The old legal limit was 1000W DC as measured on the meters. There was no
written PEP number. This was something "The marketing department" came up
with to make things sound bigger. The SSB position on all the amps, was a
power booster to give the amps MORE zip to bring the average power up to try
and meet the 1000W DC limit. HOAKIE, especially as it was technically
illegal to tune the amps up in the SSB positions in the first place.
It was virtually impossible to measure 1000W "average" input in the SSB
mode. "They" came up with station monitors to try and do it. "They" came
up with slow meter movements to indicate lower power, the feds came up with
a meter speed specification. There's never been a clean way to measure
INPUT POWER in SSB. It virtually takes the voltage and current meters fed
into a computer and instantly calculate and average the readings.
SO along came the 1500W output law. It has been mentioned here this was a
power lowering for us. I agree and disagree, IN AM it was a considerable
power lowering.
1000W DC input could easily make 600 Watts carrier. Modulate that carrier
and you have 2400Watts PEP output. This is a hell of a rig. Proof is the
Collins KW-1.
Now at 1500 PEP output and the 4:1 factor of PEP to carrier you legally have
a 375 Watt carrier limit to make 1500 PEP.
However this is not the case in CW 1500 Watts output is easy to measure in
CW. Key the rig and PEP =Average and 1500 watts comes screaming out the
tailpipe. A power increase from 600 or so to 1500 watts. That's a
considerable power increase.
However once we flip to SSB we're back to measuring that variable PEP thing
again with computers and metering/averaging formulas. Fortunately the feds
will let us use a quality Peak Reading Wattmeter to do it.
We can tune up in CW to 1500 watts and flip to PEAK READING and just don't
go over the number...
I have found approximately what used to be a 2KW amplifier is now a 2400
Watt amplifier. I have not had to "type accept" an amp as Tom has.
I feel we got a 900 Watt bump on CW and a potential "300 Watt" bump on SSB
from the power measuring change.
Sincerely,
BOB DD
-----Original Message-----
From: amps-bounces@contesting.com [mailto:amps-bounces@contesting.com] On
Behalf Of Gudguyham@aol.com
Sent: Sunday, October 15, 2006 1:51 PM
To: w4tv@subich.com; garyschafer@comcast.net; amps@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [Amps] "10 Meter Ban" to be lifted ...
In a message dated 10/15/2006 1:38:15 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
w4tv@subich.com writes:
Also I think most people believed that with 1 kw average
> input as the legal limit that meant that 2kw pep was also the
> legal limit because of the perceived 2:1 ratio.
>
Correct me if I am wrong, but didn't the ARRL license manual back in the
early 60's early 70's perhaps say that PEP was about 2 times DC plate
power? I
recall for many years "myself" believing this. Though very momentary peaks
may be 4 or 5 times that , the "envelope" over one cycle would average
about 2
times. Are we getting over technical? Lou
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