVER, if 100w is applied, then WOW, my own example delivers (into a dummy load) 1.8 - 2.2kw KEY DOWN when driven from the ProIII 160m-10m, and a little more if driven from the FT1000MKV. This is balun and coax melting territory, and respect must be shown to these levels of power. The tube is deliberately not "maxed out" in the design ( they will give more) and so with the other built in protection circuits, makes for a solid performer over long periods. One thing though - I KNOW there are quite a few others here in the UK, and more abroad have bought Peters amps, so WHY NO MORE REVIEWS??? Are people too shy to admit what amp they've got??? Hears looking to the maxima 73 Spike - GoCVL
G4VVQ Rating: 2007-04-10
Wonerful Amp Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Hi there i have a challenger-3 with a GS-35 triode tube in, never had any trouble with it, does tend to get a bit hot even on 200 watts, so need plenty of ventilation, does anyone use the ALC on there's? i have an FT-847 and the ALC lead appears in the manual to have a diode in? anyone know about that, there normally just a phono lead,
our max limit in the UK is 400 watts, this gives out 1500, never tried it on full power, but it tunes up perfectly on 10-15-20, that's all i have ever used it on, on the minus side it does take a while to come on, about 4 minutes before the light goes green and you can use it..it does cost a lot of money, but don't they all, Peter at the factory in Yorkshire is always very helpfull...73 Fred in England
G3CWI Rating: 2002-07-08
Delivers Watts. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
A fairly basic HF amplifier with few frills and little in the way of complex control electronics. Inside the construction is crude.

That being said, it does the job, delivering 1500W(just) on all the HF bands. Tuning is desperately flat on 3.5 and 1.8MHz and it appears that the LC ratio is probably wrong for optimum performance there.

Second-hand, this amp may be worth a look. If you are going for something new, there are much better options for only a little more money.

I would look at the Acom amps.