W3TDH

Jim The idea would be to build it into a transportable station. That way one could turn it on whenever the digital output power is needed. I would welcome seeing those stations! Now how would you protect it from a possible outbreak of stupid? I don't want to throw 100 Watts into the Amplifiers input and jail break the magic smoke. As I'm sure you have observed once the magic escapes the device in question has to have it's magic smoke replaced before it will work again. Is there, for instance, an attenuator that can be switched in or out in the pathway to the amplifier that would prevent my frying the input with the transceiver's full 100 watts. That could be connected by an electrically operated antenna switch so that when I turn the amplifier on it transfers the feed line to the attenuator. I go to transmit and, because of the amount of attenuation installed, I see a different output level than I expect. I realize my mistake and correct the transceiver's power out. Then I could switch the power to the antenna switch coil off using a self sealing relay When the control relay is energized by the operation of a momentary switch, which connects the amplifier’s DC power supply to the relay, it would open the control pathway to the antenna switch and close a pathway to the control relay's operating coil so that when I release the momentary switch the relay will hold itself closed. The control relay will remain energized until I manually open it’s coil control current or the operating power to the Amplifier is turned off. Since the control power for the relay and the antenna relay both come from the same power lead; which supplies the amplifier, the antenna switch, and it’s control relay both the control relay and the antenna switch would return to their normal states ready to begin the process again the next time I switch on the amplifier DC supply lead. I’m sorry but I don’t know how to draw a ladder diagram, that illustrates the control pathways through a control circuit, on the computer. I would be running the amplifier at 1/3 it's design maximum for actual operation. and what I would see upon testing would be closer to full output. I realize my mistake, reduce the transceiver outlet to the value I need and after repeating the test I would open the manual momentary switch to drop out the relay and thus drop the antenna switch there by taking the attenuator out of the transmit pathway. -- Tom W3TDH

I was saving up to buy a Kenwood TS-480HX 200 Watt output transceiver for EMCOMM use. I wanted the 200 Watts so that I could get ~60 Watts out at 100% duty cycle such as when sending a lot of information digitally from a disaster recovery operations site. Now that Kenwood has discontinued the TS-480 I need another way to get a similar output. As far as I can tell there is no transceiver currently offered new that has 200 Watts output. Does anyone know of one that makes that wrong? I'm reluctant to consider carrying along an amplifier but that may be the only way to get the output power I want. -- Tom Horne W3TDH