Thanks, Jon. There's a lot of confusing information on the web about
FCC rules regarding amps. My understanding is that in the U.S. you
can't have a linear amp with less than 50 watts drive power? I have a
10 meter mobile rig running off a power supply at home with 10 watts AM
and I believe 25 watts SSB. The palomar does not meet these drive
rules (5-25 watts), plus I seriously doubt it was issued an FCC type
acceptance, so it would be illegal to use it. I could be wrong here,
so please correct me if I am.
So it seems I can't put ANY type of amp on my 10 meter rig because of
it's low power. I may as well pack it away until the sun cycle
improves. It's pretty useless the way things are now, but damn can it
reach out when the sun activity is favorable! (RCI-2950)
Also, I heard these black market amps are really dirty as far as
interference goes. I definitely don't need to be upsetting the
neighbors. They wonder about enough as it is. :-) I woldn't blame
anyone for using this amp for QRP, but its dirty output could really
create problems not only with the neighbors but with the FCC.
I also heard this amp is a real current hog - at least 20 amps when set
on low (it's obviously not very efficient).
So, I agree with Jon that if I were to buy a linear amp, the extra
money for a good quality, reputable brand amateur radio amp is money
well spent. Clean, efficient operation really costs, though!
Glad I posted this, as I totally forgot about the minimum drive power
rule. Doing your homework can really pay off sometimes. :-) Thanks
to all for your help and advice.
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