Hi.

Ok, I'll throw my two cents worth in, as well.

I find that much of the time, the problem with amps is improperly adjusted 
equipment rather than an inherent problem with amplifiers.  If the amp is 
being driven with a clean rig, and it is running into a good load with 
proper grounding, there is nothing inherently wrong with running high power.

That being said, in marginal conditions, it only really helps if both 
parties are running high power because, as they say, "you can't work 'em if 
you can't hear 'em."

Unfortunately, what happens much of the time is that neighbors are running 
equipment that is susceptible to front end overload from any nearby strong 
signal, and it doesn't really matter whether it is clean or not--it just 
has to be strong.

The only stone that I have to throw, with regard to amps is at some of the 
junk that shows up for 2 meters in the way of solid state all mode 
amplifiers.  I had a RF Concepts amplifier that was supposed to take 30 
watts in and spit out 170 watts.  Unfortunately, the thing was a good bit 
less than linear, and spit garbage all over the band.  I had a reputable 
ham from about 1.5 miles away tell me that I was nearly 200 khz wide with 
that stinking thing!  My experience is that with the exception of some of 
the illegal CB linears, most HF amplifiers are built a lot better than that.

73, de Lou K2LKK

P.S.  I no longer have that 2 meter amp.

At 12:00 PM 1/6/2009 -0500, you wrote:
>Hello;
>Can't resist my two cents on the amp issue.  I would much prefer a 60 =
>foot tower with a nice six element beam.  Unfortunately, it is much =
>easier to buy an amp than erecting the tower.  If an amp isn't =
>overdriven a signal isn't to wide.  As for tvi type interference, true =
>an amp can aggravate that problem.  I found that going from 100 to 500 =
>watts gives you about an extra s unit.
>Richard
>
>
>--
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Louis Kim Kline
A.R.S. K2LKK
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