[Elecraft] Amplifier Suggestions

[David Yarnes]

Frank and All,

There are some very good small amps out there.  Tokyo Hy-Power now offers an 
HL-45 that will run about 50 watts or so, and is a very good product.  I 
have their older version, the HL-50B, and it is a superb product as well. 
It is particularly useful with the numerous little QRP rigs I have around 
the shack when conditions just aren't that great for 5 watts or less. 
Another good product is the HF Packer amp, which has been upgraded to quite 
a nice package.

Problem is, these add-on amps are cumbersome, unless you plan to use them 
with several different rigs like I do.  Also, they aren't cheap, even if you 
find one that is used.

If you are just planning to use one with your K3/10, I'd very strongly 
suggest you bite the bullet and just add the Elecraft amp module.  It's 
probably even "pricier" than the alternatives mentioned above, but the 
convenience factor looms large.  It fits neatly inside your K3, doesn't 
necessitate a bunch of extra connecting cables, interfaces very nicely with 
your K3's firmware, etc.  Then you would have a fully controllable amp, all 
in one package, that you can simply dial up the power you want.  This is a 
lot more convenient than you might think, and especially if you realize that 
more often than not, you don't really need to go all the way to 100 watts, 
or even close to that, to improve your ability to communicate in tougher 
conditions.  50 watts or less may be all you really need, and you wouldn't 
get much more than that anyway out of the others mentioned above.  When 10 
watts or less is sufficient, you simply dial that up, and the amp module is 
effectively disengaged.  In my view, this is absolutely your best option, 
provided you can swing the cost issue.

If cost is a significant issue, there is one other type out there I'm 
familiar with, and frequently I see them offered for a much lower price 
(used).  These are the ones from RM Italy.  I have an HLA-150, and it is a 
pretty good amp--actually will run more than 100 watts.  It's also auto band 
switching.  If you get one of the "HLA" series, they do have proper bandpass 
filtering.  Other models apparently don't.  My biggest problem with this amp 
is that it's RF sensing capability isn't great--not like the Tokyo Hy-Power 
models.  So, you really need to key it directly, which is a problem with 
most of the little QRP rigs I have, since they don't have a keying line. 
Thus, this amp tends to clip dits and dahs here and there unless you do 
hardwire the keying.  Anyway, I've seen these being sold for something 
around a dollar a watt or so--a good bit cheaper than the others I 
mentioned.  There are also some concerns about this amp's purity when run up 
around it's stated capability.  At 100 watts or less, however, it seems to 
be acceptable.  W8JI did some extensive testing on this, and you might want 
to check out his comments if you are interested.

Bottom line--get the Elecraft amp module if at all possible.  In the long 
run, you won't regret it.

Dave W7AQK