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[AMPS] SS750 20 meter test and (maybe) explanation

To: <amps@contesting.com>
Subject: [AMPS] SS750 20 meter test and (maybe) explanation
From: rfamps@ic24.net (Steve Thompson)
Date: Tue, 9 May 2000 08:06:20 +0100

-----Original Message-----
From: Vic Rosenthal <rakefet@rakefet.com>
To: Amps reflector <amps@contesting.com>
To: <amps@contesting.com>
Date: 09 May 2000 03:36
Subject: [AMPS] SS750 20 meter test and (maybe) explanation


>
>Here are the results of testing the SS750 (8 x 2SC2879) on 14 MHz.
including
>collector currents.  Someone also asked what the bias voltage is; it is
+0.66
>volts on all the modules.  Testing was into a dummy load whose SWR was <
1.1:1.
>
>In    Out    Ic at 13.8v
>10    142    30
>20    262    40
>30    368    48
>40    420    52
>50    460    55
>60    500    58
>70    540    62
>80    560    64
>90    590    65
>100   611    66
>...
>170   721    72


Looking at the gain and efficiency figures, it is behaving normally for an
amp where the collector load impedance is too high.
>
>Oh yes, one more datum:  My 20 meter quad has an swr of 1.54:1.  At 100
watts
>into the amp with the antenna connected, I get 800 watts out with Ic = 75
amps!
>
>Mu conclusion is that the impedance match provided by the output filter in
the
>amp to 50 ohms is not optimal, but whatever impedance it is seeing in the
>antenna is transformed to something more comfortable for the transistors.


Yep - although it's not just the filter - it's all the matching between the
transistor terminal and the output connector.

>
>It has been suggested that the wattmeter (RF Applications VFD) is
inaccurate
>when used with the antenna because the impedance it sees is not exactly 50
>ohms.  Perhaps this is true to some extent, but the 75 amp Ic reading is
not
>changed by the SWR!


While I have little faith in power and SWR meters sold on the ham market, I
think that level of inaccuracy is unlikely at 1.5:1VSWR.

>
>If this is true it's not a problem on 20 meters; but on 15 the antenna
impedance
>is not so propitious, and I only get 530 watts into the antenna.  It looks
like
>a solution would be to use a tuner (which would NOT be adjusted for exactly
1:1
>SWR).  Too bad; I went solid state to be rid of the need to tune up when
>changing bands.
>
>In a sense, the 20-meter filter is 'customized' for my antenna, not 50
ohms!  I
>guess I could also 'customize' the 18-28 MHz filter for a better match to
my
>antenna on 21 MHz.


It appears that there are some versions that work ok, and at least one other
that goes like yours. It might be that there was a production change of
circuit or component type that messed things up. A change of material in the
iron/ferrite cores would be a good candidate. Unfortunately, if the finished
unit meets a minimum cw output spec., many manufacturers won't care about
anything else :-(  some don't even worry about the cw spec. :-(((

Steve



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