Ameritron ALS 600

[eastsidertim]

So I know I’m gonna get all the bad guy chicken band ham radio kind of comments
just curious had Als 600 for years put 60 Watts in and get about 500 out on 11 meters had one for years never had any issues got out of Radio got back in got a used one used it for maybe nine months Blue a couple transistors same thing 60 in about 500 out amp Repair guy told me 60 was quite a bit in just curious everybody’s take on this and yes I’m aware of what it says on page 14 of the manual and I also understand any type of an amp won’t perform as good on 10 and 11 meters and I understand standing wave I have a an analyzer and I know how to tune my standing wave not trying to be a bunghole just trying to let you know I kind of sort of understand what I’m doing 🫢so
I’m guessing maybe this one was a little beat up before I got it but I was doing the same putting 60 in and getting 500 out with no issues just quit working mid Trans Mission one day
just curious what everybody’s putting in and getting out on 11 meters and maybe how long you’ve been doing it
if you’re running this type of a amp thank you

 

[merlin]

Those amps will take 100 watts to deliver the full 600 watt output. What you don't want to do is overdrive the amp.
They have a fair bit of protection for the final devices, as they are the expensive parts.
Just up and quit, I would first check the power supply (50 volt - front panel meter)
11 meters, well, they are not made for 11 and really need to be moded to work there (it violates their FCC specs) but people do it.
Run it in RTTY mode, Maybe 350 watts out, but the finals can handle that. Still, less than 2:1 SWR.
Even though these are solid state, they are not broadband and careful attention to the frequency band is mandatory.
20 meter radio, set the amp to 20 meters, and into a 20 meter antenna with less than 2:1 SWR.
No, I don't have one of these, my equal is an HF-80-500

 

[prcguy]

MFJ purchased Ameritron amplifiers and after some point they were assembled by toothless inbreds and quality is questionable. I have an ALS-1306, the big brother to the 600 and it had very few hours of use on it when I got it. I used it a couple of times testing then I actually turned it on trying to get someone on 10m and one if its 50V switching power supplies took a dump. Ameritron/MFJ are out of business so I either have to rip into it or find someone knowledgeable on the goofy backwards technology switching power supplies they used in these.