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Re: [TenTec] best power supply for Orion II and other items

To: John Molenda <cdistflatfoot@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [TenTec] best power supply for Orion II and other items
From: John Molenda <brazos@rochester.rr.com>
Reply-to: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec@contesting.com>
Date: Sun, 21 Nov 2010 21:55:27 -0500
List-post: <tentec@contesting.com">mailto:tentec@contesting.com>

On 11/21/2010 7:52 PM, John Molenda wrote:
>
>
> I was a bit caviler when describing the noise I had on the radio Last 
> night , thinking it was not important part of the puzzle so here goes 
> .  I was getting a 20 to 40 over spike reading on the Orion II analog 
> meter 1st on 40 and then I tryed 80, 160 and 10 with the same out come 
> the needle would go back and fourth every couple of seconds  from 20 
> to 40 over rhythmically and accompanying that was a loud rhythmic 
> noise ( loud static ) coming over the speakers . when I first 
> encountered this I went through the house with my son turning off 
> everything electronic lights , dimmer switches , computers etc .  when 
> I finally came to trying the radio with a different power supply the 
> interference went away and all was OK .  I also for a time left the 
> original power supply on and found that with the switch left in the on 
> position and plugged in the supply would go on and off intermittently 
> . Well /now you know the rest of the story  . Paul Harvey
>
>
> John Kb2huk
> /
> On 11/21/2010 4:47 PM, Mike Hyder -N4NT- wrote:
>> The 35 amp linear Astron supplies used a floating output so they 
>> could be used with either positive or negative ground applications.  
>> For our use, the negative post of the Astron should be grounded to 
>> the unit's cabinet/chassis.  I think the Astron supply is good but if 
>> the negative output post is not grounded to the cabinet/chassis then 
>> RF energy gets into the regulator circuitry...
>>
>> Follows my correspondence with Astron some years ago:
>> Once upon a time some Astron power supplies had a floating output, 
>> neither
>> positive nor negative was connected to the chassis.  For laboratory 
>> work,
>> this was just fine.  But with radio transmitters, problems sometimes 
>> arose
>> because RF energy could enter through the negative post and go 
>> directly to
>> the voltage regulator circuitry.
>>
>> Astron became aware of this and suggested grounding the negative post 
>> to the
>> chassis.  I did it by taking the post out, removing the insulators, 
>> cleaning
>> paint from around the hole and reinstalling the post with no insulation.
>> Many reported they had never had a problem with their Astrons but I 
>> did and
>> apparently it was common.  Below is my correspondence with Astron:
>>
>>      To:  "Ten-Tec Reflector" <tentec@contesting.com>
>>      Subject:  [TenTec] Astron Power Supply (RS-35) from the horse's 
>> mouth
>>      From:  "Mike Hyder -N4NT-" <Mike_N4NT@charter.net>
>>      Reply-to:  Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec@contesting.com>
>>      Date:  Tue, 5 Dec 2006 21:04:25 -0500
>>      List-post: <mailto:tentec@contesting.com>
>>
>> [TenTec] Your semi-annual Astron tip...
>>
>> People come and go from this reflector. This is a reminder that many
>> troubles with Astron power supplies can be cured by grounding the 
>> negative
>> post to the cabinet.  I did it by removing the insulators from the 
>> negative
>> post, scraping some paint from around the hole and putting a 
>> lockwasher on
>> the post when reinstalling.  Below is my correspondence with them 
>> about it.
>>
>> Merry Christmas,
>> Mike -N4NT-
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "ASTRON" <sales@astroncorp.com>
>> To: "Mike Hyder" <N4NT@chartertn.net>
>> Sent: Tuesday, November 20, 2001 6:06 PM
>> Subject: Re: RS-35 in an RF environment
>>
>> MIKE.
>>
>> 1ST CHECK YOUR AC OUTLET GROUND IT MUST HAVE GOOD CONNECTION
>>
>> 2ND. MEASURE FROM THE -13.8V TERMINAL TO CHASSIS, IF NO DIRECT 
>> CONNECTION,
>> RUN A PIECE OF WIRE FROM -13.8V TERMINAL TO CHASSIS.
>>
>> JANE
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: Mike Hyder <N4NT@chartertn.net
>> To: <eastron@astroncorp.com
>> Sent: Tuesday, November 13, 2001 7:56 AM
>> Subject: RS-35 in an RF environment
>>
>> Several people have advised me that Astron had a service bulletin for 
>> the
>> Astron RS-35 (and possibly other models) which advised to strap the 
>> negative
>> post of the supply to the cabinet to reduce or eliminate problems caused
>> when RF energy affects the supply's regulation.  This is in particular a
>> frequent problem in the amateur radio service.
>>
>> Could you confirm such bulletin and either email it to me or point me 
>> to the
>> URL that will allow me to view it, please?
>>
>> Many thanks,
>> Mike Hyder
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Molenda" 
>> <cdistflatfoot@gmail.com>
>> To: "TEN TEC DISCUSSION" <tentec@contesting.com>
>> Sent: Sunday, November 21, 2010 3:50 PM
>> Subject: [TenTec] best power supply for Orion II and other items
>>
>>
>>> Hello , I have been having some trouble with rfi and strange impulse
>>> noise on RX I have traced it down to a bad power supply .  I will be
>>> replacing this power supply with another to power my Orion II and a
>>> couple other items so a ps with a high amp rating of say 35 or so might
>>> just be what I need .  Who makes the best ps I have been looking at the
>>> alinco products and like them I have had trouble with astron but have
>>> very good luck with Pyramid Ps.  any suggestions I am replacing a 963
>>> for the curious . any suggestions ?  thanks John kb2huk
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> TenTec mailing list
>>> TenTec@contesting.com
>>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec 
>>
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