From: Geoff <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: [AMRadio] Re: How can we rid the HF bands of AM ?
To: Discussion of AM Radio <[email protected]>
Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
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Patrick Jankowiak wrote:
Hey Geoff,
You are right, I won't be totin' the Tucker KW or even the BTA-250..
For me the AM is a hobby and a love for doing things in one of the old
and respected ways. No General yet, maybe soon. I have alot of fun
just fiddling with them.
You like fiddlin', and that's fine. But, for me (and I think some
others here agree) there's nothing finer than saying "rig here is
homebrew" and getting that "man, that's a good sounding rig" report in
return. The feeling is indescribable.
I can relate to that. First time we cathode-modulated Dennis W5FRS's
homebrew 250TH amp with an Altec 1570B tube amp, we were ecstatic over
the reports. I think the one that got me was "sounds just like a
broadcast station". We did tweek the amp quite a bit to get the
modulation linear, It was originally running AB2, and we had to increase
the bias and drive, and load it a little less, but it sure did sound
sweet. Some pice are here:
http://rawfire.torche.com/~opcom/dbrady1/index.html
The Transmitters/restorations are on hold as I am doing a major
clean-out of my lab. Each weekend we have been hauling 800 lbs of junk
to the landfill, it is -most- politically incorrect. nothing of
interest here, unless someone wants old 9-track computer tapes and
stuff like that.
You never know what someone will buy on ebay. At worst, it hangs around
your shop another week. At best, you have something that someone else
thinks is an antique relic and is 'just the part' they need to finish
out their collection. *shrug* hey, it could happen ;-)
I tried to sell a 450TH, appearing as if it was unused, no scratches on
the base - asked in here for $50 for it, in the metal spring-loaded
shipping frame, in a box. No one bit. Put it on ebay for 7 days, and
started it off at 9.95 and it sold for some 3X (plus shipping) what I
was asking for it originally, in here.
The worst than can happen is, it hangs out for a week.
A 450TH is a very specialized tube today. Sometimes it takes just the
right buyer. $50's cheep cheep for a new one, I think.
For what was lost, well that is true to a degree and 3 or 6 dB does
not make that much difference at the other end, but I guess I am
looking at the old Tucker rig and knowing its audio and RF power
supplies are good for 3KW DC each. COL Tucker built it for military
communications from Dallas to Austin. I mean, the thing was/is capable
of who knows how much audio input on top of the KW DC. I'm thinking of
the peak power. It just seems a shame to idle it out along the
wireless in 2nd gear. The upside is that it will probably last forever.
Think of the money you'll save on spares ;-)
Well you have that right.. once all the bugs are worked out.
I did go through a few of 5R4's in the modulator bias supply before I
figured out that one of the 304TH's had an intermittent short from
filament to grid, but only with HV applied. Oddly, whatever happened
'blew up' the filament in the 5R4 before any fuses or overloads could
trip, and then the bias supply fuse blew.. This was in a supposedly good
304TH I bought from ebay. Due to the scarcity and high costs of 304TH's,
I have changed to 3-500Z's now, and I need to re-do the bias supply for
0-30V instead of 0-300V! I think a 10:1 voltage divider/bleeder drawing
about 100mA at 300V should do (The modulator bias power supply is rated
200mA). That way the rig stays more original, and the grid supply now
has a 300 ohm resistance!
The status on that beast is that there is a parasitic oscillation in
the final's grid circuit, between the 4-1000 control and screen grids,
at about 140MHz. Plate tuning, current, and neuralization setting do
not matter or vary much at all with this issue and the grid current
and screen current interact alot. I found that a 50 ohm resistor in
series with the grid helped. Maybe I need to increase that value or I
don't know.. The screen grid is heavily bypassed directly at the G2
terminals on the socket, and an RF choke is optionally in series with
the screen to the chassis connector to no effect. This oscillation
happens no matter if the grid drive connector is shorted, open, or
terminated, so this tells me it is in the control grid circuit
somewhere. Nothing's been changed from the original design there, so
it is further mysterious.
Just for grins and giggles, try putting 2 50 ohm resistors in series to
ground, and then the grid to the center of the two 50 ohm resistors.
It's helped other rigs.
I will try that. I am not sure of the effect it will have with the grid
tank feeding a low resistance load of 100 ohms, but it will point me in
the right direction.
I'm looking at these conditions (they represent much more power than I
will legally use, but should be good for figuring. There were no figures
for 2500V or less.)
Plate Modulated Class C Amplifier [CCS]
Plate Voltage ................................. 3000 V
Grid No. 2 Voltage ............................ 500 V
Grid No. 1 Voltage ............................ -200 V
Peak Grid No. 1 Voltage........................ 340 V
Grid No. 1 Current ............................ 12 mA
Plate Current ................................. 600 mA
Grid No. 2 Current ............................ 145 mA
Driving Power ................................. 12 W
Power Output (approx) ......................... 1390 W
Maximum Frequency ............................. 110 MHz
My question, is from these, how do I figure the impedance of the load
presented by the grid circuit to the grid tank?
Using the 4-1000A curves for 2KV on the plate and 500V on G2, what I see
in the curves is with -200V bias, the peak grid volts hits +140V, and at
that point, the grid current is 250mA. that's 560 ohms. Of course this
is not linear as I found out. It peaks to 1.1K at about 100V and falls
off either side of +100V.
I put this in excel, and posted this:
http://rawfire.torche.com/~opcom/4-1000_grid.gif
I am curious why the grid resistance has such an odd curve with varying
positive grid voltage (as calculated from the constant current curves
e/i=r, right?). So the grid resistance varies wildly over any positive
portion of a drive signal.
Looks like a case for excellent drive regulation requirement.
Also, I need to rig a 220V 30A outlet and power cord for it. I keep
popping the 120V breaker when running up the final and modulation
sides together (the unit has two 120V plugs presently).
Seperate 120v circuits?
Yes, indeed COL Tucker apparently did not want to install a big ugly
240V outlet, so he apparently used a pair of 20-amp 120V outlets
connected to 240V in the breaker box. Of note in this rig, is that
neutral is bonded to ground. period. That is, there is no ground prong
on the plugs and it is not possible to separate neutral from ground in
this rig without a major rewiring job. So, I will have to take care that
I do use a 4-wire grounding 240V plug, and see that I really do have a
good ground back to the breaker panel. Should present no problem if done
correctly.
As far as audio, I'm willing to help anyone who wants better quality
sound from their AM rig. I'm not a great RF expert at all but I am OK
with increasing the fidelity/reducing distortion in audio amps.
But.. one works hand in hand with the other. In fact, John/WA5BXO and I
have been discussing (at length, and credit to John for sticking with me
and my dumb questions ;-)) audio, it's effects on the transmitted
carrier, how much voltage is neeed to fully modulate the carrier and
what is needed in the way of a reactor to sucessfully couple the audio
to the B+ line to the final amplifier. This conversation encompassed
power supplies, through the modulator and the final. All components are
cruicial.
I picked up a modulation reactor some time ago. There might be room for
it if I get rid of the filament transformers for the 673 rectifers and
put in solid state. I kind of dread building two 15000PIV 1A bridge
rectifiers, but I need to do it anyway.
John and I also talk, from time to time, at length about asymetrical
audio. I've achieved it, somewhat.
Sometimes technology is overwhelming.
For less than $100, I bought not only a digital camera that takes
amazing 3.2megapixel pictures, but it also has a 'movie' mode.
No audio, but the movie mode is pretty awesome.
"Hel-l-l-l-l-o test. one, two, three, four."
http://w5omr.shacknet.nu:81/~w5omr/pictures/2005-08-08/000_0049.MOV
The 'noise' you see is a box-fan at full speed. It was over 100° here,
that day.
That is very impressive, I always strive to be rid of power supply noise.
At this moment I'm limited to NVIS type antennas, but I have a tower
to put up. another project. I hope a tower will get me better
shortwave listening due to a higher antenna (and give me a place to
put a 6M beam for FM).
Mike/WA5CMI has been on 6m lately. He's in Garland, not too far from
you. Maybe y'all could hook up and check out 6m together.
he's probably monitoring either 50.4 or 50.125 - give a holler for him.
I have to get an antenna up at least 30 feet to get over my 'horizon'
here in our little valley.
As for the general... that's a cinch - cup o'tea - piece of cake. Take
it. Get it over with. You'll feel better, and you can then put them
rigs on the air. ;-)
---
73 = Best Regards,
-Geoff/W5OMR
Best regards,
PJ
