[TowerTalk] Help with Ameritron RCS-12C

Wed Mar 19 17:11:56 EDT 2014

MFJ/Ameritron is sort of like Heathkit...but you don't get to build it from 
new however you do get to fix it from new...hi hi

The customer is the MFJ QA inspector


Mark N1UK


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Reublin NF4L" <nf4l at comcast.net>
To: <herbs at vitelcom.net>
Cc: "Joe Subich, W4TV" <lists at subich.com>; "towertalk reflector" 
<towertalk at contesting.com>
Sent: Monday, 17 March, 2014 6:45 AM
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Help with Ameritron RCS-12C


> Herb,
>
> I had a bad RCS-12 out of the box. Maybe yours is too. The replacement 
> worked as expected. I love it!
>
> Good luck.
>
> Mike NF4L
>
> On Mar 16, 2014, at 6:23 PM, Herb Schoenbohm <herbs at vitelcom.net> wrote:
>
>> Joe,  You are always so very helpful in solving problems....but in this 
>> case I must have read and re-read the skimpy Ameritron manual 10 or more 
>> times.  The jumpers are in the right setting per the manual JMP1 is 1 of 
>> 8 and JMP4 is "direct" as the manual suggests.  Even on the bench on the 
>> "Relay Connection Jack" multiple votages appear on different wire in one 
>> setting of the switch in the manual mode.  this is with both my RCS-12C 
>> one just purchased to see if I have a bad controller. As I mentioned the 
>> previously the RS-232 9 pin has individual voltage output 1-8 and no 
>> ambiguity.  However this output is only 5 volts DC on either controller 
>> as it appears to be for the purpose of switching other external devices. 
>> Absent a detailed schematic my ability to troubleshoot the 8 higher 
>> current switching transistors is limited.  Any suggestions?
>>
>>
>> Herb, KV4FZ
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On 3/16/2014 6:03 PM, Joe Subich, W4TV wrote:
>>>
>>> Herb,
>>>
>>> Read the RCS-12 manual.  The answer you need will be found on pages 4
>>> and 5.  See the 1 of 8 configuration for the "Relay Connection Jack"
>>> and the appropriate setting for JMP 1.
>>>
>>> RTFM OM!
>>>
>>> 73,
>>>
>>>   ... Joe, W4TV
>>>
>>>
>>> On 3/16/2014 5:16 PM, Herb Schoenbohm wrote:
>>>> I am trying to get my RCS-12C Ameritron antenna switch interface 
>>>> working
>>>> with a DX-Engineering  8-Port Antenna Switch in a 1-8 configuration.
>>>> However the Ameritron box outputs switching voltage on more than one
>>>> wire simultaneously even in the manual setting  via the 8 pin 
>>>> connection
>>>> jack thus causing more than one relay to reference an antenna. The
>>>> switching closures from the common main feed port to the various
>>>> antennas are all over the place thus causing high VSWR on the selected
>>>> antenna. One would think that Ameritron would have 12 VDC or what ever
>>>> the switching voltage might be to only output one wire at a time but
>>>> that is not the case.  There is however on the RCS-12C an Auxiliary
>>>> Output DB9 connector which provides a single voltage of 5 volts DC with
>>>> respect to ground and these are all correct and non are duplicatd on
>>>> other ports like the Din Relay box port Unfortunately the 
>>>> DX-Engineering
>>>> box type RR8B-HP Remote Antenna Switch requires a control voltage of
>>>> 10-14VDC, not 5 volts. The cable used is CAT 5 of very good quality and
>>>> I have even made a new run with a new Din connection to the antenna
>>>> control port on the RCS-12. All my setting inside the Ameritron are
>>>> simple 1 through 8 switching.  I have searched for solution and maybe
>>>> the only way the RCS-12C will control the DX=Engineering Antenna Switch
>>>> is by building a board of 8 five volt relays which then send 10-14 
>>>> volts
>>>> out to an external supply.  Yes the Ameritron 12-RCSC has provision for
>>>> inputing up to 30 volts and an internal jumper for a direct feed to the
>>>> Din relay box connector.  However there is enough voltage on non
>>>> switched wires to cause the remote antenna switch to do all sorts of
>>>> unfortunate things.  Sometime the 20 meter antenna shows up on position
>>>> 8 even though the coax is into port 5.  Sometimes the 10 meter port and
>>>> the 160 meter port are cross connected.  This is all very strange and I
>>>> would like to know if any other user of this configuration has had
>>>> similar problems and discovered solutions.  I have even purchased a new
>>>> RCS-12C controller and this performs the same way.  Again I have a BCD
>>>> connection to my Icom but this is not the problem  since the bad
>>>> switching occurs in manual mode  as well as auto mode.
>>>>
>>>> Please let me know if you have a solution to this.  I would like to get
>>>> it running before the CQ WPX contest or else try to switch this box 
>>>> with
>>>> some clip leads and a 12VDC supply.  This must be something simple to
>>>> correct.
>>>>
>>>> Regards,
>>>>
>>>> herb Schoenbohm, KV4FZ
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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