Re: Help Identifying Peter Dahl ALS4T Custom transformer specs
Contact Dahl / Hammond.
You could also feed 10 vac into the primary and measure the secondary,? to calculate the turns ratio.?
The SN on the Dahl label is NOT a SN, it's the date code !?
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Re: Help Identifying Peter Dahl ALS4T Custom transformer specs
I sent you a copy of a 2008 catalog I have.
It not obvious how to upload this to the Files section of the forum.?
I¡¯ll sent a copy to somebody who can upload this to the Files section for this forum.
?
73,
Dave, w6de
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From: [email protected] <[email protected]>
On Behalf Of K9MK via groups.io
Sent: 15 November, 2024 02:52
To: [email protected]
Subject: [ham-amplifiers] Help Identifying Peter Dahl ALS4T Custom transformer specs
?
? ? I bought a Peter Dahl transformer for use in a 1296 MHz tube amp using 2C39/7289's.? The P/N on the transformer is ALS4T and the serial number is 06/14/01.? Albeit a custom transformer (as I believe most were), I recall this being in
his catalog.? However, the ones that I can find (mid 2000's from Harbaugh) do not have it.? Might someone in the group have something earlier than this that might have it in the price description pages?? Modest in size, it is a hypersil design with a 110/220v
primary, 6.3v filament, and a HV with C.T.? I'm trying to figure out the HV secondary ratings.? Peter Dahl P/N ALS4T.??
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Help Identifying Peter Dahl ALS4T Custom transformer specs
Greetings to the Group,
?
? ? I bought a Peter Dahl transformer for use in a 1296 MHz tube amp using 2C39/7289's.? The P/N on the transformer is ALS4T and the serial number is 06/14/01.? Albeit a custom transformer (as I believe most were), I recall this being in his catalog.? However, the ones that I can find (mid 2000's from Harbaugh) do not have it.? Might someone in the group have something earlier than this that might have it in the price description pages?? Modest in size, it is a hypersil design with a 110/220v primary, 6.3v filament, and a HV with C.T.? I'm trying to figure out the HV secondary ratings.? Peter Dahl P/N ALS4T.??
?
? ?Thanks in advance.
?
73, Mike K9MK
?
?
?
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Re: the WORST ham built amplifier?
On Thu, Nov 14, 2024 at 05:42 AM, Steve wrote:
<SoCal Edison must have been very curious about that high but extremely
<erratic power consumption 8-) I wonder whether he used 3-phase... If so,
<he must have been the only 3-phase customer for miles around. I believe
<the next closest such customer would have been an Indian casino about 10
<or 15 miles away.
The tube is rated for 8 kv loaded at 5 amps. Run at the max of 40 kw input =? 27 kw pep out..... = 173 amps? when run on 60 hz? single phase.? Typ, that tube is run at just 17 kw out...... =? 25 kw input =? 108 amps? when run on 60 hz single phase.? ?Average current on SSB is just 54 amps.? To do it right,? on 60 hz? single phase,? you get em to install? 400 amp service. ...or more,? or? 2 x 400 amp drop lines into the house, with 2 x 400 amp panels.? The other method with? 400 amp service is? to use a 400 amp meter base, with 2 x 200 amp lines paralleled? from the meter base output.... with each line feeding it's own 200 amp panel.? On my own 200 amp panel,? I can get 2 pole breakers? from 15 amp... up to a max of 135 amp.? I just bought a 2 pole, 100 amp breaker, since I have loads of spare slots on the panel.? ? Previously,? I had installed a 100 amp 2 x pole breaker ...to feed my 100 amp subpanel....which in turn feeds the 4 x L4B's, misc stuff in the shop, and 2 x xcvrs,? rack gear, heat etc.? ?
? ? I use the 'BQL' type breakers in my 200 amp panel.?
So no, you don't need? 3 phase power to run big amps.? 3 phase, like 208/120 is stupid expensive to install.? And you pay extra for the privilege of having it.? 3 phase does offer a lot of advantages though.? IE: the ripple is only 5.2%? on the raw DC? coming from the 6 x leg rectifier assy..... vs? 67% for a FWB? run on 60 hz single phase.? IE: on 3 phase, most of the filtering is already done for you.? ?Ripple freq on single phase is 2F, or 120 hz, if using 60 hz......... and? 6F, or? 360 hz, if using? ?3 phase? 60 hz.?
Perhaps Dino, etc, can post a few more/ better pix of that 3x10 amp...the front panel view of it is superb.?
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Re: the WORST ham built amplifier?
On 11/13/2024 8:15 AM, Jim VE7RF via groups.io wrote: It used an Eimac? 3CX-10,000A7 in GG.? I have no clue what they used
for an IPA? to drive it with.? Probably an Alpha 87 or similar. SoCal Edison must have been very curious about that high but extremely erratic power consumption 8-) I wonder whether he used 3-phase... If so, he must have been the only 3-phase customer for miles around. I believe the next closest such customer would have been an Indian casino about 10 or 15 miles away. Steve, K0XP
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Re: the WORST ham built amplifier?
On Tue, Nov 12, 2024 at 08:15 AM, <tardivat@...> wrote:
<There were some serious tube amplifiers at the location that were removed and sold when he became SK.? ?As? he explained it was one RF Rack with a monobander that was pre-tuned with vacuums in a set and forget <configuration. They had no turn counters and the vacuum? caps stuck through the front panel.? Apparently it was designed a one of the best RF Engineers on the best coast.
Ok, mystery finally solved.? That amplifier you are referring to was offered to me, but I turned it down,? since I have 7 amps already.? ?I knew it came from a SK contester in Southern California, but never did find out who the contester was.? If you go to the home page on this group,? you can see the pix of the amp.? ? It's made for 80-40-20-15-10m,? 5 bands.? ?Each band has it's own vac tune and vac load cap...and no turns counters used.? ?It was just the bell housings sticking out the front panel, with a knob on each shaft.? ? The 5/8" tubing tank coil is mounted vertical.? A mess of new Gigavac? G9? DPDT ceramic vac relays were used to switch bands.? The idea of course, was for a say SSB contest, all 10 x vac caps were tweaked for the middle of the? SSB contests? freqs.....and ditto for a CW contests.? After that, it was just instant band change, with a rotary switch activated the mess of vac relays...or switched by the xcvr.? ? ?Drawback is it can only be used on one band only at a time.....so it's really only good for a MS contest, or perhaps in the case of a MM? contest, where each station has a smaller amp..... and one of em needs more oomph, the big amp was switched inline. It used an Eimac? 3CX-10,000A7 in GG.? I have no clue what they used for an IPA? to drive it with.? Probably an Alpha 87 or similar.? ? I never saw the tuned input setup they used....but I'm assuming? it too was also relay switched monoband PI tuned inputs...which would have to be pretty robust to handle 1500 watts of drive.? Perhaps the current owner can post some more pix of it.? I believe I still have some pix of it..... on? my old laptop somewhere.? It was a unique design, never seen one like that before or since.?
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Re: Equipment Interconnect cables
Michael,
Thats a great story!?
I DM'd you.?
73,
K6LPM
Brian "southbound" Suarez
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Re: Equipment Interconnect cables
$14.50 for a 3 foot cable with free shipping. That's a pretty good deal.
Just fabricate the RG-400 jumpers yourself, should not cost you more then 20 bucks each.
?
73
Peter
?
?
?
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-----Original-Nachricht-----
Betreff: Re: [ham-amplifiers] Equipment Interconnect cables
Datum: 2024-11-11T19:57:38+0100
Von: "Michael" <ironcoder@...>
An: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
?
?
?
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.?
?
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.?
?
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.?
?
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
Just fabricate the RG-400 jumpers yourself, should not cost you more then 20 bucks each.
?
73
Peter
?
?
?
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-----Original-Nachricht-----
Betreff: Re: [ham-amplifiers] Equipment Interconnect cables
Datum: 2024-11-11T19:57:38+0100
Von: "Michael" <ironcoder@...>
An: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
?
?
?
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.?
?
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.?
?
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.?
?
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: the WORST ham built amplifier?
There were some serious tube amplifiers at the location that were removed and sold when he became SK.? ?As? he explained it was one RF Rack with a monobander that was pre-tuned with vacuums in a set and forget configuration. They had no turn counters and the vacuum? caps stuck through the front panel.? Apparently it was designed a one of the best RF Engineers on the best coast.
?
Once? I worked him and 20 meters was totally dead, he was the only SSB station on the band peaking 40db over S9 on the Rohde receiver. He definitely could radiate a signal.
?
He was very wealthy apparently? and had big bucks like Gordon Marshall whose call I now forget.
?
Whoever has that location would be very happy. I was told by Seymour that the station was above him and higher up? on the mountain in Anza.?
?
Theres lots of big stations around that are simply not very active which seems like a waste like all that great hardware. Seymour got his moneys worth on his station he was so active. Everyone listens nobody calls CQ like when ham radio and calling CQ was in everyone's blood even if they had a wire.
?
Henry
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Re: the WORST ham built amplifier?
Yup: WA6TQT is now the old W6BH Radio Ranch. See his qrz.com
profile, illustrating some of his 195-foot rotating towers plus a
nice photo of Seymour, W6CCP.
Steve, K0XP
On 11/11/2024 7:51 PM, Steve wrote:
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
--
See my QRZ.com page at
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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.
?
Its marketed as a IGBT tester however it can test? any component to 3700 volts upto 5ma.
?
?
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
?
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.
?
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.
?
I generally start on low voltage and increment up till I hit the flash voltage.
?
The voltage output? is very accurate.
?
You can find them on all the Chinese auction sites
?
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.
?
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.
?
Dale K6UA had a similar advantage firing over the pacific with sloping terrain. Terrain enhanced hams are always the real big guns.
?
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.
?
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...
?
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 :-)
?
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.
?
73,
Dave,
w6de
?
?
?
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.?
--
See my QRZ.com page at
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K9MK
Bob
K6LPM
