Since you have already run some jumper experiments with no success, why not
measure the 25 ohm shunting resister and see if it has changed value
somewhat? You could start by just examining it visually, and reflowing the
connections.
73,
Mike
W2AJI
--------------------------------------------------
From: "Kris Merschrod" <Kris@merschrod.net>
Sent: Monday, May 31, 2010 10:58 PM
To: "Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment" <tentec@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Ten-Tec 411 Centaur Amp Problem
> Good evening Mike and Duane,
>
> I have tried two different alternatives to the short coax 1) 3 foot #213,
> and 2) 25 feet or so of RG 58, and not a bit of change in the SWR. I
> havbe
> not tried the whittling down foot by foot b/c I am convinced that the
> problem just was not in the design. I need to find the problem in the
> 411.
>
>
> The observation that there is only a 25 ohm resister in parallel with the
> THREE 811s seems to be too simple, but perhaps elegant. If tghat is the
> case though, thenthere should be similar mismatches on other bands.
>
> Kris KM2KM
> Merschrod
> 123 Warren Road
> Ithaca, NY 14850
> www.merschrod.net
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Duane Calvin" <ac5aa1@gmail.com>
> To: "'Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment'" <tentec@contesting.com>
> Sent: Monday, May 31, 2010 10:36 PM
> Subject: Re: [TenTec] Ten-Tec 411 Centaur Amp Problem
>
>
>> Why not just try a different length of coax and see what happens - that
>> is
>> an easy experiment.
>>
>> 73, Duane
>>
>> Duane Calvin, AC5AA
>> Austin, Texas
>> www.ac5aa.com
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: tentec-bounces@contesting.com
>> [mailto:tentec-bounces@contesting.com]
>> On Behalf Of Kris Merschrod
>> Sent: Monday, May 31, 2010 9:31 PM
>> To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment
>> Subject: Re: [TenTec] Ten-Tec 411 Centaur Amp Problem
>>
>> Good evening, I am still fiddling and pondering the observations on this
>> problem. Gary's observation means that no matter the band the input
>> impedance is the same except for the "intervention" of the coax between
>> the
>> exciter and the AMP. That is hard to believe, b/c my 8"jumper cable
>> seems
>> to keep the 160, 80 and 20 meter input "happy" (No SWR) but on 40 it all
>> goes to "pot."
>>
>> I can't believe that TT built non-matching rigs in the 1990s. Something
>> else has to be wrong.
>>
>> Kris KM2KM
>> Merschrod
>> 123 Warren Road
>> Ithaca, NY 14850
>> www.merschrod.net
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "CSM(r) Gary Huber" <glhuber@msn.com>
>> To: "Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment" <tentec@contesting.com>
>> Sent: Monday, May 31, 2010 10:16 PM
>> Subject: Re: [TenTec] Ten-Tec 411 Centaur Amp Problem
>>
>>
>>> In the case of the Centaur 411, the input is simply a 25 Ohm resistor in
>>> parallel with the cathodes of the 4 811s (which are also in parallel).
>>>
>>> The input load impedance of the Centaur is always less than 25 Ohms and
>>> thus
>>> the length of input coaxial cable plays a significant role in
>>> transforming
>>> the SWR for the driving solid state transmitter.
>>>
>>> 73,
>>>
>>> Gary - AB9M
>>>
>>> (NOT an E.E.)
>>>
>>> --------------------------------------------------
>>> From: <wow_chf@hotmail.com>
>>> Sent: Monday, May 31, 2010 8:32 PM
>>> To: "Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment" <tentec@contesting.com>
>>> Subject: Re: [TenTec] Ten-Tec 411 Centaur Amp Problem
>>>
>>>> Yes indeed. In fact, there were two different lengths in the Collins
>>>> 30S1
>>>> manual, one for their transceiver and one for their transmitter.
>>>>
>>>> In my article the explanation as to why this works is as follows:
>>>>
>>>> "In cases involving RF signals, some time will pass during the 'round
>>>> trip
>>>> of the reflected energy and the phase of the reflection will also
>>>> depend
>>>> upon this length of time. Imagine that a resistor in a black box is at
>>>> the
>>>> end of a length of cable. From the outside world this length of cable
>>>> will
>>>> give the reflection from the resistor a phase shift since the signal
>>>> must
>>>> make a round trip through the length. If a 100 ohm resistor has an SWR
>>>> of
>>>> 2,
>>>> a cable long enough to invert the signal after the round trip will make
>>>> it
>>>> look like a 25 ohm resistor, also with an SWR of 2 but with inversion
>>>> (a
>>>> cable with a multiple of 1/4 wavelength would do the trick). Since the
>>>> impedance looking into this black box is a function of the SWR and the
>>>> cable
>>>> length, it can be seen that intentionally mismatched lines can be used
>>>> to
>>>> transform one impedance into another. Notice that the 1/4 wave cable
>>>> inverts
>>>> the impedance and preserves the SWR. This impedance inversion may be
>>>> used
>>>> to
>>>> match two impedances at a particular frequency by connecting them with
>>>> a
>>>> 1/4
>>>> wave cable with an impedance equal to the geometric mean of the two
>>>> impedances. (The geometric mean is the square-root of their product.) A
>>>> 50
>>>> ohm, 1/4 wave cable will match a 25 ohm source to a 100 ohm load :
>>>> sqrt(25
>>>> x
>>>> 100) = 50. Of course, it is not always easy to find the desired
>>>> impedance
>>>> cable!
>>>>
>>>> Multiples of 1/2 wavelength will give enough delay that the reflection
>>>> is
>>>> not inverted and the impedance will be the same as the load. Such
>>>> cables
>>>> may
>>>> be used to transfer the load impedance to a remote location without
>>>> changing
>>>> its value (at one frequency).
>>>>
>>>> Other cable lengths will transform an impedance which differs from the
>>>> cable's impedance with a reactive component. If the load is a lower
>>>> impedance than the cable, a length below 1/4 wave will have an
>>>> inductive
>>>> component and above 1/4 (but below 1/2) wave a capacitive component. If
>>>> the
>>>> load is a higher impedance than the cable, the reverse is true. Above
>>>> 1/2
>>>> wavelength, the reactance will alternately look capacitive and
>>>> inductive
>>>> in
>>>> 1/4 wave multiples. This reactance will combine with the load's
>>>> reactance
>>>> and offers the possibility of resonating the reactive component of the
>>>> load.
>>>> Therefore, a cable with the "right" length and impedance can match a
>>>> source
>>>> and load with different resistance and reactance values. Obviously,
>>>> these
>>>> calculations can become quite involved and most engineers resort to a
>>>> Smith
>>>> chart, a computer program or perhaps the most common method, trial and
>>>> error
>>>> with a SWR meter or return loss bridge!"
>>>>
>>>> Sorry for so much bandwidth.
>>>>
>>>> 73 and Happy DXing,
>>>>
>>>> Mike
>>>> W2AJI
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> -------------------------------------------------
>>>> From: "James Duffer" <dufferjames@hotmail.com>
>>>> Sent: Monday, May 31, 2010 8:15 PM
>>>> To: "Ten Tec" <tentec@contesting.com>
>>>> Subject: Re: [TenTec] Ten-Tec 411 Centaur Amp Problem
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> I recall from some Collins manual for their amp 30S1 they specified a
>>>>> length for the coaxial cable between the KWM-2 and the amp. In that
>>>>> case
>>>>> that was their fix.
>>>>>
>>>>> Jim de wd4air
>>>>>
>>>>>> From: k9yc@audiosystemsgroup.com
>>>>>> To: tentec@contesting.com
>>>>>> Date: Mon, 31 May 2010 13:19:38 -0700
>>>>>> Subject: Re: [TenTec] Ten-Tec 411 Centaur Amp Problem
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Mon, 31 May 2010 15:55:31 -0400, wow_chf@hotmail.com wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> >I submitted the article draft to QST, and it was questioned by the
>>>>>> >Technical
>>>>>> >Review folks, and although I have been published in QST before, they
>>>>>> >could
>>>>>> >not see how this would "transform" the apparent input SWR.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Because it's a POOR fix for the fundamental problem, which is
>>>>>> something
>>>>>> wrong
>>>>>> in the input circuit of the power amp causing a mismatch. The proper
>>>>>> fix
>>>>>> is
>>>>>> to find and correct the problem in the input circuit. Adding coax is
>>>>>> a
>>>>>> band-
>>>>>> aid.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> 73,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Jim K9YC
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> TenTec mailing list
>>>>>> TenTec@contesting.com
>>>>>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> TenTec mailing list
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