All that I needed to do was look up what the Icom's expected ALC  voltage
was, and have a friend build the little box with the on/off switch and pot
so that I could deliver a voltage with in that range.  Since the Henry
requires about 40 watts of drive to deliver 1500 output, I generally adjust
my circuit so that the Icom cannot output more than about 50 watts.  With
the pot set, no matter what I do with the controls, my rig can't deliver
more than 50 watts.  I allow a little extra drive because the ALC voltage
deviates a bit as the box and radio warm up.  The circuit in the box was
very quick and dirty, and it doesn't provide perfect stability.  If the
amp's output yexceeds legal limit by a few watts, no would be able to hear
the difference, so it wouldn't bother anyone.  The total cost of the little
box and circuit came to about $25, and took my friend about 2 hours to
acquire everything and build it.  It works great.


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 5:24 PM
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.