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Reviews For: Palomar P-312X transceiver preamp

Category: Receive Pre-amps

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Review Summary For : Palomar P-312X transceiver preamp
Reviews: 3MSRP:
Description:
A solid-state preamp that covers 160M through 6M.
Product is in production
More Info: http://
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0034.7
N0TLD Rating: 2020-12-14
Worthy addition Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have used a number of rx preamps and preselectors over the years, and even though I LOVE lots of switches and knobs and 'playing radio', I generally believe that even the best preamps are not really necessary most of the time... but they *can* really help (sometimes remarkably well) in some situations.

This model is as fine a preamp as any I've used. My main preamp has for a long time been the very worthy Ameco PT3, but I've just gotten this Palomar unit, and I have been comparing the two for the last few days... and frankly I find them damned near identical in quality and success in their low noise amplification of edge-of-hearing signals.

Again, I don't believe rx preamps are automatically a 'great' idea or even needed most of the time. I think it would be best to just have the most efficient antenna system possible and not need any pre-anything if you can possibly avoid it. Even the best preamps increase noise along with signal, so the basic concept of rx add-ons like these is not necessarily 'great' to my way of thinking.

But if you find yourself in a situation where such a thing is needed, then you will want a great product. This model is exactly that. It's great.

It has the usual band selector switch (1.8 MHz to 30MHz in four stops), smooth tuning via a nice big air variable cap (not a cheaper plasticky polyvaricon-type tuner) and variable gain control. It is *not* high gain, which sets it apart from a lot of preamps -- it doesn't hiss or overload or 'flat-top' the way most lesser units (I'm looking at *you* MFJ) tend to do. It has a variable delay for tx/rx relay switching, and it behaves just as reliably as the Ameco unit in that regard.

It will be a backup for me -- my modified Ameco PT3 adds a second-rx-antenna-switching/relaying feature so that remains my main preamp -- but if the Palomar unit had that same feature, I'd absolutely call them equal in their usefulness.

It's just a great little box.
WA0ZZG Rating: 2013-06-04
Well worth it Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I found it at a garage sale for a couple of dollars. Downloaded a four page manual with a hand drawn schematic. Consider it an active preselector with T/R switch. Has about 10-15db of gain using a dual gate mosfet. Average noise figure for a 40673. Put it ahead of a Terratec DSP dongle and boy what a difference. Good combination of a old and new technologies.
N4UE Rating: 2009-09-15
Nice 'ears'! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I just picked up a Palomar P-312X from ePay, er, eBay.
The price was great, and the unit was very well packed.
I was just blown away by the condition of the unit. Except for a little dust on the knobs, it looked brand NEW. (I am NOT a germ-a-phobe, but I clean EVERY piece of equipment I get. About 5-6 pieces / week. Ya never know where those fingers have been! ha ha
Anyway, this little preamp works fantastic. It adds no additional noise that I can detect. It doesn't have 40db+ of gain. I have a quiet QTH and it really brings weak signals up from the noise floor.
I LIKE it!!!!

ron
N4UE

(having FUN in Grid EM80)