Rich Measures wrote:
>>
>>Rich Measures wrote:
>>
>>>>and last ,i'm looking for a high power amp
>>>>for 2 meter ssb ( 500 + out put) any body
>>>>want to sell one?
>>>
>>>A pair of 4cx250Rs in parallel, self-contained, designed and built by
>>>yours truly. 20db gain. Class AB1. About 1000pep watts out on SSB.
>>>designed for10w pep drive. The built in 2200v power supply is not
>>>suitable for FM, RTTY or A0. $100 plus ups. 120v/20a. Must be tuned up
>>>with a keyer sending 50wpm dits, or with a tuning pulser.
>>
>>The gain is right - and by goodness the price is certainly right -
>>but expect no more than 500W PEP of *linear* SSB. Otherwise expect to
>>lose a lot of friends.
>>
>? The 7580/4CX250Rs have 400v on the screens. According to Eimac's
>curves, c.1.3 peak amperes of anode current flows when the grid potential
>is 0V and the screen potential is 400V. The 1.3a constant-current curve
>appears to be reasonably linear up to 0V on the grid. By my calculation,
>the pep input is around 1850w.
>
Certainly you can get the raw power out - but it is impossible to tell
what the IMD levels will be by eyeballing a constant current curve. Even
a 1% deviation from a straight line makes a lot of IMD.
The real test is on the air. Believe me, we have had a LOT of experience
over here with people who think they can get the UK limit of 400W PEP
SSB out of a single 4CX250-something, or 4CX350... and it has all been
BAD experience from the viewpoint of neighbors on the air!
Eimac must take a lot of the blame for this. Their "typical" operating
data for the 4CX250R claim 470W PEP output - but with 3rd order IMD at
only -23dB, and 5th order at only -27dB. Can you imagine what the
higher-order IMD looks like? By any reasonable standards for coexistence
on the air, that SSB signal is vile!
Very extensive practical on-air testing has shown that 250W per tube is
a pretty good limit for acceptable linearity. At this power level, the
tubes will produce a much cleaner signal than at those greedy Eimac
ratings.
>>No criticism of Rich's particular design; the limitation is in the tubes
>>themselves.
>>
>? Did you perhaps presume that the 7580 has the same power capability as
>a 4CX250B?
The raw power capability of the 7580/250R is obviously greater than the
250B; but the LINEAR power capability is much the same - see above. The
advantages of the 'R in this context are a little more power gain, and
more comfort when operating at very similar levels to a 'B.
73 from Ian G3SEK Editor, 'The VHF/UHF DX Book'
'In Practice' columnist for RadCom (RSGB)
http://www.ifwtech.demon.co.uk/g3sek
--
FAQ on WWW: http://www.contesting.com/ampfaq.html
Submissions: amps@contesting.com
Administrative requests: amps-REQUEST@contesting.com
Problems: owner-amps@contesting.com
Search: http://www.contesting.com/km9p/search.htm
|