[Amps] Relays

[Harold Mandel]

When I first saw a Jennings RJ-1, and
compared it to the open frame relay my
'220 was using, it was astonishing.
 
That was because vacuum relays are
good for isolation.
 
However RJ-1's are virtually useless
for a decent QRO rig above 20 meters
and that's because the RF ampacity
diminishes so rapidly with frequency
change.
 
On bigger tube rigs it was necessary to 
graduate to an RJ-2, but remember, those
vacuum relays only carry 12 amps at 32MHz.
 
So then there's the Jennings RF-10C.
 
The problem with getting vacuum relays with
enough contact gusto is they slow down because
of mass and inertia. The RF-10C is not too good
at 50WPM as you can imagine.
 
So it's a toss-up: You get a relay capable of
high speed QSK and it has poor ampacity and
blows out frequently, or you get an elevator
contactor.....
 
Hal
W4HBM