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Reviews For: Tokyo Hy-Power HL-1.2Kfx

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

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Review Summary For : Tokyo Hy-Power HL-1.2Kfx
Reviews: 39MSRP: TBD
Description:
750W PEP HF Linear Amplifier
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.tokyohypower.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00394.9
VE3TFZ Rating: 2009-08-05
A Classy Act Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This is a classy little solid state amplifier. It worked right out of the box. Very simple to operate, just set the band switch to the proper band and you are ready to go. Of course, there are a few things you have to do first, such as setting up the ALC. Even though you don't have to use the ALC, it is a good idea to give the amplifier a little more protection from over driving it. Solid state amplifiers are definitely not as forgiving as tube amps.

I have had nothing but good signal and audio quality reports since I started using it, which was bout a day ago. It easily produces the maximum output (750 W). The fan is also very quiet. (Unlike the TenTec Centurion I had)

Ordering it was a pleasant experience. My thanks to Jay and Bob of Array Solutions for their excellent handling of my order. It arrived exactly when they said it would.
KA1LA Rating: 2009-01-23
EXCELLENT Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have owned a Tokyo HighPower 1.2KfX for two years. I purchased it directly from TokyoHighPower Japan. Via e-mail they instructed me to wire them the money. Twenty-four hours later they would get the money and I would have my amplifier three days later. After wiring the money I called twenty-four hours later and they did not have the money. What had happened is my money got lost in cyberspace and the emails continued four more days. On the fifth day I got an e-mail stating they still did not have the money but they sent the amplifier because they new I was anxious to get the amplifier. Two days later I got the amp and three days after that they got the money. I think this is a very unusual company that puts the customer first. I am extremely happy with the product. I drive it with 90 watts and get 700/750 watts out. Fan is very quiet; amp never gets warm. I get excellent audio reports. Sensitivity of shut down happens when SWR is above 2.5/1. I have had many mistakes with SWR and band switching. Amp will shut down no damage. If you are looking for an amplifier that looks good, is quiet and quality built I would strongly advise it. Prior, I owned a Henry IIK. I no longer feel the need for maximum legal output and believe Tokyo HighPower is one of the best-built amplifiers in its class. It is relatively expensive but one truly does get what they paid for.
WI7B Rating: 2008-12-16
Day One Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.

Just received, unpacked, and set-up my HL-1.2Kfx from HRO. Coming all the way across country in Winter, the double boxed amp suffered no apparent damage. I checked the fan housing specifically because folks had said there were earlier problems. Nada, nothing wrong.

The amp comes set for 240V operation with 8A fuses. All you do is flip the switch on the bottom, and re-fuse with the provided 15A variety. After hooking up the power cord, grounding it, then the coax connector to the tuner (also provided...nice), the baby is ready to purr. Or hum as the case may be.

The fan was not loud, but rather quiet. Tons of cold air came whishing out of the upper vent. After tuning the rig to an SWR of 1.05 on 75m, I moved from Standby to Operate, exciting the amp with a lowly 50W. This garnered me ~500W peak SSB at the tuner. QSOs went well.

Finally, I couldn't wait. I cautiously increased the exciter...55W, 60W, 65W, 70W, 75W, 80W, 85W, 90W, then to the recommended maximum of 95W. I hit ~700W peak SSB output at the tuner. And there was still COLD air coming out of the upper vent with little apparent effect on the amp. It kept humming. I did notice that the voltage to the MOSFETs dropped to just below 50V (just outside the 'green zone') during 95W operation. So, I ended it until I have time to re-evaluate.

So, overall Day One was great! Possible tweaks may be to alter the power transformer wiring (it's explained in the manual). By doing this I may match the MOSFETs/amp requirments better to my own house voltage/current, and so keep 50V to the little puppies and reach the high plateau of 750W. Others have commented that this helps.

73,

---* Ken
W6VZV Rating: 2008-09-16
Beautifully made and a joy to own Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
This is a beautifully made and solid piece of equipment. It simply works. If you are looking for a solid state amp in the 500-600 watt range, you really cannot do better than this beauty.

The amplifier is small, so it does not require a lot of space on one's crowded desktop. The fans are audible, but not obnoxious, although the secondary fan that comes on when the unit is seeing hard use is noticeable. This amp seems to work fine on 120 volts.

I am very pleased with this purchase.
G7VJR Rating: 2008-08-20
Well-made and useful power Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This is a good amount of power, delivered in a really nicely built unit which is also affordable. There is no doubt this is a seriously high-quality piece of work. The solid state design makes it very quick and easy to use. Like others, I've found the fan noisy and felt the need to add resistance (the air flow is still immense - you can really feel it blowing out of the top vents!). The amp will trip readily if you put slightly too much power in. I find it a little quicker to protect than other solid state amps I've used. It would be great if it went on 6M. It is definitely suitable for dxpeditions at a fairly modest 15kg, if suitably packed.
K0JKM Rating: 2008-05-31
Outstand fit, finish and build quality Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
500 to 600 watts on 120 volts 60 hz. Taps on transformer must be set slightly dirrerent than marked because the amp is tested in Japan at 50 hz.I am using at 60hz. My transformer taps needed to be set at the 110v setting for 50 volts on the drain that the Mosfets were designed to be operated at. I beleive this is because of the different power factor of the transformer between 50 and 60hz. Amp moves a lot of air but not to loud sitting next to my AL-1500. Customer support is the best in the buisness. Tom Rum has called me on a Saturday morning. Email at night, and even took my call just before sitting down in the dentist chair. ALC is a must. This is not your daddys amplifier. Mosfets do not clip gracefully. You can set drive in CW for max but Ipromise PEP excursions will drive to clip. ALC is easy to setup and is most necessary. If you need a medium power amplifier I say buy it. No muss no fuss it just works.
KB2TZK Rating: 2008-05-21
EXCELLENT Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The Tokyo HY-POWER 1.2 has been a beautiful piece of equipment. It runs very quiet & cool. It came packaged very well. The dials light up & are easy to read. It doesn't need alot of room. The over all operation of the amp is very easy. The Rep for Tokyo, Tom W5RUM, was a big help to me for setting the amp up with my radio, no fault of the amp's, I needed a quick lesson of getting the watt meter in line & a understanding of how a amp works with a watt meter. In fact I can't solder & Tom W5RUM, made a radio cable for me & no charge, you can' beat customer service like that. Tom called me & in a few minutes all the equipment was in line with the amp & it was a go & we have been using it very day & we have been reaching DX stations. My equipment is the Tokyo-HY Power 1.2, Kenwood 480 HX, LDG 1000Pro Tuner & a Zero-Five Vertical. I highly recommend the Tokyo 1.2.
G6YEK Rating: 2008-04-13
GREAT Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Received my amp on 5/4/08 from W&S it arrived very well packed and took only a short time to get on the air.
So far i am very pleased with the amp and no problems to report,i will return in a few weeks to update this review.
Des G6YEK
K8MAB Rating: 2007-12-25
FAN FIX Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Great solid state amp........
The fan fix does help quiet it down a little...
33ohm,3watt replaced by 47ohm,5watt....
KT4HT Rating: 2007-12-25
Simply the Best! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This amplifier is simple elegance! Quality all the way. Simple to set up, simple to operate, a great design, and cosmetically appealing. Purchased from HRO and delivered without a problem. Excellent support from THP headquarters and a US based service center in Va. Can't get any better than this.