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Reviews For: Yaesu FL-2100B/Z

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

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Review Summary For : Yaesu FL-2100B/Z
Reviews: 57MSRP: 2000.00
Description:
fl2100b
Product is not in production
More Info: http://www.foxtango.org
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00574.7
K7LZR Rating: 2013-12-27
Compact & works well Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This amplifier does as well as any other in its class. I have had no issues with mine and it has all original parts except for the tubes.

I only use tubes which have a proven good performance record and I'm careful to tune & load quickly & correctly and only into a good load.

I average about 750w PEP out with 75-100w of drive.

I have done no modifications whatsoever and honestly see no need to.

These are workhorse amplifiers and will usually last a long time if taken care of.
IZ0EAE Rating: 2013-03-07
Great Amplifier Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have the model FL2100B for about 10 years. I've always used the amp with a pilottaggio of 80 watts and antennas have low SWR 1.1 and I can say that the amplifier has always worked well without giving me any problems. In these 10 years I have not been very active and the amplifier has been stopped for about four years without ever being turned on. 2 years from now I began to do radio in a consistent and well my FL2100B had no problem to resume his work. Sper to be useful to someone leaving the following data:

Power input max 80 watts
Voltage HV 2400 volts
band 80 mt output 850 watts
band 40 mt output 850 watts
band 20 mt output 850 watts
band 15 mt output 730 watt
band 10 mt output 650 watts

Measurements with antenna SWR 1.2 and ROS Daiwa model CN801.

What else to say .... A GOOD LINEAR!!

73 de Angelo IZ0EAE
K4KBW Rating: 2012-08-07
Great AMP Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I just got one recently and it had a badly vaporized band switch in the 80 and 10 meter position , the rotors and contacts Gone. I found one in Canada from a friend NEW!!! still in the BAG! 5 hours and 30 pic's later I have a great amp, Cetron tubes, It works and performs very well.It also cleaned up well and has the plastic still on the front. My FT-101E station is complete.
Easy to work on , easy to tune and the tubes are always avail. some mods need to be done but I think its worth it you find a good one.
KJ6OPN Rating: 2012-04-04
Works Great and VERY Happy!! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I'm using this amp with a Kenwood TS-570S. I used the Ameritron ARB-704 to interface it with the newer style rig. PEP Watt Meter show it putting out over 1 Kw(1000 watts) for most and just under for some bands. I love this amp!
EI4KE Rating: 2011-09-12
find it, buy it. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
These are legendary, they work, bomb proof and with valves/spares easily acessed on the net, they represent great value for money.
If you see one for sale, buy it....... 5/5
SV9OFO Rating: 2011-01-22
Fine Business Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Got it free from a friend in a bad shape, but transformer was in a good shape and bandswitch had survived the punishment - that is all that was fine. Tank circuit caps replaced with much more robust types (yaesu put junk in it), HV choke rebuilt, and a fresh pair of chinese tubes along with the foxtango and W8JI mods for it (a fuse 630mA and a 22ohm R right before the tank safety short switch).

The amp will crank up to 600W SSB easily in all bands up to 20MHz (400w on 10m) and since legal limit is 500w where I live, I shouldn't ever even wish for more.

It is stable when you get to know it. During initial testing I blew a pack of 10 630mA fuses, each event could have cost me the transformer, the choke, the bandswitch or more. But Thomas Edison made the fuses so that they can protect your investment, so opt for them.

Now that I know all the steps to fire it on, i.e. a glimpse on the bandswitch before loading and using that dummy load position on my MFJ tuner, FL2100Z is totally predictable and loads up like a charm.

for the sum of $100 for the tubes, doorknobs and fuses, This could have been the cheapest 500W I have ever put on an antenna.

KA4ETV Rating: 2010-09-13
Solid as a rock Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I dont know about anyone else but my Fl2100b has been rock solid despite a lighting hit. The only problem was a bulb in the lighted switch for standby.

This amp is a great first amp, stand by, or main amp for anyone. No it's not a flashy piece but it works like a champ and in my estimation is built like a tank.
WZ7E Rating: 2010-05-03
2100b buyers beware Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I was surprised to see these rated above a 4.
Probably because the only survivors are the better examples of an overall poor design. Many parts seem overly vulnerable to failure including the fixed capacitors, meters, HV rf choke, parasitic suppressors, band switches, tubes, etc. Good grief, I even had to drill out half the screws just to swap out bad parts. I also see several mods, including full blown websites devoted solely to reworking these bombs.
Mercifully, my shack is now 2100b free and I will happily survive with my trusty sb-220 and al-84 amps.
AA0CX Rating: 2010-02-22
great Amp Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I got my FL-2100B about a month ago from a friend. The amp is in great shape, and puts out a solid 550-600 watts CW on all bands using 120 volts. Here's the scoop: I live in a 3-story apartment building, and my antenna is my downspout/gutter combination fed with LMR 400 using chicken wire for ground radials next to the foundation of the building. So far, no dreaded "knock on the door" from the neighbors. Everyone in the building seems to be on satellite TV (most units in this 18-plex seem to have a dish up). No problem with the building owner -- he knows, and gave me permission to load up the downspout.

The amp is great, it's all I need, I've been working some nice DX with it, and it can be run off 120 volts without making the lights in the place dim or tripping the breaker for the living room (shack)
73- Mark
KI6RSE Rating: 2010-01-20
GREAT AMP Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I PICKED UP THE FL 2100B FROM A FRIEND, IN REALLY CLEAN CONDITION THAT HAD BEEN STORED FOR 15 YEARS.. HAD SOME RAT CHEWED WIRES. PAID A COUPLE HUNDRED FOR CLEANUP AND SERVICEING , 500$ TOTAL IT WORKS GREAT WITH MY KENWOOD TS440.. 600+ WATTS AND NO PROBLEMS WHATSOEVER. VERY PLEASED..