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Reviews For: Spectrum Communications masthead pre-amplifiers

Category: Receive Pre-amps

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Review Summary For : Spectrum Communications masthead pre-amplifiers
Reviews: 1MSRP: Kit: £41.00, Ready built & boxed
Description:
MASTHEAD RECEIVE PREAMPS for 2 or 4 or 6 metres. 100W through rated on transmit. RF & DC switched and DC fed via the coax. Gain 20dB, NF less than 1.5dB. Supplied with a DC to RF Station Box with SO239 connectors for the shack. Heavy duty waterproof plastic box fitted with SO239 connector for feed coax and 1 metre of coax for connection to the antenna. Box size 82 x 80 x 50mm. Types RP2SM, RP4SM, & RP6SM. PCB & hardware kit £41.00, Ready Built £65.00. Masthead fitting kit £6.00.

MASTHEAD RECEIVE PREAMPS for 2 or 4 or 6 metres. 400W through rated on transmit. RF switched. Supplied via separate wire DC feed. Gain 20dB, NF less than 1.5dB. Protected against reverse and over voltage and against EMC transients at input and output. Heavy duty waterproof box fitted with SO239 connector for feed line and 1 metre of coax to connect to antenna feed point. Box size 82 x 80 x 50mm. Types RP2SH, RP4SH, & RP6SH. PCB & hardware kit £42.50, Ready built £65.00. Masthead fitting kit £6.00.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.spectrumcomms.co.uk/amateur.htm#RECEIVE_PREAMPS_MASTHEAD
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0015
LA2MOA Rating: 2010-09-19
Good value! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
These units from Spectrum Communications comes in different flavours for 6, 4 and 2 meters. You can choose to build them yourself or order them prebuilt and tested. Depending on model, they are capable of handling RF-power from 100W to 400W and they all have a NF of around 1dB. No, they are probably not the choise for the serious EME-operator on 144 MHz, but hardcore weak-signal work was never the intention with these units anyway.

I have the RP6SH for 50 MHz and RP2SM for 144-146 MHz and I couldn't be happier! The local noise level on 50 MHz in my sub-urban surroundings are way higher than the internal noise figure in the RP6SH, and this little amp is really doing a good job anyway. On 2 meters I use the RP2SM for the Mode B (Mode U/V) downlinks on my satellite array and the RP2SM is doing a beautyful job!

I've ordered both my units as kits, and I built them myself. These are not kits for the unexperienced kit-builder. You need to be able to read and understand instructions, as well as figure out one or two things yourself. If you're in doubt of your capabilities as a builder; order the prebuilt units.

Yes, the LNA:s kits from Down East Microwave are both somewhat cheaper and has much better NF, but you need to add some quite expensive coax realys if you need RX/TX-switching. I will use the DEMI LNA's in my upcoming EME arrays for 144 and 432.

The receive pre-amps from Spectrum Communications works fine for satellite and terrestial operation on 2 meters and really good for terrestial work on 6 meters, and in my humble opinion they are representing a good value, especially for the ham on a budget.

Well done, Spectrum!