Running massive linears.What's the point??

[ch25]

Define massive.
I run 8kW time to time, I know the guy doing 20kW SSB.
Btw, that amp does not seem to be professionally converted to SSB.
Just resistor work without stabilisation and temperature compensation.
Chris

[grafter]

Life's too short for QRP.

[MrWeetabix]

Define massive.
I run 8kW time to time, I know the guy doing 20kW SSB.
Btw, that amp does not seem to be professionally converted to SSB.
Just resistor work without stabilisation and temperature compensation.
Chris

Chris, where are you based though?

[ch25]

I live in Poland since a few years.

[MrWeetabix]

I live in Poland since a few years.

So why do you feel the need to run 8kw and on which bands? What made you first think "I really need more power..... 8kw will do" ?

[ch25]

CB band of course. 27.12 MHz to be precise.
I need more power, because PVC to be weld is thicker than the other, so I need 8 kW.
I use RF welders at my company, simple as that

[MrWeetabix]

ahhhh..... haha. Fair enough fella..... and well-played. You got me hook, line and sinker!

[ch25]

20 kW SSB is using a friend of mine, Harris transmitter, at military communication camp.
I play CB time to time, barefoot, just to avoid speed traps.

[Unit 148 Mobile]

I'll be devils advocate as I'm the one with the amp being discussed.

To Chris above who considers anything more than 150W is overkill. OK, remember we're talking a mobile here so one can delete the often suggested improve the antenna when one's already running a physically tall and resonant whip. The only way to improve ones signal is with an amplifier.

Of course you have to hear the station first and this is relevant of course.

So, while listening to a weak DX station with any rig whether running 12W, 100W or for that matter 150W. Conditions are poor and you just cannot make the trip. You can hear him, he cannot hear you, even with your 150W.

So, you have two options, give up, or improve your signal by a noticeable amount that being a minimum of 3db which is the minimum amount noticeable by most operators. This equates to doubling your RF power X 2 as has been explained, in the case of a bone stock 12w pep sidebander up to 50W. My amplifier was designed to be driven by a similar power rig albeit a low power amateur transceivers which used to be out there, FT707S, FT301S and similar 10W PEP output transceivers. I'm licensed so prefer not to be stuck with 11m only and I'm going back to the days in the 80's when in London at least you could be stopped for having anything that looked like a CB antenna on your vehicle. My get out of jail card was a multi-band transceiver and an amateur license and I was stopped a fair few times by Eric Gotts & Co from the RIS, sometimes by the police who asked me to hold on while someone from the RIS arrived to checkout my equipment and license. Crazy days indeed.
Now, back to the amp story and why I consider I needed one. You could not be heard by increasing your power by 3db, but suddenly by increasing your power by over 10db I found in more than one case (while truly mobile mind you and not parked up on your favorite hill) that I in many cases had those weak ones coming back to 'me'.

312 confirmed countries (including all 50 US states mobile to mobile) all mobile confirms I was correct - I hope it does not upset but I do like running as high power as possible - responsibly.

Unit 148 Mobile

[speeddemon]

People doing any long distance dxing need to run a amp ..at times . thats what they where design for.. pce n 73's

[ch25]

I asked my friend about using an amplifier.
Reason is simple he said. To be 6dB over pileup whatever power it takes.
Chris

[speeddemon]

We use to have a guy over here that ran a big amp and blank out a few channels and bleed over all 40 channels .. dont know what he was running but he was shutdown by uncle Charlie.. after a month of being a pain in da neck ..

[stanogs68]

CB band of course. 27.12 MHz to be precise.
I need more power, because PVC to be weld is thicker than the other, so I need 8 kW.
I use RF welders at my company, simple as that

wouldnt it weld your cables ?

[speeddemon]

Whatever he was running prob could.. .lol .. but It sure did pissed off a few ppl and blew a few ppls cb radio's front ends out and lighted up a few dozen porch lights and few of his neighbors tv's went crazy and set off a dozen car alams off. When he got on it. pce n 73's

[wa10]

You don't need much power to smoke somebody's radio if you are close enough

years ago Me and a local were having a keydown during one of our many foxhunting evenings, my 2pill homebrew on 19.5volts vs his lightly modified kl500 on two batteries & 120amp alternator,

a local 2e1 decided he would join in & pulled his car between us, first key the 2e1 said i can smell burning,
i could hear arcing in my rx with nobody keying & moved my car away from him, 2e1 stayed put for a second go,

2nd key smoke started coming out of his icom 703, twenty odd components went up in smoke.