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Reviews For: N4UQ Alpha Amplifier Repair & Upgrade Service

Category: Amateur Radio Equipment Repair

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Review Summary For : N4UQ Alpha Amplifier Repair & Upgrade Service
Reviews: 52MSRP: Varies
Description:
Excellent repair and upgrade service for the Alpha 76, 77, 78 & 374 amplfier line.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.n4uq.com/index.htm
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00525
WX4US Rating: 2012-05-01
76a two holer conversion to 3cx800's Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought my Alpha 76a w/2 8874s off of Craig's list for a bargain price. The seller ran it thru the bands and all bands had output of 800 watts. I contacted Dick, N4UQ, in Dec of 2010, and he performed the upgrade to 2 3cx800a7 tubes, installed a grid protection circuit, low drive mod., installed the WARC band upgrade, checked to make sure all factory updates were installed (free), and did a general check which included everything from the meter lamps and aluminum centers of the knobs to the transformer and its production. The Alpha looks and performs new. His test sheet shows every band, including the WARC bands, to have an output to legal limit plus. Using an Alpha 4520 watt meter and a Palstar 5k dummy load this amp can easily top 2k with room to spare. I use it on a Yaesu FT-1000MP MkV in the Class A mode and only 40 watts drive.

Never a problem. Always reliable. Runs cool at legal limit. Outstanding reports and rare DX contacts are not so rare anymore. Just an outstanding job.

Now if I can find an affordable 77SX...

Thanks Dick
K7ABV Rating: 2012-03-08
Great Service Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
After 25 years my 76CA 3 Tube needed a little care...turn around time was less than 3 weeks, which included 2 plus weeks of UPS shipping...The amp. now puts out a KW easily with 30-40 watts of input..sounds better, and Dick made several major improvements for me...it goes without saying I would use his service again...don't worry, your amp. will come back like a new piece of gear..thanks Dick for one heck of a job...
W4PIG Rating: 2011-07-10
ONE WORD!!! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
OUTSTANDING!!!!!!!! BETTER THAN ALPHA!!!!
AA5WM Rating: 2011-02-27
Fast, professional, competent, reasonable Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
My amp needed a replacement pi-net coil and I wanted Dick's Grid current protection mod. The amp was shipped w/o the transformer. Three days after shipping I was informed of the situation and subsequent progress over a few days. The work was high quality and very reasonably priced. This fellow knows what he is doing.
K7JI Rating: 2011-02-23
GREAT WORK - HERE IS VIDEO! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Many years ago I started looking for a two-tube Alpha 77SX that I could purchase without breaking the bank. Finally two months ago I found a one-tube 77DX for sale from a reputable seller near Atlanta. The owner knew Dick Byrd, and was happy for a local delivery back to Dick at my request so the amp could be converted to a two-tube 77SX before being shipped across the county to me. 

With the additional conversion parts collected and a new set of replacement panels from Alpha, Dick went to work and assembled my dream amplifier. I now own a beautiful Alpha 77SX in virtually new condition.

How in the world do you ship a 100+ pound piece of vintage radio equipment 3,000 miles and have it look like new when it arrives? You have Dick Byrd send it to you, or at a minimum you send it exactly the way both Alpha and Dick recommend.

Here is a link to a YouTube video I made documenting the great work Dick did on this amp. The video covers shipping, packing, cosmetic and electronic work and of course operation. Thanks Dick for the fantastic work!  Here is the video link:

 http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=US#/profile?user=k7ji&v=fxibGMB5MX4&view=videos

(If you have any problem with this link simply search YouTube for "Alpha 77SX" and it will come right up)
N5WJ Rating: 2010-07-25
Great Tech, Super Nice Guy Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have sent my Alpha 78 to Dick on 2 separate occasions and got excellent service and got the Amp repaired in super fast time.. He is very good at what he does and very easy to deal with.. He will keep you in the loop the whole time he is working on equipment either via email or by phone.. His prices have always been fair and by far much cheaper than Alpha.. Will never send my Alpha Amp to anyone but N4UG.. Great Tech and a super nice guy...

Frank... N5WJ
KR4JA Rating: 2010-05-12
Excellent!!!! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I recently bought an Alpha 76PA which had been fully upgraded by Dick, including the addition of a pair of 3CPX800A7 tubes. He did an amazing job on updating the amp, it's like new! I can't believe how quiet the blower is. After several years of Ameritron amps, I once again have a quiet shack, even when running full power (60W/1500W). The meter lights changing from red to green (whether warming up-transmitting vs not transmitting) was a nice touch.

Dick does excellent work, couldn't be happier.
N7WX Rating: 2010-01-26
Dick did it again Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Boy was having problems with my Alpha 77SX two holer..Called Dick and he pointed us in the right direction..Had to pull the transformer and change the step start slow blow fuse, that did it..Thanks again Dick, he knows Alpha's..
K3FGO Rating: 2009-10-08
exceeded expectations Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
My Alpha 76PA had been unused for 20 years when I put it back in service this year. Problems from aging and sitting idle began to appear until it finally blew high voltage capacitors and needed major overhauling.

Dick diagnosed several problems over the phone and I shipped it to him for further evaluation and recommendations. He quickly replaced the faulty capacitors, a bad 3CX400A7 (which he helped me find inexpensively), made the WARC mod, replaced broken control buttons, made the low drive mod (fully loads now) and meter doubling mod.

There were a few other mods that I thought I might want, but Dick honestly explained how they were not advantageous and that I should save my money on them.

Amp came back quickly and looks like new inside and out. Functionally it is absolutely running like new.

If you need any work done on your Alpha- talk to Dick Bryd first!
VA3DX Rating: 2009-09-15
old Alpha76A is new again Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I was hesitant about shipping my Alpha 76A across the border. I should not have been concerned , all went well with UPS.

Dick performed a major cleaning, upgrading, and an addition of a pair of 3CPX800A7's.

I basically have a NEW amplifier now, that performs 10 times better than I could have dreamed of. He kept me aware of any needs he felt should / or could be done by e-mail.

His workmanship is top job.... I will recomend his work to anyone consider it.
The work was a 15 out of 10..outstanding !

His knowledge of the Alphas is immense...