Bill:
Things about PolyPhaser (and other) protectors that can be a problem.
* Wrong selection for the frequency and power range
* Damage from previous strikes or event nearby strikes
* Perhaps the most insidious is moisture intrusion from the transmission line around the center pin of a connector.
The last one if fun because it all looks normal until you pull it apart. Many types of transmission lines can cause this, even with foam and solid insulaton. Damage to the line or a bad connection somewhere can result in moisture wicking along a multi-strand center conductor for some distance and then penetrate the connectors. (Green or otherwise discolored center conductors.) The result can be that it's somewhat functional at lower power levels but becomes intermittent at higher power.
Yes, any time there is a higher SWR there's a chance a protector will end up at a point on the line with elevated voltage at some point. Protectors are usually rated at low SWR (PolyPhaser typically 1.1:1) so if it's going to be used on a wide-band antenna with a tuner, the protector needs to be de-rated based on the expected maximum SWR (maximum voltage). If not, it could be triggering at power levels a lot lower than rated power causing the amp to trip. Given that, your PolyPhaser protector may be working normally.
So, when testing a line for possible issues, never assume the protector is good or not firing normally on you.
Chuck
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On 5/26/2020 6:48 PM, Bill Pfost via groups.io wrote:
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I had two devices in line - a PolyPhaser device and an AlphaDelta device.? I first removed the AlphaDelta device and there was no change in performance - still no amp operation.? Upon removing the PolyPhaser the amp worked as it should, and the HF-AUTO even tuned the antenna to frequency faster than before.
The surge suppression devices, when used in a higher power line with a non-resonant antenna, can create a transient SWR condition which the LA-1K can detect, thus causing a shutdown.
