Paul: Others have answered your question about Class C RF amps vs. Class AB linears.
You can certainly use your Ranger to drive an amp like an SB220 for fully modulated AM at ~400watts carrier. Enough to make you a 'big gun'. BUT, you'll have to either modify the Ranger to permit reduction of its output to ~10-20 watts (variable screen voltage is one way), or attenuate the output accordingly. I much prefer the former method as it allows much better modulation performance and takes a load off the Ranger final. Using linears for AM like this is purely a convenience approach, as linear amplifiers are plentiful out there at reasonable cost. High level, high power AM transmitters are not. Using a linear is a legitimate way to get on quickly an start enjoying AM with a decent signal. You can 'move up' to big iron later if you like. But you must be very careful about how the exciter (Ranger, etc.) and linear are adjusted and operated. You can quickly blow something up or, worse, operate with a terrible on air signal and not know it, eating up wide chunks of the band causing SSB'ers to curse our lot even more. Before buying an amplifier, I'd suggest an oscilloscope to monitor your signal and become intimate with what's going on. Good luck! 73, g Paul Sokoloff wrote: > > Hello again, > I had no idea I was going to stir up such an interesting discussion. I > was the person who originally posted this. After reading all of the replies > and as a newcommer to this, I have one question. If one needs an 800 watt > amplifier to run 100 watts AM, then how does a Viking with 3 small 6146s run > 125 watts AM? > I have a Johnson Ranger (45 watts with one 6146) which I wish to drive > an amplifier for more output (maybe 125 to 150). Should I just get a viking > 2 or an amplifier? Does anyone have an amp they are interested in selling? > Thanks, > > Paul WA3GFZ
