Archive for the ‘drake’ Category

Drake L7 Vintage Ham Radio 3-500Z Tube Amplifier (wired for 120V, one bad meter)

Friday, April 9th, 2021
Drake L7 Vintage Ham Radio 3-500Z Tube Amplifier (wired for 120V, one bad meter)

Drake L7 Vintage Ham Radio 3-500Z Tube Amplifier (wired for 120V, one bad meter)

Drake L7 Vintage Ham Radio 3-500Z Tube Amplifier (wired for 120V, one bad meter)

Drake L7 Vintage Ham Radio 3-500Z Tube Amplifier (wired for 120V, one bad meter)

Drake L7 Vintage Ham Radio 3-500Z Tube Amplifier (wired for 120V, one bad meter)

Drake L7 Vintage Ham Radio 3-500Z Tube Amplifier (wired for 120V, one bad meter)

Drake L7 Vintage Ham Radio 3-500Z Tube Amplifier (wired for 120V, one bad meter)

Drake L7 Vintage Ham Radio 3-500Z Tube Amplifier (wired for 120V, one bad meter)

Drake L7 Vintage Ham Radio 3-500Z Tube Amplifier (wired for 120V, one bad meter)

Drake L7 Vintage Ham Radio 3-500Z Tube Amplifier (wired for 120V, one bad meter)

Drake L7 Vintage Ham Radio 3-500Z Tube Amplifier (wired for 120V, one bad meter)

Drake L7 Vintage Ham Radio 3-500Z Tube Amplifier (wired for 120V, one bad meter)

This is a nice Drake L7 amplifier. It’s in fair cosmetic condition and from a smoke-free home, but certainly isn’t going to win any beauty contests. One knob is missing the metal inlay. Also, the aluminum trim has some sort of brown residue on it. It’s on there pretty good but may come off with the right chemical. Aside from that, it’s the small scuffs/scratches you’d expect from equipment this old. I would note that the power supply is pretty dirty/dusty inside and would benefit from being blown out with an air compressor. The amp itself is clean inside. It’s currently wired for 120VAC and has two Eimac tubes installed. We see no sign of modification and all components appear original. The amplifier runs well. For CW, plate voltage sits at 2100VDC with no load. Keyed-down with 60 watts, we got 600 watts out. For SSB, plate voltage sits at 3000VDC with no load. Ensure this amp will meet your needs, and just as important, be sure you’re comfortable operating it. I’ll say it one more time…. Read the manual before purchasing and operating the amplifier. I can take the tubes out if you like, but I would personally recommend leaving them in. They are tight in the socket and are not going to come out. But, as I said, it’s your call and I’ll do whatever you prefer. Lastly, Please note that the plate meter isn’t operational. Also, I would encourage you to replace the power supply’s capacitors before putting the amplifier into service. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to give the RF deck a going-though as well and replacing some of it’s components. As I mentioned above, all components look original and probably 40 years old. If you expect 40 year old capacitors to hold up well for much longer, you’re going to be disappointed sooner than later. If you need to hire someone to do this for you, I can get you in touch with a qualified technician. If you prefer one carrier over the other, please make that request when paying for the item. Rest assured, you’ll receive your item in excellent condition! WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THE SALE: You will only receive what is shown in the photographs. If you do not see it in the photos, it is likely not included in the sale. That includes manuals, packaging, power cords, accessories, and so on. The item “Drake L7 Vintage Ham Radio 3-500Z Tube Amplifier (wired for 120V, one bad meter)” is in sale since Monday, March 22, 2021. This item is in the category “Consumer Electronics\Radio Communication\Ham, Amateur Radio\Ham Radio Amplifiers”. The seller is “hamandhifi” and is located in Sparks, Nevada. This item can be shipped to United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Denmark, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Czech republic, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Estonia, Australia, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus, Slovenia, Japan, Sweden, South Korea, Indonesia, South africa, Belgium, France, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Bahamas, Israel, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Saudi arabia, Ukraine, United arab emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Croatia, Malaysia, Barbados, Bangladesh, Bermuda, Brunei darussalam, Bolivia, Egypt, French guiana, Guernsey, Gibraltar, Guadeloupe, Iceland, Jersey, Jordan, Cambodia, Cayman islands, Liechtenstein, Sri lanka, Luxembourg, Monaco, Macao, Martinique, Maldives, Nicaragua, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Reunion, Uruguay.
  • UPC: DoesNotApply
  • Model: L7
  • Brand: Drake
  • MPN: L7
  • Type: RF Amplifier
  • CompatibleBrand: Universal

Drake L4B Vintage 3-500Z Tube Ham Radio Amplifier + Manual (please read) SN 6115

Wednesday, February 19th, 2020
Drake L4B Vintage 3-500Z Tube Ham Radio Amplifier + Manual (please read) SN 6115

Drake L4B Vintage 3-500Z Tube Ham Radio Amplifier + Manual (please read) SN 6115

Drake L4B Vintage 3-500Z Tube Ham Radio Amplifier + Manual (please read) SN 6115

Drake L4B Vintage 3-500Z Tube Ham Radio Amplifier + Manual (please read) SN 6115

Drake L4B Vintage 3-500Z Tube Ham Radio Amplifier + Manual (please read) SN 6115

Drake L4B Vintage 3-500Z Tube Ham Radio Amplifier + Manual (please read) SN 6115

Drake L4B Vintage 3-500Z Tube Ham Radio Amplifier + Manual (please read) SN 6115

Drake L4B Vintage 3-500Z Tube Ham Radio Amplifier + Manual (please read) SN 6115

Drake L4B Vintage 3-500Z Tube Ham Radio Amplifier + Manual (please read) SN 6115

Drake L4B Vintage 3-500Z Tube Ham Radio Amplifier + Manual (please read) SN 6115

Drake L4B Vintage 3-500Z Tube Ham Radio Amplifier + Manual (please read) SN 6115

Drake L4B Vintage 3-500Z Tube Ham Radio Amplifier + Manual (please read) SN 6115

This is a nice amplifier. It has some scratches on the cabinet but looks good overall, particularly the faceplate with really looks great. Also included in the sale is a reproduction of the manual. With a line voltage of 230VAC, the plate voltage sat at 1850VDC in CW position. With 45 watts keyed-down on 40 meters we measured 500 watts out, which is about right as the manual calls for 1000W PEP and we can assume 50-60% efficiency. The tubes are getting extremely hot (orange in color) when we put the amp into high-voltage position. The L-4B was originally designed to only work with Drake equipment. This one has since been modified to work with other transceivers, and we used an IC-706MKIIG when testing rather than Drake equipment. Perhaps this won’t happen when using Drake gear? Bias current may need to be adjusted. There may be something else going on that we aren’t aware of. This item will be packaged using our InstaPak foam-in-bag system, ensuring the utmost protection! Bags filled with a chemical mixture expand around your item and harden to form a protective, yet forgiving, foam barrier. IMPORTANT: You will only receive what is photographed. If it is not shown in the photos, it is not included in the sale. This includes items such as original packaging, accessories, manuals, and so on. Speaking of manuals, it is strongly recommended that you thoroughly read it before attempting to operate the equipment. If a manual is not included in this sale, you should download one. We’re here to help! The item “Drake L4B Vintage 3-500Z Tube Ham Radio Amplifier + Manual (please read) SN 6115″ is in sale since Wednesday, February 12, 2020. This item is in the category “Consumer Electronics\Radio Communication\Ham, Amateur Radio\Ham Radio Amplifiers”. The seller is “hamandhifi” and is located in Sparks, Nevada. This item can be shipped to United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Denmark, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Czech republic, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Estonia, Australia, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus, Slovenia, Japan, China, Sweden, South Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan, South africa, Belgium, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Bahamas, Israel, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Saudi arabia, Ukraine, United arab emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Croatia, Malaysia, Bermuda, Luxembourg, Paraguay, Reunion, Uruguay.
  • UPC: DoesNotApply
  • MPN: L-4B
  • Brand: Drake