All of the radios and amps that I have seen use a negative ALC control voltage. I suppose some newer solid-state gear could be different, but I don't know. Perhaps someone can enlighten me. Where the amplifier has a level adjustment control, compatibility issues should be minimal.
To make the blanket statement "don't use ALC" is doing yourself and your fellow hams a disservice. There is a difference between ALC as used for syllabic compression in modern rigs, and the classic threshold style ALC as used in our Drakes. This article discusses why ALC used as syllabic compression in modern rigs is bad: http://www.sm5bsz.com/dynrange/alc.htm Now, good ALC.... ALC can help tame exciter overshoot. This reduces stress on system components. ALC can also prevent overdrive of the amplifier during normal operation when properly used. This is important, for several reasons. Unless you are monitoring your transmit envelope with an oscilloscope, you had better be using ALC. There's no other reliable way to see if you are overdriving. Overdrive = splatter and distortion. OK if you are a guitarist, not so good on radio. With ALC, you set your system up with a CW level and you are good to go. It's really pretty simple. http://www.kk5dr.com/Tuneup.htm http://www.hamradiomarket.com/articles/ALC%20for%20real.htm 73 -Jim NU0C On Tue, 12 Feb 2013 12:51:40 -0500, Mike Bryce wrote: >That's true... > >if you were to connect the drake transceiver to a drake amplifier life would >be good. Birds would sing, the sun would shine. Life is good. > >But there is no standard as to how much, what flavor, or how much voltage or >even if it should be positive or negative going on ALC. > >The ALC generated by an amplifier may as well be in Vulcan if the transceiver >can't understand what to do with it. And while the engineers who included knew >of its value, no one sat them down and decided on a standard. > >bottom line? > >Don't worry about the ALC > >mike, wb8vge -- Ham Radio NU0C Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S.S.A. TR7/RV7/R7A/L7, TR6/RV6, T4XC/R4C/L4B, NCL2000, SB104A, R390A, GT550A/RV550A, HyGain 3750, IBM PS/2 - all vintage, all the time! "Give a man a URL, and he will learn for an hour; teach him to Google, and he will learn for a lifetime." HyGain 3750 User's Group - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HyGain_3750/ http://incolor.inetnebr.com/jshorney http://www.nebraskaghosts.org _______________________________________________ Drakelist mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.zerobeat.net/mailman/listinfo/drakelist
