Hi Tom,

Yes, both the als600 and als1300 have relay noise though it is not as loud 
as the relay in the al80
amp that I used to own.  MFJ sells a QSK box that does antenna switching 
with pin diodes and it allows you to leave the amp in the on mode even on 
receive though I've never used one, I understand it works well for qsk.

Bob, K8LR, [log in to unmask]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tom Behler" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, February 23, 2014 10:16 AM
Subject: Amplifier Question


Hi, all.



Well, I'd now like to tap into the wisdom of the group on an issue I don't
know a whole lot about, so please bare with me.



As I think many of you know, I use an Ameritron AL811H tube-type amplifier
with my TS590 HF setup.  I also have an ARB704 buffer box in the circuit, to
protect the relay circuit in the TS590.



I'm actually very happy with the setup, although tuning the amp can be a bit
tricky at times, even with the TW1.



Anyway, the AL811H has a relay circuit that is rather noisy when keying and
unkeying.  This is apparent on SSB, and even more apparent on CW.  In fact,
the noisy relay circuit is one of the main reasons I don't like to use the
amp when in CW mode, due to the constant and rather annoying relay chatter.



My question is this:  Do solid-state amplifiers have relay circuits in them
that are as noisy, or do they tend to be quieter?



There is no way I have the money in my budget right now to purchase a solid
state amp, since I believe they can run into the thousands of dollars, but
I'm wondering if this might be something for me to think about in the long
term?



I'm looking forward to all of your observations and suggestions.



Tom Behler:  KB8TYJ