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Re: [Amps] Suggestions - I broke my amp - part 2

To: "Amps" <amps@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [Amps] Suggestions - I broke my amp - part 2
From: "Larry" <lknain@nc.rr.com>
Reply-to: Larry <w6nws@arrl.net>
Date: Wed, 17 Nov 2010 22:10:54 -0500
List-post: <amps@contesting.com">mailto:amps@contesting.com>
Thanks to all that offered suggestions. It turns out to be a silly thing as 
I thought.
When I pulled the two 200pf doorknobs for 160 tuning and put in a single 
500pf
it left a mounting hole that I decided to use the additional doorknob for 
the loading
on 160. It turns out that the mounting hole was on the hot side of the 
tuning cap - I
was thinking it was on the cold side. Needless to say it really messes up 
the output
network. All is well now.

73, Larry  W6NWS
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Larry" <lknain@nc.rr.com>
To: "Amps" <amps@contesting.com>
Sent: Wednesday, November 17, 2010 8:17 PM
Subject: Re: [Amps] Suggestions - I broke my amp - part 2


> Not that I know of. The amp was working except it needed new parasitic 
> suppressors. I
> replaced the suppressors, the plate RFC, and the plate blocking cap. The 
> output network
> itself was not touched except that I changed a pair of doorknobs (200pf 
> each) with a 500pf
> doorknob that gets switched in parallel with the tuning cap for 160. I 
> also added an additional
> 200pf doorknob that gets switched in parallel with the loading cap for 
> 160. They look correct
> with an ohmmeter.
>
> I am going over things yet again and reheating solder connections just in 
> case I missed something.
>
> 73, Larry  W6NWS
>  ----- Original Message ----- 
>  From: Dave M
>  To: w6nws@arrl.net ; amps@contesting.com
>  Sent: Wednesday, November 17, 2010 7:15 PM
>  Subject: RE: [Amps] Suggestions - I broke my amp - part 2
>
>
>  Possible arc over and short of the tune cap ??
>
>
> 
> ......................................................................................................
>
>  73     VE3DV , Dave
>
>
>
>
>
>
>  > From: lknain@nc.rr.com
>  > To: amps@contesting.com
>  > Date: Wed, 17 Nov 2010 18:42:29 -0500
>  > Subject: Re: [Amps] Suggestions - I broke my amp - part 2
>  >
>  > It turns out it doesn't matter about the bandswitch position - same 
> result
>  > in all positions regardless
>  > of the transmitter freq. The bandswitch seems OK by visual inspection 
> and
>  > with an ohmmeter.
>  > I have to wonder where the power is going. No arcing, no noticeable 
> heating
>  > so far but I
>  > don't run it too long since it is obviously not working correctly.
>  >
>  > 73, Larry W6NWS
>  > ----- Original Message ----- 
>  > From: "Gary Schafer" <garyschafer@comcast.net>
>  > To: <n8de@thepoint.net>; "'Larry'" <w6nws@arrl.net>; "'Larry'"
>  > <lknain@nc.rr.com>
>  > Cc: "'Amps'" <amps@contesting.com>
>  > Sent: Tuesday, November 16, 2010 10:17 PM
>  > Subject: RE: [Amps] Suggestions - I broke my amp - part 2
>  >
>  >
>  > > If the output relay was open there would be a large dip in plate 
> current
>  > > when the tune control was tuned with drive applied.
>  > >
>  > > Open bandswitch or switch on the wrong band is most likely. Try 
> another
>  > > band.
>  > >
>  > > 73
>  > > Gary K4FMX
>  > >
>  > >> -----Original Message-----
>  > >> From: amps-bounces@contesting.com 
> [mailto:amps-bounces@contesting.com] On
>  > >> Behalf Of n8de@thepoint.net
>  > >> Sent: Tuesday, November 16, 2010 7:53 PM
>  > >> To: Larry; Larry
>  > >> Cc: Amps
>  > >> Subject: Re: [Amps] Suggestions - I broke my amp - part 2
>  > >>
>  > >> One thought:
>  > >>
>  > >> Have you checked the output relay to see if it makes contact when 
> fired?
>  > >>
>  > >> If the output of the amp wasn't making it to the antenna, the 
> symptoms
>  > >> you describe would be happening. No RF getting past the relay due to
>  > >> the relay NOT closing properly would give no output to your RF 
> meter,
>  > >> right?
>  > >>
>  > >> 73
>  > >> Don
>  > >> N8DE
>  > >>
>  > >>
>  > >> Quoting Larry <lknain@nc.rr.com>:
>  > >>
>  > >> > A number of you offered suggestions a couple of weeks ago and I 
> checked
>  > >> those
>  > >> > suggestions a couple of times. I have finally got back to trying 
> to
>  > >> > track down what
>  > >> > is probably a silly error on my part that has broken my
>  > >> > Clipperton-L. The mods were
>  > >> > triggered by the destruction of the original parasitic 
> suppressors.
>  > >> > The amp was
>  > >> > working - just not well in all conditions.
>  > >> >
>  > >> > I replaced the power supply board (just an upgrade to better
>  > >> > supply), replaced the
>  > >> > plate RFC to an Ameritron AL-572 RFC along with the parasitic
>  > >> > suppressor board,
>  > >> > changed the plate bypass cap at the power supply side of the plate
>  > >> > RFC to a 0.002uf
>  > >> > value, changed the plate blocking cap to 0.002uf, changed the
>  > >> > filament RFC to a
>  > >> > bigger unit, and changed a couple of doorknobs for 160 (unrelated 
> to
>  > >> > the original
>  > >> > problem of the parasitic suppressors). I haven't gotten to 160 
> yet.
>  > >> > The current effort
>  > >> > is using 40. The current result is still no output
>  > >> >
>  > >> > 1. There is plate current (as measured by the panel meter) and 
> there
>  > >> > is plate voltage.
>  > >> >
>  > >> > 2. I don't have a HV probe but I could measure at the plate 
> voltage
>  > >> > (at the plate caps)
>  > >> > as the voltage was dropping after turning off the power switch and
>  > >> > it tracked with the
>  > >> > panel meter.
>  > >> >
>  > >> > 3. The idle current seems OK.
>  > >> >
>  > >> > 4. The plate current follows keying. The plate current changes as 
> it
>  > >> > should as the driving
>  > >> > power is increased or decreased.
>  > >> >
>  > >> > 5. Adjusting the output cap controls has no noticeable effect on 
> the
>  > >> > plate current (no dip
>  > >> > etc).
>  > >> >
>  > >> > 6. Using an ohmmeter there is continuity (short) from the output
>  > >> > network side of the plate
>  > >> > blocking cap (on the cap lead) to the output connector. From the
>  > >> > other side of the
>  > >> > plate blocking cap (on the cap lead) to the power supply there is
>  > >> > continuity (short).
>  > >> > Thinking perhaps the new blocking cap might be bad I replaced it
>  > >> > with a pair of 0.001uf
>  > >> > in parallel but still have the same result. (I remeasured the 
> shorts
>  > >> > after replacing the
>  > >> > blocking cap.)
>  > >> >
>  > >> > 7. The output relay is switching as it should. None of the wiring 
> to
>  > >> > the relay was touched
>  > >> > in this mod.
>  > >> >
>  > >> > It has been a long time since I worked on an amp. I am sure I am
>  > >> > overlooking something
>  > >> > small and silly. I was hoping one of the gurus here might have a
>  > >> > pointer or suggestion of
>  > >> > something I might have missed.
>  > >> >
>  > >> > Thanks
>  > >> >
>  > >> > 73, Larry W6NWS
>  > >> > _______________________________________________
>  > >> > Amps mailing list
>  > >> > Amps@contesting.com
>  > >> > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/amps
>  > >> >
>  > >>
>  > >>
>  > >>
>  > >> _______________________________________________
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>  > >
>  > >
>  >
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