Ameritron    ALS-1306    ALS-1306

Background I am a relatively new ham, just getting my licenses in late 2013, I have jumped in with both feet and have been using forums and email with others to learn and understand as much as I can. I still have a long way to go, but it is very nice to see so many other hams willing to help and share knowledge. I decided that since my antenna situation is sort of limited, the next logical step was an amp. After having many discussions with several other hams n both forums and email, I decided on the new Ameritron ALS 1306. I purchased mine from DX Engineering . My understanding is they have an agreement with Ameritron to be the first to get shipments.

For reference, my other equipment is as follows:
Kenwood TS-990s
Kenwood TS-2000
LDG-1000Pro II tuner
KIO Hexbeam
DX Engineering 43’vert

What’s in the box

My 1306 was received in a large box containing two other large boxes with the amp and power supply separately packed with good foam cushioning. I found no dings dents or broken parts. The packaging did its job getting the merchandise to my door. Both parts together weighed about 50 pounds, but I did not actually weigh them. The 1306 comes with a really large switching power supply and a beefy cable to go between the power supply and the amp. I also received the normal documentation and product registration cards and an MFJ catalog. The PS is wired for 220v. Fuses were in place even though the manual said I needed to install them. Comes with a pre wired 220 plug that looks like a regular three prong with the power prongs going horizontal instead of vertical. Was able to find a socked on eBay since my local OSH did not have one. My 1036 is serial number 0021

Features

The main feature this amp has that make it very attractive to me is that tuning of the amp is not necessary. It also does automatic band switching. This requires a cable from Ameritron, or I suppose you could make your own. Mine is the Ameritron version and tapped into the RS232 port on my TS-990s and the accessory port. The cable goes to a RS232 type port on the back of the 1306. This provides both band switching and PTT relay actions. On the TS-990 I needed to set my amp keying to Active High plus delay.

Manual

The manual is pretty well written. There were a few places that were a little confusing to me. One was that the manual tells you during initial setup to not use the ALC input. Problem is the cable purchased provides this and I was not sure how to test without ALC. I contacted MFJ and asked via online web form. They got back to me after a couple of days and noted I could hook up the ACC din plug and leave the RS232 off for the initial testing. This worked as they noted. It would have been nice to see instructions for this in the manual. Other than that the setup is pretty minimal. Just need to check the output voltages of the PS on both channels with and without carrier. The check for the TX power needed to get full output from the amp. The manual says I need to install the fuses, but my amp had fuses already installed. Good to check that if you get one as I am not sure since mine is a low serial number that it may be different from ones released later.

Operation

Using the amp is very easy. With remote band switching and no need to set ALC, all you need to do is be sure you tune your antenna if needed and fire away. Band can be in remote or manual mode. I exclusively use the remote mode since it is so easy and prevents me from forgetting to set the band. My tuner is only capable of 1kamp, so I keep my power out at that level or below. The fault protection is really very good and fast. If for some reason I am on the wrong band, have high SWR (forget to tune the antenna) or over heat the AMP, it goes into fail mode. It uses a series of lights on the front panel to communicate the fault cause. To reset, you just need to take the amp out of operate mode and then back. Fault is cleared and you can continue to operate as before. Even though the manual indicates that the amp will provide 10x drive out, it appears to be much better than that. It takes more like 40w-45w to get 1kw out. See the included table used to showing w-in and w-out per band. I do not have antennas for 160m, 60m or 6m, so those are omitted.

Fan noise

Since this is my first amp, I have little to compare it to. My TS-2000 has a fan that is pretty noticeable, and I would say the fan on the amp is about the same, but of a lower tone. Not really objectionable or heard over my mic, but it is there. The nice part is since the amp is pretty automatic, you could hide it away under the bench and make it even quieter.

Customer Service

Along the way I have had to ask Ameritron a few questions. I have always used their email forms and they have responded in a reasonable amount of time. Usually a day or a few days. If I needed an answer sooner, I would call and be a squeaky wheel.

Specifications

Frequency: 1.8 — 54MHz all amateur bands including WARC bands
Mode: SSB, CW, RTTY
RF Drive: 100W
Output Power: 1200W PEP (11db gain)
Drain Voltage: 50V
Drain Current: 50A max.
Rig Interface Compatibility:Yaesu, Icom, Kenwood, Ten-Tec, Elecraft
Final Transistor: MRF150 x 8
Circuit Type: Class AB parallel push-pull
Cooling Method: 4x side mounted fans (2 per PA Module)
Input/Output Connectors: Type M-J (UHF SO-239)
Power Supply: Separate Power Supply 50V at 50A Regulated Switching PS
AC Power for PS: AC @ 230V (200-260V), 50/60Hz 15A max.
AC Power for PS: AC @ 115V, 50/60Hz (Light Duty Operation Only)
Dimension: 10" x 6" x 18" inches (WxHxD)
Weight: Approx. 24Lbs. (Amp Only)