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Reviews For: Ameritron AL-80B

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

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Review Summary For : Ameritron AL-80B
Reviews: 148MSRP: 1300
Description:
Kilowatt output HF desktop linear
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.ameritron.com/products.php?prodid=AL-80b
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
141484.6
W8MQT Rating: 2023-03-25
Quality Issue Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
It is a great amp no question but mine came DOA brand new out of the box. I got my multimeter out and broke the rules by having the amp plugged into the wall while the cover removed. I had found a bad solder joint on the load side of the power switch. I touched the wire and it came right off the contact. After further inspection I had found that the plastic on the switch had been burned. I resoldered the connection and it came alive. It's been a good amp since.

Anyone thinking of getting one of these amplifiers should keep in mind that this amp will give you years of service, but beware of little things like this that can happen. I hope MFJ reads these. They can learn a lot.
K1VCT Rating: 2022-07-02
A great amp! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I'll throw my hat into the ring as a new AL-80B owner. I bought mine used, but well cared for. It has the W8JI "TOF-1" installed, which makes tuning fast, easy and safe.

Graduating up from an AL-811, I was a total idiot with tuning the new AL-80B. Seems Ameritron, in their wisdom, reversed the positions of the plate and load controls between those two. Fortunately, the TOF-1 and my tuning pulser prevented damage. I only mention that as a word to the others out there who really want to get things going, and look over the obvious.

I've got three watt/swr meters here, and they all pretty much coincide with each other, and they all say the amp can do at least 1K watt with 60 watts (or a bit less) driving it. I don't have 80 or 160 meter capability at the moment, but on 20 meters 60 watts in will still give 1k watts out. On 15 meters and 10 meters it takes a little more drive to get the same 1k watts out, in my case just under 70 watts in on 15 meters and 75 watts driving for 10 meters. I'm running the amp on a 120v outlet that give me anywhere from 122v up to about 126v unloaded (Fluke 117, depending on time of day) and I get 4vAC drop on the line when the amp running on a "test" transmission of RTTY at 800watts. I can't see going to a 240v line, as I mainly run SSB and the wall voltage doesn't drop very much at all with that.

Fan noise is no big deal, although if you place the amp to your left, you'll get a Sahara-like blast of air coming your way.

It took a bit of finagling/fine touch to get the ALC set "just so". A lot of folks say they don't use ALC. I do, and the IC-7200 was a bit touchy with the setting of the rear panel "limit" control. Maybe other radios will be less of a bother?

All in all, a great amp, no issues (once I got the plate and load controls right... jeeze), and it cranks out a thousand watts as advertised. Legal limit being 1.5kw, I can't see going up to more of an amp.
PY2KNK Rating: 2022-05-14
extremely satisfied Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have an AL 811H amplifier, and now I am experimenting with AL 80 B that is beside you, I was really surprised by the efficiency, and mainly because it is very quiet, wonderful for SSB operations.

Very soft tuning, I liked it a lot!

Power is little difference compared to AL 811 working with 4 tubes 572B, but it is not what would make the difference, but the tube that is exclusively for working with RF.


I worked with AL 80B in several contests, operating over 30 hours in RTTY, I demanded the maximum from the equipment and it really proved to be brave. I recommend the amplifier for those who want to work with an average power of 500W in the high bands, 700W in the low bands.

Just an observation, the Knob axle after 1 year of use lost its grooves and started to slip, having to be replaced by a more resistant material axle.

I still strongly recommend this amplifier!

73

PY2KNK Leonardo (PV2K contest call)
NB4R Rating: 2022-04-27
It's built like a tank if use correctly. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I purchased the amp used in 2016. I paid $500. Physically, it is in near mint condition outside. It looks like it was manufactured in 2003 going by the inspection sticker inside. I had to replace the variable plate tuning capacitor. A couple of fins were badly charred due to arcing. A lot of arcing. I'm assuming this due to someone not knowing how to operate the amp. I tried repairing the fins with no luck. I purchased a new cap from MFJ for $65.00. It was a fairly easy repair. I also had to replace the case safety switch. I assume it failed at some point and the user soldered a wire across it. I replaced it with a switch from some project I had in the past.

After two years of use the Amperex tube failed due to a grid short. I replaced it with a 3-500z from Machlett. The new tube has operated good so far.

Other than the issues described I feel I got quite a good deal. The amp tunes very close to the tables described in the operating procedures in the manual. I tune it per the procedures and run around 700 watts most of the time. I can talk to anyone I can hear 99% of the time.

I have enjoyed this amp immensely. I treat it with kid gloves. I look forward to using it for a long time.


WB8CAC Rating: 2022-02-11
Couldn't be happier! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Bought my AL-80B used, for a great price, about a year ago. It worked but had a "beat to death" tube that I couldn't even find a name on. I put in a RF Parts 3-500ZG and the amp hasn't missed a beat since. I can't say anything that hasn't already been said over and over. The AL-80B is a winner.
K0DXV Rating: 2021-11-12
Well designed and reliable Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I know people have had issues with MFJ/Ameritron products. It's a shame MFJ doesn't concentrate more on quality. I had an AL-572 that had issues. I got it working and eventually sold it. And then the buyer said he had issues. So, the moral is be prepared for a less than perfect product. I could go on about poor quality control on ALL of the MFJ products I have purchased over the years. But, I guess it's pretty common knowledge to just about everyone.

However, this review is about my current, new AL-80B. I have owned many amplifiers over the years. I had an AL-80A about 30 years ago. It was great. But, I got the bug for solid state. I went through several different models. I always felt less than satisfied with them. I found them finicky even with well-matched antennas. I finally gave up having reached my maximum frustration level. Next I bought an Acom 1010. It is a very nice amplifier. There was also nothing else available and I had to wait in line to get one. I was very satisficed with it - except for two things: I wanted more power and the fan noise was driving me crazy. I was checking HRO when I noted they had AL-80Bs in stock. Without thinking I grabbed one. Very impulsive buy.

It sat on my work bench for two months until I finally made room for it on my radio desk. I reread the manual several times and then fired it up.

If you want to cut to the chase - here it is. First, the fan noise is NOT irritating like the Acom. It's actually fairly quiet. And... this is by far the easiest amplifier to tune. The load control stays around 4 to 5. No need to mess with it. 40, 20, 17 and 15 are the bands I frequent. I have 3 or 4 antennas for each band. Tune-up is generally just peak the plate control. Mind the grid current and be sure you calibrated the ALC using the instructions in the manual. That's it. Change bands, drop the power to 20 watts, peak the plate, adjust your power back to somewhere between 50 (600+ watts out) and 70(maximum for 1KW peak power) and you're done. Very easy.

Before putting it in service I had to change the wiring for 240VAC input power. Very easy. With it open, I carefully inspected every connection with a magnifying glass. Everything looked perfect. No cold solder joints, solder-starved joints, damaged components or any other strangeness. Everything looked perfect.

I couldn't be more pleased with it. I consider it the best value in the Ameritron lineup. The fact is Ameritron thinks its the best most reliable amplifier because it's the only one that is warrantied for 2 years rather than just 1.

I really hope the Ameritron assemblers manage to improve the quality and consistency of their work. The amplifiers are all very good designs.

I've always wanted an AL-82 because I really like 3-500 tubes. Maybe someday I'll move up to one. But, for now, the AL-80B is an outstanding addition to my system (FTdx101D + HexBeam). It *really* makes a difference.

Despite the issues I've had with Ameritron amps in the past - when I call them on the phone they are always knowledgeable and helpful. So I think it is reasonable to conclude that they stand firmly behind their products. I think you get a lot for your money.
AB9PM Rating: 2021-07-23
Good Amp once it is fixed by Tom W8JI Time Owned: more than 12 months.
My "NEW" amp I had for 9 months suddenly developed a problem with the amp not unkeying after transmitting. So I sent the amp to the guy who originally designed the amp, instead of getting warranty service through MFJ. I figured it would be a quick fix. It turned out there were numerous manufacturing issues with the amp. Problems with the keying relay circuit, wrong transformer voltages, too high of voltage into the amp circuits, and the tube was now shot.

Well after Tom had it for 2 days, he figured out how to fix everything, and make the amp work right. The voltages into the amp, was because MFJ made substitutions of cheaper parts and cheaper circuits. The transformer was several volts higher than the specifications called for, not allowing the amp to unkey properly when done transmitting. Tom, W8JI had to put in additional components to change the voltage down several volts that the transformer was putting into the circuits.

I have two AL 80B amplifiers, both worked on by Tom. They work well, after the extra money is put into the amp, however no one should ever have to do this. In the future I will not buy anymore MFJ products, as they are undependable with their current management structure in place. As I have been told, ANYONE in the entire chain at MFJ can substitute items any time they wish. Obviously not an ISO certified company. Right now is not a good time to buy any of the Ameritron line from MFJ.
ND2C Rating: 2021-02-05
Best Amp With a Timeless Design Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Like anyone looking for their first amp, I poured over the Internet looking for feedback, reviews and testimonials. I agonized over brands, features, and capabilities. Finally, I decided on the Ameritron AL-80B for a variety of reasons. The price per watt for a 1 kilowatt amp was great and the price was within my budget. There is a lot of less than positive feedback about the quality of MFJ products. After receiving and inspecting the amp, I think the construction and quality are great. The biggest selling point of this amp is its design – which I call primitive. Others may call it minimal. The design, as far as I can tell, dates back to the early 80’s. The virtue of this design is that it can be repaired without sending it back – that’s huge compared to amps made overseas. There are people waiting longer than 6 months to get their ACOM amps repaired. The other virtue of this design is that it’s proven by the test of time. Finally, tube amps are far more flexible with unruly antennas than solid state amps. Yes, solid state amps have bells and whistles that tube amps don’t, but you want a legal limit multi band antenna with SWR on all bands less than 1.5. Right? What’s the point of buying a solid state amp if you’re having to use a manual tuner?
I just didn’t realize the value of my amp until I operated it for a few months. Using an Maxconn OCF dipole 55 feet up at the center and 35 feet on the ends, I have worked Jakarta (long path), Malta, Argentina, Europe, and the Middle East. You only get so much time in front of your radio on a given week. The amp ensures maximum enjoyment by reaching out and touching someone.
W8JI sells a TOF-1 Amplifier Tuning Aid – use it in conjunction with a tuning pulsar and the amp is indestructible. Check out the video: https://youtu.be/s67JmPY1BAQ
I’m probably going to purchase a AL-1500…
AA3R Rating: 2020-01-24
Beast! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Say what you want about MFJ products and the companies that it has acquired over years, I can truly testify that the Ameritron line (at least the few I've owned) have performed stupendously!! Had an 811H with the 572-B tubes and it was quite amazing...easily got 650+ on SSB but, like all hams, I wanted bigger/better...enter the AL80B, holy crap, it weighs a ton but that's the only downside...I have put it to the test and it rocks!!! I read all there is about this amp, especially the designers (W8JI) tuning suggestions and I followed verbatim and I'm so pleased with it's power.....it is underrated as I was able to get 1100+ on 40 meters not even close to over-driving it!!! Love this amp!!!
KB5SET Rating: 2020-01-18
AL-80BG Just what I needed. Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought my AL-80B-G from HRO. It arrived in perfect condition. It is my first amp. I opened it up and installed the tube and inspected the internals. I am running an ARB-704 although it may not be needed. I was looking for some insurance since it was my first amp. The amp tuned up and worked exactly as it should. I ran it into a dummy load to get close on the tune and then switched to the antenna. My amp will put out 800 watts CW and 1,000 watts SSB, with 65 watts drive. You will be up against the Plate and Grid maximums to get it. I normally limit power out by the ALC to about 650 watts to save the tube. I did manage to trip grid protection a couple of times starting out. I would say that $30 option was worth it. If anything develops I will repost but don't be afraid of a tube amp. More power for less bucks. So far I am 100% pleased with my AL-80B.