1/4th key always applies to a properly modulated am signal. try to achieve the same key to power relationship when running an amp or not.
the coils are tvi traps, by spreading them you increase the amount of harmonics. dosy, and other cheap meters cannot tell the difference between power that is on frequency or not. this is another reason that low pass filters get a bad rep, some people think the reduce your output by running them when in reality they only reduce the out of spectrum harmonics that your meter is reading.
good practice is to run one before your amplifier and possibly after if you can find one with the proper wattage handling capability's. generally you want a better one as the cheap ones don't work as well.
thanks carl, so thats why those are in tuneups to see more watts LOL.. Now we are getting somewhere...
As my example a cobra 25 with 10w peek.. Isnt this where it should be?
Without an amp..Thats 10 watts so..
10 x 1/4 = 2 1/2 watts DK
With my TX 250HDV Amp..Thats 250 so..
250 x 1/4 = 62 1/2 watts DK
BKA.. Barefoot this radio should DK 2 1/2 watts swinging to 10, and
With my amp show 62 1/2 DK, swinging to max Correct?
now this is where is all gets tricky, so people understand my point. Someone posted that this amp should be within 45-55w of deadkey.. This 25 has a cap/resistor (Swing kit)... giving me less then 1w of carrier, and swinging to around 10...(barefoot) That would be bad if the info here is right, because alone this is not 1/4.. Too low, But However when running the amp with this config its around 50W Deadkey, swinging to around 250....
The 50 calculated here from what I am guessing is assuming the amps peek is 200, so its not working as hard.. so
200 x 1/4 = 50.... giving that radio the magic safe operating range WITH a swingkit... So I started a thread asking about the swing kit... With this swing kit the radio is off barefoot, but dead on 1/4 rule with the amp
Good response about that tvi misconception, as that alot of guides miss