Instruction Manual

20
Initial Operation
For your personal and equipment safety, double-check all wiring and connections (fig.
1) before turning power on. After you have verified amplifier connections, follow the
procedures below. The following steps are necessary during initial checks:
1. Place the MULTIMETER switch (fig.5 ref 7) in the HV2 position. Place the A
LC
SET control (fig.5 ref 5) full clockwise (10 on knob scale). The multimeter is the
right-side scale on the rightmost panel meter (fig.5 ref 7).
2. With the STANDBY/OPERATE switch (fig.5 ref 8) on STANDBY, turn the power
switch (ref 9) ON.
3. There will be a slightly delayed “click” from the power supply. HV2 (fig.5, ref 2)
should immediately rise to near full scale, and after another delay, you should
hear another “click”. The meters and the appropriate BAND LED (fig.5, ref 4)
should illuminate.
4. The multimeter HV2 scale (fig.5, ref 2, bottom right scale) should read between
45 and 55 volts.
5. Change the meter switch (fig.5 ref 7) to HV1. The voltage should be the same as
in step 4.
6. Rotate the BAND switch (fig.5 ref 3) through all positions. The appropriate BAND
LED will illuminate, and you should hear band-filter relays switch between 160-
80, 80-40, 40-30, 20-17, 15-12, and 10-6 selector position changes.
7. Set the BAND switch (fig.5 ref 3) to a band where you have a good 50-ohm high-
power load connected.
8. Change the meter switch (fig.5 ref 7) to REF. In this position, the multimeter
indicates reflected power.
9. With no modulation in the FM, AM, RTTY, or CW mode, and the amplifier still on
standby, adjust your exciter power to about ten watts. This is to have a steady
unmodulated carrier. Verify you have very low power, ideally around 10 watts
carrier (not critical), and that VSWR of the antenna system is low. You should
see almost no deflection on the reflected power scale (fig.5 ref 2) with the
MULTIMETER switch in the REF position. If you see reflected power deflection,
check your RF cables and antenna system. Reminder: You cannot use a tuner
in your radio, or between your radio and this amplifier, to match the
antenna system. Any antenna matching must be between the amplifier and
the antenna, and the antenna tuner and other items beyond the amplifier
must be conservatively able to handle over 1200 watts of carrier or peak
envelope power.
10. Place the amplifier in OPERATE position (fig.5 ref 8). Be sure the BAND on the
amplifier matches the band selected on the transceiver.
11. Place the transmitter or transceiver into transmit in FM, AM, RTTY, or CW
modes. The green TX LED (fig.5 ref 6) should light. The forward power (fig.5 ref
2) should increase to approximately ten times the initial exciter power reading.
Reflected power should remain very low, and the PA current should increase
slightly on both scales of the current meter (fig.5 ref 1). No other LED’s should
illuminate.