[Amps] Icom 746 Pro / AL-80B relay keying concern

[gdaught6 at stanford.edu]

On 30 Jan 2005 at 1:13, Bill Turner wrote:

> On Sat, 29 Jan 2005 22:32:55 -0600, Charlie wrote:
> 
> >The Icom site recommends an interface for "all non-Icom amplifiers"
> >but in the case of the above specs it appears to me there is already
> >a 4 volt and a 400mA "buffer" of sorts.  The demands of the 80B are
> >well inside the capabilities of the 746 Pro. Right?
> ___________________________________________________________
> 
> Follow the ICOM recommendations.  After about six months of operation
> with a Command HF-2500, my IC-746PRO's keying relay stuck in the on
> position and I had to send it back to ICOM, fortunately under
> warranty.  They returned it with a memo on how to make a
> one-transistor interface for keying.  The HF-2500 keying requirements
> are 12vdc, 55 ma, well within the ICOM specs.
> 
> Spend the fifty cents.

I'll put in my 0.02 as well.  I had an Icom 738, and a homebrew 
4CX1600B amplifier.  The needs of the relay in the amplifier were 
well within the specifications of the Icom transceiver.  The relay in 
the Icom stuck several times, but I was able to free it with a well-
placed blow to the cabinet.  I put a transistor switch in the 
amplifier itself, and continued to use the Icom for some years.  I 
have since used an Icom 756 ProII and a Yaesu FT-1000MP MkV Field 
with the transistor-switched amplifier, with zero problems.  (Is 
"Yaesu FT-1000MP MkV Field" the longest name for a radio?)

73,



George T. Daughters, K6GT