Topband: More clicks with QSK?

[Guy Olinger, K2AV]

Hmm, what would have been the cause of the blackened, pitted contacts
on the antenna relay on my AL1200, which I had to replace, before I
caught on to the delay settings in my MP.

I would definitely have to vote in favor of killing relays by hot
switching. I doubt the "properly timed" exists all that frequently.
Particularly where both sides of the switch are done on the SAME
relay, and the relay used is a bone-stock inexpensive 2P or 3P relay
where all the contacts, points and travel are manufactured
identically.

Your post seems to imply that there's nothing to worry about. Is that
what you intended?

73, Guy.



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tom Rauch" <w8ji at contesting.com>
To: <k1htv at verizon.net>; <topband at contesting.com>
Sent: Wednesday, February 04, 2004 8:01 PM
Subject: Re: Topband: More clicks with QSK?


> > frequently run break-in operation with the TS850, especially in
contests
> > and DX pileups.  Since the T-R relay follows every dot and dash,
shouldn't
> > this result in more key clicks?  Or is the TS850, and possibly
other
> radios,
> > designed so well that these dot/dash events don't produce
undesirable
> > key clicks?
>
> There are a few radios that sequence incorrectly. That may or may
not damage
> a diode or relay. The best way to tell is to listen off frequency or
look at
> it with a scope.
>
> Relays, if properly timed so the input opens first and closes last,
can
> actually withstand repetitious "hotswitching" without many problems.
>
> I can run a steady carrier and close and open the relays on any of
my amps
> over and over again without problems. I'm sure those clicks are
pretty
> nasty, since the broadband energy is so high a peak reading SWR
detector
> after the amplifier output goes up to 2:1 SWR or higher from out of
band
> "clicks" exciting the antenna!!
>
> Even my PIN diode switched 1500W SS amp doesn't seem to mind opening
and
> closing under full drive, but it has beefy PIN diodes in the bypass
line.
> The Ameritron PIN switch will lose a fuse lamp or RX diode, but
that's
> because the RX diodes aren't designed to pass feedthrough power.
>
> 73 Tom
>
>
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