FW: FW: [AMPS] Titan II Mods
Phil LaMarche
plamarc1@tampabay.rr.com
Thu, 28 Dec 2000 13:53:25 -0500
I sent an email to Ten Tec about a post on the reflector and thought
everyone would like to read their reply.
Phil W9DVM
-----Original Message-----
From: Ten-Tec Inc. Amateur Radio Sales [mailto:sales@tentec.com]
Sent: Thursday, December 28, 2000 10:13 AM
To: Phil LaMarche
Subject: Re: FW: [AMPS] Titan II Mods
The fan is definitely audible. We are using a pressureized cabinet that
has been designed to specifically meet the manufacturer's cooling
requirements for the tube. Under no circumstances do we recommend
altering the cooling system in an effort to reduce fan noise as this likely
will result in inefficient cooling of the amplifier and damage resulting
from doing so would not be covered under warranty.
We do not recommend the modification described for low band
coverage. Power drift is not an issue with the Titan II and the owner
of this amplifier has even noted at the end of this article that the
amplifier would now be unusable with anything other than a 1:1
SWR.
Scott Robbins, W4PA
Amateur Radio Product Manager
At 01:12 PM 12/26/00 -0500, you wrote:
> Sirs: I am very close to ordering this amplifier and would like to
ask
>what comments you have to this report.
>
>Phil W9DVM
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: owner-amps@contesting.com [mailto:owner-amps@contesting.com]On
>Behalf Of Roy Koeppe
>Sent: Tuesday, December 26, 2000 11:35 AM
>To: Amps Reflector
>Subject: [AMPS] Titan II Mods
>
>
>
>
> Hello All,
>
> In case others are frustrated with their Titan II's, I offer them this
> FYI:
>
> My new Xmas present to myself had a fan which sounded like a helicopter
> and even shook the table. I cured that entirely objectionable problem
>by
> constructing a pressurized wooden platform for the amp to sit upon. The
> one inch thick material is 5 1/2 inches high, thus also elevating the
> amp to a more desirable height for viewing its meters. The top and
> bottom edges are lined with thick felt strips for an air tight fit. A
>10
> foot long clothes dryer hose (4" dia.) runs from this base to a cubby
> hole closet which our house builder conveniently provided under a short
> stairwell. In there is a remote squirrel cage blower, Fasco cat. no.
> F2-2440, ordered online from www.herbach.com. It's made in USA and its
> dynamic pressure and volume exceed that of original Titan II's fan. Its
> round outlet flange snuggly fits directly into the clothes dryer hose.
>I
> glued it in there with Shoo Goo. The blower is well balanced, smooth
>and
> quiet with no radio noise. The original fan was removed and set aside.
> Air enters through the original fan's bottom hole. The amp's rear feet
> were removed. This remote blower concept is not mine--Collins used it
>in
> their model AM-1 if my memory serves me right. The Titan II is now
> virtually silent in operation. The slight hiss of air exhausting from
> the jug is subdued by placing a chimney-like muffler over the exhaust
> port. It is big enough to have no restriction of air flow and is lined
> inside with sound absorbing material. Both the platform base and the
> chimney muffler are painted Ten-Tec gray.
>
> Now for the second objectionable problem. Two ceramic disc caps are
> switched in parallel with the variable loading cap during 80M
>operation.
> These caps are unbelievably small and cheap. (No padder is used for the
> plate tuning cap on 80M, thank goodness). They drift like crazy during
>a
> transmission, being manifested as sagging output and lowering screen
> current, often down to the point of negative screen current. All this
> pertains to CW operation at full 1500 watts out, into a perfect 50 ohm
>load
> (Nye Viking tuner). I have not tested it on SSB.
>
> The cure for this second dilemma was to install a single 320 pF
>xmitting
> mica, rated 2.5 A @ 5 KV in their place. I "remote located" the new
>cap,
> placing it near the fil (heater) xmfr. A short piece of good quality RG
> 58 connects the cap to the bandswitch. The shield is grounded at both
> ends. The job was performed in such a manner that the amp can be easily
> and speedily restored to original for you know what reason. The
>original
> two caps' total value were twice that of the new the 320 pF value,
> causing the loading control to run more than half way open. This new,
> lower value allows the variable loading cap's plates to operate in a
> more fully meshed position (number 7 when operating on 3522 kHz). Now
> both the plate tuning and loading dials read approximately the same;
> plate remaining at number 8 on 3522 kHz. This new loading setting
> allows for more circulating current in the variable loading cap and
>less
> in the padder. It may not match a 2 to 1 SWR (25 ohms) anymore.
>
> The improved system has been used with excellent results. Now the
> readings remain perfectly solid at all times. I don't presently operate
> 160M. But I'm sure a similarly awful situation exists there, where both
> ceramic plate tuning and plate loading padders are switched in.
>
> 73, Roy K6XK Iowa Outback
>
>
>
>
>--
>FAQ on WWW: http://www.contesting.com/FAQ/amps
>Submissions: amps@contesting.com
>Administrative requests: amps-REQUEST@contesting.com
>Problems: owner-amps@contesting.com
>
>
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