whoo hoo my AC power problem is fixed

[N3DRB The Derb]

it was the $%(*@ GFI breaker. It was defective crap    Dude could smell something burning inside it when he lifted it out off the box. he put in a regular breaker and I put down the maul and talked with Jim KB3QAY for a while. CW output out of the amp back up to 1 KW keydown.


Now here's the bad news: the plate current on the Yeasu started rising during the QSO  and when it got to the pin I hit the power off.

So now the AC is fine but the Yaesu is crapped out.  

Why me?    gonna try a new set of finals first and go from there.

[WA1GFZ]

check your bias supply may not be a tube problem

[K1JJ]

Derb,

Measure voltages while the amp is in operation.  Also put a scope on the RF drive and make sure it's not creeping up.  Aside from a thermal runaway condition in the tube (unlikely) there is a voltage or drive level probably creeping up. (or down)  This could be caused by heating components or other thangs including drifting bias, as Frank suggested.

Bottom line is get in there with the scope and VOM and do your detective work to determine what is changing when it's on the air. (into a dummy load)

T

[N3DRB The Derb]

Me and the wifey gonna go eat lunch and I'll get on it soon as I get back. I'll sub the regulator board and see if that does it, if not I'll hunt around near the final cage. All the commonly known bad actor caps have already been replaced.

[kb3qay]

Hey Derb - I knew right away you had a major zorch! Gud luck getting the Yaesu back up and running. Great to talk to you on the air! - JIM

[N3DRB The Derb]

tnx jim I was just thinking my troubles were gone and I was gonna play radio all nite tonite and then poof.

gotta overcome, some day.....

[k4kyv]

it was the $%(*@ GFI breaker. It was defective crap    Dude could smell something burning inside it when he lifted it out off the box. he put in a regular breaker and I put down the maul and talked with Jim KB3QAY for a while. CW output out of the amp back up to 1 KW keydown.


Now here's the bad news: the plate current on the Yeasu started rising during the QSO  and when it got to the pin I hit the power off.

So now the AC is fine but the Yaesu is crapped out.  

So, Derb, are you ever going to get back on the air?  Half this radio season is already over. 

[N3DRB The Derb]

yeah, I'm well aware of that. 

Karma? I dunno?

[K5UJ]

I'm having some of that but not pegged out Ip  (yet).   I noticed tonight that if I tx for more than a few minutes on the 75 m. vertical things drift, Ip goes up, the trapezoid starts looking strange, and there are signs of RF voltages where they shouldn't be and (lights on) the tuner's match changes.  Hmm, looking like AM about to expose another weak link in the station.  Going to try my quasi hb L network tuner with bigger caps (higher current doorknobs) and roller on a ceramic form and see how that goes.  I don't have this prob. on 75 when running with the dipole and matchbox.  So anyway, what's your tuner?  I wonder (assuming you use one), if your troubles started with it?

[N3DRB The Derb]

I use a KW matchbox at the moment.  looks more like homebrew, some knucklehead drilled a bunch of holes in the front panel and I actually put a new steel front panel on it. It was so tore up I painted the whole thing. nope nothing to do with the tuner. The FT 101 bit it hard this morning and I'm pullin a all nighter trying to fix it.....

looks like this.

re the Yeasu: it's 2:12 in the AM and I'm pretty sure I got it fixed, but I gotta test it into the DL for a while..... I'll confirm that later on.

[W3RSW]

Derb,
What are those strapesscent looking caps under the desk?
-or I think they're caps cause I see shorting lines.
Look way mean...

Sorry 'bout your crap outs.

[N3DRB The Derb]

thas a plate xfmr, named the Thermowhore.   2560 @ 500ma. Going into one of the big racks after cleanage and detailing.....will power a single 4-400A...

found the problem with the yaesu... looks like the main bypass mica cap coming off the PB 1076 12BY7A board turned black, swelled up slightly and oozed a bit. another moulded mica like the infamous C13. I cant remember the part # sitting here. 1000 pf.

I'll series 2 500v 500pf silver micas and call it done. Then just have to replace c 134 and I can fire it up and see if it's good.

[ke7trp]

While your there, Replace the other two Caps.  The one in the final compartment and the one for the 160 meter band position. They will fail at some point.

C131 1000P  Rig blows fuse when switched to 160 band. 
C13 80P  Grid coupling cap. Increasing Current due to leakage.
C125 Neut cap.  100Puff.  Depends on american or jap tubes as to which value you will use.


Its funny.. I suggested you rip that GFCI out and everyone was against me. Now that the electrician comes out, He puts in a standard breaker and all is well.



Clark

[N3DRB The Derb]

well, I knew it had something to do with the breaker, I just couldnt get in there to change it. he also worked on my  grounds a bit. Said the main service entrance ground was marginal at best and ran a #4 over to the coppe rod I drove down about a year ago and used that.

no problem at all now with a standard 20 amp unit. of course the  first qso I make after the power gets fixed the rig craps out. 

I'm cursed.

[WA1GFZ]

any idiot can repair a GFI fault by replacing the GFI breaker with a standard breaker.

[N3DRB The Derb]

 I changed c13 and C125 last time I was in there. I did not change c131, changing it now, but that wasn't the main problem. after I get it back together and successfully test and confirm I'll display the rotten little bastard. 

and then I'm gonna smash the little POS with my 4 lb engineers maul to dust for putting me through this.

[K1JJ]

I'll display the rotten little bastard.  
....and then I'm gonna smash the little POS with my 4 lb engineers maul to dust for putting me through this.

 

You're killing me Derb -

In a sick way it's nice to see someone else going through this crap. I was getting lonely.  If I only told you all the screw jobs my gear has given me you'd gag... Over time I've collected a pail full of miscreant parts that looks like a nuclear bomb went off in there.  Welcome back into the Misery Loves Company Club, OM.  

But, oh, the joy when you finally come into the shack and everything fires up and works very hi hi FB!!

T

[N3DRB The Derb]

whats more, I'm gonna take a movie of it being smashed to dust with my maul and upload it to you tube.

my hate for crapouts and radio troubles has reached the level of disturbing and nervous. I'm not kidding, if something else happens to prevent me from getting on the air this song will be all about me.

not work/kid safe!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAlNrtcPCLw

back to work.....

[WA1GFZ]

Why not troubleshoot the problem rather than just replacing parts.
You will find it much more rewarding

[N3DRB The Derb]

these are known troublemakers, better to get rid of them while I have to be in there. they didn't cause the problem tho.

I shot the real source of the trouble to a totally different leaking moulded mica - but the damn tiny ass wires Yeasu used are proving real hard for me to manipulate to solder everything back together.

Try live trouble shooting this and you'd suck holes through the envelopes of the finals before you could get the power off. no bias, but not due to C13 or C131. Same type of cap as C13 though.

I'm just at my wits end with crap-outs. Just need one station to hold together so I can be on...then radio work becomes relaxing again. Right now it feels like I'm back at work with the boss telling me "I need those 100 boards fixed by friday derb"...

[K1JJ]

You're being held captive by a ricebox, Derb.   I have my own task master called an FT-1000D.

However, if your homebrew 4-400 rig craps out, you'll be able to fix it quickly without hassle.

We're all slaves to some kind of exciter and most are complicated to fix, so don't feel bad.

T

[K5UJ]

well, I knew it had something to do with the breaker, I just couldnt get in there to change it. he also worked on my  grounds a bit. Said the main service entrance ground was marginal at best and ran a #4 over to the coppe rod I drove down about a year ago and used that.

no problem at all now with a standard 20 amp unit. of course the  first qso I make after the power gets fixed the rig craps out. 

I'm cursed.

I've had stuff like that happen too where I briefly think I wasn't meant to have a ham station working for more than 24 hours.

[K5UJ]

You're being held captive by a ricebox, Derb.   I have my own task master called an FT-1000D.

However, if your homebrew 4-400 rig craps out, you'll be able to fix it quickly without hassle.

We're all slaves to some kind of exciter and most are complicated to fix, so don't feel bad.

T

I have thought a few times that if my 1000MP Mk V ever dies I'll go get a Ranger and get it going then try the W3AM treatment and forget about Yaesu.  In fact, I've been thinking lately I might get one anyway.   I worked a guy over in Cincinnati last weekend running a ranger and hb amp and he sounded great.  Then the next day I worked Bruce W9OTN and a couple of other guys and we were talking about audio and rangers etc. and I learned Johnson used NFB with the ranger to achieve 5% thd because it was made to drive the Desk.

[ke7trp]

A ranger is not a solution for a troublesome radio. Its 50 something years old and has likely been through hell. The run hot as the Sun and Drift.  I like my ranger.. Dont get me wrong. But get ready for some work. That might be fun or it might be a curse.

I have rangers and big amps.   I would rather have the sound of a Class C rig running at high power.


Clark

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

It's not the troublesome radio, it's the ability to repair it and the amount of risk taken. Many of wouldn't think a second about repairing a Ranger, easy to repair and low risk (since we likely didn't pay x thousand dollars for it). The same could not be said for a FT1000XZ V5.2a Track and Field or similar new radio.