Keyboard Shortcuts
ctrl + shift + ? :
Show all keyboard shortcuts
ctrl + g :
Navigate to a group
ctrl + shift + f :
Find
ctrl + / :
Quick actions
esc to dismiss
Likes
Search
FW: Re: IRF510 on higher voltage?
Hans Summers
Apologies list, for the bandwidth - I am having some trouble emailing
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Allison on private email. Seems I am blocked somewhere :-( 73 Hans G0UPL -----Original Message-----
From: Hans Summers Sent: 22 July 2005 15:40 To: 'Allison' Subject: RE: [BITX20] Re: IRF510 on higher voltage? Hello Allison I love Huff & Puff. These days DDS is so easy, but H&P is still simpler and suitable for many people with no microcontroller etc skills. Though I built a microcontroller-less DDS: Thanks for the advice. I actually have been planning to build a valve linear for quite a while. I have accumulated more than sufficient number of PL519 / PL509 TV sweep valves - there are several designs on the internet providing for 400+ W using four PL509/519's paralleled. Very cheap and reliable. What I am lacking is the HT transformer. I quite liked Arv's idea of a solid state linear because the PSU is there, all ready and waiting and cabinetted! Thanks for the links, I had a good look around. You're right, it doesn't look very cheap. The very real possibility of frying the transistors makes the idea even more expensive. From what I hear, those PL5xx sweep valves are virtually indestructible, even if you make them practically red hot. All of my ham stuff to date has been at 10W or below. See my TX and RX at: I had my first ever QSO in March 2002 (a mere 8 years after getting my license!). I've had over 500 QSO's now, all using that 1-valve crystal controlled CW transmitter. Mostly on 80m, but also on 40 and 30 once I'd converted the transmitter for those bands. I'm not a committed QRP'er, I like to operate QRP but I'm not averse to QRO either, just so long as it's homebrew. I've never touched a commercial rig and gonna keep it that way! I did make a 2m AM handheld see - it's not finished yet, some trouble with the crystal oscillator multipliers. Needs a bit more work. Tnx again for the advice and links. 73 de QTH nr London, UK Hans G0UPL -----Original Message----- From: Allison [mailto:ajp166@...] Sent: 22 July 2005 13:30 To: Hans Summers Subject: Re: [BITX20] Re: IRF510 on higher voltage? Hans Summers wrote: Hi AllisonHello Hans, I have built and experimented with you milimal H&P circuits. Good ideas! I was thinking of using this PSU with switching, as a variableOpinion, doing that would represent the hard way with limited success. To get to 400W is a significant endevor and trying with unknown RF performance power fets is likely failure prone. All of the 100W or more designs for RF power use known RF transistors (bipolar or fet) that are expensive (.5-2$/watt US). Most of the high voltage switching FETs are fast enough to operate at RF but Miller capcitance and input capacitance will make themm very hard to drive at HF especially 10M. I may add that the IMD performace for IRF510 and friends is terrible and that translates to RF polution. They were not developed for linear service, they were intended as power switches. The other thing is the TO220 tab cases have poor thermal dissapation. That makes getting thermal stability hard. IF you were into AM phone, it's possible to use switching fets in a class E design (Not FOR SSB). There are several here doing that with power to 1.5KW. There are websites that discuss this. Now, if you really still up for the idea.. Heres a possible path to follow. Expect to use parallel devices (seperate bias for each device) in push pull configuration. You will need to accomodate the very high (800-2000pF) input capacitance and low impedences involved. Expect elaborate groundplanes and input/output transformers with quality ferrite. A design of four IRF510s in pushpull (pairs of parallel devices in pushpull) might get you to 80-100W at 24V or about 1Sunit down from 400W. Generally parallel devices are touchy and each has to be biased independent of others. So, I wondered what you thought of this crazy idea, and can youYes they do but, not for common HEXfets or other low cost power fets. DEVICES like MRF140 and the like are used and they are not inexpensive. Typical Vdd for these parts is in the 50V region (at up to 20A!). Start with this site: Comm Concepts sells kits for power amps based on Mototrola app notes. Browse the site for examples, schematics and some of the apnotes. Also you can find some of the appnotes on the net. However, none specify low cost fets and likely would not support low cost power fets. Also, what is your opinion about valve vs solid state? It seemsSimple, valve designs using obtainable valves are fairly straight foward and well documented. A 3-500 or 4-400 in grounded grid with 2000V on the plate will easily hit 400W for 80-10m. A pair of 811/572B are in the same league as well as a long list of other Valves that maybe had used or surplus. Why Valves(tubes)? They are known, durable within experience of most hams and often can be had inexpensively. When you consider a 3-500Z can often be had new for around 150$us and MRF150(x4) will cost 200$us and the FETs may destruct on power up it's not too hard to visualize. This outfit sells RF power transistors and other items like tubes(valves). While I've done commercial work at high power I choose to do most of the ham activity at under 20W. My unusual twist on that is my station while low powered is supported off of solar pannels and batteries. I may add that I prefer VHF and up for my experiements. Regards, Allison KB1GMX |
ajparent1
Hello Hans,
I do hope you got my initial response. The blocking may be enroute, it's not anything I can control. Do try to reply to the arrl.net address rather than direct. High power (greater than 20w or so) solid state amps are not trivial design exercises. As a result experiments can easuly destroy transistors. This is why the IRF510 became so popular, they are inexpensive (compared to true RF power fets) and work acceptably. I do not know the PL5xx Valves but I will assume they are not unlike the US Television sweep tubes. Typically those tubes are rated for 30-40W plate dissipation or around 80w for intermittent SSB service. These tubes are related in design to the famous 6146 final valve used in a large number of transmitters. Running them hot (plates glowing) is not good for their life or quality of signal. It would be better to run several in parallel and abuse them less. Also running higher plate voltages 500-800v will give a better signal and easier plate matching. A suitable mains transformer is always troublesome to obtain but it's possible to wind one. There are sites that discuss this and it's not unreasonable. Finding used equipment that can donate a transformer is another path.. Good luck, Allison KB1GMX (@arrl.net) --- In BITX20@..., Hans Summers <Hans.Summers@t...> wrote: simpler and suitable for many people with no microcontroller etc skills. ThoughI built a microcontroller-less DDS: valve linear for quite a while. I have accumulated more than sufficient number ofPL519 / PL509 TV sweep valves - there are several designs on the internetproviding for 400+ W using four PL509/519's paralleled. Very cheap andreliable. What I am lacking is the HT transformer. I quite liked Arv's idea of a solidcabinetted! makes the idea even more expensive. From what I hear, those PL5xx sweepvalves are virtually indestructible, even if you make them practically red hot.RX at: to QRO either, just so long as it's homebrew. I've never touched acommercial rig and gonna keep it that way!finished yet, some trouble with the crystal oscillator multipliers. Needs a bitmore work. time ideas!to work on it at the moment. The pictures are in the G0UPL folder onHello Hans, turn itI was thinking of using this PSU with switching, as a variable thoseinto a solid state linear? 50V should suit MOSFET's quite well for which tocaps elsewhere which would leave quite a lot of space, I think enough morefunction as front panel for metering, low pass filter switching, etc.Opinion, doing that would represent the hard way with limited success. designs for RF power use known RF transistors (bipolar or fet) that areare fast enough to operate at RF but Miller capcitance and input capacitancefollow. down from 400W. Generally parallel devices are touchy and each has todid Also yousome googling but didn't manage to find anything particularlyYes they do but, not for common HEXfets or other low cost power fets. can find some of the appnotes on the net. However, nonefoward and well documented. A 3-500 or 4-400 in grounded grid with 2000V onand the FETs may destruct on power up it's not too hard to visualize.tubes(valves). may add that I prefer VHF and up for my experiements. |
to navigate to use esc to dismiss