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G8MNY  > TECH     15.04.19 11:03l 159 Lines 7816 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 603_GB7CIP
Read: DF7EAV DK3UZ GUEST OE7FMI
Subj: Palstar AT1500CV ATU
Path: DB0FHN<DB0PM<OE2XZR<OE5XBL<F1OYP<IZ3LSV<IW0QNL<JH4XSY<JE7YGF<GB7CIP
Sent: 190415/0855Z @:GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO #:603 [Caterham Surrey GBR] $:603_GB7C
From: G8MNY@GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO
To  : TECH@WW

By G8MNY                                 (Updated Jan 19)
(8 Bit ASCII graphics use code page 437 or 850, Terminal Font)

旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴�   FEATURES
� �/~~~\�     �   �        �    �   4:1 Balun transformer for balanced output.
� �__ __�  /~~\   /~~\  ....... �   Direct: coax 1, & 2, & bypass outputs.
� 읕컴컴� | () | | () | :  �\ : �   Tuned: coax 1, & 2, & wire outputs.
�  ::�::   \__/   \__/  :    �: �   300W & 3kW cross needle lit power meter
�  '' ''                :.....: �   60W & 600W reflected. 
읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴�   The T arrangement C L C has with vernier
                                    counter on the inductor.

This unit is not fitted with the same sized capacitors or smaller rotary
ceramic & wire roller coaster as shown in the 2 Radcom articles below (*), but
it uses slightly smaller capacitors (still 4.5kV rated) & a large surface area
static silver plated flat spiral coil (very high Q) with a rotating internal
2 surface griping roller simular, but bigger than the one used in the MFJ 989D.

  _    _   INTERNAL LAYOUT                      SIMPLIFIED CIRCUIT
憫컨쩡좔좔컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴�         Direct    Outputs
� S �      (\\\\\)       v Fire �                         Wire x컴�
� W �         T        複複複複屛  Tx(�)�[SWR]�>o컴�(�)Coax1컴컴� � o<풵AFER
� R �                  裟拙氾拙芙               o컴�(�)Coax2컴� � � o 쿞WITCH
�~~SW  ======= ======= 裟拙氾拙芙               o컴�(�)Thu    � � � o �
� 複�  ======= ======= 裟拙氾拙芙          Via  o�            � � 읕o �
�  �   ==C1=== ==C2=== 裟L繰拙藻�               o�            � 읕컴o �
�  �   ======= ======= 裟拙氾拙芙          ATU  o�     RF HOT 읕컴컴o �
�  �   ======= ======= 裟拙氾拙芙                읕컴늘컴컫컴캑쳐컴컴켸
�  �   ======= ======= 裟拙氾拙芙             WAFER  C1   )   C2   旼훫
�  �   ======= ======= 裟拙氾拙芙            SWITCH      L)<�     _(|
�  �   ======= ======= 賽賽賽賽參                         ) �    � (|T
�  �      붚컴컴커�       [�]   �                         ) �    � 읕훫 
읕켰컴컴컴陸컴컴컨崙컴컴컴켰컴컴�              컴컴컴컴컴컨컨컴컴좔쩡훫
  賽�   賽賽�   賽賽�      賽塞                         T ATU      �

SWR CIRCUIT

(�)컴쩡컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴쩡�>Switch             Ref 60W       +1k2
Rig ===  Cal   (((()   Cal  ===        旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴o<컴컴컫컴컴(M)커
  6p8�   /     �16T�     \   �6p8      �   旼컴컴컴컴컴o600W ===10n    �
     쳐늘컫캑<척   척>쳐쩡늘캑         �   �            300W  �        �
  10p�    )    �   �    )    �10p      �   �     旼컴컴o<컴컴컫컴컴(M)캑
    ===   )680 22 22 680)   ===        �   �     �   旼o3KW  ===  +1k2 �
     �    )uH  �   �  uH)    �        CAL CAL   CAL CAL For   �10n
     쳐늘캑    �   �    쳐늘캑       100K 100K 100K 100K
     � 10n�             �10n �         �   �     �   �
          쿑or       Ref�             6K8 47K   47K 100K
          �             읕Black컴컴컴컴좔컴졍쳇늘좔컴�
          �                               10n � 10n  �
          읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴Red컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴�
                                                        ____  o
12V>쩡컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴White컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴쩡�7810쳐o<컴컫컴>
   === 10n                                          ===읕쩡켸  10n=== Lamp
    �                                             47u읕컴좔컴컴쩡컴�
                                                               �
HI Q ROLLER COASTER
Unfortunately this large 1500W QRO ATU flashed over & caught fire (smells of
burning), due to poor design of the QRO roller coaster coil mounting brackets,
flammable construction fibre board, & inexperienced user (me) when tuning up
with only 400 Watts.

On the back coil insulator combs, there are 3 right angle brackets, that have
sharp corners only a few mm away from the "RF HOT" top of the tuned circuit, &
are mounted on flammable thick fibre glass board.

           _______________________1 of 3 Fiber Glass
          � 틃 o                  Combe Support Bars
         (� �]____________________
Flammable(� �] RF납납납납납�          Contact
    Fibre � � HOT납Silver Plated   ======H===�= Wheel Rod
    Board � � END납Flat Coil Spiral    Wheel �
          � �  OF납납납납납넵複複複複複複複複白複Axil
          � 쿎OIL납납납납납�
          � 쳐컴컨좋좋좋좋좋컴컴� Flammable
     "L"  � 틃_o_________________ Support
  Bracket � 픔컴컫쩟쩟쩟쩟쩟컴컴� Combs Bars
  Screws (� �] /^Sparks
         (� �]v Jump              Earth
컴컴컴컴컴좔좔컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴Chassis

The Caps C1 & C2 are designed for very high voltage & should be the first thing
that arcs over, but not these sharp cornered brackets!

REPAIR
The burnt fibre board & shaped mounting comb strip must be cleaned of any
charred material with a sharp knife. This may mean removal & part disassemble
of the roller coaster support combe bars.

MODIFICATION
To stop reoccurrence at the RF hot ends of the 3 "L" shaped brackets, they were
cut down in length & the redundant nuts & bolts left out of each.
      __  ___  __       __  __
Screw�                 �
holes  ORIGINAL          MODIFIED
     � 4 HOLE          � 2 HOLE
       BRACKET           BRACKET
     �
Doing this to all 3 brackets (even the top one not near to ground), adds about
1cm to the flashover arc distance! And has no effect on the sturdiness of the
roller coaster assembly as long as the bolts are kept tight.

OTHER BURN MARKS
The 3 combe supports bars can suffer. They are all different with the coil
slots all moved 1/3 of the pitch. But I have managed to reverse the top one so
the burnt RF hot end, is now the cold end.

LOOSE SCREWS
As this unit has been used for /P work, some other screws had soon rattled lose
despite locking washer nuts! These have been tightened up & threads painted.

IN USE
The "T" type ATU is easy to use, although it is not so good at removing Tx
harmonics as the � (pi) type. But it does an excellent job of protecting the Rx
from DC static, & strong signals on lower bands, that some poorly filtered SRD
Rx can suffer from! (e.g. removing MW Broadcast signals as it is >-18dB for
each frequency halving.)

I use it for /P demonstration stations with a DRAKE L-4B PA or T500M PA & IC735
exciter, on mains or generator.

                 ___________ptt+ALC
         _____  �           �  _________   ______
        쿔C735쳐�     旼컴� 읕퀱RAKE PA 쳐�  HF  �_ o�>1kW Dummy Load
    Mic캑 12V 쳐컴컴컴퀮TU쳐컴�_________� 쿑ilter� \o커  _____
        �_____쳐컴�   �   �   쿏RAKE PSU�  ~~~~~~     � � QRO 쳐>80m Dipole
Battery캑PSU55�  _�_  �___쳐�  ~~~~~~~~~              �_�1.5kW쳐>40m Dipole
         ~~~~~  쿍HI�  _�_  Topband 160m                � ATU 쳐>3el Beam
    Headphones컴퀽S �  ///  long wire aerial            �_____팠>G5RV
                 ~~~
The small ATU after the Rig (VECTRONICS VC300LP) can select an internal dummy
load or the long wire. On WARC bands the extra ATU is used to tune out the
DRAKE L-4B linear's bad SWR of its "out of tune" input matching circuits, the
PA output tank circuit matches quite OK.

The HF LP filter is sometimes used to make sure there are no VHF harmonics, if
the station is in a sensitive RF area & "direct no ATU" to aerials may be used.
With the G5RV then the ATU's transformer balanced output is used.

For public demos, a RF proof AF PA is used with mic audio from the AUX socket
of the IC735 & BHI noise reducing LS system, so that both sides of the QSO can
be clearly heard.


* RSGB Radcom Review Article May 2005 P26, & Comparative one to the MFJ 989D
  Jan 2007 P30.


See also my Tech buls "HF ATU & SWR Bridge MFJ-904H", "HF ATU & SWR Bridge
VC300LP/QT-1", "Drake TC-3300-LP QRO LP Filter", "Drake WH7 QRO HF SWR Bridge"
& "QRO 1kW HF Metered Dummy Load".


Why don't U send an interesting bul?

73 De John, G8MNY @ GB7CIP


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