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Reviews For: The Original 3898 Pecker

Category: Specialized Amateur Communication Products

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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
M0BSZ Rating: 2007-11-29
Great Product -- Even works here in the UK !!!!!!!!!!! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Ordered my Pecker Kit via Email/Paypal from Larry.
Immediate reply to emails.
VERY helpful, caring chap.
Delivery was around 10 days, which is to be expected using surface mail from the US to UK.

So out with the soldering iron, built and working in around an hour, now triggering my Icom 756 Pro 3 into a Yaesu FL2100Z Linear.

No hassle now tuning up - great product - go get one !!!!

Mounted mine in a seperate enclosure, allthough it would not be a problem mounting in a microphone because of it's small size.
Good quality circuit board and components.

Well done Larry.



K1GUY Rating: 2007-11-18
NOTHING LIKE A PECKER Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
My 'other' pulse tuner finally quit working, and it wasn't because of the battery. I found the PECKER while looking for pulse tuners on eham. It seemed like a better design. I emailed larry, and he said if mine ever quits, just send it to him. He will stand completly behind it. I like that the PECKER is the only pulse tuner that plugs directly into your SSB port, giving you exact tuning for SSB. Tune ONCE, no need to fine tune again. I have been using it and it performs as smooth as glass.
GREAT customer support. And the ORIGINAL and best in class product. Since you need just one, by the PECKER, a great addition to any station with an amp they have to tune. I regret not buying it the first time around. Its an easy 5 rating... have you noticed the other ratings? Thank you for a great product, KB4OEI.
And my Alpha 99 thanks you as well !
K4DTC Rating: 2007-07-25
Very effective product Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
This thing works well, and Mr. Pecker is very glad to talk to you about the product. The hardest part was explaining the package from "Mr. Pecker" to my wife and daughter!
K5SL Rating: 2007-07-25
Have Amp? Buy This! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
My Ten Tec Centurion sure put out the heat tuning on cw-knew this can't be good on Ps/and tubes. I built and installed this unit in the top of my Yeasu MD100 base with the switch and added a LED that blinks when on. It looks at me from above the PTT/Lock when on. When tuning my amp I notice the power never goes up past couple hundred watts on the Peak reading LED's on the amp. However it tunes sharply and does put out max power when mic gain back to normal. Best part is-the amp hasn't even started to blow hot air yet! Pic's on request-Buy this unit and save the strain on your amp. Randy
W4VOL Rating: 2007-05-13
Works perfectly! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The reason this works so well and is so useful is that the 30% duty cycle of the pulses approximates human speech. It is very simple to install -- just plug the mic into it and then plug it into the mic jack of your rig. Set the toggle switch to the "tune" position and the pulses start immediately. Peak your amp for maximum output and you will be tuned up perfectly for normal SSB operation. This performs better than the I-Mate because the latter seems to have about a 50% duty cycle, and it appears to me that the 30% duty cycle is optimum. I would say, simply, if you operate sideband and don't have one yet, get one! 5 out of 5.
W3ADC Rating: 2007-03-06
Very Nice Product Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The 3898 Pecker is well made and it sure made tuning a breeze on my new amp. If you have a amp I would recommend this highly thank's Larry.


73
AA5XG Rating: 2006-09-26
How can you live without it! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This has got to be the simpliest, easiest, and quickest way to tune an amp without harming the tubes. Great construction. Great communications with Larry. And great to use. If you have an amp, do yourself a favor and purchase this little tuner. You won't be sorry. I bought the in-line model and it was plug-and-PLAY all the way. Changing bands and re-tuning is a snap. Thanks Larry for a great product.
WB9RAY Rating: 2006-03-21
FANTASTIC Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This product makes tuning my amp a breeze ..all the time before I used the pecker I thought I was tuned up ..WRONG...This really makes it easy and gets it right ..I strongly suggest that if you have a amp, you try one of these ..you'll love it .
WK4KW Rating: 2006-01-21
Almost Too Good To Be True Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I saw this product originally on Ebay and was interested. Been using a pulser that plugs into the cw key jack. The pulser worked, I thought well, but I noticed the ssb voice output was always somewhat less than the tuneup output. I decided to try the 3898 Pecker. I got the in-line model and what a pleasant surprise. Tuneup is a snap. The output was right up there with the tuneup level. I had made a chart of plate and load settings for each band with the cw pulser. Settings were slightly different with the Pecker, enough to give a couple hundred watts more on 80M after tuning up with the Pecker. Larry is a great guy to work with, product is well built, he is a great communicator. The instructions are clear and the Pecker is easy to use. Larry suggests using VOX and turning the switch on and off. I found it easier for me to turn the pecker on, leave VOX out of the mix and key the microphone to deliver the pulsed input. It was just easier for me to release the mic button between plate and load than to turn off the toggle switch. If you"ve got an amp and want to get the most out of it without frying the tubes, this is for you. You will need a true peak reading watt meter because of the reduced duty cycle of the pulsed input. Apparently these things last forever, that's what some of my friends say. If anything were to happen to mine, I'd have to have another.
N6SFD Rating: 2006-01-18
A Geat Tube saver Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Just purchased this little device and am very pleased with the operation of it..Just plug it in the micraphone jack and then plug your mike into it and with a push of a button it's sending out a burst of tone pulses in SSB mode to your amp so you can tune for max out.. You leave this device in line all the time with no problems to your transmit audio.A great little device to get proper tune up and the most out of your amp in SSB mode without pushing your finals too hard..Also super for touchy tuning amps..