Not finding any recent posts at all about the HF Packer Amp, I’ll take a chance with this post. My apologies if this is old news to the SOTA world.
Virgil, K5OOR at HF Projects has recently started shipping a new version of the HF Packer Amp kit, dubbed the “miniHFPA”. Virgil designed the miniHFPA to target the SOTA/NPOTA crowd, so it is very small, requires so little as 1 watt drive for full output (nominally 35 watts), barely sips current when idling, and will maintain full output even when battery voltage falls to 10 VDC.
Early builders are reporting output levels somewhat higher than 35 watts on the lower bands, which is good news considering the propagation outlook for the next few years.
They are great little amps, I’ve had mine about 7 years and it still works fine !
I use it with the KX2 for portable ops here in Florida, while not as sleek and compact as the new mini, it serves it purpose well.
I use a Buddipole 5Ah 4S2P battery with it and it lasts a long time on CW.
I never ran the battery down using the amp with the KX2 the week I was in Flamingo in the Everglades last month chasing activators. I was on the air every day while there.
I hope more activators get one, it would make it a little easier for us chaser as conditions continue to slide down hill.
I was one of the earliest purchasers of the the Mini-HFPacker amp kit. Right now the kit’s still in the box waiting for me to start working on it. Soon…I’ll start building it…soon…At least that’s what I keep telling myself! It’s too nice outside this time of year to be bent over my workbench… Dave, AE9Q
Last year I finally built my original HF Packer amp, it works great and Virgil didn’t mind answering a couple of questions I had about it even though the kit was years old.
73, Colin G8TMV
(I did cheat a bit - I got the kit from a Ham who’d had it on his shelf for years and finally decided he was never going to build it).
Mine are both full size, and the one with band indicator lights puts out 68 watts on 40 metres and 50 watts on 20 m. One little tip… practice shutting it off in a hurry to help when the time comes you forget to bypass whilst the auto tuner is looking for a match. That will save your finals. If it seems dead, remember there is a self-reset fuse. Let it cool for half a minute and restart.
Dave, AE9Q
