Date: Mon, 26 Apr 2010 10:40:29 -0700
From: "Jim Brown" <jim@audiosystemsgroup.com>
Subject: [Amps] GigaVac Relays
In the past year or two, there have been questions about Gigavac relays and
their reliability. Up to now, I've heard no assessments one way or the
other. At the Visalia DX convention last weekend, I was visiting the Alpha
booth and looking at their amps. I noticed the T/R relays, and asked whose
relays they were using. The reply was Gigavac. I asked about their experience
with them, and was told they have been quite happy with them. The person I
spoke to was Molly, W0MOM, former owner, now VP Sales/Marketing.
73,
Jim K9YC
## I have been using their vac relays, GH-1 and also G-2 since they
1st opened their doors for business. No problems at all. They are superb
vac relays. The GH-1 ham will hi -pot test to well > 7.5 kv !
## You can also get their G-2 ham relays with threaded cylinders for the
COM, NC, and NC contacts. Now this is slick, cuz it's then very easy to
attach cu strap to them. Or terminate wires via STA-KON crimp connector's,
then attach STA-KON lugs to contacts via the supplied gigavac machine screws.
IF using your favorite lug, I would still solder the wire, where it JUST
sticks out
past the lug, so it's both crimped and soldered..1st.... then terminated to vac
relay
contacts via machine screw.
## You can also get the gigavac coils in either 12 vdc...or 26.5 vdc. The
12 vdc
coil version's can easily be sped up with an overvoltage. You can speed em up
even
faster, by wiring a 50 uf lytic across the series drop resistor. Then you
have a 'RC
hot shot circuit'. In my L4B's the stock T/R relay uses +27 vdc. It's a
simple
1/2 wave rectifier, one diode, one cap. I was going to change to a FWB....
but decided
to convert to a FWD... and now get + 63 vdc.... which is plenty to speed up
either a
26.5 vdc coil.... or a 12 vdc coil.
## IMO... the pecking order is [1] gigavac 1st.... [2] kilovac 2nd. .... and
[3] Jennings 3rd.
## yrs ago, alpha changed over from Jennings to Kilovac.. as the 'internal
guts on the kilovac
relays are more robust' . Gigavac was started and still run by Kilovac ex-
R+D employees...
who got laid off, when TYCO bought out Kilovac. The ham versions of the
GH-1..and
G-2 etc, are identical to the standard versions.. even though the specs for
V and I are a little less...
they are not, they are identical relays. They are a bargain for the price.
My buddy runs 3 x GH-1's
in a HB 2x GS35B 6m amp.... [1 for input, 1 for output, 1 for cut off bias]
and the output relay
is being run WAY over it's 6m ratings... and he still can't damage it.. it
just runs and runs and runs. ..and
qsk too.
## You can also easily parallel all the contacts on 2 x identical relays...
and quadruple the power
rating. 2 x G2's in parallel will easily handle 20 kw CCS, CXR... on 10m.
2 x GH-1's in parallel
will handle 10 kw on 10m. Then it's even more on lower freqs.
## You can get em in both flange and threaded base versions. Hope this
helps.
later...... Jim VE7RF
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