Issue #32: VK-AMPS Expands the Ultra High-Power Linear Amp Market

Ain't that the truth! Although I had an ALS-600 for a few years in the early 2000's, and never experienced any issues/problems with it. I *think* their QC was better back then (or I was lucky), compared to all the Ameritron (MFJ) complaints you read and hear about today. When you take it out of the box and before you power it up, shake it to hear if anything is rattling around. Better still, open it up to check solder connections. Even the developer, W8JI, won't do repair work on them anymore.

Talk about quality, since then I've had two other SS amps...a THP HL-1.5 kFX (7 years), and currently an Acom 1200s (3 years). Never a problem with either one through many contests. No need to shake or open them up
Bob K7JQ

 

Is it just me or does the dude in the graphic look like Al Pacino? Anyway, good read. Thanks!

 

Dude in graphic is the author! A few years and a lot of hair ago however….

 

I have been going through some of Tesela's papers, Tesela the inventor, not the rich guy, anyway as soon as I can get my minuture nuclear power plant reactor certified and the ten acres cleared of trees in order to put up a 900,000 KW transformer and install a antenna aray using 1 ott copper wire I will be able to bleed over all of the worlds airwaves, at least until the ionosphere catches on fire.

But until then while waiting the reactor to be certified I will enjoy making QRP contacts, that is 1 watt to 5 watts of pure power to communicate all over the globe. And be making contacts to the $10.000 stations as well, David verses Goliath so to speek.

Every one have a very Merry Christmas and may your, and my dreams come true. 72' everyone. HO HO HO.

 

Hi Ken, I notice that we both use the same QRP rig, a couple of MountainTopper guys! Love mine. Tomorrow (Christmas) I hope to be receiving the Discovery TX-500 QRP rig for SSB and other modes into the same setup here. . . . Curious as to whether you ever put 4-5 W out of the MT'per into that Hex Beam antenna? Thanks for your post and have a wonderful holiday, Dave W7DGJ

 

You know, I am a bit off, headed that is, I spent money on a new tower and a Kenwood Tranceiver, scratch built the hexbeam and bought all of the stuff that goes with it, here is the kicker I have not used any of it in several years. I just use one of my QRP rigs and endfed antannas, put in a pack hop on the motorcycle and head for the hills and play radio. I wish I knew how much fun it would be to take a small simple rig and a wire out, relax and make some contacts, throw in some QSO's, I sure would have saved a lot of money.

To answer your question, I have not, maybe when I get where I can no longer get out of the house I might give a try. at 70 yrs now any thing can happen,...........Three soores and ten.

 

Is it just me, or does the picture of the dude in the blog header look like a young Al Pachino? Whenever I see it I think "you're out of order, and you're out of order!!" LOL

73, Ken
WB1DX

 

I am no relation to Al, but thanks

 

I am somewhat curious as to why this Amp is not being discussed over at

https://forums.qrz.com/index.php?forums/amateur-radio-amplifiers.89/ ?

Pheek

 

I am somewhat curious as to why this Amp is not being discussed over at



It is called Tunnel vision, haahah,
well for a start it isn't made in USA? so it doesn't count. ?
Onder & Uncle Alex have been collaborating a LONG TIME before Mercury appeared on scene.

+ a few facts, 16-1 Combiner NOT 9-1
NO PSU volt & amp starvation
Field replaceable MHT-1803 devices 25 Bucks a throw,
MASSIVE Digikey Heatsink ( very expensive) dual pallet, same HS FOR SINGLE pallet WC Amp as well, so WC can run as AIR COOLED
all seems to easy to work??
ask the Australian Federal GOV, they have, getting near 2 DOZ in service, 1kw / 2kw
NO FAILURES

I have also had both the Reviewed amp, and now the MASTER PLUS 2 x 1K80 65V WATER COOLED,
now that is something to excite a chubby,



yes qrp is nice,
qrp when one station has a 3 OVER 3 OVER 3 Full size on 40m starting at 200ft down, running 1.5kw ( happened twice last week 1800z OH7WP)
and QRP guy has 5w and EFHW
please tell me what is QRP about that contact?
ok if BOTH stations are using same gear.
but the contact goes in the log as a QRP contact,
same deal as 5w QRP guy using KIWISDR or any SDR to give reports??
QRP my backside.

I shall go find my fire blanket.

Dennis vk4sx

 

a blind pig building amps with a plumbers torch would put MFJ to shame.

 

Probably because his company is pretty obscure at this point, especially to U.S. hams. His website certainly doesn’t help either…it just shows various modules to build a kit. His workmanship looks top-notch, but to properly market his pre-built amps world-wide he’ll have to seriously revamp his website.

Dave’s column is the first I’ve ever heard of VK-Amps, and I did plenty of research before I decided on a Mercury LUX, which I just took delivery of this week.

 

I own one and the product is amazing. It has all kind of protections. It protects from voltage, SWR, REF, max PWR, temperature, from myself and a lot more.

 

Dennis, took me awhile to reply to this. I had a couple of issues with it.

For one, I have never found eHam or the QRZ forums to be "USA exclusive." We have the whole world of operators jumping into QRZ, and eHam I know makes a point of reviews for products from all over the world. If Australian and S. Pacific hams have bought the amp and not supported it in social media, you can't blame it on America. Thanks for your understanding. With the Mercury amps, they were popular from the beginning and people put their thoughts into writing. Why don't you take it on yourself -- get those countrymen of yours to start writing reviews and talking about the product. I agree that it is a very solid product and one that, once it is "officially" sold with FCC certification in the USA, should do quite well. It has many of the same features as the Mercury brand of amps, and maybe even one or two it doesn't have. But you know, the BIG thing it doesn't have is years of positive experiences from customers when there is a problem. If there will be user issues in the future, and that WILL happen, how will Onder deal with them? I really like Onder - nice guy, so I'm betting he'll do as well as Kenny, but he'll always be thousands and thousands of miles away.

The other thing I'd like to note is that you shouldn't assume that Alex's products are all designed by him. Boards/circuits/designs that come from this source may have been designed by others. At some point, the actual designer of some of those boards may be more aggressive. Check out Alex's site and scroll down the product page and look at the schematics shown there. While many of them no longer have a date and signature, one of them was left intact and has another's name and a 2018 date in the bottom right hand corner. Dave, W7DGJ

 

Just like the Mercury amps do. Any SS amp without those protections is not worth it. Mercury's also have a digital power limit protection to prevent/protect users from running the snot out of them, which maximum power long continuous carriers they're not designed for.

I think I asked this question in another post: Are the fully assembled VK-Amps FCC type-accepted for use here in the States?