Looks alright, and quite a nice price as well - http://www.enigma-shop.com/index.php?op ... 0c&cid=738

Tempting, I like !!!

Looks like the MRF173 which if I remember correctly is an 80w device and good for around 100w....

Yes. I used to like the MRF173. With about 3 Watts of drive, you'll get well over 100 Watts out at 28V. I've managed to get even more out of them, but they're fragile when you get to 125 Watts!

The one thing that is immediately obviously wrong with that "Enigma" board is that the legs of the power FET are bent. All the manufacturers warn you to have them flat.

It's because that one's been pre-assembled on a heatsink without spacers between the board and the metal. It's easy enough fixed... perhaps the production ones are!

Let's hope so.

I tried an experiment with a couple of 2N6080s. One was mounted like the device in the Enigma picture, with the leads bent down, and the other with the leads completely flat. As expected, with 400mW of drive, each would deliver 4 Watts. I then raised the supply voltage to the maximum allowed for the device - 18V - and started to turn up the drive.

The one with the bent leads got up to just over 5.5 Watts out with 475mW drive before the "ping" of death of the emitters coming unstuck and the device failed. The one mounted properly survived up to over 9 Watts output!

I didn't have the heart to kill it, so I used it as the output stage for an NRG-type exciter board with a SAA1057 PLL that's still in use in Ireland!

I know that it's a very small sample, but it did show me the worth of mounting transistors properly. I often machine out a recess into the heatsink to get the transistor tight down, with the PCB mounted directly to the heatsink - this can be advantageous if you're using temperature-compensated bias (like I always do).

Looks like Enigma have stopped selling Amplifiers as their 15W and 60W versions have vanished off the site.

I've also been told straight from the Horses mouth by the owner of a Dutch company that the Netherlands Government have intervened and stopped them from hosting any Transmitters and Amplifiers on the Web shop.

@RF-Head - as you're based in the Netherlands, can you elaborate on this and confirm this?

@Mixin,
That webshop you talk about is www.amateurradioshop.nl and yes correct

RF-Head wrote:@Mixin,
That webshop you talk about is http://www.amateurradioshop.nl and yes correct

Hi mate,

Yes, it was him that told me.

Does this mean we'll no longer be able to buy & import from any shop in NL, or is there ways of getting around it?

There's not too much gear available over here in the UK, so buying from the Netherlands was always a good option.

Can't we even buy kits as opposed to fully assembled stuff?

You can import oil and jihadis from Libya for free but they don't want you to import an RF amp from Amsterdam? There is something rotten and corrupt going on there.

Maybe just a coincidence?? Dutch RF shop website down too??

Yes, Dutch RF Shop is down, HF Electronics hasn't had anything available for a while, and amateurradioshop.nl took all his radio related gear off about 2 weeks ago.

I'm hoping this "issue" isn't also being implemented in the UK, because I find it strange that the stuff on Enigma's site has also suspiciously disappeared.

MiXiN wrote:Yes, Dutch RF Shop is down, HF Electronics hasn't had anything available for a while, and amateurradioshop.nl took all his radio related gear off about 2 weeks ago.

I'm hoping this "issue" isn't also being implemented in the UK, because I find it strange that the stuff on Enigma's site has also suspiciously disappeared.

Dutch RF shop closed ??
Please tell me more

Apologies Mr Mauri for the mis-information
At that particular time of the posts, I was unable to connect to Dutch RF shop and thought
it may be related?
I am pleased to see that this is not the case!

no problem

sinus trouble wrote:Apologies Mr Mauri for the mis-information
At that particular time of the posts, I was unable to connect to Dutch RF shop and thought
it may be related?
I am pleased to see that this is not the case!