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Reviews For: Tokyo Hy-Power HL2.5FX

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

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Review Summary For : Tokyo Hy-Power HL2.5FX
Reviews: 19MSRP: 6,000
Description:
Solid State legal limit HF amplifier. Expected to be availble mid 2007.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.tokyohypower.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00194.8
KD8MJR Rating: 2019-02-24
Still The Best Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have had mine for about six years now and in that time it has operated flawlessly. The Amp is still the smallest legal limit SS Amp that has ever been manufactured. This power house follows my radio like a puppy up and down the bands and will howl out with over 2KW of power with ease. The protection circuitry is first rate, I am not even sure if the newer amps trip as fast as the 2.5Kfx.

As of Feb 2019 the two Microsemi Mosfets that it uses are still being manufactured and sold. The firmware for the CPU is commonly available. All the parts that might one day die on this amp are still available so that is a big plus.

The construction quality of this amp is legendary and with good reason. Everything in this amp is of the highest quality. The heatsink is massive and it's made of solid copper! Not just the spreader but the base and the fins, everything!

The transformer and caps in this amp are massive and will probably never fail as it is under very little stress.

If you can ever find one of these for sale you are a lucky man as the owners will rarely part with them. For more info on the amp you can visit thpamplifiers.com this is a repository for everything THP.
N9LBW Rating: 2014-02-24
Excellent Amp! Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I bought this amp used about 6 or 8 months ago and it works great on all bands. I had the HL-1.5 for about 2 years before and also had no problems.
W5UV Rating: 2013-01-29
EXCELLENT!! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Upgraded from the HL-1.5Kfx which is also a great amplifier. The HL-2.5Kfx is best in class - build quality and ease of integration makes it practically unnoticed in the shack - until you get a few signal reports!!
W6GX Rating: 2012-12-01
The Best! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This is my second THP amp. I have owned it for only one month but I expect it to be very reliable just like my other THP amp, the HL-1.1kfx. The fit and finish and attention to details are second to none. There aren't many SS amps. that could do legal limit and beyond. This amp. will easily produce 1.5kw with a 55w input drive. This amp. also has a lot of headroom at 1.5kw, see the test results below using a 100w input drive and measured with a LP-100A digital wattmeter.

Band CW Car. SSB PEP
160m 1843 2000
80m 1954 2196
40m 1824 1973
30m 1999 2104
20m 2127 2274
17m 1875 2029
15m 2039 2198
12m 1783 1981
10m 1436 1716

I really like the auto-band switching feature. The amp. follows the QSY on the transceiver and band-switching is fully automatic. It's like having a 1.5kw transceiver. I also like the compact dimensions of the amp. The amp. is only 5.7" high and 12.8" wide. This amp. doesn't do 6m as the efficiency of the ARF1500 PA drops off significantly above 28mhz. This is one reason THP is discontinuing this amp. and replacing it with the new HL-2500fx. The HL-2500fx uses six THP2933 PAs and it does 6m.

In conclusion, I'm very happy with my purchase and I feel that legal limit gives me a definite edge in big pile ups.

73,
Jonathan W6GX
K4LRX Rating: 2012-10-07
Great amp Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
For years I have owned tube type amplifiers, but this one tops them all. I was amazed at the small size of this unit compared to the Ameritron monsters.

Great linearity on the monitor scope, sounds good on ssb and does the job on cw. Well designed and wonderful cosmetics. If I can swing another one to replace the amp on my 40 meter station I will do it. Only negative is the relay noise when qsk, but I use headphones and do not hear it.
W7TAE Rating: 2012-05-05
Instant legal limit Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have had this unit for nearly 3 years. It has performed flawlessly during 3 CQ WW SSB contests- each one 48 continuous hours, and not a peep, just legal limit despite the heavy duty cycle.
The contest station is 'point and shoot" and the amp follows the transceiver from freq to freq and band to band instantly.
A real pile up buster too. The best part is the instant on feature and of course no tuning. It sits on a stand under the desk because I never really have to look at it (just monitor the Array Solutions PowerMaster) - My few efforts to break it were unsuccessful as it shuts down instantly when parameters are not met.

N1ZJ Rating: 2011-10-28
Failed repeatedly Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I owned a THP 2.5Kfx for about a year and a half. Allowing for time it was in the shop, I got about a year's operation out of it, and when it worked, it worked well. It is virtually transparent in operation, changing bands automatically and not needing retuning. During the time I owned it its finals failed four different times at roughly 4-5 month intervals. The first three times it was repaired and returned - took about 6 weeks; the last time THP gave up fixing it and bought it back from me (at a used price). At no time did they try replacing it. Through the whole adventure, THP seemed convinced that the problem had to be in my station and not their amp, and proposed a long list of possible defects in virtually every part of the station. I dutifully checked every suggestion, and none of them turned out to be the case. At one point they suggested that the problem was a tuner of questionable quality, even though the tuner was not involved in 3/4 of the failures and seemed to work well. In one failure analysis, THP Japan said "We suspect the cause of the second failure has come from this odd action of the filter. At first, it seemed fine...when we reduced power on 21MHz, we noticed some noise coming from the unit. We replaced all parts other than the air wound coil, and the noise stopped, but still, the value is queer." Nevertheless they continued to blame my station. I suggest that anyone contemplating purchasing a 2.5Kfx read the cautions and caveats in THP's guidance,
http://www.tokyohypower.com/solid_state_amps.html
and take them to heart. Right now, they have just one dealer in the US (HRO) and one repair depot, AVSL. Array Solutions no longer carries their products, although their service was excellent while they did. I am now using an ACOM 2000A and am having no trouble at all.
K4WSG Rating: 2011-07-23
Boring In The Shack...Exciting On The Air!!! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Terrific amp and nothing to add to previous reviews except for those looking to interface it to a Flex 5000a:
1)In "Antenna" setting, set tx delay to 40 ms in order to avoid "hot switching" the amp
2)You may need a null cable modem adapter to connect the Kenwood interface cable to the computer's db9 port (I did)
3)In PSDR's CAT settings: set the CAT COM port to the same port as your computer's serial port-9600-none-8-0-stop, Allow Kenwood AI Command and set the ID to TS2000. NOTE:If you are using DDUTIL with the Amp's COM port set up under "Passive Listening"-it won't work until you have the amp following the Flex with the same port in PSDR's CAT setup settings, then you can change the settings in PSDR and DDUTIL and for the rest of that operating session, the amp will follow the Flex. If I can help you, please feel free to contact me.
I would like to thank the following individuals for their kindness in answering my numerous questions before and after I bought the amp:Jim AB2CD, Steve Gilmore W4SHG the manager at HRO Woodbridge, VA and last but certainly not least-Tom Rum W5RUM Tokyo Hy Power technical support USA.
VK3YW Rating: 2011-07-04
Perfect " 10 " Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
What can one say? And how do words describe this amplifier
Have you ever seen the mac burger add on TV? The beautiful bun, ripe juicy tomato, succulent beef? only to buy one and unwrap it and see a shriveled piece of *rap , soggy bun , over cooked meat and a tomato that looks like it was grown last century
Well this is not the HL2.5Kfx … it is as beautifully built as all the promo pictures show down to the last detail
Opening the amp to change the tapping presented a view that was identical to the promo pictures
This is one classy bit of gear … professional and world class … and I haven’t even plugged it in at this point
On Air
To say it works is an understatement … 10 – 80 where I work it works like a dream and follows the radio around like a puppy
On air audio gets nothing but high praises … and I might add unsolicited ones … I have even had emails on it as well
Virtually no noise to speak of … well no more than a high end pc tower and barely breaks a sweat with the fan kicking in mildly at about 50 c
Power output
Well here is a curly one as here in VK we can only run 400 watts so all testing is done into a dummy load
The “USA LEAGAL LIMIT “ … * LAUGH * … like some others have said … the “ HL 2.5 K moniker is not put on the front for looks
This is by far the best built , best presented , best operating , amplifier I have ever used
CHEAP? ……. Not by a long shot … but worth every penny … and if you have the $$$$ readies this is one bit of gear you will never regret purchasing … not everyone’s cup of tea … sure … but I drink bourbon anyhow
Cheers 73 de Steve
AB2CD Rating: 2011-04-17
Superb Amplifier Time Owned: more than 12 months.
After using the amplifier for more than two years, I felt an updated review was in order.
My earlier review was last posted 09/10/2009.

I can’t say enough good things about this amplifier. Tokyo Hy-Power makes superb equipment and the HL 2.5Kfx is a rock solid HF amplifier. As a former broadcast engineer, I am inclined to describe this amplifier as “commercial grade” rather than amateur. Rated at legal limit, the 2.5 has headroom galore and can easily do 2 kW without breaking a sweat. The extra headroom insures perfect punchy audio without fear of clipping or overdrive.

This is not my first Tokyo. I was one of the first hams to take delivery of the 1.5Kfx over 4 years ago. Unlike the 1.5 Kfx, this legal limit amplifier requires a dedicated 15 amp 240 volt circuit to power the amp.

The amp is quiet. Mine is only 3 feet from my condenser microphone and even with such a sensitive microphone you can’t hear the fan on the air. The fan speed is determined by the temperature of the finals. It’s rare that that the fan ramps up to more than a whisper.

One of the great features of this amp is its ability to automatically change bands by connecting a data cable between your rig and the amp. Tokyo provides band data cables for Icom, Kenwood and Yasue radios. I use our 2.5 Kfx with a Flex 5000A SDR (software defined radio).

The Flex 5000A has the unique feature of being able to delay the RF presented to the amp’s input. I have been told that “Hot switching” can stress solid state amplifiers and can sometimes lead to the premature failure of the MOSFET finals. I had a Yasue 1000MP and it often spiked above 140 watts. The Flex 5000A protects against power spikes with a special algorithm that insures absolute ALC. Because the ALC is defined in the software domain, there are no additional cables to run. There are also no critical adjustments to make and worry about.

Nobuki Wakabayashi, JA1DJW, the company’s president, is an excellent engineer and a man of upmost integrity. Tom Rum, Tokyo’s US representative, is very knowledgeable and is very responsive to your needs. He represents the company very well.

When it comes to purchasing new equipment, especially an expensive piece like an amplifier, I always try and pick a supplier who accepts American Express. I do this because AMEX doubles the warranty adding up to one additional year. HRO takes AMEX and they also take good care of their customers. So a THP purchased from HRO with an AMEX card equals one great amp with a two year warranty.

If you have any questions about the amp or my experience using the Tokyo Hy-Power amplifier with a Flex SDR radio, please feel free to contact me directly. Again, I can’t say enough good things about this amplifier and everyone connected with it.

73’s and God bless

Jim AB2CD Shelly AB1CD
Atlanta, GA


----------------------
Earlier 5-star review posted by AB2CD on 2009-09-10

This is an update of an earlier review I posted 05/13/2009.
I can’t say enough good things about this amplifier. Tokyo Hy-Power makes superb equipment and the HL 2.5Kfx is a rock solid HF amplifier. As a former broadcast engineer, I am inclined to describe this amplifier as “commercial grade” rather than amateur. Rated at legal limit, the 2.5 has headroom galore and can easily do 2 kW without breaking a sweat.
This is not my first Tokyo. I was one of the first hams to take delivery of the 1.5Kfx over 2.5 years ago. Both amps perform flawlessly. My only word of caution is to remind the user that this is not a tube amplifier, and although it has ample protection circuits, care must be taken to avoid stressing the finals. One sure way to stress the finals would be to continue to operate the amp after repetitive protection alarms. I suggest using resonant antennas fed with high quality coax terminated with professionally installed connectors. You will also need a dedicated 15 amp 240 volt circuit to power the amp as it will not operate on 120.
One of the great features of this amp is its ability to automatically change bands by connecting a data cable between your rig and the amp. Tokyo provides band data cables for Icom, Kenwood and Yasue radios. I use mine with a Flex 5000A and understand that they can easily be adapted to work with Elecraft and Ten Tec radios as well.
Nobuki Wakabayashi, JA1DJW, the company’s president, is an excellent engineer and a man of upmost integrity. Tom Rum, Tokyo’s US representative, is very knowledgeable and is very responsive to your needs. He represents the company very well.
I purchased my 2.5 from Array Solutions and I am very pleased to recommend them. In my opinion, both Jay and Bob are the tops. If you have any questions about the amp or my experience with Array Solutions, please feel free to contact me directly. Again, I can’t say enough good things about this amplifier and everyone connected with it.
73’s and God bless
Jim & Shelly