Thanks, Joe!
I stand corrected, especially after I renewed my memory looking at
the docs I have.
This is an early PIN-5 switch (S/N 0018) and it came with minimal
documentation. Do you know what the difference are between it and the
QSK-5? Is it all the same with upgraded components, of have there
been other changes? If I understand your description correctly, there
must be some difference because you mention there is a "bypass"
function in the QSK-5, which does not exist in the PIN-5. The PIN-5
depends on what had been the T/R relay in the amp for the bypass mode.
There was no internal arc in the amp -- I had a failure out at the
antenna that resulted in a big mismatch that blew the fuse lamps.
Ideally, the fuse lamps protect the rx PIN diodes by blowing before
they do, but it may have been a case of both failing. I'll check. them
73,
Kim Elmore, N5OP
At 10:12 PM 1/31/2009, Joe Subich, W4TV wrote:
> > Recently, though, I had some 160 m antenna
> > problems under high power and blew the fuse lamps that protect the rx
> > PIN diodes.
>
>Wrong ... the fuse lamps protect the transceiver if the "receive"
>PIN diodes or HV power supply fails and amplifier RF gets through.
>They are also there to prevent the amplifier from running away in
>the event of a diode/HV failure.
>
> > I'll check the schematic, but does anyone have an idea or two about
> > what might be going on?
>
>Check D2, D3, D4 and D11. Also make sure that the high voltage is
>present on L6 in transmit. Flashing of the fuse lamps indicates
>that RF is getting back from the output of the amplifier to the
>transceiver. D2/D3/D4/D11 should be reverse biased (through Q3)
>in transmit and forward biased (through D6 and Q4) in receive.
>
>If you had a high SWR or arcing situation, I would expect D4 and
>D11 to short and significantly impair the isolation between the
>antenna (amplifier output!) and transceiver during transmit!
>
>In the QSK-5, D1 is the normally open path from transceiver
>to the amplifier input (drive). D2/D3/D4/D11 is the normally
>closed (amplifier bypass) path between the transceiver and the
>antenna, and D7-D10 are the normally open path from the amplifier
>output to the antenna (RF Out).
>
>73,
>
> ... Joe, W4TV
>
>
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: amps-bounces@contesting.com [mailto:amps-bounces@contesting.com]
> > On Behalf Of Kim Elmore
> > Sent: Saturday, January 31, 2009 8:55 PM
> > To: amps
> > Subject: [Amps] Internal QSK-5
> >
> >
> > I have an AL80A with an internal QSK 5 switch (one of the early ones)
> > that I've had since new (S/N 095). For well over 20 years, it's been
> > working flawlessly. Recently, though, I had some 160 m antenna
> > problems under high power and blew the fuse lamps that protect the rx
> > PIN diodes. Blowing these is no biggie as it's happened before when I
> > mis-selected an antenna or has a switch set wrong. I replace them and
> > go on my merry way.
> >
> > WIth K3LR's help, may 160 m antenna seems to be going again. So, as a
> > final smoke test, I stated testing it under high power. But, this time
> > I'm seeing the fuse lamps light up when I transmit with more that a
> > few hundred watts on 160 m into a dummy load. I don't see this on 80 m
> > or any of the higher frequencies. As far as I know, this is new,
> > though I've never had much of a 160 m antenna and so didn't use the
> > amp it much down there.
> >
> > I'll check the schematic, but does anyone have an idea or two about
> > what might be going on?
> >
> > 73,
> >
> > Kim Elmore, N5OP
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Amps mailing list
> > Amps@contesting.com http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/amps
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