Market Value of TWT Amplifier?

Satellite experts, I need some info on fair market value of the following.:

Cober Electronics, Series LMA TWT Amplifier, model 10LMA1

10 Watts output, traveling wave tube amplifier.

This one is serial number One. The first production unit, if that matters.

I'm researching prices of used TWT amps and am kicking around the figure $2,995 as being in the ballpark. What do the experts think about this unit and what it's worth on the market?

-- Take care,

Mark & Mary Ann Weiss

VIDEO PRODUCTION . FILM SCANNING . DVD MASTERING . AUDIO RESTORATION Hear my Kurzweil Creations at:

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Reply to
Mark & Mary Ann Weiss
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I have a 20 Watt TWT with power supply and I would expect the top price would be $100.00. Your price would depend on the frequecy and power supply.

Good luck. Bill K7NOM

Reply to
Bill Janssen

And condition, they degrade with time. Harmonic content, gain and power can worsen.

Glenn n6gn

Reply to
Glenn

unit

I'm wondering why places like Tucker Electronics are selling similar used units in the $3,000-4,000 range. I don't want to make a mistake and list it for $100 when it might be worth $900, for instance. Thanks for the opinion.

-- Take care,

Mark & Mary Ann Weiss

VIDEO PRODUCTION . FILM SCANNING . DVD MASTERING . AUDIO RESTORATION Hear my Kurzweil Creations at:

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Business sites at:
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Reply to
Mark & Mary Ann Weiss

Mark & Mary Ann-

Before you list it, you need to find out more about it. Does the "LMA" indicate that it is an "L-Band Microwave Amplifier"? Can you find a manufacturer's web site or data sheet? Have you tested it to verify it meets specs and hasn't lost its vacuum?

You may have noticed on E-Bay, that two like items can sell for quite different prices, depending on how well the sellers present the items. By having good backup data, and by mentioning Tucker's price for the identical item, you might get more than by just describing it the way you did here!

Fred

Reply to
Fred McKenzie

meets

different

good

might

It will be quite difficult to list it properly, as I cannot locate the manufacturer on the web. They don't appear to be listed on any search engine. I cannot make direct comparison because no other TWT amp by this manufacturer is selling on Ebay at this time. All I have is a casual statement from the engineer that handed it to me for consignment sale, that it was working the last time he used it. I used Tucker as a reference, though no identical item was listed. I compared against other makes/models having 10W output like this unit, which was the closest match I could find. Perhaps I could list it with a DOA garantee and be ready to accept return and refund in the event that the unit is not up to par. I really hate selling equipment that I don't have the equipment to test (I'm geared for AM & FM commercial transmitter repair, not satellite), but at the same time, I don't want to blow it out for next to nothing. I'd like to protect the interests of the owner, too.

-- Take care,

Mark & Mary Ann Weiss

VIDEO PRODUCTION ? FILM SCANNING ? DVD MASTERING ? AUDIO RESTORATION Hear my Kurzweil Creations at:

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Business sites at:
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Reply to
Mark & Mary Ann Weiss

You can also search *sold* items on e-bay; that might help. Then again, tweety birds are not commonly sold there...

Reply to
Robert Baer

Can the amplifier can do 10 watts CW, or is that peak, with a low duty cycle? Is it a narrow bandwidth, or a full octave or band model? Does it have remote control (like a GPIB port)?

Even knowing these things, a TWT amplifier is a weird item to buy or sell. As other posters have noted, TWT's degrade, and their lifetime sometimes yields a lousy return on investment. I have had older Watkins Johnson 10 watt units that died with just a few 10's of hours on them, and I have had some HO 10 watt models that are 30 years old and still fine.

I try to "baby" my TWT amps (never overdrive them, always use reverse power protection, and always give them a very long cool-down period. Is that important? Maybe, maybe not. But might a previous owner been as careful?

Anyway, at the least, you should characterize the bandwidth and available power for your ad. I would imagine that a very clean, 10 watt CW L-band TWT amp ought to be worth over $1500; OTOH, if it's bandwidth is only a few percent wide, or not continuous rated, then worth might be closer to $100.

Ed wb6wsn

Reply to
Ed Price

Good advice above, and in addition, if you can find out what it was used for before it was removed and why it was removed.. If it was a satellite up link then the band (C ,KU etc.) it was used for would help. Also is the power supply with the amplifier? The power suppy may be the most valuable piece

Good luck Bill K7NOM

Reply to
Bill Janssen

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