Topband: DX-100 adventure contiunued

[Charlie Cunningham]

Hi, Bill

Well, I suspect that the light bulbs may be a "tip-off". The do make 130
volt bulbs for folks with line voltage that runs a bit high, but that
doesn't help you DX-100 or other appliances. Sounds like you need to get
you power provider to look into  you line voltage and regulation. Also, if
they have power-factor correction capacitors connected on those distribution
feeders in the winter-time when the power factor is less inductive and
closer to unity, that can result in soe increase in line voltage in the
winter time. GL!

73,
Charlie, K4OTV


-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Cromwell [mailto:wrcromwell at gmail.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, January 08, 2014 2:45 PM
To: Charlie Cunningham
Cc: 'Tom W8JI'; 'topband'
Subject: Re: Topband: DX-100 adventure contiunued

On 01/08/2014 01:36 PM, Charlie Cunningham wrote:
> Hi, Bill
>
> I was also going to ask if you have a choke input filter -or if you could
> change the PS filter configuration to choke input to help a bit with the
HV.
>
>
> Also, check your line voltage - especially at night when the load on the
> electric grid drops. I've seen my 240 VAC  here get up well past 265 volts
> at night! Use a trusted, well calibrated volt meter and take some voltage
> readings at different  times of day to get a feel for what the line
> regulation looks like!  Note that a 10 % increase in line voltage would
> increase that HV from 825  VDC to over 900 VDC.  10 % high line is not
> really unusual.  Finally, you can check with your local PUC - there are
> regulatory limits to how much the AC line is permitted to vary - but I'd
> start with the power provider first. Maybe they need to drop your
> distribution feeder down a tap at the substation. Excessive voltage is
hard
> on lots of things around your house besides DX-100s! The utility can cme
out
> and put a recording voltmeter on your line for a while to see what's going
> on, if you complain about excessive line voltage.
>
> GL!
> 73,
> Charlie, K4OTV
>
Hi Charlie,

The DX-100 High voltage is choke input by design. I changed the low 
voltage supply to choke input as well and the rf stages are behaving 
very nicely with that. I already think my line is "high" and I'll take 
readings various times as you have suggested. Light bulbs don't seem to 
last very long here, either.

Tom asked about bleeder current. I didn't try to measure it but I 
watched the high voltage decay to zero in a very few seconds when I 
switched it off with no 6146s in the sockets.

73,

Bill  KU8H