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IZ3LSV

[San Dona' di P. JN]

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G8MNY  > TECH     21.01.18 12:29l 88 Lines 3732 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 6494_GB7CIP
Read: GUEST
Subj: Power Factor of Drake L-4B PA
Path: IZ3LSV<I0OJJ<GB7CIP
Sent: 180121/1013Z @:GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO #:6494 [Caterham Surrey GBR] $:6494_GB
From: G8MNY@GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO
To  : TECH@WW

By G8MNY                                   (Updated Oct 10)
(8 Bit ASCII graphics use code page 437 or 850, Terminal Font)
旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴왯컴컴컴커
넬컴커    _    _  납       �
냅컴켸   (_)  (_) 납       �
넬컴커    _       납       �
냅컴켸   (_)   � 膨�       �
� o            [|]납       �
읕쩟컴컴컴컴컴컫쩡牡쩟컴컫쬔

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
L훟-o컴컴o/o컴쩡컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴\ o컴컴컴컴컴커_
 Fuse 1   on  �                     oSSB        __)|| _
              �   200VA             �      TUNE�__ ||(
              �____    __           �_____________)||(  850V on
               110V)||(__ 5V        |          �__ ||(  TUNE mode
 Heaters, Fan  ____)||(__ 25A       |             )||(  or 1.1kV
  & Relay PS  �____ || __           |         110V)||(  in SSB Mode
 Transformer  �110V)||(  18V        |        _____)||(  @ 2A to
  is in the  FAN   )||(__0.5A       |       [o-o__ ||(  the Voltage
   PA unit.   쳐컴켸           16uF===   Fuse 2   )||(  Doubler
              �                400V |         110V)||(_
              �                 AC  |            _)||  2.2kW Peak
N컴컴컴컴컴컴컨컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴켸      HT Transformer

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

Wired to the above, the corrrection is effectively about 10uF when on tune mode
& 16uF when on high power SSB mode. In the UK on 50Hz 230-250V, the transformer
is heavily saturated on SSB mode, when the extra mains TUNE tappings are
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 700W PEP on good mains), & 0.7 in
SSB mode (up to 1400W 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.

HT 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 new
hazard neon is visible through the mesh cover.

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

컴쩡횴T 2.8kV             컴컫컴 HT 2.8kV
  �     @1A                 68k
 50k                         �
 50W                        68k  REPLACMENT
 WW                          �
  �   ORIGINAL              68k  All  
 50k                         �
 50W                        68k  10W WW
 WW                          �
  �                         68k  
  �                  Hazard  �
  �                    Neon (:)
  쳐컴 +120V ALC             쳐컴 +120V ALC
 5k    & Cathode            27K    & Cathode
 5W    Rx Bias              5W     Rx Bias
컴좔� 0V                  컴컨컴 0V

HT 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" &
"Valve Heater delay Drake L-4B PA".


Why Don't U send an interesting bul?

73 de John, G8MNY @ GB7CIP


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