Keyboard Shortcuts
Likes
- Ham-Amplifiers
- Messages
Search
Re: SB-206
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On 2023-12-20 8:12 am, NI5L wrote:
|
SB-206
NI5L
Good morning, all. I recently acquired a converted 6-meter amp that is named the SB-206. It was converted by KM1H in 2006 from an SB-200 and it actually works very well. I have been very carefully tuning it with the max output method, which is the only way I can do it. The "manual" is a single sheet of paper with minimal instruction. I have tried to contact the builder, but his email bounces and his phone is disconnected.
Has anyone on this reflector had one of these? If so, I would like to know how you tune your amp properly. I am trying t avoid killing it with improper tuning. 73 Warren / NI5L |
Re: Ten-Tec Centurion Parts Needed
开云体育Hi Lou: ? I resent the message I had previously sent you directly.? I would prefer to discuss this off list. ? 73, ? Steve ?
? From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Louis Parascondola via groups.io
Sent: Tuesday, December 19, 2023 9:16 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [ham-amplifiers] Ten-Tec Centurion Parts Needed ? Steve, I don’t remember getting any email. ?If you want?to send me the capacitor I’ll try to rebuild it for you. ?Lou |
Re: Ten-Tec Centurion Parts Needed
Steve, I don’t remember getting any email. ?If you want?to send me the capacitor I’ll try to rebuild it for you. ?Lou
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Tuesday, December 19, 2023, 8:02 PM, Omni <selcor@...> wrote:
|
Re: Ten-Tec Centurion Parts Needed
开云体育Hi Lou: ? I sent a reply to this message on Sunday December 10th to your direct email address, but did not hear back from you. ?Can you still help with plates for the Centurion Plate Tuning cap? ? 73, ? Steve ? ? ? From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Louis Parascondola via groups.io
Sent: Sunday, December 10, 2023 12:10 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [ham-amplifiers] Ten-Tec Centurion Parts Needed ? TenTec buit?their own variable capacitors. ?So their plates are unlike any others. ?I have some plates and if you want you?ship me the cap I’ll rebuild it for you. ?I should have a few plates left. ?Although it’s a handsome looking amp it’s certainly not the best performer in its class. ?It lacks inductance on 160 and the tank isn’t so hood on 15 and 10. ? ? |
Re: AL-80B cooling
Thanks everyone. If anyone has replaced one with a more powerful one, please fill me in on what you got etc. Bob W4JFA? On Tue, Dec 19, 2023, 5:31 PM DupyRail <andytron434@...> wrote:
|
Re: AL-80B cooling
开云体育FWIW, CTR Engineering probably has the right one for the job.? Just say'inAndy? K9ATX On 12/19/2023 4:29 PM, Alek Petkovic
via groups.io wrote:
-- "Where the Old Soo crossed the New Soo" Duplainville, Wisconsin Web page: Youtube Channel: |
Re: AL-80B cooling
开云体育Yes or maybe just get a new fan. They are a not a rare item. I concur with the others. You should feel a good steady stream of
air out the side and whilst it is not loud, you can definitely
hear it running. 73, Alek VK6APK On 20/12/2023 6:08 am, mike repinski
via groups.io wrote:
|
Re: AL-80B cooling
Maybe a little oil?
On Tuesday, December 19, 2023 at 04:59:54 PM EST, Louis Parascondola via groups.io <gudguyham@...> wrote:
It runs at the same speed On Tuesday, December 19, 2023, 4:16 PM, Bob <W4JFABob@...> wrote:
|
Re: AL-80B cooling
It runs at the same speed
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Tuesday, December 19, 2023, 4:16 PM, Bob <W4JFABob@...> wrote:
|
Re: AL-80B cooling
Does the fan run at the same speed all the time or is the speed thermostatically?controlled? Bob? W4JFA On Tue, Dec 19, 2023 at 4:13?PM Louis Parascondola via <Gudguyham=[email protected]> wrote:
|
Re: AL-80B cooling
You should be able to feel a steady stream of air coming out the side.
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Tuesday, December 19, 2023, 4:07 PM, Bob <W4JFABob@...> wrote:
|
AL-80B cooling
Hi all, I'll condense this. A friend just got this AL-80B that had?at one time melted a filament tube pin. The tube socket, the type that the socket is on a circuit board, was burned pretty badly. He got a new ceramic socket. I did what I needed to do to install it including getting the grids grounded, socket properly mounted etc. Amp works fine now but I noticed the cooling fan is basically silent and seems to barely spin. When holding my hand?on the output?vent I barely feel any air movement. I've never worked on one of these 80B's before so I don't know what's normal, however I feel this isn't moving nearly enuff air. I know this is hard to put into words?but can anyone give me some kind of idea of how much air can be felt blowing out of the vent? I know the fan worked normally at one time because the inside of this amp was full of dust etc! Actually it was disgusting! It took me quite a while to get it clean. Thanks all. Bob? W4JFA |
Re: Replacement 3-500ZG
There is a one year on Penta through Penta. ?
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Monday, December 18, 2023, 12:34 PM, Alan - W5ARM <W5ARM.mail@...> wrote:
|
Re: AL80B Smells Hot on 10M and 160M
开云体育
On 12/18/2023 9:35 AM, W7WRX wrote:
They done it; here's the BOM listing:
2 CDX-2221-C 3 C1-2 C7 CAP,CERAMIC DISK,0022uF,6KV 20% VISHAY
Here's the actual parts listing:
CDX-?‐2221-?‐C 3 CAP 2200PF 6K VOLTS 20% .375 L.S. RADIAL
I don't know the vintage of my amp, but it's early enough that it
had the VTX-118s in it. I've since bought a pair of 1500s but
haven't installed them yet.
I agree; I was flabbergasted when I first saw disc ceramics being
used as the plate blocking cap in a high power amplifier in my
ALS-800 (in fact, they, too, are blue, just like the Alpha's caps;
must be something about blue disc ceramic caps that is attractive
like a Siren to amplifier designers? 8-D ); it has a pair of
something, I didn't note what they were. I looked in the parts
list and schematic but I didn't note whether those are changed for
the ALS-800H, which uses a pair of -800A7s for well over
legal-limit output power. I doubt they are, though.
Rember: that guy -JI designed the ALS-800/800H, so it's GOTTA be "right", right??? 8-D
Perhaps. I've had quite a few of those CDE doorknobs that cracked, though, so I'd probly use one of my few Russian humungously-sized replacements, instead. However, the layout around that area is tight, so there's not much room for a larger cap of any type without lenthening the leads from the plate choke to the input tuning C. I frankly was not very impressed with the layout of the 8410's output section at all. I'm really wondering if the 160m coil's toroids are going to do the same melting-stunt that I've read that K1TTT's Commander HF-2500s have done during a contest.
I've gotta go do that ASAP; it seems to me that I might be losing a bit of power every time I turn on this thing, which could be from the cathodes boiling away and losing emission. I'm totally off-the-grid here, and presently have to run the Alpha from a 3700 watt Xantrex RS3000M 120VAC inverter, which runs off six paralleled 105 A/hr LiFePO4 batteries, recharged from 2 kW of solar panels. I've measured the inverter's output at 124VAC under 800VA load but that drops to about 118 under 2 kVA load at the AC outlet. Obviously, that is still too high for the Alpha since it spends the majority of its time just idling. But there's no way to turn it down unless I get out my 2.4 kVA variac. That Alpha is a power hog, though... I can't usually run a pileup longer than a few hours before the batteries drop below 50% State-Of-Charge, which, on a cloudy day, might get back up into the high 80s by sundown the next day. I've had it down to 14% (right after the recent ARRL 160m contest) but that day was bright and sunny, so the batts got recharged back to about 75% by sundown.
73, Steve K0XP |
Re: Traveling Wave Tube Amplifier
开云体育Those sound like they may be Bell Labs tubes. 73 – Mike ? Mike B. Feher, N4FS 89 Arnold Blvd. Howell NJ 07731 848-245-9115 ? From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Clint, VE3CMQ
Sent: Monday, December 18, 2023 1:22 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [ham-amplifiers] Traveling Wave Tube Amplifier ? Hopefully someone will help me out.? I have 3? LD-4513 Traveling Wave Tube amplifiers.? These I think operate around 2400MHz.? I would like to get some information on them.? A search on Google doesn't seem to come up with anything on this particular device. |
Traveling Wave Tube Amplifier
Clint, VE3CMQ
Hopefully someone will help me out.? I have 3? LD-4513 Traveling Wave Tube amplifiers.? These I think operate around 2400MHz.? I would like to get some information on them.? A search on Google doesn't seem to come up with anything on this particular device.
73, Clint, VE3CMQ |
Re: AL80B Smells Hot on 10M and 160M
开云体育
Those are Z5U caps.? They are a poor choice for coupling RF with high current..? No wonder they failed.? Can't believe Alpha would do that. I have repaired several 8410s and I don't even remember those blue caps being used.?
?Really should use a cap that is rated for high RF current.? The idea of using six caps for coupling is just bizarre.? I get that you had them but heck man.? Just order a proper HEC high energy RF cap and be done with it.? The amp will work better and be more
reliable.??
By the way,? Filament voltage on that 8410 should be checked!? They run very high Fil voltage and if your line voltage hits 250 it could pop those tubes.? I know this because one guy kept losing 4cx1000s.? We found he had high line voltage due to the entire
neighborhood being on Solar. In the middle of the day it would hit 260!!? Then Pop the tubes.??
Alpha recommends a buck transformer right in the manual.? Using a variac, I found, ANYTHING over 240 would cause fil voltage to be to HIGH.?
C
From: [email protected] <[email protected]> on behalf of Steve via groups.io <k0xp@...>
Sent: Monday, December 18, 2023 10:18 AM To: [email protected] <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [ham-amplifiers] AL80B Smells Hot on 10M and 160M ?
On 12/18/2023 7:47 AM, Jim VE7RF wrote:
As a reminder: I just had to replace all three of the 2200 pF/6 kV disc plate blocking caps on my Alpha 8410: But there was no smell when these blew; they just shorted the high voltage, causing a plate current fault which, fortunately, shut down my amp before any catastrophic damage occurred. These caps apparently shorted out one by one, cracking independently as
each broke down from the high power and voltage (plate voltage in my 8410 is just under 2900VDC). The total capacitance was originally 3 x 2200 pF = 6600 pF; I replaced them with a set of six 1000 pF/10 kV discs I bought a few years back, but unfortunately,
I didn't think to take a pic of the installation. However, note that the way the caps are arranged above, the "outside" of one cap is directly adjacent to the "inside" of another, which means you have the full plate voltage between the capacitors. To make
certain there would be no flashover between capacitors, I therefore spread the replacement caps out evenly but kept the leads all twisted together as shown above and as short as possible so as to minimize any additional inductance. So far, so good, on my Alpha
8410, which has a pair of 4CX1000As in parallel, far more than what a pair of 3-500s will do. >Correct component would be a pair of HEC? 500 pf HT-50/58,? 7.5 kv? ceramic doorknob caps in parallel .? > You can buy those cheap, directly from mfj / Ameritron.? That's what's used in the Ameritron? >AL-1500 / AL-1200 / AL-82. If I was not in a hurry to get my Alpha back on the air before I missed out on another pileup, I would have ordered HECs instead of using the disc ceramic caps. In the olden days, pre-COVID and pre-Ukraine, you could buy doorknobs of all sizes and voltages
from Russia or even ND2X at dirt-cheap prices and receive them within several weeks (with all sorts of strange and exotic Russian stamps on the boxes). Nowadays, that's neither so easy nor cheap? 8-(
High voltage hi-potters are very easy to make and relatively-cheap to boot; just search epay for 10+ kV variable power supplies, perhaps using search terms such as "neon sign power supply", "Tesla coil power supply", or the like. No longer do you need to spend el mucho buxos for shipping a heavy, old, surplus neon sign transformer; now, the Chinese are selling small, adjustable high voltage power supplies, completely self-contained on a single PC board. I bought one, which consists of a small PC board with the circuit on it and an onboard transformer, for about $40 a couple years ago; it operates from 12 volts DC. I tested and evaluated the board, then designed and built my own hi-potter. It's fully adjustable from a few hundred volts to over 10 kV, and my hi-potter includes both a voltmeter as well as a leakage current meter, both mounted on and behind plexiglass to prevent me from touching them while in operation. It actually goes to at least 11 kV and will provide a few tens of microamperes current, which is as much as you want to have arcing around within a leaking tube, and far more than enough to tell whether it's good or not. It's such a small and cute little gadget that it's difficult to remember that it's more than capable of killing me if I'm not careful with it! 73, Steve K0XP |