[Towertalk] Transfer switch

[Tod Olson - Idaho]

Pete:

A long time ago Dow-Key (at the original location in Thief River Falls, MN)
made a switch that would do just that. I have one (and if I ever see another
one I will immediately buy it).

The switches were originally made to allow people to switch a linear in and
out of the feed line. (In the olden times linear amps were LARGE and did not
have fancy relay switching much less QSK.) The Dow Key switch is a rotary
DPDT that has coax (PL259) inputs and outputs. In your application the
"Poles" would each go to a feed line and the contacts would go to the
radios. One quick rotation would swap radios and feed lines one way or the
other. I suppose that one could build a clever 'kluge' mechanical arm that
would electrically switch the system.

If you have not already done so you may wish to browse the current Dow Key
web site. They make a number of electrically controlled coax relays that
probably could do what you wish. A DPDT coax relay with crossed over lines
might work. You could make your own DPDT coax relay by taking two SPDT coax
relays and making them operate together.


Maybe someone on this reflector has one (or two) of these DPDT switches or
relays they no longer need. If so, I would be interested in talking with
them too.

Tod, KOTO