I have the HF-Auto and am looking to get an amplifier. Naturally the first one I am considering is the LA-1K. Palstar's web site says: "Palstar custom-designed the LA-1K to work as the perfect match for our very popular HF-AUTO autotuner.". Can anyone explain how it is the 'perfect match'? I mean, what is it about the connection/communication between the two that would make it superior to say, the HF-Auto with another amplifier (e.g. Acom 700S)?
--
73, Norm/KC1BMD

Well,? when you key up your radio to get the HF-AUTO to tune, the LA1K sees the SWR is not stable, and goes into SWR lockout.? Then once the HF-AUTO finds an SWR match, the next keyup of the rig will enable the LA1K by itself without having to reset it, or take any action.? They just work great together, but there is no actual connection between them other than the coax.??
IOW, you turn on the LA1K, take it out of standby, and do whatever you want.? If you transmit and the SWR is below about 2.5, the amp works.? If its higher, or there is a spike in SWR, it cuts out for that transmission.

开云体育

Norm . . .

I hope Paul will correct me if I am wrong, but so far as I can tell the only thing that makes the LA-1K "the perfect match" because of "custom-designing" to the HF-AUTO is that they share identical cabinets.? Beyond that, both are stand-alone devices capable of being used with any transceiver or any amplifier.? There are no special connections or communications that make their compatibility superior.

I excite the LA-1K with an FT-991A, do not use ALC to control power output, and do my matching with the HF-AUTO.? There is nothing special about the hook-ups.?

When first purchased, my LA-1K would kick out of OPERATE into BYPASS for no apparent reason even with HF-AUTO showing a perfect match.? When several of us complained to Palstar about the same issue, they reworked the firmware and the amplifier has worked perfectly ever since.

Your HF-AUTO would work fine with your Acom 700S or any other amplifier.

I own six Palstar products and consider them all to be of the highest quality.

73,

Kent? K9ZTV

I have the HF-Auto and am looking to get an amplifier. Naturally the first one I am considering is the LA-1K. Palstar's web site says: "Palstar custom-designed the LA-1K to work as the perfect match for our very popular HF-AUTO autotuner.". Can anyone explain how it is the 'perfect match'? I mean, what is it about the connection/communication between the two that would make it superior to say, the HF-Auto with another amplifier (e.g. Acom 700S)?
--
73, Norm/KC1BMD

I guess if I had perfect antennas with SWR below 1.5:1 on all bands I operate (or better), and across the whole band I want to operate, it would be a no-brainer for me to get the LA-1K. However, my antennas are not perfect. Although the HF-Auto handles all I need just fine, I'm concerned that I will be plagued with SWR bypass issues from what I have been reading (even some people apparently having issues when the HF-Auto indicates SWR is well within a good range). I'm thinking a newer style tube amp would be more forgiving in this regard. I will really have to think about this... it's a tough decision for me, given the cost involved.
--
73, Norm/KC1BMD

I run my LA1K up to 3:1 SWR with the HF-AUTO in bypass with no issues.? I have never had it kick out into bypass when using the HF-AUTO.? Most of those that have, discovered either a microsecond arc in a coax connector, or a lightning polyphaser causing the arc.? If there are no issues with your coax between the amp and the antenna, its not going to kick out.

开云体育

Thanks for all the replies and info. I think I might go for the Palstar. Now just have to sell some more stuff to fund it :)
--
73, Norm/KC1BMD

开云体育

Norm . . .

I don't understand why you are reluctant to purchase an LA-1K when you already have an HF-AUTO.

None of my antennas are resonant and with the HF-AUTO I can operate anywhere in the HF spectrum I wish.

I suspect you have been reading older posts about the SWR BYPASS issue.? As I said in my post a few hours ago, those issues have been corrected with updated firmware.? Any continuing problems lie with antennas and peripherals, not with the LA-1K or the HF-AUTO.

Another thing to consider is that the power supply for the LA-1K is built-in.? No auxiliary box sitting on the floor sucking in dust and animal hair.

As for purchasing a tube-amp, I will only pass along what Tom Rauch, W8JI, designer of Ameritron amps, said at a Dayton presentation a few years back . . . that the quality of tubes received at the factory from their suppliers were of such uneven quality, regardless of source, that they had to throw away 50% of what they purchased, and that going forward he would recommend only solid-state amplifiers.

73,

Kent? K9ZTV

I guess if I had perfect antennas with SWR below 1.5:1 on all bands I operate (or better), and across the whole band I want to operate, it would be a no-brainer for me to get the LA-1K. However, my antennas are not perfect. Although the HF-Auto handles all I need just fine, I'm concerned that I will be plagued with SWR bypass issues from what I have been reading (even some people apparently having issues when the HF-Auto indicates SWR is well within a good range). I'm thinking a newer style tube amp would be more forgiving in this regard. I will really have to think about this... it's a tough decision for me, given the cost involved.
--
73, Norm/KC1BMD

I have the LA-1k and HF-Auto. Works perfect never goes into bypass

Kent: Thanks for the info. I might have been confused with older posts I had read. As I said in my latest post, I'm probably going to go with the Palstar LA-1K. I like that it's made in the US too and Paul and Eva have been nice to work with as well.
--
73, Norm/KC1BMD

Well, I agree they are both very good units, however I am still unable to run any digital mode on 80m without it going into BYPASS and shutting off. It my be likely that it is an antenna or coax problem, however it does the same thing if I use a dummy load on the tuner - different antenna and different coax. Interestingly, it does not seem to do it when I connect the dummy load directly to the amp. And the cable between the amp and tuner has been changed 3 times, the last time with a high-grade commercial cable from HRO.

Mind you I am not directly blaming Palstar equipment, but at tis point I am out of options to try (I have only1 antenna), so I have been forced to give up on that use of the amp. i has been flawless on SSB on 75m, on the same antenna, etc.

73,? Al? KD2PNR

KD2PNR are the HF-AUTO and AMP and RADIO all connected with separate grounds to a ground buss, or are they daisy chained?? If the latter, that might be your issue.

I bought the HF Auto after the LA!K and the improvement from an LDG1000 was stellar. O operating with a non resonant en fed antenna and the HF Auto is operating always with a SWR around 1.1 - The LA1K sees then no more than a SWR 1.3 which is important for the Amp to stay cool. Even if it can operate up to 2.5 thanks to a circuit that take the reflected power into a balast and not back to the transistors (very cool feature).?
I always tune the HF Auto with a 5W CW pulse from the Kenwood TS890. This limits the current on the Inductor roll during tuning and makes is more prone to last a longer time with its special conducting grease on it. While I do that indeed the LA1K is in Standby. I have had some issues on 80m but it was my fault. I had 2 end fed antennas 90 degres appart and the matching boxes were one agains each others. This created a leak that made the SWR unstable on 80m. Thanks to the LA1K very fine protection, it went into bypass SWR immediately even with a low power applied. This Amp is really well done. If it is not happy, you have a problem to fix down the line.

In my current shack I don't have a ground buss or station ground. Feed lines from my wire antennas come into the shack directly to the HF-Auto. If this indeed can cause an issue, I'll have to rework my ground situation (which is basically non-existent except for the mains power grounding) before I purchase the amp.
--
73, Norm/KC1BMD

Which firmware version do you have? I use mine on digital all bands with no problems I have 1.07E

Every situation is different.? Personally, I would never run my equipment ungrounded, but that is just me.
I wondered how his system was grounded, because it actually sounded like he was getting RF on 80m into the amp, which could cause the issues he has on 80m if the amp wasnt grounded.? I have a copper 1/2" pipe mounted across the back of my desk.? It is grounded directly to the power circuit breaker box ground.? Then all my stuff is grounded to that bar with self tapping screws with one ground wire for each piece of equipment.

My equipment is not ungrounded. It is safety grounded via the ground on the AC power cords. The copper pipe ground referred to I would not characterize as a station ground and depending on lengths involved, may or may not be effective as an RF ground. I was referring to a ground rod located outside the station where antenna coax shields are connected (outside before entering the shack) and to which station equipment is grounded and then that rod bonded to the AC mains ground rod.
--
73, Norm/KC1BMD

Understood.? Luckily, the power box is directly outside the shack, so the buss bar to power line ground wire is about 5' long.
Interesting concept, but one question,and not trying to be smart-butt.? If the ground pin on the power cord was acceptable, why does all ham equipment come with a ground post on the back?