[Drake] L4B opinion

[Jerry Kincade]

I'd be very hesitant to run an L4B on 120 Volt power, but if you do it be
sure it's on it's own private 30A circuit and uses #10 wire, similar to the
circuit clothes washers are usually on. A better choice with existing wiring
would be one of the 1 KW PEP jobs using 811A's or 572B's, but as far as I
know Drake never made an amp in that class, so the SB-200 would probably be
my choice, the Collins being famous for being somewhat underdesigned and
overworked. OTOH, if you have to go to the trouble to run a special circuit
for 120 anyway, why not just run in a 30A 240V circuit instead, using #10
wire? Then you can run whatever the neighbors can stand (except Henry 8K's
and a few others). Besides, a shack without 240 is like a day without
sunshine. :-)
73, Jerry W5KP

----- Original Message -----
From: "R.J.Keller" <rkeller@ij.net>
To: <drake@mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Monday, March 25, 2002 7:42 AM
Subject: [Drake] L4B opinion


> OK, I admit it, I don't know much about linears except how they work.
> There's the Drake, the Heath and the Collins, the 3 most popular of
> the classic amp's. In my 32+ years of Amateur Radio, I have never
> owned or operated a linear.
>
> How does the L4B compare to the SB220? Of course the Collins in a
> separate breed, the 30L1 using 811A's with lower power and the 30S1
> being the high power cream of the crop. The SB200 and the 30L1 I
> believe are similar only in the fact they are 1KW amps. I know the
> 811A's are cheaper than the 572B's but I know nothing about
> performance.
>
> I am also interested in the power requirements. I don't have 220V in
> the shack or nearby. That is an important limitation if any of the
> amps perform better with the higher supply voltage and lower current
> draw.
>
> My personal favorite at first glance is the L4B due to it's very
> rugged design.
>
> Any opinions, insight and technical comments are most welcome.
>
> 73, Dick KF4NS
> Keep the glow!
>
> _______________________________________________
> Drake mailing list
> Drake@mailman.qth.net
> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/drake
>