Hi,
I've built a GU-43B based amp roughly following Pa0fri design (shown here
https://pa0fri.home.xs4all.nl/Lineairs/Frinear1500/FRI1500eng.htm)
My modifications are: better PSU for the screen(thanks to this group) , no
160m band therefore no toroid switched in series with the Pi tank coil. And
instead of a 1500pf variable load cap I have 20~600pf variable plus a
selection of extra capacitances on a switch. My plate cap is a 15~500pF
vacuum Jennings. Connections between components are made with 0.2mm x 12mm
wide coil strip and where not possible (coil taps to band switch) 3mm
copper wire is used.
The coil is wound with 6mm coper pipe and has two diameters. First is
approximately 40mm, has only 6 or so turns stretched to 80mm, then 12 turns
on 90mm (if I remember correctly) quite close to eachother (2~3mm apart).
I've used my NanoVNA to set up coil taps for the bands. The entire coil
measures 9uF at 100kHz and works great at 80m. Anode voltage is 3200V
falling to 3050V under load.
Here is the problem. I suspect due to stray inductances of 3mm wire used to
connect coil taps the first tap (under 1 uH if u remember correctly) is
only half a turn from coil start. I didn't think this will cause a problem,
but I'm seeing this:
On all bands up to and including 20m if I increase my drive power to about
10W (CW) the amplifier consumes near 0.45A of current (measured with a
normal amp meter and a panel meter). It puts out somewhere in the region of
1000W. If I increase the drive slightly it goes up to 0.6A and power out is
1500W.
The screen current is zero until drive power reaches about 10W then it goes
negative to go back to zero at about 13W. If I increased it more it would
increase rapidly and activate the protection. This is on all bands up to
20m.
Today I tried 10m for the very first time. I tuned normally (peaking power
with plate cap at very low drive, then increase power until I see screen
current move or it gets to target anode current and set the load cap just
below the peak power, same place screen current is a little bit positive).
But, I increase the drive, the amplifier consumes the required current, but
output power is very low. Only about 200W at 0.6A. Tuning behaves normally
as well as screen current. I tried to see if something is heating up with a
thermal camera, but nothing is.
I suspect the problem is somewhere in my PI circuit. Perhaps the Q factor
is too low?
Can someone, please give me some tips where to look in troubleshooting
this? Is there some way I can verify this issues as existing/resolved with
a nanovna?
Also, my drive power and input match is fine as my driving rig has a built
in ATU. I see a confirmation of the low output power on my station monitor
(oscilloscope like device).
Many thanks,
F
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