1KW Mobile? Or less?

My thoughts is why??? You run that in a TS and you're not going be favorably looked upon, in fact you may find some driver's that get their favorite TV show, or radio program interrupted by you, very, very upset. No telling how long your radio will survive.

 

Not is it not needed but can be dangerous ...

http://www.wirelessconnections.net/calcs/rfsafety.asp

 

When up-grading Amps, in order to make it worth-wild, and to where it would be a noticeable up-grade that people on the other end will be able to hear, you need to at least double your output...

So if your doing 100ws now, you wouldn't need to step up much more for people to notice the difference. But once you get up around 400'w (typical 4 pill Amp size) then the next jump starts getting expensive as you would need to jump up to something like a 8 pill which not only will require more power to run (bigger alternator possibly more battery's), but will also need a driver Amp...Plus more attention needs to be payed to just how well your install is, and specially your antenna and how well you have it tuned...Otherwise the Amp's wont last very long...

I know several guys running over 1K'ws in trucks, and theres a few that run over 10,000w's...Just depends on how deep your pockets are, and how much work your willing to do to get the truck to handle not only the power demand, but the RFI that is going to mess with everything electrical in the truck.

More power you run, the more RFI starts messing with things like windshield wipers, electronic shifting, stereos, head lights, and dashboard warning lights...

Most of the RFI problems can be taken care of by simple bonding of the vehicle. (grounding) which is time consuming, but very effective...

I use to run a 8 pill in my Suburban which would do about 1800w's on a peak meter, with no problems...But when I moved up to a 16 pill which does over 3200w's I first had all kinds of electrical issues, but after a little more grounding and fine tuning, about the only thing I still have a problem with RFI messing with, is a couple of the dashboard warning lights (ABS and battery light) will have a dim glow to them at night whenever I start talking on the radio...Other than that, no problems.

 

250 watts to 350 watts is all you should ever need in a mobile setup. Any more is going to fry your brain. The average distance a reasonably sized antenna can do in a mobile setup talking ground wave around you could not possibly need greater power. What good is a higher volts per meter signal around you do if the curvature of the earth combined with signal 'bending' is going to limit your maximum range anyway? Skip can allow you to talk 5,000 miles on just a few watts so even there massive power is more trouble than it's worth. Not to mention it causes more problems for others. Your head is what maybe 6 feet from the antenna?

I can tell you every one of the older great amplifier techs I have known have all died from cancerous tumors in either the brain or the liver. What Bruce was saying is not mere idle conjecture I have known those who died after years of working on high power amplifiers with the covers off. Also I have read many studies commissioned by companies such as Motorola over the years. A well known tech in Phoenix who worked on the gear for the channel 6 crowd died of liver cancer. The founder of Apollo Comm. in Phoenix died of brain cancer. Even my old friend Bill Good died of cancer that I believe stemmed from years of high field RF exposure.

The only reason their customers did not was due to covers and shields in place during operation with power ducted via shielded coax to an antenna high up on a pole or tower. However in a mobile setup your brain is mere feet from the source of radiation, the antenna. I agree with another poster using power near others is being a bad neighbor, say in a truck stop parking lot. Power should be used only out on the road and then only when needed. I despise operators who use 300 watts to talk 50 feet away and/or have their amplifiers running all of the time no matter who they are talking to. How many times in the parking lot I had to resort to an old meter to set an antenna because my MFJ-259 was being jammed by a dozen drivers on the lot all running power to talk 2 rows over. So many times I cannot number it. Most irritating to me, and I have no doubt also irritating to drivers trying to watch TV during their down time. But I digress. Limit yourself to a reasonable power range that is my best advice.

 

AGREE .......

I have worked in RF for more than 40 years and it is strange just how many I knpw how worked at Sperry microwave in the R&D back in the early 80's are dead of cancer ....

You can't see RF but like other forms of radiation can kill you ..... it is NO JOKE .....

 

I think you both are probably right. Cancer is scarey!!! (Now I'm thinking my little RM Italy KL300 might need to go! Compared to ones I've had in the past, it doesn't seem like much of a linear however.)

 

Mike a mind is a terible thing to waist and RF can do just that .....

 

Can I blame RF for my forgetfulness?.....or am I just getting old??