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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
W9BGX Rating: 2011-08-05
Top amateur radio quality- comparable to laboratory grade Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
We've used the Alpha 8410 since early May 2011 at W9BGX, the Northwestern University Amateur Radio Society. This is an extremely well-built and robust amplifier, comparable in quality to laboratory-grade equipment that I'm familiar with, but at a lower cost. The 8410 is easily driven to the legal limit in SSB mode with 40 watts of drive. With both the exciter and the 8410 essentially in the middle of their respective linear ranges, intermodulation is minimal, and transmitted bandwidth and audio quality reports are uniformly excellent. The factory settings for tuning of the 8410 are accurate to drive our Cushcraft X7 beam without any need to retune. Hence, bandswitching can be accomplished in a few seconds. The automated monitoring of the operating state of the 8410 is at the state of the art. I am proud to operate such well-engineered equipment which allows our station to transmit a clear and strong signal around the world.

73, Al WA9JLV
Trustee, W9BGX
KI4KWS Rating: 2011-07-09
SMOOTH! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Picked this amp up at the 2011 Dayton Hamvention. Easily the best amp purchase I have made. Built very solid. Easy to tune and they have really made this amp to last. Manual is easy to understand and they include factory settings to make tuning a breeze. Even I could not cause a fault on intial tune up. Good solid feel to the knobs. Band switch is super strong and takes a little effort to switch. I doubt it will ever wear out. Molly was a joy to talk to as well when making the purchase. I was given a great deal and purchased the 4520 meter at the same time. On 80 meters 25 in will give about 1400 out. About the same on the other bands. Fantastic reports on the audio with no problem being heard. I really did not think I would spend this sum of money on an amp but buyers remorse was gone the first time the amp was used. The amp is a gem. Save your change and pick one of these up. You will NOT be sorry.
NG4P Rating: 2011-05-03
Great amp! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have owned my 8410 for two years and now feel comfortable adding my praise for this amp to the other positive reviews that have been posted. Not being an electronics expert, I can not add anything to the many other 5.0 reviews other than to say that I completely agree with their comments. I have been very pleased with the 8410 and it has lived up to all my expectations. I will say that it has preformed without any problems in spite of the abuse (wrong band settings, bad antennas) that I sometimes subject it to. During the first weeks of ownership, I contacted Alpha twice with questions and both times I received quick helpful responses in the form of personal phone calls.
KI4SIS Rating: 2011-04-27
FABULOUS AMP Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
ONLY OWNED THIS 8410 FOR A SHORT WHILE AND ONLY HAD TO USE IT 4 TIMES AND EACH TIME WORKED FLAWLESSLEY AND WHEN THEY SAY REACH OUT AND TOUCH SOMEONE THIS AMP DID JUST THAT AND EVEN MORE.
NL7Y Rating: 2011-04-07
Excellent Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I enjoy and appreciate quality American products. I can't always afford them, but as time goes by it's important to own what pleases and lasts.

I recently bought a pristine used Alpha 8410 and am completely satisfied with the product, sales process, and shipping. Molly and others at RF Concepts - Alpha amplifiers know how to accomidate the customer and their needs.

As others have noted, the amp is very easy to setup and tune even into non-resonant loads. Quality is readily visible and bone deep. A little over 30W in yields a clean legal limit with no RF frying the house appliances and the neighbor's electrical toys. I expected nothing less from Alpha and they delivered 100% on that promise.

73, Gary NL7Y
N9PYS Rating: 2011-03-27
Pure Alpha! Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Just got back from my friends shack and testing his 8410. I must say it is another piece of excellant engineering by the Masters. I own a 76a and a 91b and love them also, but the 8410 is very similar to the 91b but it just seems easier to tune. My hats off to Molly and the gang for putting out an American made amp, that sets the path for others.
KJ7E Rating: 2011-03-10
Even better then I hoped for Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Im rebuilding my station from scratch and wanted an amplifier that would meet 4 simple goals. Small, Quite, run an easy 1500 out, and would be reliable.

Over the years I have had Clipperton L's, HA-10, SB-200 and SB-220's, then quite a few Henrys from the 1KD5, 3KD Premier, 5K Classic-X 8877 and 4K ultra. So I have had a few amps and a few that would idle at legal limit, but this was my first Alpha. Of all the amps I have had none would meet all of my 4 goals I was looking for now.

I have to admit, I was in a bit of a shock after I plunked down the price tag for the 8410, wondering what the hell I just did. The day the amp arrived and I pulled it out of the very careful and redundant packaging I started to see why I bought this amp. I pulled the cover to install the transformer and all my buyers remorse faded away as I realized I have never owned a piece of Ham Radio gear built with such quality construction and components (aside from the Henry 4K Ultra maybe).

See here for internal Photos of my Alpha 8410.
http://s241.photobucket.com/albums/ff146/wsmc551/Ham%20Radio/

Tune up is easy, and the output is plentiful. In to my DL5K dummy load and through my LP-100A wattmeter 35-37 watts CW will give a good honest 1500 out on 20m, 40m, and 75m (have not tested it elsewhere yet). 55 watts drive will give 2200+ CW out easy. The green Grid current LED does not even light up until about 2100 CW out and I have never see the Red Max Grid current LED even flicker so far. The plate current is about 0.8 amps at 2800-2900 volts for 1500 CW out and about 1.2 amps at 2700-2800 volts for 2200 CW out.

See my youtube video of the amp in operation,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzYzpX5fqYo

Alpha's go the metering on the front panel down pat. Its easy to use, see and the movement with the peak hold is beautiful. The 3 speed DC brushless blower is very quite but has a bit of a rough tone to it as all DC brushless motors I have played with do. I have tripped the amp few times with making the common mistakes of forgetting to turn down the drive level of the 200 watt exciter and not switching the band switch. All fault and protection operations worked exactly like they should have.

Other notes, the vacuum relay is very quite, I had to work at getting the blower to its medium speed (still relatively quite), the service and pre-sales phone support from Alpha has been excellent thus far.

So does this amp meet my 4 goals of Small, Quite, run an easy 1500 out and reliable? So far very easily. With a 4 year warranty (name one other Ham Radio manufacturer that does that) Im confidant I will see many years of good use out of this amp. This product deserves a every bit a solid 5.

WD8OSS Rating: 2011-02-24
Magnificent Amplifier Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I wanted a legal limit amplifier that I could use for full break-in cw with my Ftdx 5000. My previous amplifier could not be configured so that I would have the option of working qsk. With the Alpha one connection and that was all it took. The QSK works perfect and lightning fast. I am more than pleased with the customer service that I have received before deciding on the purchase and after when I needed some advice. I sent an e-mail and they followed up with a phone call the next day. That's awesome and almost unheard of in this day and age.

What prompted me to do this review today was the fact that I was able to break a pile up on 20 meters this morning while he was working Europe and was in the noise level here in Ohio.

The Alpha 8410 is a winner and just love it. The quality of this amplifier is second to none. I look forward to using it for years to come.

David Wd8oss
KC4YLX Rating: 2011-02-11
Prefection Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
My first experience with RF Concepts was when I purchased a new Alpha 99. That review is logged under the Alpha 99 section on eHam. I have to say that after taking a bit of time away from the hobby I was very pleased to call Molly and order my current 8410 from stock! Yes, they had stock and shipped my order right away.
The build quality of this amp is what I expected since I had already owned the Alpha 99 in the past.
The amp tuned up right on the mark, produced full limit power, plus, into my dummy load. Runs quite and has the fit and finish of the highest craftsmanship of any product I have seen or owned. The on the air audio reports say that the amp is very clean. There is really nothing I can think to add that has not already been said. This amp is right at home next to my Ten Ten Orion II and I am sure will serve me very well long into the future. This is something my son will be proud to own one day.

If you want the best, and second best will not be ok, then you will be calling Molly too.
K8IA Rating: 2011-01-26
Solid full duty 1500w amp! Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I've had the 8410 about 7 months now. This is, primarily a Multiop-Two Transmitter contest station (K8IA/N7AT) for the major DX contests and this amp gets LOT of use.

It's been run at it's rated 1500w output for continuous 48 hour contest periods, and even during RTTY contests, where amps really get pushed due to higher duty cycle.

No problems at all. No ill effects. Keeps on going like the Energizer Bunny. It's an Alpha!

73, Bob K8IA, President
Arizona Outlaws Contest Club - N7AT