All PL-259 connectors here that I assembled are Amphenol 83-SP1. Female conenctors are whatever the device came with. The only female connectors in the line are on the amp, the HF-Auto Tuner, antenna switch and the balun. The only one that's not common to all my other antennas is the balun, and Balun Designs makes top-notch products. My old balun--the one I replaced thinking it was the problem last summer--was from Array Solutions and the same problem existed there.
Connectors are all tightened 1/4 turn. I don't presently have access to a dummy load. The feedline connecting it to the outdoor antenna switch is damaged and it's difficult to reach at the moment--across a 40' crawlspace. The faults are all high SWR: 570 19-03-09T20:06:40 FLT 90 - PWR REFL freq 3512 inp 11W fwd 826W refl 199W swr 2.9 53A 31C adc 254 var 199 569 19-03-09T20:06:37 OVR 90 - PWR REFL inp 12W fwd 915W refl 173W swr 2.5 52A 32C adc 236 var 173 568 19-03-09T20:06:28 ON 00 - ON 1 times firmware version 02.09 567 19-03-09T18:40:56 FLT 90 - PWR REFL freq 3656 inp 10W fwd 613W refl 225W swr 4.0 21A 29C adc 271 var 225 566 19-03-09T18:37:30 OVR 90 - PWR REFL freq 3688 inp 21W fwd 881W refl 180W swr 2.6 35A 29C adc 241 var 180 565 19-03-09T18:37:06 FLT 90 - PWR REFL freq 3640 inp 8W fwd 616W refl 201W swr 3.6 26A 29C adc 255 var 201 564 19-03-09T18:36:51 FLT 90 - PWR REFL freq 3640 inp 10W fwd 676W refl 213W swr 3.5 23A 29C adc 263 var 213 563 19-03-09T18:32:09 FLT 90 - PWR REFL freq 3552 inp 7W fwd 484W refl 207W swr 4.7 10A 26C adc 259 var 207 562 19-03-09T18:31:04 FLT 90 - PWR REFL freq 3552 inp 8W fwd 499W refl 196W swr 4.3 11A 25C adc 252 var 196 561 19-03-09T18:26:19 FLT 90 - PWR REFL freq 3520 inp 4W fwd 356W refl 207W swr 7.4 12A 25C adc 259 var 207 560 19-03-09T18:25:37 FLT 90 - PWR REFL freq 3504 inp 9W fwd 637W refl 204W swr 3.6 25A 25C adc 257 var 204 559 19-03-09T18:25:03 FLT 90 - PWR REFL freq 3504 inp 17W fwd 1035W refl 204W swr 2.5 8A 25C adc 257 var 204 558 19-03-09T18:24:43 FLT 90 - PWR REFL freq 3504 inp 14W fwd 878W refl 213W swr 2.9 23A 24C adc 263 var 213 - pjd -----Original Message----- From: Jamie WW3S <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, March 9, 2019 2:09 PM To: [email protected] Cc: [email protected]; Peter Dougherty <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] 80m KPA1500 High reflected power problems Any cheap bulkhead connectors in the feed? I just got burnt by one on my radial plate.... Sent from my Verizon Motorola Smartphone On Mar 9, 2019 2:04 PM, Don Wilhelm <[email protected]> wrote: > > Peter, > > Isolate the problem to the amplifier. Get a high power dummy load if > you do not already have one. Run the amp at 1000 watts or more into > the dummy load. If the amp behaves the same as it does with the > antenna, then the problem is in the amplifier. > But if the amp behaves into the dummy load, look for marginal > connections to your antenna, PL-259 connectors not sufficiently > tightened, balun overload, arcing at either the center insulator or at > the end insulators. > There is very high RF voltage at the antenna ends, and it may be > arcing over the end insulators - don't overlook that possibility. > > 73, > Don W3FPR > > On 3/9/2019 1:50 PM, Peter Dougherty wrote: > > HI guys, > > I'm still having a serious problem on 80m with my KPA1500. > > > > With the amp inline I'm getting high reflected power fault > > everywhere below about 3675. My antenna (an inverted vee) is > > resonant at 3550, and the SWR is below 2:1 from 3500 to 3630. > > > > > > > > This was happening in the past as well, and prompted me to > > completely rebuild the antenna last summer. The antenna is fed with > > 100' of brand new Davis BuryFlex feedline, a brand-new 5kW-rated > > Balun Designs 1:1 current balun, new 12 AWG copper-clad steel wire, even > > new heavy ceramic insulators! > > > > > > Without the amp everything's fine. I can push 100W through to the > > antenna all day; the SWR LEDs on the amp (bypassed) show two green and > > that's it. > > It's fine on every other band, including 80/75 phone. > > > > > > > > With the amp in, If I drop the drive to 10W or less, the amp is > > happy and I get about 450 Watts out. But the instant I drive it with > > ~15 Watts (when the K3s kicks the high power module in, and I hear > > the internal relay click, I get the HI SWR warning and the amp > > faults. 100% repeatable. Doesn't matter if the tuner is in or > > out..there's NO way to get high power out of the KPA on 80 CW. > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[email protected] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email > list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[email protected] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
