One thing for certain is keeping the SWR @ 1.5 or lower. Yes, call the folks at Carl Built because I purchased an amplifier from them about three years ago and I was as confused as you are. Tell them what radio you are planning to use with the amp and they will be more specific. They usually answer the phone up to 8PM.
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Carl Built
- Thread starter Staybolt
- Start date
100 watts dead key out max (whatever dead key in it takes to get 100 watts)
80 watts peak drive max
Both with amp set to high
Max 1.5 SWR
80 watts peak drive max
Both with amp set to high
Max 1.5 SWR
What he's saying is your maximum peak input drive should be 80 watts. Or less
I ended up trying this exact Bencher YA-1 low pass filter on the same amp setup as I had with the RM Italy 27/586 low pass filter and I had the exact same problem i.e. when I un-keyed the mic the S-meter was pegged. One try was enough for me. Experiment over!
The new fan I installed in my 200 HDC is a lot quieter than the one that came in it.
I also replaced the 8 gauge wire with longer 6 gauge so I did not have to do any splicing etc. It was a great excuse to replace my quite dead 40 year old soldering gun with another basic model. I am using a Ferr Rite mix 43 clamp-on over the positive cable where it enters the amp case. And a circuit breaker.
I also replaced the 8 gauge wire with longer 6 gauge so I did not have to do any splicing etc. It was a great excuse to replace my quite dead 40 year old soldering gun with another basic model. I am using a Ferr Rite mix 43 clamp-on over the positive cable where it enters the amp case. And a circuit breaker.
Make sure you place the filter on the output of the amp, before the meter
That's an awesome idea Shade! And you've got the perfect name , Shadetree amps. Just say the word and I'll place my order.
Shadetree amps, laying down that RF blanket.. 
That's an awesome idea Shade! And you've got the perfect name , Shadetree amps. Just say the word and I'll place my order.
"Shadetree amps, laying down that RF blanket!"Shadetree amps, laying down that RF blanket..
Good to know that my marketing team is hard at work!
Are the covers on the carl built amps riveted on? I just ordered a small one pill and im gonna change out the ugly stainless steel looking hardware to black. I cant find a side pic but at a front side angle i swear it looks like a rivet.
I am having a slowly growing high SWR issue with my 200HDC amp (running at 14.5 volts) turned on high that gets worse as the frequency increases from channel 1 to 40. The SWR on channel 1 is 1.1:1 with the amp off or on, on channel 40 it is about 1.4:1 with the amp off and 2.5:1 or higher with the amp on high. This increase does not happen when using a dummy load. I know the best step to take is to take the Maco V58 antenna down and re-tune it, which is one thing I will be doing as part of putting up my M104C once the weather settles. In the meantime, I have checked all the connections and patch cables but no smoking gun.
I currently have one Fair-Rite 0443164151 Split Core Ferrite on the positive lead going into the amp and one where the RG-213 coax connects to the antenna connector on the back of my Daiwa CN-901 meter. All bonding and grounding remains in place. Is it worth trying multiple ferrites on the RG-213 or moving it to a different location on the coax?
I am also getting some reports of a bit crunchy modulation too using the amp with both the Q5N2 and the Lincoln II+ regardless of input power or modulation levels but so far the folks telling me this are not using "cheap" amps like the CarlBuilt. I don't think anything has changed so I am definitely not pointing a finger at the amp. Funny that "cheap" is not what came to mind when I was completing this purchase.
#Update: It stopped raining long enough for me to go out and temporarily replace the MFJ-272 lightning surge protector with a barrel connector. It seemed to help improve the SWR situation. More SWR testing to follow.#
I currently have one Fair-Rite 0443164151 Split Core Ferrite on the positive lead going into the amp and one where the RG-213 coax connects to the antenna connector on the back of my Daiwa CN-901 meter. All bonding and grounding remains in place. Is it worth trying multiple ferrites on the RG-213 or moving it to a different location on the coax?
I am also getting some reports of a bit crunchy modulation too using the amp with both the Q5N2 and the Lincoln II+ regardless of input power or modulation levels but so far the folks telling me this are not using "cheap" amps like the CarlBuilt. I don't think anything has changed so I am definitely not pointing a finger at the amp. Funny that "cheap" is not what came to mind when I was completing this purchase.
#Update: It stopped raining long enough for me to go out and temporarily replace the MFJ-272 lightning surge protector with a barrel connector. It seemed to help improve the SWR situation. More SWR testing to follow.#
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Sounds like the input tune is going/has gone to crap
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