Re: the WORST ham built amplifier?
On 11/11/2024 6:26 PM, tardivat via groups.io wrote: I think his call was W6BH that had a remote? super station right on
the peak of the mountain with pretuned amplifiers. Was W6BH around Anza in SoCal?? If so, I believe that property got bought by WA6TQT, who has a massive antler farm with many stacked yagis on those several hills (in addition to his home-spun "golf course" 8-). He told me the antler farm was built by the previous owner, whose call I can't remember but W6BH sounds familiar, because I had never heard of this so-called "big gun" before (if he was primarily a SSBer, then no wonder!). There are a bunch of SDDXC and SCCC contesters, such as N5ZO, NE6I, K6JO, and others, who run contests from his station, mostly remotely. He only has two or three operating positions for all those huge stacked antlers... and some of them are really large. I didn't see any equipment that could have been W6BH's... absolutely no tubes anywhere other than perhaps an ultra-modern final or two, like maybe an Acom... when I visited TQT several years back. I'm not aware of any other large contesting stations in the SoCal area any longer other than a very few singletons. Steve, K0XP
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Handy High Voltage tester pocket hypot tester
Amp builders might be interested in this like 20 dollar gadget.
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Its marketed as a IGBT tester however it can test? any component to 3700 volts upto 5ma.
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I have used it to test MOV's Gas tubes,? Zeners, leds, capacitors, rectifier diodes, coax connectors etc etc Its really handy when you dont want to pull out the big hypot
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It operates in two test modes. You connect the device and just push the button and it will indicate the voltage that the DUT flashes over.
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The other mode is that you can disconnect the DUT and dial in the expected working voltage then it will test at the dialled voltage.
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I generally start on low voltage and increment up till I hit the flash voltage.
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The voltage output? is very accurate.
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You can find them on all the Chinese auction sites
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Its been a fun toy. Maybe one of these days they will make a 10 or 15KV version which would be handy.
You can hear from the whine that its using one of those HV? switchmode booster modules. It sources 5MA so you can test strings of series zeners when wired in reverse. Very handy.  ?
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Re: the WORST ham built amplifier?
He had a big signal and a good location. At the better part of the sunspot cycle you could hear Seymour more on 15 meters he had huge long boom Yagi on 15 meters combined with his location? and he was the only signal on the band at 5/9+30Db.? ?I could routinely hear? his signal and echo on both long and short path. Even if you removed the power from? his equation he was still loud and had a terrain advantage that nobody else could match. It was amusing listening to the idiots complaining about his splatter when he overloaded their receivers when he had none. They were all using lousy receivers and his IMD was very good, one of the cleanest signals on the band.
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One thing that was interesting was that Seymour used a Beverage on the higher bands to listen to very weak stations. He could hear stations that Dale, Ray W6ZR and many others could not hear. His signal became worst when he decided to use a Quagi that eventually fell down. He ran a dipole on 20 meters for a short period of time and consistently his signal was better than the majority with this dipole up high. There was only one station louder than him who was located on the same mountain, I think his call was W6BH that had a remote? super station right on the peak of the mountain with pretuned amplifiers. He was not on very often however you would take note when someone was 10Db stronger than Seymour. I used to use a Rohde ESH2 calibrated receiver to give comparisons and front to back reports when they fighting to be the loudest signal on the block.
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Dale K6UA had a similar advantage firing over the pacific with sloping terrain. Terrain enhanced hams are always the real big guns.
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Now its all? the big guns have gone silent from the West Coast, theres no regular rag chewers or antenna tests on the bands these days. Mel W6FDR is about the only big signal that you hear regularly. The good old days? of big guns are gone. The End Fed? antenna from the packet crowd that you cant hear.
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Henry
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Re: Equipment Interconnect cables
Teflon insulation RG-400 and RG-142 coax jumpers are available here:
73,
Dave, w6de
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-----Original Message----- From: [email protected] < [email protected]> On Behalf Of Steve via groups.io Sent: 11 November, 2024 19:39 To: [email protected]Subject: Re: [ham-amplifiers] Equipment Interconnect cables On 11/11/2024 10:57 AM, Michael wrote: Holy crap those jumper are over $100 each. Too rich for me. Me, too. (It astounds me how some guys who experimented with ferrite and powdered-iron balun and transformer cores awhile back used so much RG-400 for most of them! Where did they find the cash to buy that much of that schtuff... or did they salvage it from work, like I used to do decades and decades ago? 8-) I used to salvage my RG-142 jumpers from old military test equipment; a length that was a couple feet long was a REAL treasure. These days, I treat all of mine as if they were made of platinum; they even have their own storage box 8-) Steve, K0XP
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Re: Equipment Interconnect cables
Years ago I acquired a quantity of 1/4 inch Heliax. I use RG59 adapters for PL connectors and lightly solder the cable to the tip of the adapter. Screw into the PL connector and solder the center conductor. Works great will last forever.
On 11/11/2024 10:57 AM, Michael wrote:
> Holy crap those jumper are over $100 each. Too rich for me.
Me, too. (It astounds me how some guys who experimented with ferrite and
powdered-iron balun and transformer cores awhile back used so much
RG-400 for most of them! Where did they find the cash to buy that much
of that schtuff... or did they salvage it from work, like I used to do
decades and decades ago? 8-) I used to salvage my RG-142 jumpers from
old military test equipment; a length that was a couple feet long was a
REAL treasure. These days, I treat all of mine as if they were made of
platinum; they even have their own storage box 8-)
Steve, K0XP
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Re: Equipment Interconnect cables
Me, too. (It astounds me how some guys who experimented with ferrite and
powdered-iron balun and transformer cores awhile back used so much
RG-400 for most of them! Where did they find the cash to buy that much
of that schtuff...
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I have always been lower middle class. There are many hams who have incomes double, triple, or even a lot higher than my own. They can afford to buy the most expensive solutions to setting up a hamshack. So, when something like $108 dollar jumpers are recommended this is reasonable for many hams. I spent my life immersed in my work and not thinking about making more money. I guess I was very lucky in one way. I did not plan for retirement. My civil service job made that plan for me. We have enough income to buy the food we need and keep our home in good repair. I do most of the repairs, but some of them are getting to be outsourced at my age :-)
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Warning O.T. ! I was also very lucky in marrying a childhood sweetheart with whom I grew up. I was always afraid of height. She started putting up my antennas when she was 10. She put up her last antenna when she was 50. She told me that was the last time she was gong to climb a tree for me. I did not have a problem with that after 40 years. Her antenna work got her a job at Raytheon, where she worked on radar and radio antennas because she had no fear of height. She would go up a mast and just unbolt an array and lower it down for replacement without a problem. I did all the technical work on the ships and submarines and she did all the antenna, disassembly, and assembly of equipment. She got paid the same as myself. Going up those masts was considered worth the pay of an FCC licensed engineer. A ship captain reported us to Raytheon because he saw her kissing me after we had done a successful repair. The supervisor at Raytheon corporate told him that we were married and that calmed the captain down a bit. We were a unusual duo doing repair work on Radar, Radio, and Sonar. Back in the 60s, when we wore Raytheon uniforms. It caused quite a stir on a submarine when they found out that they had a woman aboard on a sea trial. She was not recognized as female when she boarded the boat. She was not recognized until we were eating in the wardroom. The captain about choked on his coffee when he realized she was out for full sea trials. She thought it was funny.
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Re: Equipment Interconnect cables
On 11/11/2024 10:57 AM, Michael wrote: Holy crap those jumper are over $100 each. Too rich for me. Me, too. (It astounds me how some guys who experimented with ferrite and powdered-iron balun and transformer cores awhile back used so much RG-400 for most of them! Where did they find the cash to buy that much of that schtuff... or did they salvage it from work, like I used to do decades and decades ago? 8-) I used to salvage my RG-142 jumpers from old military test equipment; a length that was a couple feet long was a REAL treasure. These days, I treat all of mine as if they were made of platinum; they even have their own storage box 8-) Steve, K0XP
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Re: Equipment Interconnect cables
The problem with RG-142 is that the solid center conductor is
easy to displace when the coax is bent, especially sharp bends,
and particularly short lengths such as less than several feet.
It's best not to bend -142 short jumpers more than necessary. You
can tell when the center conductor is displaced by examining the
center pins in the end: it'll be offset on one end compared to the
other. (This is especially obvious when BNC or SMA, the most
common connectors used with -142, are used.) Otherwise, -142 is a
good coax and readily withstands high power.
Steve, K0XP
On 11/11/2024 10:44 AM, Dave w6de
wrote:
Correction
to my previous post.?
I do not use RG-400 jumpers, I use RG-142 coax
jumpers.
Both
RG-400 and RG-142 have similar specs with the exception of
RG-142 has a solid center conductor and RG-400 has a
stranded center conductor.?
I find the flexibility of the center conductor RG-142 to be
suitable for short connections in the shack.?
If I were to make a tightly wound choke RG-400 would
be the appropriate choice.
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73,
Dave,
w6de
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I
buy RG-400 jumpers for all my inside the shack
interconnections.?
Entering the shack, I have a mix of N connectors for
Heliax LDF4 Superflex and PL-259 connectors for RG-213 coax
for antenna connections/terminations from the outside
antennas.?
When I buy the RG-400 jumpers I specify the cable
connectors for each end to keep from using adapters inside
the shack.
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73,
Dave,
w6de
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Yes that RG-400 is great and can make
sharp bends if need be.
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On Mon, Nov 11, 2024 at 1:58?AM desmond
auld GI0UTE via <desauld=[email protected]>
wrote:
I use rg400 coax. Same size as rg58,
but teflon insulated and ok for 3kw, or even more on
ssb. Not cheap... Thanks des.?
--
See my QRZ.com page at
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Re: Equipment Interconnect cables
Holy crap those jumper are over $100 each. Too rich for me. I will stick with RG8X and my stock of PL-259s. This has worked for me many years now. I realize that it should not be used for 1500 watts that has any VSWR on it. My VSWR on my two antennas range from 1.2 to 1.6 on a trapped 75 meter dipole. Those connections are all done with something that looks like RG8 but has some other number on it.?
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I would need jumpers for my VSWR meter and amplifier. I think that comes to 4 jumpers. That would be over $400 dollars from DX Engineering. I know that I am not the only one using RG8X for 1500 watts. My closest neighbor ham is using it.?
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I also have an antenna switch that may have up to a 1.6 to 1 VSWR on it. It is wired with this RG8 looking stuff. I also use the PL-259 quick disconnects adapters. This makes it easy to pull the antenna connections when a storm is coming.?
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I would seriously like to hear if there is a reason why I should not use RG8X the way I am using it. I am always open to ideas and opinions. I fully realize that my own understanding of RF is quite limited. I have worked in design of devices that did not carry RF and were low power low frequency stuff limited to 4 mhz.?
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Re: Equipment Interconnect cables
Correction to my previous post.?
I do not use RG-400 jumpers, I use RG-142 coax jumpers.
Both RG-400 and RG-142 have similar specs with the exception of RG-142 has a solid center conductor
and RG-400 has a stranded center conductor.?
I find the flexibility of the center conductor RG-142 to be suitable for short connections in the shack.?
If I were to make a tightly wound choke RG-400 would be the appropriate choice.
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73,
Dave, w6de
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From: [email protected] <[email protected]>
On Behalf Of Dave w6de via groups.io
Sent: 11 November, 2024 18:09
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [ham-amplifiers] Equipment Interconnect cables
?
I buy RG-400 jumpers for all my inside the shack interconnections.?
Entering the shack, I have a mix of N connectors for Heliax LDF4 Superflex and PL-259 connectors for RG-213 coax for antenna connections/terminations from the outside antennas.?
When I buy the RG-400 jumpers I specify the cable connectors for each end to keep from using adapters inside the shack.
?
73,
Dave, w6de
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Yes that RG-400 is great and can make sharp bends if need be.
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On Mon, Nov 11, 2024 at 1:58?AM desmond auld GI0UTE via <desauld=[email protected]> wrote:
I use rg400 coax. Same size as rg58, but teflon insulated and ok for 3kw, or even more on ssb. Not cheap... Thanks des.?
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Re: Equipment Interconnect cables
Lots of premade RG-400 cables are at DXE ¨C like this:
? Search for RG-400 ? 73 Tim K3LR @ DXE HQ ?
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From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Dave w6de
Sent: Monday, November 11, 2024 1:09 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [ham-amplifiers] Equipment Interconnect cables? I buy RG-400 jumpers for all my inside the shack interconnections.? Entering the shack, I have a mix of N connectors for Heliax LDF4 Superflex and PL-259 connectors for RG-213 coax for antenna connections/terminations from the outside antennas.? When I buy the RG-400 jumpers I specify the cable connectors for each end to keep from using adapters inside the shack. ? 73, Dave, w6de ? ? Yes that RG-400 is great and can make sharp bends if need be. ? On Mon, Nov 11, 2024 at 1:58?AM desmond auld GI0UTE via <desauld=[email protected]> wrote: I use rg400 coax. Same size as rg58, but teflon insulated and ok for 3kw, or even more on ssb. Not cheap... Thanks des.?
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Re: Equipment Interconnect cables
I buy RG-400 jumpers for all
my inside the shack interconnections.?
Entering the shack, I have a mix of N connectors for Heliax LDF4 Superflex and PL-259 connectors for RG-213 coax for antenna connections/terminations from the outside antennas.?
When I buy the RG-400 jumpers I specify the cable connectors for each end to keep from using adapters inside the shack.
?
73,
Dave, w6de
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From: [email protected] <[email protected]>
On Behalf Of Bob via groups.io
Sent: 11 November, 2024 12:32
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [ham-amplifiers] Equipment Interconnect cables
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Yes that RG-400 is great and can make sharp bends if need be.
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On Mon, Nov 11, 2024 at 1:58?AM desmond auld GI0UTE via <desauld=[email protected]> wrote:
I use rg400 coax. Same size as rg58, but teflon insulated and ok for 3kw, or even more on ssb. Not cheap... Thanks des.?
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Re: Equipment Interconnect cables
Yes that RG-400 is great and can make sharp bends if need be. Bob W4JFA
On Mon, Nov 11, 2024 at 1:58?AM desmond auld GI0UTE via <desauld= [email protected]> wrote: I use rg400 coax. Same size as rg58, but teflon insulated and ok for 3kw, or even more on ssb. Not cheap... Thanks des.?
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Re: Equipment Interconnect cables
I use rg400 coax. Same size as rg58, but teflon insulated and ok for 3kw, or even more on ssb. Not cheap... Thanks des.?
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Re: the WORST ham built amplifier?
I only ever heard Seymour on 20m.? He was a real character.? ?He was stupid loud here, with his yagi pointed my way.
Those mile long leads will screw up the coil values a bunch.... on those depicted tuned inputs.
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56% eff isn't good at all.? ?You shoulda been able to get 68% eff on? 160-40m.? ?I'm assuming? your plate current meter, HV meter, wattmeter are all? calibrated ??
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Re: Equipment Interconnect cables
RG8X might become limp with 1.5 kw CXR /? data modes, FT-8 / FM.?
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Re: Equipment Interconnect cables
I have used RG8X for years without a problem. They are all short and losses immeasurable. The cables out to my antennas from the shack are all RG8 or something like that. Mine have handled 1500 watts just fine. It might not be fine if they were not all into 50 ohm loads. I have an RG8X jumper to my tuner and that is tuned at low power. When 1500 watts hits this RG8X it has a 50 ohm match. I have a neighbor who does the same thing as myself with interconnects with his amplifier, transceiver, VSWR meter, and tuner.?
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Equipment Interconnect cables
Hello,
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In HF service, when running interconnect coax cables from an amplifier outbound, I have always used RG-213 or equivalent from the amp to whatever accessories I was using at the time such as a monitor scope, power meter, ATU, etc. then on to the antenna. Since the interconnect cabling are usually very short lengths, is it acceptable today to use RG-8X for this when running high power or is it standard practice to use the heavier coax?
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73,
Garry
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Bob
