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Reviews For: Ameritron AL-572 (all models)

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

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Review Summary For : Ameritron AL-572 (all models)
Reviews: 74MSRP: 2400
Description:
1300 Watts PEP SSB nominal power out on 160-15M. WARC bands and 10 Meters with reduced performance - user modified for 10/12 Meters with license. Uses four 572B tubes
Product is in production
More Info: https://mfjenterprises.com/products/al-572
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00744.1
K3MD Rating: 2004-04-27
Very Nice Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I have had the AL-572B now for 7 months as a backup amplifier to my AL-82. I like the instant-on, and use this amp when at my summer home in NH and used it at a rental house for 9 months after I ripped my 220 line out. I works well on 117V. Around 1.3KW out on SSB and CW, no problem. Bought it used for $950 on EBay. Packs a lot more punch than my backup backup AL-811.
Would recommend the amp, very light, lots of power. A little large to take down to the Carribean, stick to a transistorized amp or your beat-up AL-811 for that (AL-811 will fit in a carry-on).
73,
John K3MD
MW0EDX Rating: 2004-04-23
Almost OK Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I put 5 as I did like the amplifirer.

It was producing 1.1 KW out on CW carrier and about 1.3 KW on SSB.

The only problem I had was that one night the top band disk capacitor was melted.

I quickly got the Russian replacement cap (www.anthonywelsh.com) and it has been running smmoth there after.

The amplifier is quiet, compact and lightweight - about 16 kg.

YET the above output is correct as measured with separate PWR meter.

73 !
WD5JNC Rating: 2004-02-17
Little Problems Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I bought the Amp at a Hamfeist in June from ameritron. when I got it home and done the 10 mtr mod the amp would load as advertised on 160 thru 20 mtrs. but would not load on 15-10mtr. I called Ameritron.and was told to thay would ship me a new amp. 2 days later the new amplifier arrived with a shipping label to send the old amp back to ameritron. the new amp has worked better than specs on all bands. 65watts in 1300 out and can run 100 in for 1500 out and still keep plate and grid current within the limits. I have no complants with eather the amplifier nor with ameritron tech help. I owned a 811-A and would not hesitate to recomend ameritron products.
K5BBQ Rating: 2004-02-06
Excellent Amp Time Owned: N.A.
I have owned the amp about 8 months. Loads easy and with 80 watt drive in loads to 1300 watts. I have had no problems and would buy another one.
W7DUD Rating: 2003-12-27
Two strikes, and that' it! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This is my personal experience with the Ameritron AL-572 amplifier.

Several years ago, I was excited about my return to Amateur Radio activity. I purchased a new Kenwood TS-570, a new vertical antenna, and a new antenna tuner.

After spending several months on CW, I decided to purchase an amplifier. I ordered a new Ameritron AL-572, and received it about a week later.

I was pretty excited as I unpacked the amp, and made the necessary connections, checked my swr, and tuned up the amp.

Everything seemed to be going smoothly. I loaded the amp up to about 800 watts, and called CQ. During the resulting QSO, I was admiring the beautiful glow, that only four 572B tubes can provide. However, the four tube plates were also a bright cherry red color. I quickly blew off the QSO, and stopped sending CW. The tube plates stayed cherry red. I turned off the rig, put the amp in standby, and disconnected the tranceiver RF from the amp. Keying the amp relay again produced the cherry red plate glow,

with no input drive, and no amplifier output power. The amp did not appear to be self-oscillating, so tube bias point plate current should not provide enough dissipation to produce cherry red plates

I decided that the tubes must be bad. A phone call to Ameritron, resulted in 4 new tubes being delivered to me. I put in the new tubes, and fired up the amp. Again, cherry red plates with no exciter drive. Then, one of the new tubes shorted, and blew out a power transistor, inside the amp. I called Ameritron, who suggested I return the amp for repair. Whatever the shipping was(about $75.00), on an amplifier this size, it was quite difficult for me to pay. Especially since the amp had arrived essentially DOA. I informed Ameritron of the tube shorts, and the Cherry red plates, and told them to check for that.

I waited for the repairs. when I received the "repaired" amp back from Ameritron. I fired it up. Guess what. Cherry red plates again. While I was admiring the cherry red glow, one of the tubes shorted, internally, and blew out the same power transistor again, inside the amp. I went to the electronics store, bought a new transistor, and installed it. The result, was the return of the cherry red plate color again. I reached to turn the amp off, but before I could, I saw another tube short, and the back of the amp seemed to "explode" loudly. A call to Ameritron revealed that, during the repair, my amp had been modified to blow up ceramic disk capacitors, wired into the back of the amplifier, when a tube shorted, instead of blowing transistors etc. I was happy to trade exploding capacitors for exploding transisors. I went to the store, and bought some replacemant disk ceramic capacitors.

I ordered 4 new tubes (paid for all of them this time, because Ameritron had checked the original tubes, and they were "fine"), plugged them in, fired up the amp, saw another tube short, and the capacitors "blew up" again.

I removed the tube that had shorted, replaced it with one of the original tubes, checked OK by Ameritron during the factory repair, headed for the electronics store, and bought 16 more disk ceramic caps. I installed some new caps in the back of the amp, fired it up, observed the pretty cherry red tubes, and heard the "protection capacitors" explode again. I went through the "see the tubes short," "explode the caps","put in new caps", "watch the cherry red plates", "see the tubes short", routine about 5 more times, with no luck at all.

Another call to Ameritron resulted in the suggestion that I return the amp for repair, at about another $75.00 for shipping. At this point I realized that the grid bias was all wrong, on the 572B tubes. It was acting like the tubes were biased Class A, instead of Class AB2, and it had always been that way, on this amp.

I now had a new dead amp, that was going to cost me well over $100.00 total shipping costs to get it fixed, and I had no confidence any more, that Ameritron would actually check, to see if the amp worked, before they shipped it back to me again.

I also received a new AL-800, not fully assembled, with serious persisting problems. That story has a happier ending. I finished assembling it, and then repaired the amp myself. That write up will come later.

Perhaps the new AL572 and AL800 amps are more reliable, and the quality control is better. However, I don't think I care to pay more money for a third bite of the Ameritron amplifier apple, it has been a bitter one, for me.

I do have a Antenna analyzer, a MFJ-4225MV power supply, a MFJ-4035MV power supply, and an Ameritron QSK-5 QSK switch,

that are working just fine.

I finally purchased a Command Technology HF2500. It worked right out of the box, and is still going strong.
N3ZR Rating: 2003-12-02
Good after initial problems Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
After an initial problem the amp is fine. Bought from HRO, supplied with no-name tubes. I re-wired it for 240 vac before putting it on the air. Plate cap came off one of the tubes before I had the amp on the air. Ameritron supplied replacement. After two hours on the air, a tube shorted, blowing bias resistor and other components. Ameritron did repairs quickly and replaced the entire set of tubes. Everything okay since. On the air, the amp is clean, easy to tune and re-tune, meets or exceeds specs. Quiet, doesn't take up a lot of space. On-air comments have been that signal quality is excellent, doesn't sound like I'm using an amp (as has sometimes been the case with other amps). I usually run it no more than a KW out on SSB, a little less on CW, and work pretty much whoever I want, with a little extra power available to help break the tougher pileups.
S55DX Rating: 2003-09-05
Troubles Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Got mine new from HRO with no name brand tubes (not Svetlanas as advertised) installed. It worked for some 15 to 20 hours. After few loud bangs during the operation one of the tubes arc'd over destroying the bias transistor too. Replaced the tubes with a set of Chinese as suggested in one of the previous reviews. Hope they will do better.

Till now a lot of troubles for a little fun.
W9JCM Rating: 2003-04-01
No Bad Rap Here Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought this amp used. But in new condition with low time. The tubes are no name. This is the cleanest amp I have ever owned. It will do 1500 watts even on 10 meters. (Have owned amps capable of more power) I run it about 700 usually. The ALC works flawlessly if you like to use that. Its small, its newer tech, and you cant beat the price for a set of tubes! AM 250 watt dead key and almost 1KW on peps just a little beast. 5++++
KF4DHE Rating: 2003-03-13
Super "Legal Limit" Amp Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I've had just about all of the Ameritron amps thru the years and just purchased the AL-572 last week. I've got to say that this is one sweet little amplifier. Probably the best bang for the buck on the market today. Mine runs to Ameritron's specs to the watt. 75 in 1300 out 100 in 1500 out no problem. Yes, this IS a legal limit amplifier without a doubt. I was very surprised at how easy this amp makes power. Tunes up very smooth and runs very cool even at the 1500 watt level. You can hear the fan running but it's no where near as loud as the AL-1200 fan. I had the AL-800H as well and this is the same amplifier inside other than the tubes and a little smaller transformer. Everything else is the same. Very well made and workmanship looks to be top notch. I can't think of anything out there for the money that could be any better in a 1500 watt amplifier. I'm very well pleased with mine.
KC8TLF Rating: 2002-11-25
I'm happy. Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I've had my amplfier for about two months now. I bought it used on ebay from a fellow ham. He was nice enough to send me a couple mfj filters with it for free. I got it and it put out the power as advertised. I noticed that when you keyed down I could hear slight kind of buzzing noise. I talked to another ham that had one and he said his was perfectly quiet. I called up Ameritron on his advice just to make sure everything was good. I'm not sure who I talked to, but he was very helpfull. Not only did he explain that it was just he current inrush, but also helped explain some things about operating it. As far as the tubes go, after I got it I decided to buy some cheap tubes so that I'd have the orginals as backups or just to sell the amplifier with. I found dan d&c electronics had matched pairs for 34. I bought two pairs and with shipping I paid 78 dollars. I've had no problems with them or the amplifier at all. I would personaly recommend it.