Ameritron AL-82
$$$$$
| Frequency | 1.8-21.45 MHz including the WARC bands (30/17/12 m) as standard; 10 m (28 MHz) on export/user-modified models |
| Bands | 160m, 80m, 40m, 30m, 20m, 17m, 15m, 12m, 10m |
| TX power | 1500 W (1500 W output - full legal limit. Two Eimac 3-500ZG triodes. Two bias settings: high-efficiency CW/RTTY (~70% plate efficiency) or low-distortion SSB. 1800 W-rated Hypersil transformer; 3300 V full load (3600 V no load). ~85-100 W drive) |
| Modes | SSB, CW, RTTY, SSTV |
| Weight | 34.5 kg (76.1 lb) |
| Year | 1990 |
| rf in | SO-239 |
| rf out | SO-239 |
| keying | amp relay/ALC |
| power req | 240 V AC (also 120 V on some variants) |
The dual-3-500Z route to the legal limit: 1500 watts from two affordable, available triodes, a genuinely heavy-duty power supply built around an 1800-watt-rated transformer, and selectable bias for efficient digital running or clean SSB. It is the traditional American legal-limit amplifier, and its tubes cost far less than the ceramic devices in its single-tube siblings.
It is large and heavy, manually tuned, and needs a healthy mains circuit. Two 3-500Z tubes run hotter and are slightly less rugged than a single big ceramic tube, and standard units cover 160-15 m plus the WARC bands, with 10 m only on export/modified models. As an MFJ-family product it is affected by the 2024 wind-down.
The classic affordable path to legal-limit power: two 3-500ZG tubes, a serious power supply, and cheap available tubes. For an operator who wants 1500 watts without the cost of a ceramic-tube amp, the AL-82 is the traditional answer. Those who prefer a single rugged tube choose its siblings, the AL-1200 (3CX1200A7) or AL-1500 (8877).
The Ameritron AL-82 is the dual-3-500Z route to the legal limit - the traditional American legal-power amplifier. It uses two Eimac 3-500Z triodes in grounded grid to make a full 1500 watts of output, fed by a genuinely heavy-duty power supply built around an 1800-watt continuous-rated Hypersil transformer with a full-wave bridge. A selectable-bias feature lets you run a high-efficiency mode (about 70% plate efficiency) for CW and RTTY, or a low-distortion mode for clean SSB.
Mechanically it is the same amplifier as Ameritron's single-tube legal-limit models - the AL-1200 and AL-1500 - differing only in the tube complement, a point the community makes often. Its advantage over those siblings is tube cost: the 3-500Z remains affordable and widely available, where the single-tube amps use more expensive ceramic devices. Standard units cover 160 through 15 meters including the WARC bands (30, 17, and 12 meters); only 10 meters requires an export or user-modified model.
The trade-offs are the usual ones for a big tube amplifier: it is large, heavy, and manually tuned, needs a healthy mains circuit, and two glass triodes run hotter and a little less ruggedly than a single big ceramic tube. As an MFJ-family product it is affected by the 2024 manufacturing wind-down. For an operator who wants 1500 watts at the lowest tube cost, the AL-82 is the classic choice; those who value a single bulletproof tube look to the AL-1200, and the high-efficiency crowd to the 8877-based AL-1500.
Production status: MFJ Enterprises ceased manufacturing in May 2024, halting the Ameritron line. ITU Corporation acquired the Ameritron brand in June 2026 and is relocating production to Linton, Indiana, with full manufacturing expected to resume in late 2026 - so this model is currently out of production while the line is being revived.