If you left an Ameritron AL-80B and an Elecraft KPA-500 in a room together with some wine and soft music, the Mercury III S might be the result. Like the KPA-500, it is solid state and therefore broadbanded - no tuning up is necessary. And, like the AL-80B, it outputs a kilowatt (actually, 1200 watts) and uses a relay for T/R switching.
I've owned both the Ameritron and the Elecraft amps, so the new Mercury feels a bit like a hybrid of both, though it is nothing of the sort.
I assembled the Mercury on the same day it arrived. What initially looked to be a two-evening process took only 5 hours, and that was taking my time. All the parts, patch cables, connectors and hardware went together easily and I think this would make a great first kit for someone.
It was a far easier build than anything else I've ever built and, upon completion, there is no alignment - just a few checks with an ohm meter to make sure various sections aren't shorted to ground.
Rather than a narrative, some brief notes and then some numbers.
