Alright you CBers and ageing Truckers.....
Do you remember this? The Texas Star DX 350 CB Radio Amplifier and if you were a radio somebody, you had to have one or one like it.
The Texas Star line of amps is easily identified because of their unique use of push buttons instead of the switches or toggle switches commonly seen on other amps
The Texas Star 350DX uses two Toshiba 2879’s transistors which are rated for 100 watts PEP each at 12.7 Volts
Now most vehicles and power supplies are set up to run higher than 12 volts and with that extra voltage these transistors see higher output, so even though the transistors are rated at 100 watts each at 12.7 volts when you run them at 13.8 volts or 14 volts you’ll see higher output. Most people on average will run these on AM with PEP input of 20 watts average @ 13.8 volts and you’ll see around 225-260 watts PEP output. A number of different factors will effect the output of your amplifier and so it could be expected that in different setups people may see higher or lower numbers than mentioned here. A proper install with the necessary rated power wire is essential in getting the full potential out of any amplifier.
I’ve seen the Texas Star 350HDV advertised as having maximum output of 350 watts PEP, but truthfully most operators will never see the maximum advertised output out of their amplifier. In addition to run an amplifier at maximum produces a large amount of heat, requires higher input and maximum allowable voltage, and the end result is that your amplifier will not last as long.
In most cases 2 x 2879 setups are happy to chug along at 225-250 watts for years without difficulty. I tend to find also that if you are running your amplifier in this range it’s less likely that you are overdriving it and will have a cleaner signal.
This amplifier doesn’t require a whole lot of deadkey input. I found that a 1 watt deadkey on AM would get me an 80 watt deadkey out of the amplifier. I had to turn down input to .75 watts to get the amplifier deadkey to drop further. I’m sure this amp could handle a 2-3 watt deadkey but in most cases I’m guessing running the amp at a 60 to 80 watt deadkey and swinging upward from there will yield the best results.
The Texas Star line of amps is easily identified because of their unique use of push buttons instead of the switches or toggle switches commonly seen on other amps
(Okay This Part Is For The Radio Nerds Only)
The Texas Star 350DX uses two Toshiba 2879’s transistors which are rated for 100 watts PEP each at 12.7 Volts
Now most vehicles and power supplies are set up to run higher than 12 volts and with that extra voltage these transistors see higher output, so even though the transistors are rated at 100 watts each at 12.7 volts when you run them at 13.8 volts or 14 volts you’ll see higher output. Most people on average will run these on AM with PEP input of 20 watts average @ 13.8 volts and you’ll see around 225-260 watts PEP output. A number of different factors will effect the output of your amplifier and so it could be expected that in different setups people may see higher or lower numbers than mentioned here. A proper install with the necessary rated power wire is essential in getting the full potential out of any amplifier.
I’ve seen the Texas Star 350HDV advertised as having maximum output of 350 watts PEP, but truthfully most operators will never see the maximum advertised output out of their amplifier. In addition to run an amplifier at maximum produces a large amount of heat, requires higher input and maximum allowable voltage, and the end result is that your amplifier will not last as long.
In most cases 2 x 2879 setups are happy to chug along at 225-250 watts for years without difficulty. I tend to find also that if you are running your amplifier in this range it’s less likely that you are overdriving it and will have a cleaner signal.
This amplifier doesn’t require a whole lot of deadkey input. I found that a 1 watt deadkey on AM would get me an 80 watt deadkey out of the amplifier. I had to turn down input to .75 watts to get the amplifier deadkey to drop further. I’m sure this amp could handle a 2-3 watt deadkey but in most cases I’m guessing running the amp at a 60 to 80 watt deadkey and swinging upward from there will yield the best results.
