Bogen Challenger CH18 Mono Tube Amplifier
Archived listing from the original vintage-amplifier.com. Prices, seller details and purchase links have been removed; this page is a reference record, and nothing here is for sale. About this archive.
While it has not been tested, as you can see from the pictures it is extremely clean-almost looks to be new, but the frayed cord attests it must have been in use at some time. Still exceptional cosmetics for a vintage amp.
Rated at 18 watts.
Amp is 14″ X 7″ X 8 1/8″tall. Weighs about 15 1/4 pounds.
About this model
The CH18 is one of the smaller amplifiers in Bogen's Challenger line, the company's long-running range of public-address amplifiers. The listing gives the essentials: an 18-watt rating, a chassis 14 by 7 by 8⅛ inches, and a weight of about 15¼ pounds. That is a typical size for a PA amplifier meant to sit on a shelf in a classroom or a small hall and run all day.
The seller had not tested it, and a frayed power cord was the only visible sign of use. On an amplifier like this, the cord is the first thing to replace, with a fused three-wire lead, before the capacitors are checked and the unit is brought up slowly on a variac.
| Maker | David Bogen Company, USA |
|---|---|
| Series | Challenger (public address) |
| Type | Mono amplifier |
| Rated output | 18 W (as stated in the listing) |
| Size | 14 × 7 × 8⅛ in (listing) |
| Weight | About 15¼ lb (listing) |
Questions collectors ask
Was the Bogen Challenger CH18 made for hi-fi or for PA?
The Challenger series was Bogen's public-address line. Wikipedia's article on guitarist Terry Kath, for example, describes a Bogen Challenger as a P.A. amp. Many owners now use them for hi-fi or guitar after a restoration.
Is 18 watts enough for home listening?
With reasonably sensitive speakers, yes. Eighteen clean watts from a push-pull tube stage will fill an average living room. Check which speaker taps the amplifier has before connecting a modern 8-ohm speaker.
Sources: Wikipedia: Terry Kath; Wikipedia: Sidney Harman.
