[Amps] AL-80A - fighting with the relay again

[Bill Coleman]

I'm using an AL-80A with an Elecraft K2/100. I recently operated the  
RTTY Roundup running about 300-400 watts out.

Intermittently, when the AL-80A would unkey, the received signal  
strength would be reduced by 10-30 dB. If I would key the AL-80A  
again, even without transmitting (eg just hitting the PTT with a  
straight key connected for this purpose), sometimes the receive line  
would return to normal, sometimes it would still be attenuated.

A few times, it took 3-8 raps on the straight key to remove the  
attenuation. Other times, it just took once.

What causes this sort of intermittent attenuation? What can I do  
about it?

Someone earlier mentioned hot-switching of the relay. After  
discussing this with the designers of the K2/100, it appears the rig  
cannot hot switch - the K2/100 will bring the amp keying line down  
about 15-20 ms before it starts producing any RF. Since I was using  
VOX keying, there's a longer delay before the rig unkeys.

Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL        Mail: aa4lr at arrl.net
Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
             -- Wilbur Wright, 1901