[Elecraft] k2 and amp use

[Ron D' Eau Claire]

Some of those amps work, some are awful!

If you pick up an 'unknown' amplifier, you are responsible for it meeting
all current regulations regarding emission purity, harmonics, etc. just as
if you had designed and built it yourself.

It's not quite the same as picking up an old "boat anchor". Older equipment
had much looser technical requirements and they are NOT required to meet the
current rules. But if your "amp" is anything built in the last decade or so,
you are individually responsible for it meeting the current rules.

Like most privileges, there are two sides to our Amateur Radio Licenses. On
one side, they give us the authority to design and build our own gear if we
want. On the other side, we are personally responsible for the equipment we
use meeting the FCC rules.

A CB operator, on the other hand, has no personal responsibility for how his
equipment operates as long as he has not modified it! Just as you or I are
not responsible for our cellular phone going berserk and causing
interference - as long as we haven't opened it up and tinkered with it <G>.

Ron AC7AC
K2 # 1289

> I see a number of cb type amps listed for sale that are susposed to
> cover 80-10 meters at various power levels, but I am sure they are not
> giving the cleanest sig on the bands. how about some ideas on this for
> the times where 5 -10 watts won,t cut it and 40 or 50 would?
> ken w8ob