Richard,
Not as big a deal as you are makeing it. First you don't have to use
the jackson the tuner if you don't want. The amp has protection
circuits in it, but the relay in the tuner adds another level of
protection. Just like a car has brakes, but also has air bags.
As you noted, the cable with the Y end goes to the radio. The db9 end
connects to the serial connector on the radio. The one you said looks
like a mic connector is a 7 pin DIN plug. It connects to a jack on the
rear of the radio. There are 3 connectors that have plastic dummy
plugs with little pull handles on them. If I remember right it is the
one farthest to the right, when looking at the rear. Pull out the
little plastic plug and *carefully* insert the 7 pin DIN plug. You
will feel a notch on the outside of the plug. The notch goes down (6
o'clock) position. It only goes in one way, you can screw it up if you
try and put it in wrong.
The other end of the Y cable goes to the jack on the amp. Don't have
that amp so can't tell you where it is.
The amp would work like this, but if you want the extra protection of
the tuner's relay, you need to connect it.
Just follow the instructions MFJ gave you.
RCA cable from the out jack on the amp to the in jack on the tuner and
RCA cable from the out jack on the tuner to the relay jack on the amp.
Turn the switch on. Not sure where that switch is, but perhaps near
the RCA jacks on the amp. Nothing on the tuner needs to be turned on,
but since it is a used tuner, you should confirm that the amp threshold
swr is the default 2.0. If you reset the tuner after you got it, it
will be at the default.
SS amps don't like high swr and the tuner will take the amp off line if
swr is above 2.0, or while you are tuning. If you don't use the line
through the tuner, you will have to rely only on the amp's protection,
and also will have to put the amp into standby each time you use the
antenna tuner.
Another grand pontifacation. If I got paid by the word, I'd be rich.
73, Steve KW3A
On 1/8/2016 6:49 PM, Richard B. McDonald wrote:
> Hi!
>
>
>
> This is not a short, simple or easy (for me, anyway) question. I will not
> be miffed if nobody grapples with it. On the other hand, if you do
> contemplate this I will be forever grateful.
>
>
>
> I have a Kenwood TS-2000, an MFJ-998
> <http://www.mfjenterprises.com/Product.php?productid=MFJ-998> antenna tuner
> and an Ameritron ALS-1306
> <http://www.ameritron.com/Product.php?productid=ALS-1306> amplifier. Both
> the 998 and the 1306 are connected to the TS-2000 with their specific
> interface cables. My question is if it is additionally necessary to connect
> the 998's amp enable in/out cables? Below is a bit more information.
>
>
>
> The 998 has two jacks: 1) "amp enable in" RCA phono connector and 2) "amp
> enable out" RCA phono connector. Presently, I am not using these amp enable
> in/out jacks. However, the 998 is connected to the TS-2000 with the
> MFJ-5114K <http://www.mfjenterprises.com/Product.php?productid=MFJ-5114K>
> interface cable. The 998 manual does say though: "Note: MFJ *recommends*
> [emphasis added] that a transceiver-specific interface cable be used between
> the MFJ-998 and your transceiver, and that an amplifier enable/bypass
> connection be used between the MFJ-998 and your amplifier, to *ensure*
> [emphasis added]e that tuning only occurs at low power."
>
>
>
> The 1306 is connected to the TS-2000 with the Ameritron DB-DB7DK
> <http://www.ameritron.com/Product.php?productid=DB-DB7DK> interface cable.
> Basically, this cable is like a "Y." On the end with the two connectors
> (both of which connect to the TS-2000), one of the connectors is rectangular
> and similar to a serial connector and the other connector is round similar
> to a mic connector. The other end of the cable has one connector which is
> rectangular similar to a serial connector; which connects to the 1306. The
> 1306 manual describes the relevant rear panel connectors as follows:
>
>
>
> - ALC: Optional connection. Connects to radio ALC input.
>
> - RELAY: Connect to radio amplifier keying [relay] line.
>
> - KEY LOOP SWITCH: Switch to turn on and off the KEY LOOP function.
>
> - RADIO INTERFACE: This connector is for use with Ameritron radio
> interface cables. *It also provides amplifier actuation in transmit mode
> with some radios.* [emphasis added]
>
>
>
> Again stating that the ALC is optional, the 1306 manual says "In general,
> transceiver internal ALC is all that is necessary. The ALC monitors the RF
> output power and reflected power supplied by the ALS-1306 to the load." The
> 1306 manual goes on to provide the following:
>
>
>
> "When using an automatic antenna tuner that has the capability to inhibit
> the amplifier from operating either during tuning or when conditions are
> outside of the tuner's capability[as does the 998]; and when the radio
> interface has the Amplifier Relay line included (not using the RELAY jack);
> the KEY LINE can be used. The KEY LOOP Switch is used to route the key
> signal from the interface to the amp directly or out the KEY LOOP jack.
>
> a. If the KEY LOOP is not used set the KEY LOOP Switch to OFF so the
> Radio Interface Cable can key the amplifier.
>
> b. If the KEY LOOP is used with an automatic antenna tuner switch the KEY
> LOOP Switch to ON, run a cable from the KEY LOOP connector on the amp to the
> AMP ENABLE IN connector on the tuner, and run a cable from the AMP ENABLE
> OUT connector to the RELAY connector on the amp."
>
>
>
> I emailed Ameritron about all this. They said "The radio gets the end with
> two plugs on it. The DIN plug has your relay key line and your ALC while the
> DB-9 connector has your band data. The round plug is a DIN plug and the
> other is a DB-9 plug. The DB-9 plug connects to the COM port on the radio
> and the DIN plug connects to the REMOTE port on the radio. See page 13 of
> the TS-2000's manual."
>
>
>
> Seriously? I have no idea what all the above means : (
>
>
>
> Many thanks &73,
>
> Richard KK6MRH
>
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