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Reviews For: Heathkit SB-220/SB-221

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

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Review Summary For : Heathkit SB-220/SB-221
Reviews: 76MSRP: 350.00 - 550.00
Description:
a 2kw pep input amp uses 2 3-500Zs
Product is not in production
More Info: http://www.vcnet.com/measures/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
15765
KG4IIV Rating: 2000-08-09
BETTER THAN I EXPECTED Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought this amp recently and i must say it is the best investmet of $450 ive made.
I actuall get legal limit out on SSB!
easy to tune and hook up to my hallicrafters HT-32 and SX-101 station.
I definatley reccomend it!

DE KG4IIV
DK3QN Rating: 2000-07-24
Solid performer Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought an SB-220 second hand back in 1980. Used it for over 14 years, still with the first pair of tubes. It never gave me any kind of a problem over these years.

I did two modifications to it:

1. I removed the original fan and replaced it by a 12 x 12 cm low noise fan which was attached to the rear (punched) air inlet. This brought down the noise level a great deal.

2. I realigned the input Pi-filters because the input SWR on some bands was too high for my transistorised transceiver. Actually the TRX too much folded back the output power while seeing an SWR in the order of around 1:2 resulting in low overall output of the SB-220.
This was no problem with my TS-520SE which I had used from 1980 to 1986, because of the tube finals and related Pi-Filter output capabilities.

Warning: the voltages inside the SB-220 are very likely to be lethal if you get in touch with them. Don't work inside the box as long as it is connected to the mains. The high voltage DC capacitors as well are holding the high voltage for some time as can be monitored by watching the high voltage meter.

By the way, the 220 needs more than 100 watts of drive to be fully driven to maximum output (about 120 watts is needed). On the other hand this situation gives you some safety factor as with average TRXs it will be very hard to overdrive the amp. So the use of ALC feedback is not necessarily mandatory.

Klaus, DK3QN

(email: DK3QN@gmx.de)

KX2S Rating: 2000-03-06
SB220/221 Great Old AMP Time Owned: unknown months.
I built my SB221 in 1980. I added the SB220 10 meter input,tank coils and band switch. So is now a 221 with ten meters. Over the years I lost a few 5.1 volt zeiner diodes. Last year it blew up. The plate transformer had shorted. I found it very easy to get a replacment transformer. It is now humming again. I did install the Harbach mods. No more zeiner to worry about. And with The supressor kit it tunes smother then ever. Getting 900 watts out on cw. Pegs the 1000w bird slug on SSB. I am thinking about adding the QSK mods. Still has the origional Eimac 3-500 Z's with full output. GREAT AMP! YOU CANNOT BEAT IT FOR THE PRICE. See them going used for around $500
NT9AA Rating: 1999-12-14
SB220 Time Owned: unknown months.
SB220 = TIMEX,YOU CAN SPEND MORE $ BUT FOR THE BUCKS ITS HARD TO BEAT. LOOK AT INARDS,BUY LOCAL IF U CAN. GOOD AMP FOR SMALL PRICE
AD4C Rating: 1999-09-07
SB-220/221 Time Owned: unknown months.
Even been almost 30 years old,these Heathkits amps are built like a war tank to last forever,I do have one and is the best I ever had,I have abused it on purpose to see if will resist but I can't brake it down,if you can perform all the Harbach upgrade then your grandsons if they like to be hams still will have a good solid rig.
N4ZR Rating: 1999-09-07
a cost/performance mix that's hard to beat Time Owned: unknown months.
Sure, it's 25-year-old technology, but the Heath SB-220 is hard to beat for economical QRO. >1000 watts output, ability to tune antennas with quite substantial SWRs, and rugged final tubes that can stand abuse -- all for $400-500.

Just be sure you get one that was wired well, and you should be good for years to come. I would add Harbach's soft-key module (www.harbach.com) to permit controlling the changeover relay with a modern transceiver, and consider either a new changeover relay (also available from Harbach) or, better yet, a QSK modification to permit quick changeover without hot-switching. The latter is near-essential for digital modes that require a quick transmit-receive turnaround. AG6K has a well-tested circuit on his web page.