I use 65 wats to drive the Heathkit SB200, on sideband, and 20 wats
to drive it on AM.
Mike
KD2CDUAt 12:35 PM 3/9/2014, you wrote:
>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.
> >>
> >
> >
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