[Amps] Antenna traps

Gene Bigham jbigham2 at kc.rr.com
Tue Dec 13 17:16:29 EST 2005


I know this is not about amplifiers, except for being able to use one on a 
trapped antenna, but has anyone found a set of traps for 40 and 80 that can 
handle a legal amplifier output?
I have now fried two sets of 40 traps by Unadilla and one set of 80's which 
the new replacements have not been tried at power yet.
The old traps shorted through the cap insulating material, they were old but 
never used, so I thought the epoxy was just old.  The new ones have melted 
the blue insulator on which the coil is wound on these 40 meter traps with 
500 watts power level.
I tuned the antenna to resonance of 1:2 to 1 SWR, worked several stations, 
increased power level and after two hours and 500 watts started seeing swr 
creep up slow then rapid.  Examination showed the blue material melted and 
oozed between coil turns and the coils are now also intermittent.
I need some bullet proof traps.
Any ideas?
Thanks in advance
Gene Bigham
KB0GU 



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