[Amps] drive power

[Tom W8JI]

> The grid overcurrent protection circuit  is set to trip at 
> 90 ma.  I
> normally adjust the drive from my Orion to produce a plate 
> current of 400
> ma, the grid current bring zero (that's right, no grid 
> current showing on
> the meter when the amp is properly loaded).  The power 
> output on the Orion
> screen shows about 17 under these conditions.  Question: 
> Could I be
> damaging the 8877 from overshoot?

The Orion is very good about not having any overshoot on CW. 
After the first Morse element on a band it sets the 
transmitter gain. This is necessary so the Orion has a good 
waveform and does not click on CW. A rig can't have the 
clean raised sine waveshape of the Orion if the ALC is 
constantly pumping, so they hold the gain until you go to a 
new band or power level.

No worries at all with the Orion on CW.

73 Tom