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Reviews For: SPE Expert 1K-FA

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

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Review Summary For : SPE Expert 1K-FA
Reviews: 99MSRP: 2700 Euro
Description:
1 KW Solid State Fully Automatic Linear Amplifier HF and 50Mhz

Product is not in production
More Info: http://www.linear-amplifier.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
25994.9
IZ2XMK Rating: 2013-06-16
Outstanding design greath product Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I am typically using just 200w Max and absolutely not a QRO guy but wanted to get an amplifier because I believe for a complete and well settled ham station to have the option to increase the power (in emergency cases)must be possible.
This product is compact and providing in an extremely straightforward and efficient way high quality power. You will have no problems with valves heating time or manual tuning; just switch it on and auto-tune...will take fraction of seconds ..You will se by Yourself. I am very satisfied and considering I am using it not so frequently I simply needed an equipment able to provide very high quality power on the spot. In addition this "guy" is very clever and will not allow mistakes. Until now I have to report just positive aspects and no problems at all. Based on my experience so far I recommend this product.
AK6ZZ Rating: 2013-03-09
First impressions - awesomely epic so stoked! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Big things sometimes come in little packages and that describes in my eyes the SPE 1K. My newest edition to the shack, the, SPE 1K, is amazing.

It is now partnering with my microham microkeyer 2 integrating many functions like antenna selection per band, tuned and memorized by the terrific autotuner, and web based controls for all major functions great I am suspecting for remote ops which is in progress.

For me it is a great amplifer putting out 1K on HF amd 600W on 6m, it also doubles as a great programmable antenna switch for up to four antennas, and its autotuner remembers ranges of frequencies within band and optimizes match for all my antennas to close to 1:1. With the microkeyer 2 controlling my Steppir and the SPE 1K connected through the ICOM CI-V port of the microkeyer everything runs seamlessly with my K3 and HRD. IT IS AN UN FRIGGING BELIEVABLE setup and is so awesome. I can hardly believe I don't need to use my LDG 1000AT anymore on 40m and stopping and tuning the LDG 1000AT in from CW portion to SSB part of the band is a thing of the past, and the autotuner does a good job expanding my range on 80m, beauty!!!!

My next step is to integrate this amp with my TS480HX and remoterig bypassing the microkeyer to run my remote station. The beauty is that this amplifier is smart enough to have two different transceivers connected to it and memorizes specific settings based on that radio. Way epic! Programming it is a breeze but do yourself a favor and read the manual ten times through before connecting and using. Highly recommend this product. Blows away my old faithful Quadra in terms of shack integration capability and remote management.

Keith
AK6ZZ (formerly AG6AZ)
W3DCB Rating: 2013-01-25
Great product! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Have enjoyed this linear for several years now. Only one criticism: Speed for RS-232 interface & interface to radio limited to 9600. I would have liked to run/control my radios with at least 19600 or faster. The RS-232 interface and software is great for remote operation. Otherwise, no other criticism.
ON7HLU Rating: 2013-01-25
need a compact HF amp for your shack - this is it! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
i have only to say it is great amp , im so happy with it
ON4VP Rating: 2013-01-10
After two, needs help. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
During the past three years I owned two 1K-FA's. The first one that I've got was 24 months old and after a while started suffering from sticking relays.

Some reading in yahoo groups and forums learned me that over a hundred owners suffered the same issues. The problem got worse when full break in cw was used. The switching time was to fast on the relays and the burned in.

Repairs were in order and after the relays were changed I sold the amp. I still got the Acom1000 to keep me going.

The second 1K-FA I got mid 2012. This was the latest rev3 version. Even after my bad experience with the first 1K-FA I still liked the solid state idea and the benefits like the built in tuner and 4 outputs plus 2 inputs.

But also the second amplifier started having troubles. After a few weeks I noticed that the reflected power on the 20 meter band was getting to high. Even on a dummy load and perfectly matched antennas I got a reflected power over 120 watts when applying 600 watts. SWR was 1:1

I got in touch with both the dealer and the factory in Italy. First I like to express my gratitude to hamshop.nl. This dealer really helped out wherever he could. His service was great. I ended up sending the amplifier back to Italy where it stayed for over 4 weeks.

It was sent back to me with a simple note that there was no problem found and I had to check my antenna system. The amp at that time was even under warranty. I ended up selling the amp again telling that the 20 meter in ssb was no problem but under full load could go into protection.

After both experiences I lost my faith in both the product and the factory, not in the dealer. Over more than a decade I had two Acom 1000 amplifiers and while owning the second Expert I got myself a brand new Acom2000a.

I never should have gone the solid state road and stick with my Acom's. I never part with my Acom2000a. This is the best amp ever built and nothing even comes close to it. I should have known from the start after having two Acom's 1000.

SPE Italy stated that I had problems in my antennas and/or transmission lines. I replied that even on a dummy load the test came out negative and my Acom2000a was working just fine on the same system putting out more than twice the amount of power. But they kept telling me that nothing was wrong with the amplifier.

Fact: the next owner ran into the same problems and also sent it back. SPE should reflect on that!

Personally after owning two Experts these are my findings regardless of the problems I had:

1/ Small and lightweight are a bonus.
2/ Design is not up to full power all the time.
3/ Running it at 1/2 power is imho the best way.
4/ Noise levels are high once heats start building up.
5/ Loud relays, why not using silent vacuum relays.
6/ Company's attitude is not that great.

So far I've been in contact with 1K-FA owners and operators that suffered from blown finals, displays that turned blank, relays that stick and REV power that's to high. These, to me, are flaws in the design. On top of that I was left in the cold while my amp was still under warranty, something that closed the door for me.

The few nice things, to me, don't add up against all the negative things. After being a SPE user for almost 3 years I don't think I ever get another Expert in my shack. I'll stick to my beloved Acom's !

All things considered, I think 2 out of 5 seems pretty fair. The design needs help, the company need to reflect on how to threat customers under warranty. Others will not agree, I can understand. But I can no longer recommend the product.
N0IDX Rating: 2012-12-01
This is the way it SHOULD be Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
This amp does everything that SPE says it will. I use a splitter cable on the CAT port on my FTdx-5000MP along with a program called Virtual Serial Port Emulator by Eterlogic (.com). I make a software serial port splitter so I can run the radio, amp, SQR-IQ and Ham Radio Deluxe at the same time using two monitors. The amp tunes output and SWR instantly, and tuned a very poorly matched antenna better (and faster) than the radio. The menus and setup is a breeze to get around, and once radio, baud rate, antenna/ band selection and such is set you never have to touch it except to change output power, and switch from standby to operate. I have it wired so it turns on and off by command of the radio. It's just one wire you add to the interface plug. The only thing I would like to be added is more output power choices. You have a choice of either half, or full output (600 or 1200 watts). Running the radio in class A makes a nice clean signal on the air. In SSB, the mic gain and processor need to be set conservatively to keep the average PEP reasonably low. Otherwise, the amp will heat up quickly and the fans switch to high speed. This is not at all a problem. Some careful settings on TX audio and you're done. Ventilation is important as with any amp, so I keep it in the clear. A simple foam air filter is on the front bottom. The filter is easy to get to, and helps keep the internals clean. The 1K-FA is not a "brick on the key" amp, but I don't plan on doing that anyway. HI. For its size, ease of use, and performance, the Expert 1K-FA would be very hard to beat.
N1DL Rating: 2012-07-09
EXCELLENT LINEAR Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Have my SPE Expert 1K now running for 4+ years in my remote controlled station in the Georgia mountains.
Its connected to a Kenwood TS480 and both a SteppIR beam and a loop antenna.
Works flawlessly and I am very happy with it - especially the remote control capability.
Its truly automatic but I like looking at the screen remotely for good measure.
The small size also makes it handy for DXpeditions.
OK7PM Rating: 2012-04-17
Hard to beat it Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I purchased the Expert amplifier (3rd series) this February. A short time I spent to wire it with my desktop computer (W7-64bit) for an interface to Flex-5000A and HRD software via split combination of real and virtual COM ports. Since that it works very well in my setup and meets all technical specs. More, it exceeds my expectations...
The Expert provides a bundle of advantages: the safe 1kW output, Pi-L tuner (quiet and very fast), 4/2 antenna switch and input switch for 2 TRXs.
I really enjoy the Flex-CAT interface of the amplifier. I need not take any care more about band and input power. It is so cool and amazingly well done small equipment on my shelf. And if you encourage to open it you will love it even more for precise engineering job.
IK2GNW Rating: 2012-03-03
Fantastic Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
In about 30 years I've owned several amateur linear amplifiers, it has tubes that has been solid.
Are three months that I found this perfect used and it is a pleasure to use the light and you're immediately in the air,and I never had any problem with him is fantastic
I4AWX Rating: 2012-02-04
Best linear Time Owned: more than 12 months.
In about 50 years of amateur radio, I have owned most linears on the market, both tube & solid state. I have owned the Expert 1K for over 6 years now, being one of the first units built. I have never had one single problem with it and think it is by far the best linear I have ever had. Simply great.