[Amps] Alpha 89

[Tom Branch]

Greetings,

Just set up my Alpha 89 with an IC-746.  On the first dit or dah I see the
output spike up 300 watts and then settle in.  If I key the rig with the
foot switch and then send CW, I don't see the spike.  It happens in semi- or
full-QSK.  I tried both the internal relay and an external circuit using the
positive voltage available on the rear of the rig.  I also note the first
grid current LED will glow and then go out on a PTT without any CW.  It
seems that little flash of grid current is what's causing the output spike
rather than some issue with the rig.  Switching from the CW bias setting to
the SSB setting almost eliminates the spike.

Ideas or is this normal?

73 de Tom

tom at k4nr.org
http://www.k4nr.org