On Tue, 30 Sep 2008 12:41:37 -0400, Scott in Baltimore
wrote:

MeatSack wrote:
Anybody have a good recommendation for a mobile amp that only needs about
4 to 5 watts of drive? I'm thinking about something in the 500 watt range.
Anything bigger wouldn't work for me, electrical system in the pickup
won't handle it and I don't want to screw around up sizing the alternator.
I also don't want some **** class-c amp either, there seems to be plenty
of them around. Is anybody using the new rf power mosfets in'em?

MeatSack...---...
Skywarn-NTS

Is that 500 watts PEP or 500 watts carrier (2000 watts PEP for AM)?

500 watts PEP can be done with a Texas Star DX-500. (4x2879's).
2000 watts PEP will require 100's of amps of current @ 12 volts.

MOSFETS work good at 28 volts. Until the new type car electrical systems
are installed in the vehicles, stick with bipolar transistors.

You know your stuff scott. It kind of reminds me of the real talk we
used to have here about amps and stuff. Most folks dont realize that
you need many many amps to get the watts out of amplifiers. That is
why most of us old keydowners used to make up for that with higher
voltage on the transistors.