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Re: Topband: TX relays

To: Tom W8JI <w8ji@w8ji.com>
Subject: Re: Topband: TX relays
From: Stan Stockton <wa5rtg@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 10 Oct 2014 08:06:41 -0500
List-post: <topband@contesting.com">mailto:topband@contesting.com>
Tom,

What would be a better choice for a stack match?  

I'm quite sure that in the heat of a contest these things have been hot 
switched on rare occasion with 1500w.  There was one time when I intentionally 
hot switched one of them with 100w because I thought the receive signal was 
down 10dB or so.  Problem went away.  Anyway I've been using them for about 6 
years or so and only had one that failed after a big lightening strike.

Stan, K5GO

Sent from my iPad

On Oct 10, 2014, at 7:29 AM, Tom W8JI <w8ji@w8ji.com> wrote:

>> I have built four or five "stack matches" using these relays and have been 
>> quite pleased with them.
>> 
>> http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/TE-Connectivity/T92S11D22-12/?qs=%2fha2pyFadujQKxyiQ9QJsU9gOmzykpctnwthD3xoZjoJPHbNrun4hw%3d%3d
>> 
>> 73...Stan, K5GO
> 
> If you look at the contact material, it is the wrong material type for our 
> applications. Those relays are hot switch relays for high current 
> applications with Silver Cadmium Oxide. From an engineering bulletin on 
> selecting relay contact materials:
> 
> Silver Cadmium Oxide
> 
> Silver cadmium oxide contacts have long been used for switching loads
> 
> that produce a high energy arc. Silver cadmium oxide contacts are less
> 
> electrically conductive than fine silver contacts, but have superior
> 
> resistance to material transfer and material loss due to arcing. They do
> 
> exhibit greater interface resistance between mated contacts, and also a
> 
> slightly greater contact assembly heat rise. The minimum arc voltagerating
> 
> of silver cadmium oxide is 10 volts and, like fine silver contacts, the silver
> 
> in this alloy will oxidize and sulfidate. Therefore, an arc is necessary to
> 
> keep these contacts clean.
> 
> 
> This doesn't mean they won't work and will go up in smoke. It does mean they 
> are subject to contact sulfidation which causes intermittent receive. They 
> have silver, a hard base material, and large contact area that does not wipe 
> well. They also are the type of relay that is subject to contact derating 
> from skin effect because of constant resistivity.
> 
> 
> 73 Tom
> 
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