Mini Kits Australia make a very nice 2m switched preamp, 100W CW non-sequenced, 500W when used sequenced.
Mark has a new version which uses the PGA103 mimic. I have two of the previous version and they work very well. One I use for VHF roving/portable use and the other is mast mounted. They do need to be put in an enclosure of some sort and Mini Kits sells a nice enclosure that fits nicely and is not expensive. I put mine in Hammond 1590WBBFL diecast enclosures.
http://www.minikits.com.au/electronic-kits/rf-amplifiers/rf-preamplifiers/EM...
10 to 18 dB gain (adjustable) 0.8db NF
Mark is great to deal with, shipping is reasonable and quick, and the exchange of US$ to AUS$ is attractive.
cheers, Graham ve3gtc
On 2016-09-14 19:15, Mark Johns via AMSAT-BB wrote:
For portable operation the switched ARR pre-amps, as have been mentioned, are a good option. But don't take them out in the rain!
For weather-proof mast-mounted pre-amps, I've had very good luck with the Mini-2 and Mini-70 GaAsFET pre-amps from SHF-Elektronik in Germany (http://www.shf-elektronik.de/en/). At current exchange rates, these are roughly the same price as the ARR, and considerably cheaper than some other mast-mount alternatives. The IC-9100 powers them through the coax without the need for any other supply.
I have no affiliation with the company, but they've been working flawlessly for me for a couple of years now at my home station.--
Mark D. Johns, KØMDJ Decorah, Iowa USA EN43
"Heaven goes by favor; if it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in." ---Mark Twain