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Reviews For: Alpha 8410

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

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Review Summary For : Alpha 8410
Reviews: 114MSRP: 5395
Description:
The Alpha 8410 utilizes an enhanced version of the bombproof RF deck, found in the Alpha 99 and Alpha 8100. On the 8410’s control board you’ll find a microprocessor that allows us to normalize amplification performance, calibrate the power and gain metering for each specific band, and increase reliability and durability. All of these functions aggregate into a single greater benefit for the user, ease of tuning. The 8410 comes standard with USB and serial ports for remote monitoring and performance data logging. The power supply stack found in the 8410 has been designed for maximum durability and reliability, while allowing for extremely easy voltage tap changes.

This amplifer is handcrafted, designed, and built in Boulder, Colorado, USA, comes with a 4-year warranty.

Tubes: 2 x 4CX1500B Tetrodes
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.alpharfsystems.com/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
001144.9
VE6AMI Rating: 2014-02-15
A CW / RTTY Powerhouse Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
A true 100% duty cycle unit on any band or mode. Use only top quality coax in your system. With the free AE9K software monitor via a USB connection, all "under the hood" operating parameters can be easily followed. Presently using the amp with a K3 radio (K3 programmed for optimized band by band drive power) with very easy tuneup.
KF4FK Rating: 2014-02-10
My new Alpha 8410 Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
After 24 years of being a Ham, I decided it was time to purchase a HF Amplifier.

Not knowing what features to look for and what companies have the best reputation, I took a survey of my Ham Club friends. Over 85 percent said if I could afford it, buy an Alpha.

I have had my Alpha 8410 for about six weeks now. I have never worked so much DX in such a short time.

This Alpha is built like a tank, easy to tune, and I really like having a band switch that supports the WARC bands.

I know that I have only had my Alpha a short period of time so I will write another review in the coming months.

73 - KF4FK
N4ALR Rating: 2013-12-27
great amplifier Time Owned: more than 12 months.
great performer. runs all day without a hiccup. over engineered, built to take a full day of operating, positively a lifetime purchase. would highly recommend. believe the ad with the brick!
KB5VE Rating: 2013-12-25
Time tested Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have owned my 8410 for three years. Bought it over the hone without even seeing in person. Took advantage of the Huntsville hamfest special. I have owned a lot of legal limit amplifiers. Thought I would never go back to a tube amp from solid state until I saw the two 4cx1000a tubes, I was hooked!
I have always missed my Collins S1with a single 4-1000a.

After a wire transfer and getting to know Molly very well I had a delivery to my house of a pallet with tow boxes all very well packed . Naturally being a good ham I put the amp togetiner then read how to do, guess what, I did it right! Then the fun started, tune up. Along with a very good manual was the pages showing the tune up on each band giving me a starting spot. All went well, the first thing I found out was I had a amplifier that could get me in trouble power wise real easy. In to a dummy load 2500 plus was easy to get. After settling on low power 1500 watts I made my first Ssb contact. My fiends first impression was dale your signal is great do you have a new am?

I did notice some issues with the fan over the next three months. Molly worked with me and finally they sent me a new fan. The offered for me to send it in but I felt I could change it out. One thing lead to another and the Huntsville ham fest came up and we agreed to bring it to the fest and they would change out and send back. But when I delivered they said they could change it out that night. there was a problem and it had to be repaired at the factory and delivered back to my home. I had them install the optional fan just in case.
For the next year and a half no issues. Then one night I noticed the normal 19watts of drive I used to get 1500 watts was producing 2500 watts with a high swr on the input. Conversations with the techs determined there was a issue. I shipped just the rf deck to RFConcepts and the located the problem and did all the updates of new and better parts plus a new firmware.all under the four year warrenty . I feel just saying this is the best amplifier is note enough. You should see the whole picture. We are dealing with electronic equipment which will break down. Yes judge the quality of the product but also judge the after sales service. Mine was great, yes I had two problems but so what, it's how they took care of it. I am extremely satisfied with my American made amplifier , driven by my American made flex 6500 fed into my American made Tennadyne log antenna. I feel I have the best of all three worlds and I can drive to each of the manufactures and yes they talk English.

I will close saying based on my experience with the 8410 and RFConcepts a 5 is a low score. As long as they keep their focus on servicing their customers and building amps with gobs of headroom they will be the gold standard. Be proud to say yes OM I run a alpha!

K9GS Rating: 2013-11-10
Terrific Amp Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I've had this amp on the air for about a week. So far it's everything the others have written. tunes effortlessly, plenty of output.

I've been using the AE9K monitoring software for a few days. Really works well and tells you a lot about what's going on inside the box.

My only complaint with the amp is that it took almost 8 weeks to get due to some back ordered parts.

One interesting point. According to RF Concepts, they consider the 4CX1000A and 4CX1500B tubes interchangable. My amp supposedly shipped with the 4cx1500B tubes. I haven't taken the chimneys off to confirm.

When ordered, I had the choice of a spare set of tubes or a wattmeter. I took the tubes and they are due to arrive this week.

73,

Gary K9GS

GM0LIR Rating: 2013-11-09
Workhorse - Built to Last Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I got the amp for CQWW SSB this year.Did not bring my tune sheet to the contest station e-mail alpha got a reply from them. The amp fault protection works had some bad patch leads the dose what it say on the box.

48 hours on 40 Mtr SSB 2074 qso 35 zone 113 dxc

GREAT AMP ALPHA 8410
73 GM0LIR (GM0B)
W6UV Rating: 2013-10-29
Built Like a Brick Outhouse Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
The Alpha 8410 is the first amplifier I've owned. I was considering various models of Ameritron amplifiers, but am glad that I spent a little more to get Alpha quality.

I ordered the amplifier at the Visalia DX Convention this past April and the unit arrived on my doorstep three days later. It was very well packed in two separate boxes. The first (larger) box contained the amplifier itself, and a smaller box contained the main transformer. The transformer was bolted to a piece of plywood to keep it secure during shipping.

Installing the transformer was easy, although the clearances are small enough that it makes sense to have a helper available to help guide the transformer into place. I tipped the amplifier chassis up on its right side to make it easier to slide the transformer into place. There are videos available on Youtube that show how to install the transformer, if it's not obvious from the instructions.

The 8410 is easy to tune. It uses two LED bar graph meters rather than the traditional moving needle meters. Although I find the LED meters usable, I would have preferred old fashioned moving needle meters. I found that a full tune-up takes about five seconds. Tuning is a little broad, but not unreasonably so.

This amp is built like a tank. The band switch is very robust and has a very nice, satisfying "thunk" when switching bands. The tuning knobs also have a good feel.

In my station, it takes about 30 watts of drive to get a full 1500 watts of output on 20-10M. The 8410 uses two 4CX1000A tetrodes in a swamped-grid configuration, so it's important not to drive it with more than 50 watts of input power. Since my FTDX-5000 is capable of 200 watts output, I stuck an index card checklist on the desk in front of the amp to remind me to turn the power down before setting the amp to operate mode. The amp can handle 500 watts in bypass mode, so operating the FTDX-5000 barefoot at full output power is not an issue.

The 8410 has several robust protection circuits that prevent damage from operator error or other fault conditions. I've only managed to fault it once when I forgot to reset the tune and load controls when changing bands. The fault condition indicators are somewhat cryptic and require reference to the manual to determine the cause of a fault.

The 4CX1000 uses an indirectly heated cathode, which means that it must be up to temperature before high voltage is applied. The 8410 enforces this with a three minute timer when it's turned on. The amp indicates the remaining time in the uppermost LED bar graph. Three minutes may not seem like a long time, but it can seem like forever when a rare DX station is working a quickly growing pileup and you're staring at the LEDs waiting for them to count down to zero!

One interesting feature the 8410 has is a USB interface. This is normally used to update the firmware on the amp, but the amp also sends detailed telemetry data to a computer over the link. This includes far more information than can be displayed on the LED front-panel bar graphs. AE9K has a fantastic little Windows application that displays this data in a very useful way.

I have used the amp now in several contests and it has performed well. Blower noise ramps up automatically during heavy use, but since I use headphones 100% of the time, I did not find it objectionable.

RF Concepts has excellent customer service and support. I've had occasion to speak to them a few times and got first-rate service every time.
KC5WDV Rating: 2013-09-25
Great Amp Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Great amp and better support.
Had a few problems which Alpha folks took care of in short order.
Great Folks to deal with.
K5ZE Rating: 2013-09-25
5 Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have had the Alpha 8410 for 1 month now and all
I can say is "Awesome". From heavy duty parts in the unit to 30 watts of drive from the K3 for full output , This amp is a keeper.

K5ZE
AC4R Rating: 2013-09-22
The Best ! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have owned my 8410 for two years now. This is a rock solid amp which is the king of the hill. Tuning is a snap with 35 watts of drive for full legal power . This amp easily handles long key down AM transmissions. Waiting for the new 4040 4KW auto tuner-station monitor to be released. It will be the next Alpha on the bench. The other Amp companies only warranty their products for one year this shows what they think of their products. Alpha has a four year warranty ! Buy the best ALPHA !

AC4R