View Full Version : ALS 600 Amp
Had an Alpha and sold it but want to get a no tune amp for harder to break pile ups and was considering the ALS 600 no tune unit.
I am running a TS 870 to a Hygain Hy-tower. SWR on that tower can very and I was curious/concerned how tempermental this amp is with SWR's in the 1.7 to 1 or slightly higher?
I would also appreciiate owner comments on this unit...pros and cons
Thanks
K5RCD
09-24-2007, 03:28 PM
I don't have one - yet. I have been considering buying one. Maybe this year Santa will bring me one if I am a good boy. I have spoken with several owners on the air and all have reported excellent results with this amp, BUT all have said the unit goes into auto by-pass fail safe mode at between 1.8 and 2.0 SWR. If the auto tuner on your TS 870 can't reduce SWR below that, then just about any outboard tuner that can handle 600 watts or so should work OK. If you buy one, please give us a report on this board letting us know how it works for you.
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Found out that there is a two to three month wait for these units.
K2MMO
09-27-2007, 01:08 PM
I have the ALS 600S (Smaller power supply) and it is great .....I do not have an SWR problem with my antenna
but #on some bands I do get as high as 1.7 SWR at certain points in the bands...as the antenna is direct and not through the antenna tuner...(if the SWR got to high iI would switch to the Tuner)...and I get great results......Easy to tune, easy band switching....have not used it much...(used it on 20 and 40 Meters) but when I have loved it.....Definitely recommend it
K2MMO
09-27-2007, 01:09 PM
AES has them in stock
Bought a used one that had relay troubles. Got that fixed and love the amp. SWR is tight not over 1.5 -1.7 but if you start out with the drive turned down a little you should have no trouble. An auto tuner is next for me.The amp has gotten good reports on the air and the no tune feature is great. Check your line voltage and run it on a feed other then your radio. The amp does not like LoW line voltage.
Update
The trouble returned. SWR up and down fault light comming on and poor reception. So I went back to work and found the trouble 2 cold solder joints. Both on the small coax. After re soldering all troubles are gone. 90 watts in 500 out, 100 in 700 out. Reception now up to par with the amp out of the system. If you have trouble check them%$#^% solder joints. Too bad quality control is so poor cause this is a great amp.
w3scm
10-25-2007, 06:52 PM
Quote[/b] (k5rcd @ Sep. 23 2007,09:28)]the unit goes into auto by-pass fail safe mode at between 1.8 and 2.0 SWR. If the auto tuner on your TS 870 can't reduce SWR below that,
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Huh?
K5RCD
10-25-2007, 10:05 PM
Quote[/b] (w3scm @ Oct. 25 2007,13:52)]Quote[/b] (k5rcd @ Sep. 23 2007,09:28)]the unit goes into auto by-pass fail safe mode at between 1.8 and 2.0 SWR. If the auto tuner on your TS 870 can't reduce SWR below that,
http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif?
Huh?
Scott:
What do you fail to understand ?
"all have said the unit goes into auto by-pass fail safe mode at between 1.8 and 2.0 SWR. If the auto tuner on your TS 870 can't reduce SWR below that, then just about any outboard tuner that can handle 600 watts or so should work OK." # http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/cool.gif
w3scm
10-26-2007, 01:55 PM
Replied via private message.
K5RCD
10-26-2007, 02:32 PM
Quote[/b] (w3scm @ Oct. 26 2007,08:55)]Replied via private message.
Scott:
Thanks for the correction. As you graciously point out in your private e-mail, the tuner in the TS 870 being BEFORE the amp cannot adjust the SWR the amp sees. Thanks for not taking a public potshot. You are a true gentleman.
Not having a transceiver with built in amp I overlooked (DUH) that fact. A stand alone tuner should of course work as it would be between amp and antenna. #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif # http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/cool.gif
w3scm
10-26-2007, 02:39 PM
No problem, Randy. Happens to all of us.
If I was perfect, I wouldn't have to work for a living!http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
k7joe
11-17-2007, 11:37 AM
Good amp. Bought it used after missing out on a TenTec Hercules solid state amp. I have used it since about 1998. Serial number 104. Has been all over the world with me, and have the big heavy linear power supply. I find the various taps of the power supply are convenient for different countries....100V (japan) up through 240V. The MRF-150 transisitors are solid. They have made some improvements since my very early model. At best I get about 550W output with 100W input. The newer ones seem to have slightly higher output. But then again, 50 watts here or there does not make a bit of difference. It's a good amp, especially for the time-constrained operator who wants to point and fire versus peak and dip. 2 piece design is nice to save operator desk space, and the amp unit itself is light weight. I use an external SWAN KW antenna tuner between the amp and the antennas and all is great. The amp kicks to shutdown mode if SWR is high and if band input is incorrectly set. I also get better power output on 17M if running in the 20M position instead of the intended 17/15M position -- no noticeable spectral degradation...just the characteristics of my particular amp's band pass filter in there i guess.
The front ALC control is nice, but i wish this amp had QSK like a TenTec Hercules amp as I am 90% a CW operator.
I've had a new ALS-600S for about a month. It works very well. At first, I had some overload faults which I tracked down to a bad coax jumper connected to a coax switch. The high SWR had not been an issue with my tube amp but was with the new solid-state one. Replaced the jumper and all works very nicely now.
K7JOE, you can modify your ALS-600 to do QSK. Go to AD5X's web site at www.ad5x.com, click the link for modifcations and you will find detailed instructions and photos on how he replaced the open-frame relay in the amp with a couple of very fast switching enclosed relays that he says run fine on CW QSK. Much cheaper than buying the Ameritron QSK unit.
In the meantime, my new amp is one of the first redesigned ALS-600s which have auto band switching capabilities if you buy the optional ARI-500 interface. I intend to do that soon and start enjoying auto band switching. The interface takes band data from the rig and automatically switches the bandpass filters as it follows the rig from band to band.
73, N4KZ