[Amps] AL-80A "spitting" on 80m, Relay problems.

[Tom Rauch]

The relay contacts are probably dirty or it is the wrong
relay . The AL80A relay should have the NC center contact
either removed or bent out of the way.

The spitting is either a bad part like a bad or burnt plate
on a capacitor, misaligned relay contacts (the load contact
should mechanically close slightly before the input contact)
, or you have it loaded too lightly on 80. Sounds like it is
loaded too lightly. Open the load control up more.


73, Tom W8JI
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bill Coleman" <aa4lr at arrl.net>
To: <amps at contesting.com>
Cc: "Tom Rauch" <w8ji at contesting.com>
Sent: Sunday, September 11, 2005 8:54 PM
Subject: AL-80A "spitting" on 80m, Relay problems.


>
> I used my AL-80A during the recent NA Sprint. I found that
when I
> went to 80m, it was difficult to tune to more than 300
watts without
> exceeding 150 ma of grid current. After a few minutes, I
also heard a
> "spitting" sound in time with the CW coming intermittently
from
> either the amp or the tuner. I also saw the VSWR indicator
on the
> KAT100 moving around. Thinking there might be arcing or
some other
> problem, I turned the amplifier off.
>
> I also had a problem with the relay sticking when
returning to
> receive -- signals were greatly attenuated. Transmitting
again would
> restore the receiver, although there were a couple of
times it took
> several transmissions.
>
> Any ideas or suggestions?
>
> Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL        Mail: aa4lr at arrl.net
> Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
>              -- Wilbur Wright, 1901
>