ALPHA 8410 Problems

[W3XAF]

I bought an ALPHA 8410 on 2/1/2012. The serial number is: 841012050301. The amplifier worked fine for about three weeks. After three weeks, the 250V/2 Amp fuse blew every time I turned the amplifier off. I finally ran out of spare 250V/2 Amp fuses and bought about 15 fuses from Radio Shack. The Radio Shack fuses did not blow every time I turned the amplifier off. Yesterday, I was tuning up on 20-Meters. When I reached 1200 watts, I heard a "sizzling" noise, smelled burnt electronic parts and noticed that the RF Output LEDs had extinguished. The Grid MIN and MAX LEDs work fine but I no longer have any illuminated LEDs when I tune up my ALPHA 8410. The LEDs themselves are not burned out because I can see them illuminate on tune-up. Also, the HV KV, GAIN and IPA LEDs still work fine.

On March 27, my ALPHA 8410 died on me while I was tuning up on 20 Meters. I heard a crackling noise and then smelled electronic parts burning, ie., resistors, inductor coils or transformer wire, and then I couldn't use the ALPHA any more to tune up. It’s completely dead!! No output whatsoever.

[W9GB]

I don't understand why you are posting this here.

1. First mistake is constantly replacing fuses, without understanding WHY.
2. It appears you never called Alpha for Free Support --- the unit is under warranty.

Ship the unit back to Alpha and ask what failed.

w9gb

[AC0H]

You should have called Alpha when it blew the second fuse.
Never heard of an amp blowing a fuse on shutdown, unless you installed the transformer incorrectly.
It's still under waranty, call them, ship it back and have it fixed.

[KO6WB]

You deserve an amplifier that gives you the performance you need. The 8410 should not have been giving you this much trouble. The folks at Alpha make extermely good products but every now and then a rare one causes problems. You have been very patient much more then you should have been. I would have packed that amplifier up when the first fuse blew. Perhaps you got an amplifier that was made on a Monday morning or a Friday afternoon. That's really no excuse though.
I'll join with the others and suggest you return the 8410 to the folks at Alpha. Their customer service is good. Contact them and tell them your problem. I'm sure they will do everything to resolve it and then you will have the amplifier you should of had.
73
Gary