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[AMPS] Re: CW/SSB Tune Up

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Subject: [AMPS] Re: CW/SSB Tune Up
From: stevek@jmr.com (Steve Katz)
Date: Tue, 9 Oct 2001 16:15:19 -0700
Sounds like you're trying to fry the fish while they're still in the ocean,
there, Jim.

WB2WIK/6

"Each success only buys an admission ticket to a more difficult problem." --
Henry Kissinger

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jim Reid [SMTP:jimr.reid@verizon.net]
> Sent: Tuesday, October 09, 2001 4:16 PM
> To:   Phil Clements; 2; AMPS
> Subject:      [AMPS] Re: CW/SSB Tune Up
> 
> 
> Hi again,
> 
> And thanks a bunch to the several who have commented
> and made specific tune up recommendations!  Have
> followed them this morning.  Rich,  I chickened out at
> just about 345 watts of drive,  hi.  The grid current was
> approaching/bit exceeding 300 mA; Henry manual says
> to not exceed 350 mA.  All of this into the Bird
> load,  of course.  Bird 43 with a 5kW slug was of no use,
> it is way too slow and does not respond to the 50 wpm
> dits.
> 
> Anyway I found that once the tune and load controls were
> at resonance,  they did not seem to need to be tweaked
> as the drive was increased beyond 100 watts or so.  Hope
> this is correct,  or perhaps I need better instrumentation
> to "see" the correct peak output power. But see the next
> paragraph!
> 
> I dug out the data sheets which came from Henry when the
> unit was delivered.  Per the factory data,  there is a difference
> in the tune/load settings between 2500 and 5000 watts out.
> I presume this to be constant Pout,  not just peak.  For example,
> on 20 meters (14200 test freq.),  the dial calibrations for 100
> watts drive,  yielding about 2500 watts out,  tune is at a dial
> reading of 155,  and the load capacitor at 700 (a 1000 reading
> would indicated full load C "mesh" or max C).  With 200 watts
> drive,  factory data shows tune dial at 160, and the load C is lower,
> at a dial of 460 or seemingly significantly heavier loading of
> the output.  Maybe I should do this all over again and just
> use constant key down for the final tweaking.
> 
> Another interesting point from the Henry manual.  The amp has
> two plate voltage selections.  With today's mains voltage here
> on the island,  in the SSB "mode",  amp not keyed,  the plate
> voltage sits at about 5800 V.  In the CW "mode",  the voltage
> is dropped to about 4300 V.  The Henry manual asks that one
> tune up in the CW mode for max output.  THEN switching to the
> SSB mode higher voltage "As long as your load has not changed,
> the amplifier should still be in tune.  You can fine tune by alternately
> adjusting TUNE and LOAD while driving the amp with a
> constant input."
> 
> Well,  maybe all of this fiddling is of no point,  as I lower
> the drive well down before going to the antenna set up!
> 
> 73,  Jim  KH7M
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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