Texas Star DX350 Amp

**stang** · 04-28-2014, 06:49 AM

The amp is supposed to ship out today. Now I have a question or two. I understand texas star amps are power hungry for the amount of amplification they give but they are clean sounding. But I have been reading up on them and the proper power to drive them with. The info is all over the board does anyone know whats right. One place says a dead key of 4 watts or under another place says you need 60-70 watts and everything in between. Don't want to get it and under or over drive it and burn it up.

Thanks for any help.

**NY714** · 04-28-2014, 09:51 PM

Originally Posted by stang

The amp is supposed to ship out today. Now I have a question or two. I understand texas star amps are power hungry for the amount of amplification they give but they are clean sounding. But I have been reading up on them and the proper power to drive them with. The info is all over the board does anyone know whats right. One place says a dead key of 4 watts or under another place says you need 60-70 watts and everything in between. Don't want to get it and under or over drive it and burn it up.

Thanks for any help.

Depends on the pills in amp but Texas Star are known to be clean AB-1 Boxes for AM and SSB. as far as dead key and swing any straight 2,4,6 or 8 pill can easilt go 2-4 deadkey. Remember usually the lower the deadkey the better the audio. Then as far as swing depends again on how many pills, but a Texas Star 350 with 2x2879's would be fine swinging to 10-20 watts. Some people do swing 60-70 watts but you will see more on output but shorten life of amp, create alot more heat faster. Usually a must is to add a 4x4 fan on the heat sink anyway to keep cool. But in my opinion 10-20 watts on a swing with a 2 watt dead-key would sound great on a 350 Texas Star. Probably have to have a tech install a swing kit so you can go to a 2 watt deadkey and be able to swing to say 20 or even 30 watts. Stock radio will not usually be able to do that kind of swing, just to keep in mind.

PS - Only on amps when have driving pills in them, then have to be sure to run like 2 watt maximum or will blow up amp. That is why, I personally thing a straight pill box with no driver has alot more applications. Once you start with 1x2, 1x4, or higher with driver pills usually can only use a single final radio and again must run low deadkey like 2 watt maximum and low swing and let the box do the rest. Just one key forgetting to drop the RF Power down and hit a driver box with 4 watts or higher will blow up driver pill is common. Unless say a competition box that was specially designed for higher deadkey. Seen my friend blow up many Texas Star 667, which is a 1x4, and eventually just had the technician disable the driver pill and convert to a straight 4 pill box. Just My Opinion.

**stang** · 04-29-2014, 05:59 AM

Originally Posted by NY714

Depends on the pills in amp but Texas Star are known to be clean AB-1 Boxes for AM and SSB. as far as dead key and swing any straight 2,4,6 or 8 pill can easilt go 2-4 deadkey. Remember usually the lower the deadkey the better the audio. Then as far as swing depends again on how many pills, but a Texas Star 350 with 2x2879's would be fine swinging to 10-20 watts. Some people do swing 60-70 watts but you will see more on output but shorten life of amp, create alot more heat faster. Usually a must is to add a 4x4 fan on the heat sink anyway to keep cool. But in my opinion 10-20 watts on a swing with a 2 watt dead-key would sound great on a 350 Texas Star. Probably have to have a tech install a swing kit so you can go to a 2 watt deadkey and be able to swing to say 20 or even 30 watts. Stock radio will not usually be able to do that kind of swing, just to keep in mind.

PS - Only on amps when have driving pills in them, then have to be sure to run like 2 watt maximum or will blow up amp. That is why, I personally thing a straight pill box with no driver has alot more applications. Once you start with 1x2, 1x4, or higher with driver pills usually can only use a single final radio and again must run low deadkey like 2 watt maximum and low swing and let the box do the rest. Just one key forgetting to drop the RF Power down and hit a driver box with 4 watts or higher will blow up driver pill is common. Unless say a competition box that was specially designed for higher deadkey. Seen my friend blow up many Texas Star 667, which is a 1x4, and eventually just had the technician disable the driver pill and convert to a straight 4 pill box. Just My Opinion.

Thanks for the great info. The radio I am planning to hook up with it has a 6 w dead key swinging about 18. found some info supposed to be from Texas star saying a 7 w dead key MAX. I don't know weather to take the radio and have it turned down or just let it go as is since it's not very high at 6w.

**NY714** · 04-30-2014, 05:08 AM

It always says that on web but would start with low dead key and work your way up with radio checks. Generally the lower the deadkey the better the audio, but it can swing up to higher watts. Deadkey is just key up with mic gain all the way down no modulation. Once the deadkey is adjusted hopefully can still whistle into mic and go from say 2 watts to 18 watts and let box do the rest and you audio should be awesome. But again use the 2 watt as a starting point and raise up 1 watt at a time and get audio check on loudness and clarity till you reach a sweet spot. Again might have to have a swing kit installed if when dial down to 2 watts and won't swing to the 18 watt point. Sometimes when lower deadkey it will in turn lower your total swing also, that is the purpose of the swing kit. For example my radio the RF Power only adjust the deakey 0-6 watts, I am always swing the same on total watts, but had to be modified for that, and also same swing on SSB if you talk there.