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G8MNY  > TECH     17.12.13 11:57l 88 Lines 3653 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 48472_GB7CIP
Read: GUEST
Subj: Power Factor of Drake L-4B PA
Path: IZ3LSV<I0OJJ<GB7CIP
Sent: 131217/0954Z @:GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EU #:48472 [Caterham Surrey GBR] $:48472_GB
From: G8MNY@GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EU
To  : TECH@WW

By G8MNY                                   (Updated Oct 10)
(8 Bit ASCII graphics use code page 437 or 850, Terminal Font)
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³ÀÄÄÄÙ   (_)   ø ø³³       ³
³ o            [|]³³       ³
ÀÄÂÂÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÂÂÄÙÀÂÂÄÄÄÂÂÙ

For /P work this USA made Drake PA has a very poor mains power factor, on 50Hz
it is only 0.5, this means in standby it draws 2x the mains current it needs
to.

Exactly where to put a PF correction capacitor is not straight forward, as the
PA has Tune & SSB modes where the mains tap on the HT transformer is changed by
30%.
                                   CW/tune
LÄo-oÄÄÄÄo/oÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ\ oÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿_
 Fuse 1   on  ³                     oSSB        __)|| _
              ³   200VA             ³      TUNE³__ ||(
              ³____    __           ³_____________)||(  850V on
               110V)||(__ 6.3V      |          ³__ ||(  TUNE mode
 Heaters, Fan  ____)||(__ 25A       |             )||(  or 1.1kV
  & Relay PS  ³____ || __           |         110V)||(  in SSB Mode
 Transformer  ³110V)||(  20V        |        _____)||(  @ 2A to
  is in the  FAN   )||(__0.5A       |       [o-o__ ||(  the Voltage
   PA unit.   ÃÄÄÄÄÙ           16uF===   Fuse 2   )||(  Doubler
              ³                400V |         110V)||(_
              ³                 AC  |            _)||
NÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ     2.2kW Peak HT Transformer

For 110V mains, all the windings are put in parallel not series.

Wired to the above the corrrection is effectively about 10uF when on tune mode
& 16uF when on SSB mode. In the UK on 50Hz 230-250V, the transformer is heavily
saturated on SSB mode, when the extra mains TUNE tapping is bypassed. The 16uF
does the best it can to tune the heavily saturated HT transformer core (all 3rd
& 5th harmonics) in SSB mode!

Results were PF of 0.97 in tune mode (up to 600W PEP on good mains), & 0.7 in
SSB mode (up to 1300W PEP with odd order mains harmonics!), in the UK there is
no need to use the SSB mode with a 400W licence! Or in other words I saved at
least 1 Amp at 240V, so there is more available for other loads (lights &
rotator etc.) before the /P generator's 10A mains trip goes.

BLEED CHAIN
I reworked the PSU, changing the 2x 50k 50W + 5k 5W HT bleed & 120V DC tap
chain (was broken) for 6x 68K 10W + 27k 5W, & with a series HT warning neon all
on a smaller tag strip. The wasted power is much less & the light from the
hazard neon is visible through the meshing cover.

I used the freed up space to mount the mains 16uF capacitor above.

ÄÄÂÄÄHT 2.8kV             ÄÄÄÂÄÄ HT 2.8kV
  ³                         68k
 50k                         ³
 50W                        68k  REPLACMENT
  ³                          ³
  ³   ORIGINAL              68k  All
 50k                         ³
 50W                        68k  10W
  ³                          ³
  ³                         68k  
  ³                  Hazard  ³
  ³                    Neon (:)
  ÃÄÄÄ +120V                 ÃÄÄÄ +120V
 5k    Cathode              27K    Cathode
 5W    Rx Bias              5W     Rx Bias
ÄÄÁÄÄ 0V                  ÄÄÄÁÄÄ 0V

CAP STACKS
I also cleaned & remounted the 2 stacks of 4 electrolytics, this time avoiding
the need for HT crossover wires, by putting the +ve multiplier stack near the
+ve output cable mount, & the -ve stack on the other side!


See my Tech bul on "ALC line for Drake L-4B PA", & "PTT Line for Drake
L-4B PA".


Why Don't U send an interesting bul?

73 de John, G8MNY @ GB7CIP


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