Tokyo Hy-Power HL-1.5KFX
$$$··
| Frequency | 1.8-28 MHz (HF, incl WARC) + 50-54 MHz (6m) |
| TX power | 1000 W (~1000 W PEP SSB and ~850-900 W CW on HF; ~600-650 W on 6m. Drive ~85 W typical (100 W max). The '1.5K' in the name is a power-class/AC-draw figure (~1.9 kVA on transmit), NOT 1500 W output.) |
| Modes | SSB, CW, RTTY, SSTV, AM, FM |
| Weight | 20 kg (44.1 lb) |
| Year | 2006 |
| rf in | SO-239 × 1 (transceiver input) |
| rf out hf | SO-239 (HF antenna output) |
| rf out 6m | SO-239 (6m antenna output, separate from HF) |
| send | relay to ground (transceiver SEND/TX GND terminal) |
| band data icom | CI-V serial (9600 baud) + DC voltage band data |
| band data yaesu | 8-pin DIN |
| band data kenwood | RS-232C (9600 bps) |
| alc | ALC output to transceiver |
| ac in | IEC (100/110/120/200/220/240 VAC, 50/60 Hz; multi-voltage) |
| power req | 100/110/120/200/220/240 VAC, 50/60 Hz (multi-voltage, internally selectable) |
Estimated (unverified): Original retail price was not independently confirmable (~$2,500-3,000 estimated); current used prices (~$1,200-1,800) are observed asking prices, not confirmed completed sales.
A Japanese solid-state 1 kW amplifier covering HF through 6 m. Separate HF and 6 m antenna outputs need no external switching. The automatic band decoder works with Icom (CI-V + DC voltage), Yaesu (8-pin DIN), and Kenwood (RS-232C). Five protection circuits guard the MOSFET finals. The multi-voltage AC input works worldwide. It is compact for the power level at 272x142x363 mm.
Tokyo Hy-Power went bankrupt in December 2013, so the amplifier has had no factory support, parts, or warranty for over a decade - it is used-market only, and the expensive MOSFET finals are the usual failure point, leaving repairs to independent techs. The '1.5K' name is misleading (output is ~1000 W, not 1500 W). At ~20 kg it is heavy for a desktop, there is fan noise under load, and a current amplifier with a working factory behind it is a safer buy.
A Japanese solid-state amplifier giving about 1 kW on HF and 600 W on 6 m from a compact package, with thorough protection circuits and automatic band switching for all three major brands. The misleading '1.5K' name, inconsistent availability, and limited service network are the caveats. For buyers who can find one and accept the support situation, it is a capable amplifier.
The Tokyo Hy-Power HL-1.5KFX is a solid-state HF and 6-meter linear amplifier - one of the first commercially successful "no-tune" transistor amplifiers to approach legal-limit power, at a time when nearly everything in its class still used vacuum tubes. Four MOSFET devices in a wideband push-pull design deliver about 1000 watts PEP on the HF bands and 600-650 watts on 6 meters, with no tuning to fiddle with and instant band changes.
The name is the first thing to get right. "1.5K" is not the output - the amplifier puts out roughly a kilowatt, about 2 dB below the US legal limit. The figure refers to its power class and AC draw (it pulls close to 1.9 kVA on transmit). It needs about 85-100 watts of drive, runs from 100-240 V mains rather than a battery, has separate HF and 6-meter antenna jacks, and shows power, SWR, and the finals' voltage and current on a switchable meter. It decodes band data from Icom, Yaesu, and Kenwood radios to switch bands automatically, and a full set of protection circuits guards the transistors against overdrive, high SWR, and overheating.
The catch is support. Tokyo Hy-Power went bankrupt and shut its doors in December 2013, so the HL-1.5KFX has been out of production and without any factory support, parts, or warranty for over a decade. The MOSFET finals are the usual failure point and are expensive to replace, so any repair now depends on independent technicians and a community of owners. It is strictly a used-market purchase.
For its era it was a landmark - compact, clean, and solid-state when rivals were tubes - and it still performs well. But anyone considering one today is buying an orphaned product; a current solid-state amplifier with a working factory behind it, or a well-supported tube amp like an ACOM 1000 or the smaller Ameritron AL-80B, is the safer choice unless the price and condition are right.