dx949 and kl503 issues on ssb

[mustang_gt_350]

Alright, I'm a compete newb when it comes to ssb and i have never talked using it. So excuse the cheaper radio and amp. The 503 and the 949 is working fine or appears to be on the am side. But with the amp set to ssb and on 38lsb on when i key up the relay just chatters on the amp and the swr warning light matches the click on the amp with a flash of the warning LED. Now the reason i am putting this in the radio section.

I noticed with the amp off and on 38lsb when i key up i hear a light thud and the power needle on the radio jumps to around 2-3w and then settles down to 0. After a little experimenting i put my power mic on the 949, turned up the gain on the radio, and the rf power and noticed if i talk fairly loud the relay clicking is'nt there and the red tx led is solid on the amp not flickering like when the relay chatters.

Just wondering what is going on as i would really like to get the ssb working with the amp so i can give it a shot. Is the power too high on key up causing it co click it on and then bouce back and forth between key and no key?

 

[9C1Driver]

It's working fine, SSB has no carrier or dead key like AM does it's all modulated watts. This is why amplifiers must have a SSB delay. This keeps the amp keyed up in between words. If you key the mic on SSB but do not speak it will act like yours is.

 

[mustang_gt_350]

It's working fine, SSB has no carrier or dead key like AM does it's all modulated watts. This is why amplifiers must have a SSB delay. This keeps the amp keyed up in between words. If you key the mic on SSB but do not speak it will act like yours is.

So the relay is supposed to chatter when i have the radio keyed on ssb when i'm not talking?

I understand there is no carrier, i just didn't think the relay was supposed to be chattering when its just sitting there idle with a key and me not talking.

 

[camaro1]

the ssb delay on the amp just gives you a little (relay delay) time between words when your talking,, if you key up and don't talk the relay will open back up till the radio/amp gets some modulation(speech or noise) from the mic

does it work fine if you key up and talk a few words? if not you may need to play with the mic gain level and rf power level to get it to key up and stay keyed while you talk nomal into the mic

 

[mustang_gt_350]

the ssb delay on the amp just gives you a little (relay delay) time between words when your talking,, if you key up and don't talk the relay will open back up till the radio/amp gets some modulation(speech or noise) from the mic

I understand that. the problem is when its a dead key the relay isn't open, it bounces between open and closed non stop until i let of the key. You can hear the relay chattering and watch the TX light on the amp flicker along with it. I wouldn't think they are supposed to do that as i'm sure its not good for the contacts in the relay. So if i speak pretty loud into the mic it will close the relay and work, but when i stop taking it goes back into the relay chattering around until i start to talk very loud again into the mic. If i don't have the mic gain all the way up and the power mic on it will never close the relay and work it will just continue to chatter.

I will go get a video so you can see what i mean.

 

[camaro1]

what are you putting into the amp for power, have you tried a different length coax jumper from the radio to the amp,,, if your radio is seeing a high swr into the amp the radio could be pulling back power

what is your swr into the amp

 

[mustang_gt_350]

Here is what it is doing. This is speaking in a normal cb voice into the mic. Ch 38lsb, amp on ssb and mic gain wide open.

chatter relay kl503 ssb - YouTube

 

[mustang_gt_350]

what are you putting into the amp for power,, sounds like you need more power/drive for the amp,, have you tried a different length coax jumper from the radio to the amp,,, if your radio is seeing a high swr into the amp the radio could be pulling back power

what is your swr into the amp

I have tried it with the radio set on the lowes rf power, and i have tried it with it set on the highest (using the variable output knob) It doesn't seam to make any difference, and it works fine on am with the power turned all the way back.
The rm specs for the amp Input power: 1-6 W AM/FM
Input power: 2-12 W SSB

I have tried a 3ft jumper and a 6ft jumper, no change.

The wilson 5k roof mount is tuned to 1.1-1.2swr.

It works fine on AM Its only chattering on ssb.

 

[9C1Driver]

I'll try this again. There is no dead key on SSB because there is NO CARRIER. So when you key the mic in SSB mode but do not speak there is nothing to keep the amp keyed. This means it will go click click click click until you either speak or un-key the mic. This is normal, all our amplifiers act this way.

AM mode has a carrier and then when you speak you get a peak wattage reading driven by modulation. SSB mode has no carrier and is all modulation watts. FM mode is all carrier with no swing or peak watts. Hope this helps.

Be aware that when in SSB mode and running a power mic some times room noise can appear on a watt meter as a carrier when you key the mic but do not speak.

 

[9C1Driver]

We posted at the same time. I saw your video, try talking a little faster and start talking as soon as you key the mic. Some times those RM amplifiers have too short of a delay which can cause a click click when you pause too long between words. Either way the amp is fine and you will not hurt it.

 

[mustang_gt_350]

We posted at the same time. I saw your video, try talking a little faster and start talking as soon as you key the mic. Some times those RM amplifiers have too short of a delay which can cause a click click when you pause too long between words. Either way the amp is fine and you will not hurt it.

Alrigt thanks. I was just confused. I didn't think it was supposed to chatter like that. I thought when you keyed up in ssb the amp would be sitting in a idle state just as it does when its not keyed, then when you would talk it would actually engauge the relay.

Thanks for the help.

 

[mustang_gt_350]

Ok, i went out and gave it a shot. If i timed the key up and talking right it worked. Its going to take some getting used to but i think i should be able to get it. i'm not even sure how much i will use ssb anywa, thus the reason for the dx949 and not somthing a little higher end.

Is there anyway you can modify the 503 to have a little longer delay?

 

[Wizard200056]

It's The Amp

Mustang don't feel like the Lone Ranger,I had the exact same problem with a a KL203 and my DX949.No matter what I tried the relay would chatter.Probably some kind of design flaw or incorrect part substitution during assembly.I tried several different radios with every possable setting and different mics.These radios all worked fine on my X-Force,Magna Force,and Boomer amps on SSB but not the KL.Never could get it to work on SSB.

 

[mustang_gt_350]

Mustang don't feel like the Lone Ranger,I had the exact same problem with a a KL203 and my DX949.No matter what I tried the relay would chatter.Probably some kind of design flaw or incorrect part substitution during assembly.I tried several different radios with every possable setting and different mics.These radios all worked fine on my X-Force,Magna Force,and Boomer amps on SSB but not the KL.Never could get it to work on SSB.

alright, atleast i know its not me

I will see how it works now, if not i'll see if a friend of mine can play with it and come up with a fix. If so i'll post it up.

 

[9C1Driver]

You can change the value of a resistor in there to extend or shorten the time of the delay. Not sure which one though in a KL amplifier. I too had a KL203 that would act this way, for what I had in it I just left it.