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Albino128
New member
Username: Albino128
Post Number: 1
Registered: 5-2008
| | Posted on Sunday, May 25, 2008 - 10:16 pm: | 
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I'm hoping someone out there can help me with any information on this linear. It is labeled Fire Bird Swinger F100 4Bil Ameatur Linear |
Hotwire
Senior Member
Username: Hotwire
Post Number: 2487
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Monday, May 26, 2008 - 12:56 pm: |
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Tubes or transistors inside? Try to read the model numbers from them and post the info. Someone can probably tell you what you need to know to run it properly and how much output you can expect to see.
KEEP IT REAL!
Kenny
cef491(27.115lsb)
2sf491(27.555usb)
Indiana
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2ir473
Intermediate Member
Username: 2ir473
Post Number: 144
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Monday, May 26, 2008 - 5:21 pm: |
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Should be a pair of sweep tubes in that amp, probably 6LQ6s or 6JE6s.
The Bilateral label should indicate a switch for AM/SSB, which introduces a slight delay on the relay for sideband use.
Output with strong tubes could be 80-100 watts, give or take on AM, maybe 120-150 watts on SSB.
Probably from the 1970s, or maybe early '80s.
If you are not familiar with tube amplifiers, and the high voltages they produce, please be careful if you open it up to poke around. The capacitors can hold a charge of hundreds of volts, and it can cause some injury to you. Often, these old tube amps do not drain off the charge, and you can receive quite a shock, or 'bite' from them. I speak from experience
Paul
2IR473
CEF-218/ham #107
CDX8412
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Xlaxx
Intermediate Member
Username: Xlaxx
Post Number: 309
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Monday, May 26, 2008 - 10:30 pm: |
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Albino128-
Hey! I own this amp and recently acquired it. My amp is VERY clean, face is mint, there was minimal dust inside and the tubes were NEW. Amp runs a pair of the 6MJ6 tubes. I recommend these tubes, but it will also take the 6JE6 and 6LQ6 tubes (cheaper). My amp has an RF swinger switch on the front. Nice function, it'll DK 2W swing to 200W-ish Bird with ease. With the swinger function off, there is no swing but drives the amp hard at roughly 150-175W. The BIL-AMP function is a pre-amp. The amp will perform on SSB/CW/AM/FM modes with a LOAD and TUNE pots.. The amp says it'll work on 10, 15, 20, and 40m,... but this is probably just true on 10m really. The coil inside is really cheesy and is most likely very broad banded from a spectrum standpoint. The amp is TOO light in weight and not filtered well. You'll probably tear up the neighbors with it so get your antenna resonant, then have some fun with it!
XLAXX |
Albino128
New member
Username: Albino128
Post Number: 2
Registered: 5-2008
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 27, 2008 - 7:26 pm: |
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It has 2 6LQ6 tubes in it, someone has been in it already and added a internal fan, and cut a really messed up hole in the back of it, but the tubes light up and into a antron 99 it shows a output of around 75 to 100 watts, only had it on long enough to warm up and see if it has output |
Xlaxx
Intermediate Member
Username: Xlaxx
Post Number: 310
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 27, 2008 - 9:04 pm: |
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Albino128-
First,...I would check the tubes on a good Hickok tester or a decent B&K/Sencore tube tester.
Then check the RF output and reflected power on a good SWR/wattmeter bridge into a quality Dummy Load. You should be seeing more wattage from the 6LQ6 tubes. Make sure your antenna is resonant on the band you want to operate on. Otherwise, you'll have reflected energy back down the coax, thus decreasing your output and increasing TVI.
If there was a fan installed and a hole cut into the case,... that means somebody was over driving it, or didn't set the TUNE and LOAD right because that amp runs fairly cool.
Does your amp have the RF-Swinger switch? If so, click it over to the ON position and hit the amp with 2W drive and see what it'll do. Be careful and look for fried components, arcs, pops in caps.
Keep us posted. I tried looking for a schematic,... nothing out there that I have seen, but the guts look readily available.
XLAXX |
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