I'm considering adding an external linear amplifier to my IC-7300 setup but I keep reading about power overshoot problems. Most Icom's have a tx power overshoot problem when feeding an amplifier. Its rarely a problem but its there. Can anyone explain exactly what this means and if there are any practical workarounds? I run 100W on 20M and 40M mostly SSB with occasional FT8.

The amp I'm looking at is the AL-811H. Should I be concerned about this overshoot affecting the amp or is it something I can just ignore?

The overshoot occurs on key-down where the rig briefly spikes above your set power level before settling. It's usually only a few watts over and lasts microseconds. I have two of them that I use remotely (one with an amp), and haven't had a single issue with either....not one. Highly recommend that radio. The AL-811H should handle it fine - just don't run the 7300 at max power into the amp.

I've been running my IC-7300 with an Ameritron AL-80B for two years without issues. Set the radio to about 80-90W and let the amp do the work. The brief overshoot isn't enough to damage modern solid-state amps if you're not already pushing them to their limits.

There are ALC interface circuits you can build or buy that help control this, but honestly for SSB operation it's not worth the trouble. Just back off your drive power a bit from maximum and you'll be fine. The tube amps are pretty forgiving anyway.