|
Vintage Amateur and Military Radio Amateur/military receivers and transmitters, morse, and any other related vintage comms equipment. |
|
Thread Tools |
21st Jul 2018, 7:53 am | #1 |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Barrie, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1
|
Help ID old rf power amp
Hi
Im new and not very knowledgeable, and have an old rf amplifier that I cannot find information on. It’s a TPL Communications Inc. PA3-1DE R. There’s a picture attached. How old is this thing? Is it ok to try it out? Thanks for taking the time! |
21st Jul 2018, 11:12 pm | #2 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Leominster, Herefordshire, UK.
Posts: 16,535
|
Re: Help ID old rf power amp
Difficult to read that label, but it appears to be a fixed frequency VHF (136 MHz aircraft band?) amplifier.
Without a suitable dummy load rated for its output power and a suitable drive source and dc power supply to feed it you can't do anything sensible with it anyway. It's no use for anything legal for a private individual as it stands though a licensed radio amateur might be interested in it to modify, perhaps. Edit: https://www.tessco.com/products/disp....do?sku=575663 provides a bit more info re spec etc and it looks like it could well be used for the 144 MHz amateur band as it is. If the info from the link doesn't mean anything to you, then it's still no use for anything legal for a private individual though a licensed radio amateur might well be interested in it.
__________________
....__________ ....|____||__|__\_____ .=.| _---\__|__|_---_|. .........O..Chris....O Last edited by Herald1360; 21st Jul 2018 at 11:21 pm. |
22nd Jul 2018, 9:00 am | #3 |
Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Fife, Scotland, UK.
Posts: 22,876
|
Re: Help ID old rf power amp
I certainly wouldn't try it out on those frequencies. It looks like it's tuned for what is an air/ground comms channel.
These are probably the most thoroughly policed frequencies on earth. Leak even a fraction of its power and you'll likely get official visitors to shut it down and confiscate equipment. As said, radio amateurs have a frequency assignment nearby and often shift these things to those frequencies. They turn up at amateur radio flea markets for scrap prices. so they're a cheap way to make a big signal. David
__________________
Can't afford the volcanic island yet, but the plans for my monorail and the goons' uniforms are done |
22nd Jul 2018, 10:23 am | #4 |
Heptode
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Newmarket, Suffolk, UK.
Posts: 612
|
Re: Help ID old rf power amp
|
22nd Jul 2018, 1:55 pm | #5 | |
Hexode
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Posts: 398
|
Re: Help ID old rf power amp
Quote:
J |
|
22nd Jul 2018, 4:31 pm | #6 |
Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Fife, Scotland, UK.
Posts: 22,876
|
Re: Help ID old rf power amp
Better eyesight than me! The 6 is bold, but I thought it was a decimal after it. Makes more sense as a dash!
Legal for amateur use in 144-146 MHz, but although it covers the marine VHF band, only type-approved equipment is usually legal there. Is it 146-148 in Canada? David
__________________
Can't afford the volcanic island yet, but the plans for my monorail and the goons' uniforms are done |