[Amps] trouble with TT centurion

R.Measures r at somis.org
Mon Nov 24 07:23:31 EST 2003



>Hello I am looking for some help I am new to using amplifiers in Ham radio 
>I have been a ham for about 12 years but have just started using a amp.  I 
>have a ten tec Jupiter and use two antennas   1)  a tenadyne LPA up at 65 
>feet tower is 150 feet away from the house.  this antenna is for 
>10,12,15,20, mtrs .  swr averages at 1.4 : 1     
>2)  A Carolina Windom by w4cox  up about 40 feet and vertical portion 
>about 50 feet away from the house with one of the legs of the dipole 
>running over the houseabout 18 feet above the roof .  this antenna covers 
>the remainder of the bands minus 160.  with out the amp both antennas work 
>fine  however when I use the amp the LPA beam works fine but the Carolina 
>Windom doesn't work well on 40 or 80 meters.  when used there I am told 
>and I have listened  to the audio , I have a bad flutter to my audio once 
>referred to as the sound of a machine gun .  Also when I tune the amp with 
>low power on 40 or 80 I get a pulse sound that sounds like it comes from 
>the amplifier .  The sound makes noise like sending cw dots from a keyer 
>at about 15 words a minute when this happens the meters still look good 
>where they are supposed to be .  I have all my station  grounded , 

**  There is no such thing as a 0v-potential RF-ground.  

>I have 
>checked all my jumper cables for shorts , ( although two patch cables are 
>at about 6 feet too long ? )  when using the Carolina Windom I use a Nye 
>Viking antenna tuner to get a flat match ( about 3:1 on 80 and 2:1 on 40 
>meters with out the tuner) my centurion is about 4 years old and I was 
>instructed by TT to complete the mod needed to use with newer radios ie. 
>jumper the diode etc.( mod completed )  by using the load and tune 
>controls on the amp I can make these sounds go away but power put out by 
>the amp goes down.  when I tune the amp for no crazy noise the audio is 
>still fluttering .  and by the way my satellite tv on the upper floor is 
>now bothered by TVI .  the phone is not affected.  The mic gain is at 
>about 14percent and the speech proc is off on the Jupiter .   sorry for 
>the long post .  any and all help will be appreciated .  John

**  Do you use a coaxial choke balun after the amplifier?
http://www.somis.org/bbat.html
see figure 1C.


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