Carl (and others who have replied):
Thanks for the suggestions!
The environment at PJ2T, perched on a cliff sitting a few feet back and 37 feet
above the
Caribbean Sea, is less than friendly to equipment. The air is carrying salt
spray, the
humidity can get high, and insects and small lizards crawl into placed we don't
want them.
The inherent arcing problem Carl mentions below has probably been exacerbated
by items 1
and 2 above, and once it starts, it just keeps getting worse.
73, Jeff K8ND
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Carl [mailto:km1h@jeremy.mv.com]
> Sent: Saturday, July 19, 2008 5:49 PM
> To: jmaass@k8nd.com; amps@contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [Amps] Air variable pitting - repairable?
>
> No amount of filing and sanding will completely restore that
> plate to its original mirror finish. Microscopic rough edges
> will be the first place it arcs again.
>
> Simply remove the plate and realign the remaining plates. One
> less isnt going to matter much anyway, even on 160 much less 20.
>
> TT has had arcing problems since day one due to the
> configuration of the Pi L; early caps even used Teflon sheets
> between plates.
>
> Carl
> KM1H
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jeff Maass" <jmaass@k8nd.com>
> To: <amps@contesting.com>
> Sent: Saturday, July 19, 2008 4:59 PM
> Subject: [Amps] Air variable pitting - repairable?
>
>
> >
> > We have a TenTec Titan III at PJ2T which is currently
> unusable because of
> > serious arcing
> > on 20 meters. It is so bad that the amp will only run 300 watts.
> >
> > The problem is clearly in the loading capacitor, an air
> variable. There is
> > an area on one
> > of the rotor plates that is burned and broiled so badly that it has
> > fattened up the rotor
> > and it is nearly coming into contact with the stator at the
> spot where 20
> > tunes up best.
> >
> > Can this be fixed by sanding it down (and perhaps coating
> the plates with
> > something) or is
> > this always going to be a "weak spot" on the capacitor that
> will start to
> > arc again?
> >
> > 73, Jeff K8ND
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Amps mailing list
> > Amps@contesting.com
> > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/amps
> >
>
>
_______________________________________________
Amps mailing list
Amps@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/amps
|