[SCCC] FW: VY1DX Amp Technical Help DE VY1JA

[Ken Widelitz]

-----Original Message-----
From: J. Allen [mailto:jallen@internorth.com]
Sent: Wednesday, November 06, 2002 8:25 AM
To: k6iii@juno.com; Ken Widelitz
Subject: VY1DX Amp Technical Help DE VY1JA

Jerry and Ken,

Please forward this to your clubs.

I appreciate the help of many groups, but especially the NCCC and SCCC, who
have done far more than any of the others.  Your help over the years has
kept the VY1 multiplier on the air for everyone across North America.

The Yukon Amateur Radio Association (YARA) has an Hammond PT-2000A amplifier
which is an older but solid amp using a pair of 3-500Z's.

Because the club amp is used by neophytes and guest ops unfamiliar with the
station operation, the amp gets switched to the wrong antenna or to an open
feedline and the RF Power output and input circuitry gets damaged.  Because
of this abuse, the amp has very few hours of operating time on it!

Does anyone there know of an RF sampling circuit for an amp in the 1500 Watt
class that can take abuse from the unaware?

It also needs a circuit that will shut the amplifier down when it is used
into high SWR.

I have repaired this amplifier a number of times and it keeps failing in the
same area.  Since I cannot get to the real cause (operator error), I must
put up a safety screen against it.

Please... anyone familiar with bulletproofing a pair of 3-500Z's please help
me with information so that I can modify this amp.

This may help provide one more VY1 SS station for everyone to work.

73,

J.
VY1JA