Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2013 05:34:28 -0700
From: John Lyles <jtml@losalamos.com>
To: amps@contesting.com
Subject: [Amps] 500 uh plate choke
K5UJ posted a really great idea to test an RF Choke for resonances,
without needing even a GDO, (although every ham should still have one of
these - in addition to an Almost All Digital L/C IIB meter!). Hams come
up with the greatest ideas for simple methods of doing complex
measurements with little expense, this forum remains the best!
73
John
K5PRO
## W8JI has a similar procedure on his website. Coax from xcvr to dummy load.
T connector between xcvr = dummy load. 12 vdc @ 100 ma light bulb in series
with
hot side of coax coming off the T.... then to the top of the choke. Bottom of
choke bonded to
chassis.
## Crank just a few watts out... just enough till the 12 vdc bulb barely starts
to glow. Then spin the
vfo from 1.8 to 30 mhz ( xcvr has to be modified for gen coverage TX). When
you hit a series resonance
point, the bulb will get really bright. Then sweep on either side till it
starts to dim again... and note the upper
and lower freq points. Then continue with moving the vfo higher in freq till
you find the next series resonant point, etc,
till you get to 30 mhz, or the upper freq limit of your xcvr.
## For those folks who want to wind a single layer solenoid, like the typ 22
ga on a 1 inch diam solid teflon rod etc,
and require gaps to be installed in the choke, JI offers the following
procedure. Find the center 1st series resonant point as
described in the above paragraph. Then run a small screwdriver up the side of
the choke, with blade parallel to chassis, and
edge of screwdriver touching the choke. start at the base of the choke and
work slowly up the side.
When the 12 vdc bulb goes from brightly lit.... to completely out, you have
just found the problem area on the choke.
Mark it with felt pen. Repeat the same procedure for the higher freq series
resonance points. The choke is then rewound,
but with gaps inserted at all the problem areas.
## That is how W8JI designed the gapped plate choke used in the Ameritron
amps. His method of finding series resonant points
on any choke works good. I have not had time to try the gapping
procedure..yet. The ready made Ameritron choke (also sold by RF parts)
is plenty good enough for most amps. A few of us are planning to try the
gapping procedure... to make a 22 ga version of the ameritron
gapped choke, for use in higher plate current applications.
## as far as choke uh goes, IMO, I don’t think it is that critical. We tried
a 2 piece choke setup ( chokes at right angles), compromising
of a 180 uh choke ( 22 ga) in series with a 2nd smaller 45 uh choke ( 18 ga
wire). Also tried was 135 uh in series with 45 uh.
3-5 x 1 meg @ 3 watt mof’s in series from junction of chokes to chassis. 2 x
500 pf @ 15 kv HEC HT-57’s from junction point to one
side of a spst relay. other side of relay goes to chassis. 3 x parallel 4700
pf @ 15 kv disc ceramics for bypassing, at base of large choke.
Relay just RF grounds the cold end of the 2 doorknobs on 80-10m. The 3-5 megs
is to ensure the doorknobs are actually in dc block mode.
## Both chokes used on 160m only. Small choke used on 80-10m. Config was then
changed to 135 uh + 70 uh. The 45 uh, 18 ga winding was
removed and replaced with a 70 uh winding, with 22 ga wire, so it fit the same
1” teflon rod just fine.
## This is for a 160-15m 3CX-6000A7 amp. Funny thing is, the big choke was
out of the rf deck for several days..leaving just the original 45uh
choke in place. Other than the Tune C having to be increased, the amp ran just
fine on 160m..with just the 45 uh choke ( wound with 18 ga).
## My theory is, although the XL of a 45-200 uh choke is not that high on
160m, the Z is a lot higher. One would have thought that the poor 45uh
choke would have burned up on 160m....and ditto with the pair of 500 pf HT-57
doorknobs. Neither of them flinched..for several nights in a row,
with 12 kw pep out. Eff was superb too, excellent. My theory is all you are
really doing is parallel resonating the plate choke, since it’s
directly in parallel with the tune cap. Rich measures did the same sorta thing
on his heath sb-220, 160m conversion. He parallel resonated the
oem 9uh fil choke on 160m by simply paralleling another 900 pf with the C2 cap
of the new 160m Pi tuned input. His idea was not to have to use a larger
fil choke on 160m, like other 160m conversions.
later... Jim VE7RF
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