I am trying to get my RCS-12C Ameritron antenna switch interface working
with a DX-Engineering 8-Port Antenna Switch in a 1-8 configuration.
However the Ameritron box outputs switching voltage on more than one
wire simultaneously even in the manual setting via the 8 pin connection
jack thus causing more than one relay to reference an antenna. The
switching closures from the common main feed port to the various
antennas are all over the place thus causing high VSWR on the selected
antenna. One would think that Ameritron would have 12 VDC or what ever
the switching voltage might be to only output one wire at a time but
that is not the case. There is however on the RCS-12C an Auxiliary
Output DB9 connector which provides a single voltage of 5 volts DC with
respect to ground and these are all correct and non are duplicatd on
other ports like the Din Relay box port Unfortunately the DX-Engineering
box type RR8B-HP Remote Antenna Switch requires a control voltage of
10-14VDC, not 5 volts. The cable used is CAT 5 of very good quality and
I have even made a new run with a new Din connection to the antenna
control port on the RCS-12. All my setting inside the Ameritron are
simple 1 through 8 switching. I have searched for solution and maybe
the only way the RCS-12C will control the DX=Engineering Antenna Switch
is by building a board of 8 five volt relays which then send 10-14 volts
out to an external supply. Yes the Ameritron 12-RCSC has provision for
inputing up to 30 volts and an internal jumper for a direct feed to the
Din relay box connector. However there is enough voltage on non
switched wires to cause the remote antenna switch to do all sorts of
unfortunate things. Sometime the 20 meter antenna shows up on position
8 even though the coax is into port 5. Sometimes the 10 meter port and
the 160 meter port are cross connected. This is all very strange and I
would like to know if any other user of this configuration has had
similar problems and discovered solutions. I have even purchased a new
RCS-12C controller and this performs the same way. Again I have a BCD
connection to my Icom but this is not the problem since the bad
switching occurs in manual mode as well as auto mode.
Please let me know if you have a solution to this. I would like to get
it running before the CQ WPX contest or else try to switch this box with
some clip leads and a 12VDC supply. This must be something simple to
correct.
Regards,
herb Schoenbohm, KV4FZ
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