RM Italy KL 203-P Linear Amp & 360w Power Supply (CB Radio)

[@andyfaithful_]

Made in Ponte della Venturina, Italy! ..a big hello from Italy!! 😃

[@HNXMedia]

Solid quality reaching around the world! Thanks for stopping by. Peace.

[@2DE808]

The McKinley pairs well with the 203, i have ran that combo for several years now.

[@HNXMedia]

Absolutely! Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.

[@junglejoecvideogates9705]

Mine are also from the UK. I have one hooked up in my truck and it works great for DX

[@HNXMedia]

DX with these on a ssb is rather outstanding. Have fun!

[@junglejoecvideogates9705]

@@HNXMedia Thanks. You bet, I work DX daily in my mobile with that boot and also on my home base station with Texas Star amps. Lots of skip shooting vids here on my channel. Cheers & 73's

[@davidlindsey8739]

@@junglejoecvideogates9705 which ts do you have

[@miguelsalami]

Would have been nice to see the RM ITALY 203 Power output on the meter.

[@rwhysell100]

That's the whole reason why you get a Linear. FOR THE OUTPUT. Basically a useless youtube video... Doesn't prove anything. I can get/hear California from Florida and I have NO Linear...

[@LIVINGRETIRED310]

I just bought the same. Fortunately the radio im using "Galaxy DX 979F" dead key in low power at 1/2 watt. So i didnt have to go inside and lower the power. I run about 2 watts max into it and get 100watt easy. I know it says can handle 10watts. For clean audio not over driving it, use 1-2 watts. I have had many amps and have abused many. Thats probably why i havent owned one for awhile. Im taking care of this little dude. Dont over drive it and it will last long time. For a small kicker, i recommend this

[@HNXMedia]

Solid little amps for sure. I have this one and the same model w/o the pre-amp. Both work great. Thanks for watching and leaving an awesome comment.

[@trailbossx2]

Yup, you are correct, on not overdriving these,,,1 to 1.5 watts, as a driver,,and that lil guy will last forever, with a ton of output,,,they dont need much,,,probably the number 1 amp killer, is guys drivin em with 8 to 10,,,these work the opposite, of the old tube heaters,,,smaller drive,,longer life,,and plenty of output,,100%,,,,they're really inexpensive now, too,,,only thing is that $20 power supply, on the vid, cant be puttin out,,more than 5 , or so amps,,,if I'm runnin the cb, AND amp,,,I'd get a power supply, with a higher amp rating,,,,de NV1H😎

[@heffptbo]

Did that power supply create noise in the radio?

[@markschneiderhan4300]

Excellent radio and Amp combo....

[@M70ACARRY]

I have two of these. One mobile and one on the base. Both are 7 years old and have been working nicely. Just be gentle with them and they'll last.

[@HNXMedia]

They are great amps for sure.

[@franciscolopez3229]

May I ask what is your dead key power for the input of the 203?

[@gennaodis7861]

Really learned from your video. Thanks. For a 600 amp linear how many amps would a vehicle alternater have to put out to keep battery charged. Hoe many amps for a base station would this need thank you

[@mycatkramer]

Google Mechman Alternators I have there 400 Amp in my Chevy truck really works great

[@unclequack5445]

I'm using mines with a President Dick radio should be a cool little rig to play around on.

[@HNXMedia]

Heck yeah! Sounds like a solid set up!

[@unclequack5445]

@@HNXMedia Sir whats the dead key your putting into the KL203p ? the Pres.Dick on low has dead key of 2.7-2.8 watts swinging 17-20 is this about right? Ive heard this amp will blow easy if over powered. I want to be sure before install in mobile I use it on the bench with a old school Galaxy 1 watt DK swing 24. Thanks I like your channel.

[@wls3118]

Great video! Did you have to do any modifications to the McKinley to make it work with the amp? Thanks

[@HNXMedia]

Nope, I have never modded the McKinley whatsoever.

[@junglejoecvideogates9705]

Great amps. I have two of them

[@benbarrow6310]

How many W are you putting into it

[@guevaradelaserna85]

Hi there,i am waiting for one of this.A question,for ros tuning. Have i to put antenna-amplifier-rosmeter and tune or have i to put antenna-rosmeter,tune and after antenna's tuning connect the amplifier between radio and antenna?? Sorry for the silly question but these are my first steps with the cb. Best regards. PS don't i need dummy load,right??

[@HNXMedia]

Radio - amp - swr meter - antenna. Any meter would need to go after the amp. The amp may change the tuning of the system. If you use a 102' whip, you will not have to worry about it. 102' is the perfect antenna for a cb. Just don't mess with the stock output power on the cb and you should be fine.

[@guevaradelaserna85]

@@HNXMedia Hi there,a question,i have 2 rosmeter,i made connection like you say,but in the same condiction rosmeter says two different ros,do you think one of them is broken??

[@guevaradelaserna85]

@@HNXMedia Hi hnx.I made like you sayd but now i have a problem.I attached magnetic antenna on my car,problem is that when i turn on amp swr goes higher than 2,5 and i cannot calm them down.I tryed to unscrew bolts for lengthen and shorten the antenna but nothing happen.If i turn off amp swr stays about 1.Can you say me what is the problem??Best regards.

[@HNXMedia]

@@guevaradelaserna85 That high of an SWR sounds like a ground plane issue. I have never used magnetic antennas, only the kind that screw into permanent metal mounts.

[@billhastings1006]

Nice video, a d like the radio and amp. I wanted to ask how long are your coax jumpers? Some say 3ft, others have 10, 12ft. Any suggestions? Thank you .

[@HNXMedia]

Between amp and radio only 3 feet unless installation requires a longer cable. However, there is not going be any measurable "loss" over those three options - so use what you have or is most cost effective.

[@1OFGODSOWN]

@@HNXMedia Loss on 11 meters is so minimal that even at 100 Frodo coax nobody can see or hear the difference.

[@andrewagner2035]

How much power from the radio did you use to drive the amp on SSB? Would have been interesting to see difference the pre-amp made on receive. How much does the amp cost?

[@williambowman7244]

Don't make the mistake of running input higher than 3 watt those MOSFET finals burn quickly I personally have 3 rm 60 amps 2 built in heatsink mfg and 1 a 60 stinger they all use same finals priort rm3 transistors come back generic 520 MOSFETs more than 3 input almost always knocks the final in AM ssb can get away with 8 + pep at that a 203 may get 100 watt the 60s can get as high as 70 but only very short term I have swapped the finals 4 times in one it still operational but the pc board don't take that much service change

[@M70ACARRY]

I keep mine under two watts input.

[@HighRoad317]

Great content!!!👍👍

[@HNXMedia]

Thanks! The positivity is much appreciated! Thanks for stopping by and I hope the video was helpful.

[@Tony3at1011]

For repairs we mosfets, can exchange for IRLZ14 mosfets.

[@HNXMedia]

Cool! Solid info. Appreciated.

[@BillGoudy]

Just look at the goodness!!! ;-)

[@HNXMedia]

"Testing" is going well.

[@alessandromarchesi6430]

I have a question, but the power supply also works well in transmission

[@HNXMedia]

The way my set-up is done, I have the radio on a different dedicated power supply and the amp hooked to the one shown in the video. Hope this helps.

[@THESHADOW97139]

@@HNXMedia hi Is it possible to connect the radio to a similar power supply, or does it need a specific power supply??

[@saltyshellback]

I need to do more ham stuff. Got my tech license but have been busy with other life stuff like eating gummy bears 😋

[@HNXMedia]

You can work a radio and eat gummy bears at the same time. Now, you might end up with a sticky mic, but it is well worth the risk.

[@saltyshellback]

@@HNXMedia Maybe I can make a hands free gummy bear dispenser 😋

[@daiena_rabinovich]

Hi I want help please how use this with my cb radio I’m scared it can damage the radio if I use it?

[@HNXMedia]

These are essentially "plug and play." The antenna cable goes from the radio to the amp and then a separate antenna cable goes from the amp to the antenna. It is FAR more likely to blow the amp than harm the radio. As long as your CB is stock (not peaked out) you should have no problems. Just check the SWR and you should be fine.

[@daiena_rabinovich]

@@HNXMedia I honestly have no idea at all what to do or how to do, I bought a radio on Amazon and the seller said that it comes with amplifier and a big antenna. I don’t even know what kind of power cable I need because it doesn’t comes with one. Antenna I will try to put on balcony because we live in apartment. So I also need someone who know how to put a big antenna up. I only have a handheld radio so I have no experience or knowledge about the one I bought. I can’t imagine that I would go out and look for a big antenna to buy, so when I saw that it was included I bought it lol

[@HNXMedia]

@@daiena_rabinovich Oh my, the person who sold you that should have provided way more information. There is a lot going on here and I do NOT want you to get discouraged or give up on radio, but it can be a complicated hobby. A CB "base station" that you plan on using in a house will require its own DC power source (if it is a radio designed for an automobile like the one I show here). They typically do not plug into a wall outlet (unless it is a CB radio specifically built for home use - very rare these days). The amp is the same way, it requires its own DC power supply (unless the power supply for the radio can provide enough power to support both). Also, you cannot use a "mobile" or car antenna on a balcony unless it has some type of "ground plane" (in other words, a large metal structure to be mounted to or magnetically attached to). In a car, the car itself is the "ground plane" for the antenna. Hopefully, the antenna that comes with it is a large "base station specific" antenna - then it should work fine. The coax cable you need (that hooks up the radio to the antenna) is called RG8x. See here: amzn.to/3WclrPd The actual "power cable" will be completely different and depend upon the power supply/source. If you really want to get in deep and build your own antenna and learn a lot about CB radio, check out this guy's channel. He is a wealth of information: www.youtube.com/@MowerJunkie Best of luck and enjoy the hobby. Keep learning. Do NOT give up!

[@daiena_rabinovich]

@@HNXMedia OMG what have I done 😵 This sounds VERY complicated for me, I had no idea at all about this with power and antenna. He only said that the things I bought was worth much more than the price I paid so I felt like I was doing a good deal. The antenna was not in the photo because it was so long. He recommended 2 persons for put it up but nothing else than that. The radio is this model: cbradioguru.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/President-Johnson-II-CB.jpg And where can I find power supply for it? I don’t have a car to put it, I wanted it to be at home on my table and just sit there not moving around.

[@kevinblair191]

Appreciate the video. I have a stock Uniden Bearcat 980SSB that I am needing to get tuned and peaked. I can recieve all over the US and Canada but cannot get out to anyone. Would this amp work for me on stock or would I need to get it tuned? Thanks!

[@HNXMedia]

Only use this amp with a stock radio. If you peak the radio and then run it through an RM Italy amp, it will burn up the amp super fast. I've run my stock 980 SSB on this amp both mobile and base and can talk all over. Once you have the amp, all you need to invest in is the antenna. Mobile - run a 102 whip if possible. Base - run an Antron or something similar (but truth be told, I have run base with this amp on a center-fed long wire antenna made out of old speaker wire and talked clear to the Arctic Circle). Have fun and, of course (disclaimer) stay legal 😉

[@kevinblair191]

@@HNXMedia Thanks! I will try this amp stock. Yes I need to get a better antenna. I was trying something I had seen by taking 2 5ft. firestik's and puting one up in the air attached to the coax and one turned upside down as a dummy load. I definetly need a base style antenna. I appreciate you answering my question!

[@markmath1]

May be a dumb question, but how do you remove the orange plastic guard? Thanks, Mark

[@HNXMedia]

I just kind of flexed it and it popped right off.

[@markmath1]

@@HNXMedia thanx much.

[@Kim-ww9ud]

Just got mine also and it's from the uk.

[@HNXMedia]

Enjoy! It is a great piece of kit.

[@PaulGSXR]

Silly question but is the RTX still connected to the Antenna when the Amplifier if turned off? I don't want to blow anything by trying to transmit with no Antenna connection and don't want to have to keep connecting/disconnecting if I don't want to use the Amp

[@HNXMedia]

Not a silly question at all. The amp being off does not effect SWR. Tx "passes through" with no power to the device.

[@PaulGSXR]

@@HNXMedia Great! Just ordered one to go in my truck 😁

[@TDH75]

I'm unable to read the specs on the power cord you are using. Most of the cords available on Amazon say 15 amp. Are these ok to use?

[@HNXMedia]

Not sure what they all mean, but here are all the specs written on the power cord: C(UL)US E179483-G 16AWG 300v 75°C FT2 LEONI SJT 3 x 1.31mm²

[@StevieB-jj9fz]

Did you turn down the McKinley?

[@HNXMedia]

Nope.

[@terryshookster1466]

Please help. I got a pyramid 5 amp power supply I'm trying and it's just clicking Luke crazy every time I key up. Radio has two watts. Does it do this because my supply is way too low???

[@HNXMedia]

Yes, that is typically what that means.

[@Tony3at1011]

For me this KL203 is the best cost-benefit linear at the moment. I have one and I really make contacts like big stations.

[@HNXMedia]

Solid performer for the cost for sure!

[@TM-gv6zv]

I have a question sir. Did you check the swr4 reflect coming back to the radio?

[@HNXMedia]

Yes, I have a 1 to 1.5 on every channel.

[@HarshmanHills]

is this setup for CB style or HAM radio?

[@HNXMedia]

Legally, amps can be used on ham radios only. The power supply, however is nice because it could run either one or both at the same time. These types of amps are often used for "equipment testing purposes." The same way the accelerator in a car is used for "staying within the speed limit." Both have about the same practical effect ;)

[@andrewagner2035]

Setup is shown for CB. Ch 39 27.395 is a CB frequency! Should work on 28 Mhz and above for 10 m Ham as well.

[@1OFGODSOWN]

@@HNXMedia Everyone who reads that statement knows that you are full of 💩. Lying about what you are doing doesn’t make it Legal just FYI.👎🏻

[@FishOnIsMyHandle]

👍

[@HNXMedia]

Thanks!

[@mycatkramer]

No SWR Power meter ??

[@snowgorilla9789]

Interesting that it came from Italy but plainly marked ce (china export)

[@HNXMedia]

Actually it is the Conformitè Europëenne (CE) Mark, defined as the European Union's (EU) mandatory conformity marking for regulating the goods sold within the European Economic Area (EEA) since 1985. This verifies that the amp came from Italy. The power supply, on the other hand, is Chinese all day long. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. Peace.

[@philippegerolimatos6995]

Dumb 😁😁😁

[@feeatlastfeeatlast5283]

But you didn't show it working. Or the power out. Or how much it distorted the signal. In short you didn't show a damn thing.

[@HNXMedia]

Thanks for watching. Feel free to click that thumbs down and then search for a different video.