Manager


Manager - NA4M
Manager Notes

Reviews For: The Original 3898 Pecker

Category: Specialized Amateur Communication Products

eMail Subscription

Registered users are allowed to subscribe to specific review topics and receive eMail notifications when new reviews are posted.
Review Summary For : The Original 3898 Pecker
Reviews: 55MSRP: 65.00
Description:
The Pecker is designed to tune any tube final transmitters and amplifiers for SSB use fast and safe. It uses a single pulsed tone at a 30% on 70% off dutycycle. The short dutycycle helps keep dangerous heat buildup off your expensive tubes. It is NOT similar to MFJ's amp tuner the 214 and others that plug into the cw jack and use a pulsed carrier.
Product is not in production
More Info: http://k4avu.webs.com/apps/webstore/products/show/1298636
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00555
AK4NO Rating: 2011-12-07
I Like It! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
A nice addition to the shack. Best of all it works! I can now easily tune my tube amp to peak output with no worries. Fast and easy.
WB5C Rating: 2011-11-06
Fine tune your SSB signal! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I'll admit: at first, I didn't get it. But once I had a chance to experiment tuning an amp, I'm convinced the 3898 Pecker is the best tool a ham can use to fine tune his/her SSB signal.

I had recently purchased an Ameritron Al-811H amplifier to go with my Kenwood TS-590S (which is a great radio, btw). I bought the Pecker right away, based on the strong reviews I saw on eHam.net, and was going to use it from day 1. I plugged it in, hoping for glory and all good things, but I didn't see my peak power meter needles move that much. Just a little bit. Disappointment set in - how does this thing work? Is it broken?

So I disconnected the Pecker and tuned my new amp the way described in the manual: with a CW carrier. The needles moved a lot! This was tuning!

But then I realized: of course one is going to see more watts out when tuning with a CW carrier than with an SSB carrier. SSB carrier output usually only averages half of a CW carrier. That's why the needles on my meter moved a lot with a CW carrier and not with the SSB/Pecker carrier.

I decided I would do a head-to-head comparison of the two tuning methods. I broke out a spreadsheet and mapped out my amplifier load settings, amplifier plate settings, tuner capacitance settings and tuner inductance settings for very band, 160-10m

The results were surprising. When I compared my CW carrier settings with my SSB/Pecker carrier settings, a few were close. Some of them, however, were very different. Using the Pecker, I was coax my amp and tuner to get me between 50-150 more watts out with the Pecker than what I using the amp when I had tuned it with a CW carrier. Basically, the 3898 Pecker helped me refine my settings specifically for an SSB carrier.

Not to mention it makes the process easier AND is easier on your equipment at the same time. Tuning a CW carrier can be stressful on your amp. Blowing past the max grid current is easy to do, particularly if you're a relative newbie like me.

As a bonus, I could easily compare different power levels feeding into my amp using the 3898 Pecker. To start, I set my Kenwood TS-590S to the maximum power output of 80 watts and tuned for max power with the Pecker. Then I slowly decreased the power output from my Kenwood to see the difference between 70 watts out versus 80 watts, etc. In some cases, the amp output was not that different, so I could set my Kenwood for the lowest power output. For those of us hams with an interest in emergency operations, the 3898 Pecker can help you determine how to run your gear most efficiently.

I'm sure some of the Elmers out there might find some of my "revelations" to be simplistic. But my experimentation helped me determine how a piece of equipment could be best utilized by my radio and amp, in my shack. I'm hoping this review will help newer hams like myself just looking to enter the world of amplifier-driven HF communications.

So, in sum, my experience has been that the 3898 Pecker helps you easily refine maximum output from your amp specifically for SSB communications. At the same time, it makes the process simpler and less stressful on the user and the amplifier. Definitely worth the investment!

73s, Wade WB5C
KI6OSH Rating: 2011-04-09
Excellent! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This Pecker never tires, unless the battery is left on overnight, which I inadvertently let happen. Otherwise, it has worked perfectly. Makes tuning my Ameritron 811-A a breeze. I'm just a very basic ham so this little gem is worth every penny. Need all the help I can get.
KK2DOG Rating: 2011-04-09
EXCELLENT ! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This is my second pecker that I've bought and tuning a tube amplifier with it couldn't be easier. You simply turn-on the Pecker, key your microphone, then adjust the Load and Plate knobs for maximum wattage output and you're good to go.
W4NFR Rating: 2010-10-01
Great Tube Saver! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have used the Pecker with my Kenwood TS-870 for many years.
I really like SSB tune up using the Pecker....no stress on the tubes. I have 7 amplifiers, ranging from 4cx250B, GS-35B, (2) 3-500Z and I have never replaced a tube. I believe it is from not stressing them! Wish more hams would use the Pecker and a good Peak WM !

----------------------
Earlier 5-star review posted by W4NFR on 2005-08-24

I got this on Ebay and this product has worked right out of the box after connecting the battery. It came wired for my Kenwood and makes tuneup of the amplifier a breeze and easy on the tubes. It is the only way to tune an amplifier and I recommend everybody getting one. Great product !
VO1GWK Rating: 2009-12-23
3898 Pecker Time Owned: N.A.
Clearly the best I've ever seen and or used. Unlike all other pulsers, the Pecker design allows tuning an amplifier while your exciter is in SSB mode thus keeping the grid currents within the amplifier to minimum rather then excessive, and this adds years to the life of both tubes and internal amplifier parts. My honest opinion, a must for all tube amplifier users.
VO1GWK
KF4A Rating: 2009-11-11
Excellent Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've used one of these for several years and it has worked so well that I recently purchased another one you my other station. Excellent product Larry.. Thanks..
K2RHK Rating: 2009-05-29
Arrived just in time! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The Pecker Tuner arrived just in time. It had been a long time since I had an amplifier and I was rusty on tuneup. I had melted through my first set of three 811As and was about to install my backup set. Setting up the Pecker Tuner took a matter of minutes and it worked exactly as described. It sure takes the pressure off SSB amplifier tuning. Larry, both me and my 811A backup set thank you. Alan Rose, K2RHK
PA4B Rating: 2009-04-02
Great product, even doing his job here below sea level! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
A few weeks ago my package did arrived from the US. (Without paying import- or other taxes) So, a few weeks later, after working with Larry’s 3898 Pecker, I can say it does what it says on his site and all the positive words on this forum. It’s just so easy and relaxed to tune the amplifier with that great piece of ham gear. Until then, I did use the FSK-mode, (very carefully of course) for tuning up the amplifier. From now on, with the Pecker, the amplifier smiles to me every moment! If you have an amplifier, I would recommend this tuner absolutely. Thanks Larry for this great product!
73’s Rik de pa4b
N9AOP Rating: 2009-02-16
as advertised Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I have used this for about a year and it makes tuning an amp on SSB quick and easy.
I ordered one board which I assembled without a problem and one prebuilt board that I gave to a friend. Both worked perfectly.
Art