As long as you do not overdrive this amplifier, Rm Italy is a good amplifier. Upgrade power wires to 8 guage and always have a fan to cool the amplifier. Heat kills
RM Italy are great amps. been getting years now. got the KL 805 on the way. 600 watt PEP. 3 fans . 24V 30 amps. runs 20 to 30 volts. Italy makes great coax. M & P . all copper. even copper foil . I got a 50 ft run of POTAFLEX 7 puts LMR 400 to shame. I put it on GMRS UHF and my receive came up over LMR 400 . some great stuff from Italy ! RM has great VHF and UHF amps.
Finally someone made a video of the 703. I’ve contemplated on getting one, but I’m sticking with the 503. I have one in my truck with the RCI 2950 CD and doing no more than 1 watt dead key into the 503. I would like another 503 for my home base. I want to pair it up with a Uniden Washington base. Back to the 703, thanks for making the video. I was curious on the performance
180 190 now 195 wholl give me 2? There's 2 who'll give 225? 225 wholl give me 250? Sold to Blade for 250 dollars including shipping!! 😀 When you said 180 190 it reminded me of an auction for a second there Rooster.
I love the 503p I got from you on my Mckinley. Just got a Lincoln 2+ and was thinking of the 503hd or this amp. Maby you'll have some tasty treats at the shindig in March. Lookin forward to seeing you again bud
I have a McKinley and Lincoln 2+ I’m getting backswing with my kl 503 and 203 they’re stock besides the conversion did you do anything to your carrier?
@@Rooster_Radio we struggle for decent psu's in 🇬🇧 50a plenty of, only 1 60a with 2, 4mm banana plug fittings you'd have to get 60a electrical wire into. Appreciate the reply anyway 🐓, I'm sure Santa will sort it for me mate, cause I've been a good boy this year. Haha 😄 Enjoy the videos mate, keep them coming in 2022 👍
@@Rooster_Radio Maybe a 75A would be overkill, but if I run it let's say, 14.2-14.5V instead of 13.8V @60A min , will then less amperage would run it less hot?
@@Rooster_Radio I see, okay. And well, I meant standard as you usually see specs of equipment being listed at around that voltage. I really like the RM Italy line and am verry happy you did a review video of it. Great work by the way! I am happy someone finally put the 503 (your previous video) and the 703 behind a Bird . There is a lot of opinions that the 703 can't hit close to 500. I am looking to get the 703 soon myself (the prices for these just went up around the web by the way) and keep telling people that if you put the right wattage and AMPERAGE (yes the 703 does need a steady 60A) behind the 703, you will see it swing close 500 peak, so I'm really happy you got this video up. 73s!
Those are good amps. I got a smaller 100watt for my mobile. Right now for my base I'm running an Alan Jumbo tube amp. Maybe I'll get one of those one day.
On this amp or a texas star 500v...do you save your amp by running it at half power output...or do you burn out another section of the amp? My motto is run 2x power supply that it requires, and run your amp at half power...aka if you want 200w...buy a 500w and run it half power. Thanks.
You get a lot of bang for your buck with these amps. Longevity is still something to be considered but my 503 HD is still doing just fine after a good two years on the key.
Great video. How many amps would a vehicle alternator have to put out to keep battery and accesories working. How big an amp would you need for this to work on a base station Thanks
50-75A Ambulance alternator would likely be needed. I would add a 2nd battery dedicated to this monster in a mobile setup and of course a faraday sized super capacitor to keep the power flow even without any drops. Perhaps 1/0 copper cables with 50amp fuses directly to the battery.
Run a STRYKER into it. 1w dk swing 100 pep. It can take it. Ive seen 650+ with 100w pep input. Dont be scared of it. Been running mine that way for a couple years with no issues. Just keep it cool
Want you to think about what you're saying. 35 watts in 500 out- 14x the input drive 100 in 700 out- 7x the input drive You're putting in 65 more watts to gain 150-200. Doesn't make sense and it's a good indicator that the amp is being over driven, diminished returns.
@@RT038 Running the amp in AM mode while on ssb could theoretically wear the relay out over time. Other than that there is no difference between AM mode and ssb. Sideband delay, that's all.
Just a quick question ... at high power setting output what is the peak AMP current draw needed by a power supply ? Thank you for any info on the question.
I've never had issue with one, but I can believe that. The more mosfets you add, the more possibilities you have of these things happening. The 503hd is the best amp they make in my opinion
HI,good interesting video, I have the same lineair amplifier, I am very pleased with the build quality and performance, but I would recommend a 60 amp minimum power supply, thanks from Rotterdam 👍
@@LEEBO-56 Hi,actually I sold it,good amplifier no complaints 👌, but now I have a Amateur radio licence I use a Acom 1500 linear amplifier,,,,bit of a different league 🙃, hopefully your amplifier is working well,,,,73 from Rotterdam 👍
@@tommydangelo2479 hi,I suppose it depends on how hard you drive the amplifier,,but in my situations 60 amp minimal,,,not enough power amps, has a negative effect on the modulation,,,good luck 73s from Rotterdam.
Well it says (Smokin Joe) and it's a 4 pill I got it from a guy in Texas I don't remember the name of the cb shop but I think he worked on it before I bought it and it worked really good for 2 years and I noticed that it wasn't keying on the meter and I inspected the inside and saw that the one big resistor has black discoloration on it so I just unplugged her I just need advice on what to do so I don't waste more money Thanks.
Hey Rooster. I've been watching your amplifier videos, and I"m interested in exploring this more prior to a purchase. Can you answer a question: On the initial keying of the mike you were at 180 watts. You selected "Peak" on your meter and the amps went to 500. Can you explain this? Which is the radio actually transmitting at when you talk since you were speaking both times? I guess I'm not understanding why BOTH need to be done if the radio is transmitting at one the one?
Great video Rooster. I really like these amps. And that's a damn good price what you're asking for these amps especially considering the prices I've seen on ebay.
@@timmygilbert1371 I don't want to speak for Rooster but I know he gets tied up at times and it might take a while to reply but go to his TH-cam channel, swipe left until you see the COMMUNITY heading and read the 1st post.👍
how come when he goes from AVG to Peak he never shows carrier? Not only him, but others do it also. If you look quick enough it looks like carrier went up when going to peak. Which it shouldnt. That would mean peak is jacked. But, its done so quick, it could be a optical illusion.
The meter will initially bounce up when you switch to peak, because the kit is battery operated and that's the "battery test". Carrier won't change on peak unless fan noise is being picked up to generate a small amount of peak power. If I need to make a video demonstrating this I'll be glad to. No smoke and mirror show here
@@Rooster_Radio 10-4.. thanks for the reply. it just seamed like when everyone goes to peak mode they are quick to audio. Wasnt implying anything. but may more out of habit i guess. Keep up the vids!
Unfortunately yes they are but the quality of the Texas star amps has a lot to be desired. The rm Italy amps are unbeaten in build quality and if not overdriven they will last a long time. They have clean output on a scope and spectrum analyzer unlike Texas stars which are usually dirty.
i had to hit it with 80 peak watts to get 500 out pep don"t know how you got that much out of it ? 500 watts for that amp is rated at ssb. but who knows ? i know if you run over 14.8 volts you will burn the mosphets out thanks for the video monster mash out :).
Maybe you didn't notice Am and FM are on the same mode switch. If it works on AM it works on FM. The uniden 66 doesn't have FM mode, but if an amplifier functions on AM it will function on fm
@@alanchatfield4271 ive just bought one, a thirty watt fm/am input will do 435 watts using 8 awg on a 60amp psu, i tested mine on FM.. it draws 52amps on these specs.
RM Italy are actually pretty tough. I've probably sold 1000 or more between the 203,203p, 503,503hd, 703. Can't even think of anyone that's had a failure
@@Rooster_Radio, you don't have to be a smartass, but that's your choice. In reality, nobody gobbles-up on a mic like you do in all the vids you've got, so why do it for a useless show of swing with wattage that never gets used? I started watching your vids for some mobile tube amp info because you showed up in search results, but all I see is Smoke-N-Mirror salesmanship here. Good Luck buddy. It's your channel..
As long as you do not overdrive this amplifier, Rm Italy is a good amplifier. Upgrade power wires to 8 guage and always have a fan to cool the amplifier. Heat kills
RM Italy are great amps. been getting years now. got the KL 805 on the way. 600 watt PEP. 3 fans . 24V 30 amps. runs 20 to 30 volts. Italy makes great coax. M & P . all copper. even copper foil . I got a 50 ft run of POTAFLEX 7 puts LMR 400 to shame. I put it on GMRS UHF and my receive came up over LMR 400 . some great stuff from Italy ! RM has great VHF and UHF amps.
These are kick ass amplifiers and perform fantastic. Don't overdrive them and they will last a long time.
What would you classify as over driving it
@@RT038125w dead key works good...250rms & 500 peak runs cool
I've been running the KL500 bipolar transistor version , I've had it years , It's a good little amp and runs all day long without issue .
Finally someone made a video of the 703. I’ve contemplated on getting one, but I’m sticking with the 503. I have one in my truck with the RCI 2950 CD and doing no more than 1 watt dead key into the 503. I would like another 503 for my home base. I want to pair it up with a Uniden Washington base. Back to the 703, thanks for making the video. I was curious on the performance
Everything Italian is always good... let's face it.. nobody ever dreamed of an Irish sports car...
I bet you could get drunk and win a group b rally if there was one though!
Name me a more iconic car than the Delorean, that's an Irish car!
@@rorydonaghy4742 thank you......! Sir!
Iconic, yes...poor build quality, less than satisfying driving experience...
Thank you hahah
I am very impressed with youre videos on the rm italy amplifier kl503
180 190 now 195 wholl give me 2? There's 2 who'll give 225? 225 wholl give me 250? Sold to Blade for 250 dollars including shipping!! 😀
When you said 180 190 it reminded me of an auction for a second there Rooster.
sure would like to see the envelope output on an Oscilloscope with a 1 kHz tone on AM, and a 2-tone on SSB.
Look up BBI videos. He's legit
I love the 503p I got from you on my Mckinley. Just got a Lincoln 2+ and was thinking of the 503hd or this amp. Maby you'll have some tasty treats at the shindig in March. Lookin forward to seeing you again bud
Awesome AL , looking forward to it
I have a McKinley and Lincoln 2+ I’m getting backswing with my kl 503 and 203 they’re stock besides the conversion did you do anything to your carrier?
Damn that thing is not playing around it is serious I can probably talk all the way around the world on sideband with that thing😮
I see you were testing it on am according to the position of the switch
Dang! That's a spicy meatball!!
The input impedance is around 1.5~1.6 swr on High. You need to add 33pf to the existing 120pf to get it down to 1.1~1.2
Would of been nice to know how many amps were used during the hi,med,low, would a 50a psu be fine at 20w input.
With only 20 watts going in yes. I'd recommend 60 amps for full output on high
@@Rooster_Radio we struggle for decent psu's in 🇬🇧 50a plenty of, only 1 60a with 2, 4mm banana plug fittings you'd have to get 60a electrical wire into.
Appreciate the reply anyway 🐓, I'm sure Santa will sort it for me mate, cause I've been a good boy this year. Haha 😄
Enjoy the videos mate, keep them coming in 2022 👍
@@Rooster_Radio Maybe a 75A would be overkill, but if I run it let's say, 14.2-14.5V instead of 13.8V @60A min , will then less amperage would run it less hot?
I use a Tekpower 50A. 25 watt drive. Terrific amp. It has punched me through when needed. Never been close to warm.
@Rooster CB Radio Connection
how many volts were you running the 703 at? was it at 14.5v? or the standard 13.9?
14.5. my truck runs around 14.3-14.5.
Where are you seeing 13.9 as the standard?
@@Rooster_Radio I see, okay. And well, I meant standard as you usually see specs of equipment being listed at around that voltage.
I really like the RM Italy line and am verry happy you did a review video of it. Great work by the way! I am happy someone finally put the 503 (your previous video) and the 703 behind a Bird . There is a lot of opinions that the 703 can't hit close to 500.
I am looking to get the 703 soon myself (the prices for these just went up around the web by the way) and keep telling people that if you put the right wattage and AMPERAGE (yes the 703 does need a steady 60A) behind the 703, you will see it swing close 500 peak, so I'm really happy you got this video up.
73s!
I would loved see more reviews on it.
I LIKE THE ROCKER SWITCHES THEY SOUND LIKE THEY ARE GOOD QUALITY
Those are good amps. I got a smaller 100watt for my mobile.
Right now for my base I'm running an Alan Jumbo tube amp. Maybe I'll get one of those one day.
On this amp or a texas star 500v...do you save your amp by running it at half power output...or do you burn out another section of the amp? My motto is run 2x power supply that it requires, and run your amp at half power...aka if you want 200w...buy a 500w and run it half power. Thanks.
Everything I own I run it to it's max safe operating capacity, and rarely have failures
@@Rooster_Radio i was told if I run my 500v at half I will burn it out faster because the amp is burning off the excess watts into another component.
@@tf7274 not true.
@@rondellschuyler7074 Which part? Curious. Thanks for replying.
You get a lot of bang for your buck with these amps. Longevity is still something to be considered but my 503 HD is still doing just fine after a good two years on the key.
503hd is my no2 pick of rm amps
so over time. do you still think the 503hd. a better amp over the 703
@@Rooster_Radio so do you still think the 503hd a better amp over the 703 ?
Great video.
How many amps would a vehicle alternator have to put out to keep battery and accesories working. How big an amp would you need for this to work on a base station
Thanks
The specs sheet stated 50 Amps, I'd still suggest adding a super capacitor to prevent any drops and smooth out the incoming power.
50-75A Ambulance alternator would likely be needed. I would add a 2nd battery dedicated to this monster in a mobile setup and of course a faraday sized super capacitor to keep the power flow even without any drops. Perhaps 1/0 copper cables with 50amp fuses directly to the battery.
What is the max dead key you would put into this
WOW THAT 500 IS OK BUT I WOULD LIKE TO TRY THAT 703 WOULD BE GREAT FOR ME OK ROOSTER 💪💪💪
Ah the Anti-QRP brigade on the superbowl :) Still, nice to hear strong signals in the UK when these get used even without skip lol.
Ótimo eguipamento perfeito potencia 500 vts 13.8 ou 24 vts bazuka Foz do Iguaçu pr Brasil
Good video ... you have just persuaded me to but one ... have used RM amps and had good results over the years ... Thanks for the video.
I'll have a couple in this week. They do a good job
Hey rooster you got any of these 703's in stock right now? Thanks
Andersons radio supply. 400$
Run a STRYKER into it. 1w dk swing 100 pep. It can take it. Ive seen 650+ with 100w pep input. Dont be scared of it. Been running mine that way for a couple years with no issues. Just keep it cool
Want you to think about what you're saying.
35 watts in 500 out- 14x the input drive
100 in 700 out- 7x the input drive
You're putting in 65 more watts to gain 150-200. Doesn't make sense and it's a good indicator that the amp is being over driven, diminished returns.
Would this amp perform well with a stock bearcart 880 ??
I own one question to users out there the switch delay from am to ssb. Can I damage it from not having the correct position on either am or ssb
@@RT038 ssb is just for the delay
@@Rooster_Radio OK if you don't have it on the correct position will it damage the amp
@@RT038 Running the amp in AM mode while on ssb could theoretically wear the relay out over time. Other than that there is no difference between AM mode and ssb. Sideband delay, that's all.
Just a quick question ... at high power setting output what is the peak AMP current draw needed by a power supply ? Thank you for any info on the question.
I would use a 50 amp supply minimum
Had one went back. 50 watt dead key it would swing up to 200 RMS & stay there with no audio. It was oscillating. Went with the 503 no issues.
I've never had issue with one, but I can believe that. The more mosfets you add, the more possibilities you have of these things happening.
The 503hd is the best amp they make in my opinion
@@Rooster_Radio Exactly, agree the 503 is the best. I modified mine to a medium drive.
HI,good interesting video, I have the same lineair amplifier, I am very pleased with the build quality and performance, but I would recommend a 60 amp minimum power supply, thanks from Rotterdam 👍
Hello Rotterdam..DESPERADO 56 north of Tampa Fl. waving a hand.. just wondering how your Italy 703 is working out for you. Be safe and stay well. 73's
@@LEEBO-56 Hi,actually I sold it,good amplifier no complaints 👌, but now I have a Amateur radio licence I use a Acom 1500 linear amplifier,,,,bit of a different league 🙃, hopefully your amplifier is working well,,,,73 from Rotterdam 👍
i run this on a 50 amp it runs good
@@tommydangelo2479 hi,I suppose it depends on how hard you drive the amplifier,,but in my situations 60 amp minimal,,,not enough power amps, has a negative effect on the modulation,,,good luck 73s from Rotterdam.
@@Bernard-John i do always like a little more amperage then less i will not disagree with you
Can you match this to an anytone at5555n2, on AM, the anytone does 60pep, so just back down to 35?
Same as the 503hd, it will work if it hasn't been modified and you back the rf power down.
@@Rooster_Radio Thank you, 73.
Hey just a question off the topic, would it be cheaper to replace the 4 pills ,relay and upgrade other parts or just buy another amp?
Oh yeah and how much would the price be for either or?
What amp are you referring to
Well it says (Smokin Joe) and it's a 4 pill I got it from a guy in Texas I don't remember the name of the cb shop but I think he worked on it before I bought it and it worked really good for 2 years and I noticed that it wasn't keying on the meter and I inspected the inside and saw that the one big resistor has black discoloration on it so I just unplugged her I just need advice on what to do so I don't waste more money Thanks.
Hey Rooster. I've been watching your amplifier videos, and I"m interested in exploring this more prior to a purchase. Can you answer a question: On the initial keying of the mike you were at 180 watts. You selected "Peak" on your meter and the amps went to 500. Can you explain this? Which is the radio actually transmitting at when you talk since you were speaking both times? I guess I'm not understanding why BOTH need to be done if the radio is transmitting at one the one?
Low power of 12w on high when he 1st keyed up getting 180w, he then went to 35w input and got 490w 👍
What Gauge size power wire would you recommend to run to the KL 703 in a vehicle ?
10
Where can I buy one of these 703s
Rooster. Would you happen to know the class of the 703? Thanks in advance.
I’ve seen them where you can light up a fluorescent light.
Yes with ease I do it for fun of it lol
February, or March of next year coming up, I'm coming for one of these. Think you'll have them?
You're asking me if I'll have something 3-4 months away? That's hard to say
@@Rooster_Radio maybe I should have phrased it different, are they normally in stock? Or something you get when you can? Thanks in advance
@@KC9RXP i try to keep them available yes
@@Rooster_Radio good stuff. I'll get at you then.
Can I get a recommendation for 60 power supply for this amp ??
Nice! What something like that run a fellow?
Dang I like that amp !
what power input is for to go output 500w? please
35 pep/ssb
Do they make this in a HD version?
Looking for a sweet 16 and a Texas star 350 variable drive. Also looking for an HR2510.
Also, I will not put more that 1.5 dead key watts into my 503.
Looking for rm Italy 503 hd . hopefully you have one and how much
I just saw one of those amps today. It's much larger than it looks on your video. Nice amp though.
Thank you for your comments to my question
Will this amp work on 10 - 80 meters?
It covers 25-30 MHz on all narrowbands AM FM SSB CW and data modes.
Cool Amps Rooster!
🇺🇲👍
Great video Rooster. I really like these amps.
And that's a damn good price what you're asking for these amps especially considering the prices I've seen on ebay.
Know ya dont like to give prices on here but maybe just a ballpark figure ? :)
@@timmygilbert1371 I don't want to speak for Rooster but I know he gets tied up at times and it might take a while to reply but go to his TH-cam channel, swipe left until you see the COMMUNITY heading and read the 1st post.👍
how come when he goes from AVG to Peak he never shows carrier? Not only him, but others do it also. If you look quick enough it looks like carrier went up when going to peak. Which it shouldnt. That would mean peak is jacked. But, its done so quick, it could be a optical illusion.
The meter will initially bounce up when you switch to peak, because the kit is battery operated and that's the "battery test". Carrier won't change on peak unless fan noise is being picked up to generate a small amount of peak power. If I need to make a video demonstrating this I'll be glad to. No smoke and mirror show here
@@Rooster_Radio 10-4.. thanks for the reply. it just seamed like when everyone goes to peak mode they are quick to audio. Wasnt implying anything. but may more out of habit i guess. Keep up the vids!
when will you have these in stock again
Just did a couple days ago and sold out. Might be getting a new one in on trade
I would like to purchase one of these to use at home
Can you push these with a stock 955?
35 watts peak
So just turn the power down
What is the dimensions of this amp
Always wanted to get my hands on exactly that amp. But always Wind up a day short. 🤣 oh well, maybe some day.
I'll have more in soon
Do you have rm italy kl200p 703
How much dead key did you use?
2 watts or so
Does Texas star still in business?
Yes
Unfortunately yes they are but the quality of the Texas star amps has a lot to be desired. The rm Italy amps are unbeaten in build quality and if not overdriven they will last a long time. They have clean output on a scope and spectrum analyzer unlike Texas stars which are usually dirty.
Where are u in tn?
What will it deadkey FM?
30 watts input it will deadkey 500w on FM. My SWR is 1.2. Meter is a MFJ.
Thanks,I've had two since then,I've recently got a bla 703..sorry for the late reply
73s
i had to hit it with 80 peak watts to get 500 out pep don"t know how you got that much out of it ? 500 watts for that amp is rated at ssb. but who knows ? i know if you run over 14.8 volts you will burn the mosphets out thanks for the video monster mash out :).
Hola, how much?
What are the dimensions and price
Looks like a Alpine Amp
I want to see the 2 tone test on this thing......
You should do a giveaway you'll get more viewers on your channel.
I just did a giveaway yesterday. Maybe you should pay attention
You said you were going to test it on am/fm but you didn't, a shame
Maybe you didn't notice Am and FM are on the same mode switch. If it works on AM it works on FM.
The uniden 66 doesn't have FM mode, but if an amplifier functions on AM it will function on fm
@@Rooster_Radio OK cool,, would love to know what it does with a 30 watt dead key input on fm,, anyway good work thanks for replying
You as well Alan
@@alanchatfield4271 ive just bought one, a thirty watt fm/am input will do 435 watts using 8 awg on a 60amp psu, i tested mine on FM.. it draws 52amps on these specs.
@Alan Chatfield .. 30 watt deadkey on FM is 500 watts on my MFJ. 50 amp power supply. SWR 1.2
What are the dimensions?
170x295x62 mm
Found in less than 30 seconds on Google. You should try it sometime
price
I would use this on cb base station out in rural area.
ugh I'll stick to copper board boyzzz..I got fets in the 94hp and that's the farthest ill go.
RM Italy are actually pretty tough. I've probably sold 1000 or more between the 203,203p, 503,503hd, 703. Can't even think of anyone that's had a failure

Lotto Annihilator
I've got a 203p that I have beat to death I tried to kill it it has not died yet LOL
worst amp ever I have one in my mobile and it has a bad solder joint rm italy says these amps are not for mobile use
I need to get that and move my other to my Moblie.
Man, are you sticking that mic into your mouth?
Up my ass actually but I appreciate your concern
@@Rooster_Radio, you don't have to be a smartass, but that's your choice.
In reality, nobody gobbles-up on a mic like you do in all the vids you've got, so why do it for a useless show of swing with wattage that never gets used?
I started watching your vids for some mobile tube amp info because you showed up in search results, but all I see is Smoke-N-Mirror salesmanship here.
Good Luck buddy. It's your channel..
@@СтивСкотт I bet you like to gobble more than a microphone. Am I right?
@@Rooster_Radio, I bet you never graduated high school...
@@СтивСкотт Actually, I have a bachelor's degree. Ill be glad to send you a picture of it and my 🐓🐓🐓