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THE AM BULLETIN BOARD => Technical Forum => Topic started by: K8DI on September 05, 2025, 02:54:07 PM



Title: Alpha 99 amplifier
Post by: K8DI on September 05, 2025, 02:54:07 PM
Hello to the folks with more knowledge on this than I...

It came from an estate, I need to assign a value to it and decide what to do with it. Low serial number, so older amp, approx. 2002.

Alpha 99 model, manually tuned linear, legal limit, a pair of 4cx800a. Seems complete and in good physical shape, was owned by a ham with several houses who as far as I can tell carted his radios between them but left the amps and antennas in place. He's been dead for 5 years and likely off the air a couple before that, so it hasn't been used, and I am not going to just power it up...

So, sight unseen, guess on value?

So, what should I look at before applying power, besides power supply caps? These amps known for anything in particular?

Ed


Title: Re: Alpha 99 amplifier
Post by: W1ITT on September 06, 2025, 04:46:36 PM
The tubes, or a Russian substitute, seem to be going around $350 or more apiece, so the buyer is taking a chance on how good the existing ones are.  I think I've seen a couple A-99s in the $1000-$1200 range in the last year or so but that was asking price.  I like my Alpha 78 but probably wouldn't want to spring for more than $1K if I wanted another. The HV caps are close to half a century old now.
I recapped my 78 and had some new tubes for it already but it was more a labor of love than good sense.
I like vacuum tubes but there are smarter options these days.  Try for $1K for the 99.

73 de Norm W1ITT
AMfone - Dedicated to Amplitude Modulation on the Amateur Radio Bands