Butch and others:

As you may know, I use my TS590 with an Amaritron AL811H.

I am very careful not to use more than  60 or 65 watts as my input power
when using the amp, but occasionally, I find that the relays in my AL811H
trip unexpectedly.  I believe this happens when I do not quite have the ALC
adjusted correctly.

I'm curious as to what input power levels others use with the TS590.

Tom Behler: KB8TYJ
-----Original Message-----
From: For blind ham radio operators [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Butch Bussen
Sent: Sunday, March 09, 2014 12:19 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: need to find a replacement radio

The 590 does have a spike issue, but it really hasn't caused the problems
everyone thinks it does.  Some amps with very sensative protection circuits
kick off and so forth.  Other radios out there are much worse, but for some
reason, everyone has jumped on the 590.  BTW, Kenwood is supposed to be
coming out with a hardware fix.  I've run my
590 with my metron solid state amp as well as my alpha with no problems
73
Butch
WA0VJR
Node 3148
Wallace, ks.


\at all.  On Sun, 9 Mar 2014, Steve Dresser wrote:

> Unfortunately, many modern radios have issues with their ALCs.  For 
> example, I believe the 590 has a problem with the ALC failing to kick 
> in quite fast enough when the radio is keyed, which causes a power 
> spike that can cause your amp to go non-linear.  From what I've heard, 
> the solution is to run the radio with low enough output that the ALC 
> doesn't have to be used.  In other words, as Kelvin has said much more 
> succinctly, don't trust the ALC, but use it as an additional safety
measure.
>
> Steve
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Kelvin Marsh" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Sunday, March 09, 2014 08:34
> Subject: Re: need to find a replacement radio
>
>
>> Hi Lou and All,
>>
>> Interesting that Elecraft don't think ALC need be used with their amps.
>> I've also heard a similar recommendation from a Kenwood user running 
>> a ASL-600.
>>
>> Personally, I would suggest that ALC should  always be used when 
>> running a solid state amp.  Even more so when being operated by a 
>> blind op.  It is far too easy to be distracted by a phone call or 
>> something, and switch on the amp with far too much input power.  In 
>> my case, I use a 200 watt radio, and without the ALC, I risk making a 
>> mistake one day and damaging the amp with excessive input power.
>>
>> The strategy Alan adopts is very sensible, by always limiting the 
>> output from the rig.  Although I have the ALC correctly adjusted, I 
>> try to never exceed the needed input power to the amp.  Relying on 
>> the ALC to cut back excessive  power is likely to cause distortion 
>> and you shouldn't rely on a safety device all the time.
>>
>> So, I suggest the ALC should always be used, just in case, but input 
>> power should be manually set to avoid the ALC from being activated.
>>
>> Best wishes, Kelvin Marsh - M0AID
>>
>> Working to improve accessibility for radio amateurs with disabilities
>>
>> www.active-elements.org
>>
>> For accessibility evaluations of amateur equipment and MP3 manuals
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: For blind ham radio operators 
>> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>> On Behalf Of Lou Kolb
>> Sent: 09 March 2014 00:24
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: Re: need to find a replacement radio
>>
>> Alan,
>>
>> Pretty cool! I know Elecraft recommends not even using the ALC with 
>> their amp or, I think any other as well. And once you get it set you 
>> can read the mic gain settings with the hampod so you always know 
>> where to go. No amp here so I don't have to worry about it yet but 
>> that box does sound pretty slick.
>> Lou Kolb
>> Voice-over Artist:
>> Radio/TV Ads, Video narrations
>> Messages On-hold:
>> www.loukolb.com
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Alan R. Downing" <[log in to unmask]>
>> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>> Sent: Saturday, March 08, 2014 7:10 PM
>> Subject: Re: need to find a replacement radio
>>
>>
>>> Ok, I wasn't aware of the ALC issue.  I don't use ALC the way most 
>>> people do.  I have a box with a pot on it and an on/off switch.  The 
>>> box has a wall wart for power, and a RCA cable that connects to the 
>>> ALC jack on the back of my Icom.  I can set the ALC voltage with the 
>>> pot on the box.  I do this because on several occasions I had used 
>>> my Icom barefoot and cranked the drive output up to 200 watts.  The 
>>> next morning I forgot about using the rig barefoot, and start 
>>> talking with my Henry.  I was driving it with 200 watts, which is ok 
>>> as far as the Henry is concerned, but I was outputting over
>>> 4900
>>> watts.  I didn't hook the ALC up to the Henry because each band 
>>> requires a different setting, and the only way to adjust the ALC 
>>> adjustment on the back of the Henry is to lean over the damn thing 
>>> and reach down to where the knob is located.  This amp gets 
>>> unbelievably hot, so it isn't pleasant leaning over it.  With my ALC 
>>> adjustment box I don't have to get anywhere near the amp.  It works 
>>> slick as snot.
>>>
>>> Alan/KD7GC
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Alan R. Downing
>>> Phoenix, AZ
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: For blind ham radio operators
>>> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>>> On Behalf Of Lou Kolb
>>> Sent: Saturday, March 08, 2014 3:49 PM
>>> To: [log in to unmask]
>>> Subject: Re: need to find a replacement radio
>>>
>>> Alan,
>>>
>>> That's 99 per cent true.  Unfortunately, what you can not do with 
>>> the K3 and
>>>
>>> Hampod is set the ALC. Not Rob's fault but Elecraft's as they 
>>> haven't made that reading available through the serial port. Last I 
>>> heard, they were swamped with requests for other updates and stuff 
>>> for the KX3 so it might be
>>>
>>> a while before they get to it.
>>> Lou Kolb
>>> Voice-over Artist:
>>> Radio/TV Ads, Video narrations
>>> Messages On-hold:
>>> www.loukolb.com
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Alan R. Downing" <[log in to unmask]>
>>> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>>> Sent: Saturday, March 08, 2014 1:03 AM
>>> Subject: Re: need to find a replacement radio
>>>
>>>
>>>> Butch, You have one of the best rigs ever made.  Many sighted hams 
>>>> consider the 990 to be the best rig ever produced, and from the 
>>>> perspective of a blind operator, no other radio has ever been more 
>>>> accessible.  Of course the K3, thanks to Rob Santello, is as 
>>>> accessible as the Kenwood 990.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Alan/KD7GC
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Alan R. Downing
>>>> Phoenix, AZ
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: For blind ham radio operators 
>>>> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>>>> On Behalf Of Butch Bussen
>>>> Sent: Friday, March 07, 2014 8:46 PM
>>>> To: [log in to unmask]
>>>> Subject: Re: need to find a replacement radio
>>>>
>>>> I don't find the 2000 all that hard, there are good front pannel 
>>>> descriptions around as well.  Talk about a complicated radio, lmy 
>>>> 990 has I think 106 knobs and buttons on the ront.  Quite a rdio 
>>>> though.
>>>> 73
>>>> Butch
>>>> WA0VJR
>>>> Node 3148
>>>> Wallace, ks.
>>
>
>