Category: Transmitters

Design / build project: Guanella 1:1 ‘tuner balun’ for HF – #1

This is a project to design and build a Guanella 1:1 (current) balun for use on HF with wire antennas and an ATU.

First part in the series…

 

For use with a tuner, the most important design criteria are:

  • high voltage withstand;
  • high common mode impedance;
  • generous power handling given our 400W PEP limit, possibly 1kW in the future.

Continue reading Design / build project: Guanella 1:1 ‘tuner balun’ for HF – #1

Last update: 13th February, 2017, 4:38 AM

WIA 4:1 current balun – further explanation

4-101a

I mentioned in my article WIA 4:1 current balun that the use of a single toroidal core in the above graphic compromises the balun. This article gives a simple, but more detailed explanation for the technically minded of why the shared magnetic circuit ruins the thing.

Continue reading WIA 4:1 current balun – further explanation

Last update: 30th March, 2020, 8:23 AM

Foundation manual on power measurement

My article Foundation watts explained triggered some discussion on the thorny issue of compliance with power limits of the LCD.

One correspondent was confident that the Foundation candidates are properly trained, which leads to examining the training materials.

SWRMeter

Continue reading Foundation manual on power measurement

Last update: 5th February, 2015, 3:06 AM

Common mode current and coaxial feed lines

An antenna feed line is intended to convey energy from the transmitter to the antenna, and usually without giving rise to radiation itself.

The term “common mode” comes from consideration of the currents on an open two wire line, and it refers to the net  or unbalance current, ie the current that would give rise to external fields, to radiation.

This article looks at the equivalent common mode current in a coaxial transmission line.

Continue reading Common mode current and coaxial feed lines

Last update: 21st December, 2014, 7:45 PM

A/B comparison test on 40m

An extended test comparing signals received in Florida from three nearby stations in Australia was conducted 21/12/13, a low elevation path of more than 14,000km.

The A/B comparisons were performed on statistics gathered from the W4HBK grabber, in this case measurements of the noise and each of two transmissions of 1min of steady carrier every 5min over a half hour.

Continue reading A/B comparison test on 40m

Last update: 23rd February, 2014, 10:10 AM

IC-7000 current consumption

This article describes measurement of an Icom IC-7000 current consumption during SSB telephony transmission.

The capture is of an IC7000 running 100W PEP with compression off. I have read copy as loudly and consistently as I could with barely a breath, so it is an overestimate of current consumption. There was small ALC deflection, but not so much as to effectively provide compression. Compression will draw higher current, depending on the level of compression. Note too, that like many Icom radios, the IC7000 draws a relatively high current key down with no audio (4.5A here).

IC7000 current consumption
IC7000 current consumption

Continue reading IC-7000 current consumption

Last update: 10th February, 2018, 6:57 PM