There is no number on it not sure of exact size does say hi dive looked inside two pill I don't know anything about trouble shooting it . But when I put the pre-amp on light comes on but amp power light is partially light also and the rf meter drops a hair with no increase rf . When I put power to amp and transmit light comes on and I can hear relay click put not seem to have increase wattage output. I got this amp new and had it for years always worked fine is it at the end of it's life or is there something I can do with it?
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Help with palomar amp
- Thread starter bluefox
- Start date
Okay, first check your swr with the amp out of line, then place it back in line, there should be very little if any change in swr reading, next check all your coax jumpers and connectors. If all else fails take some pics and post them here, someone might be able to see if there is a problem with it by looking at photos. But first start with what I posted above.
Ok I changed cables checked swr 1 then put amp back inline came up to 1.3 with amp on
Turn the pre-amp off when testing it since it serves no transmit purpose. Assuming you have the coax in the correct input/output locations on the back of the amp, I would say the keying relay might be acting up. I hope in that third pic that's not the actual power leads showing in the top right. Way too dinky gage wire.
The relay should click in and out when you key and un key the amp. The relay may have gone bad. Also you should really get the input wattage down some as far as the dead key from the radio. 4 watts dead key is too much for that amp IMO. 1-2 watts is all that should be needed with a max of 12-15 watts pep. And yes that is the size wire that comes with those amps as far as the power leads are concerned. I have one of those amps as well. I use either a cobra 25 or uniden 980 with mine, I keep my dead key power to about 2 watts max And 12-15 watts pep, any more and the amp gets hot fast. I have to agree with 9c1driver though, sounds like the relay or key up circuit is not working correctly, I know my amp whether on am or SSB the relay clicks in/out when I key/unkey the amp. May be time to send it off to a tech to have it looked at further. JMHO.
I looked at the relay and can hear it when it is enclosed it has a strong click I can see it open and close I can hear a fine hum when the key is held down. I am thinking I put to much power to it now with the info given I tried a new mobile with it in my home as I only use the amp on my base now. It was only a short time I may have ruined transistors ? Galaxy 939Peaked/Tuned Radio For Export Resale
HUGE FINAL BOARD PRO INSTALLED
BIG swing on this hotrod 'export' Galaxy 939
Offered here with extra's, This radio swings over 200 watts pep as shown.
RatsoW8
Supporting Member, W9WDX ARC Member - WD8T
Do you think I should get new transistors and hope for the best I can't find anyone in the area that will test or work on it what is the difference of a high drive and low drive amp and how do you get a radio to key lower one that is stock or doing a little better then stock not the Galaxy mentioned
There may be more damage than just the transistors. The amp itself will only produce 140-180 watts max on high. You put more watts into it than the amp is probably made to do cleanly. For an amp like that one a stock cobra 29 or uniden 980 would work fine. I have used a stock 980 with mine and it gets good reports even on SSB. For just AM use an older side mic cobra 29 would do well with that amp. Even a new one would do good. Just keep the dead key down and the pep wattage under 15-18 watts. Most single final rsdios will fit this category, whether export or not. But having it repaired may cost more than the amp is worth. Take some good close up pics from the front to back, there may be some visible damage. The trsnsistors need to be tested, but there are other components that some here may be able to point out to you with some good photos. Look on eBay for a similar one to get an idea of what a used one runs. Not sure what a new or newer one would cost but I would think about 150-250. Maybe cheaper if you get lucky. Good luck wih whatever you decide.
I have the amp in my home with a stock Washington base I got the Galaxy on Ebay the radio seem perfect for the vehicle no need for an amp ad said it was new working as it should in the description but was sold as not working for parts for 200 or best i offered 150 and he excepted so I was unsure if I was getting a working radio when I got it looked new no box paperwork mic or power cable so I hooked it up in the house off the base antenna with the amp inline showing my inexperience it was later when i used the base that I knew it wasn't right. I looked the amp over real good i didn't smell or see anything that looked burnt or distorted but thats as far as my limited skills go.
So I feel I may just be dumping money into replacing parts blindly. The two transistors are about 70 bucks . What do you feel work be a good replacement amp I have a 35 amp power supply that doesn't have anything else running on it just the amp .The amp I have was fine I just can't find it or identify online I am open to anything of quality I am not looking to throw money away but you get what you pay for and I have Learned a lesson!!!
Do you talk on both am and SSB? A good amp might be a tnt 350hd made by xforce. They draw right at 30 amps on SSB. They will do about 200-350 watts depending on the radio being used. They can take some pep wattage and you most likely won't need to turn the Washington down much to run one. Looking at the website it states up to 5 watts dead key and 120 watts pep Input. I have a sinilar amp and with my uniden pc122 on SSB I can get about 200 watts or a bit more out of mine. Texas star might be another you could look at. But the tnt350hd arent bad. They do well on both am and SSB. JMO.
Thanks for the help and suggestions I looked at both and went with the tnt350hd ordered and should be here in 3 days if it was needed how do you turn down a raido like my Washington and what is the difference between a low drive and hi amp
Differnce between low and high drive amps are more to do with the modulated pep power and a how much dead key it takes to get the amp to key at approx 1/4 of the total output. To turn down the dead key there are a few ways, add a tip120 which will give you variable dead key and still maintain full pep power or there is the cap and resistor mod which lowers the dead key of the radio to a certain level depending on be resistor used. The variable is the better route to go but is harder to do than the resistor and cap mod. personally I would leave your radio alone and try the new amp with the way the radio is currently setup. I will also say this, if you place the amp in line and the swr reading goes up you may have to play with different jumper lenghts, I have found in instances like this that a 9 or 12ft jumper works well. If it is long, just make large coils with it. Not saying this will happen, but it's possible. Your radio is stock so you shouldn't have any issue with just adding the amp and talking. They are good little amps. Anyway glad to hear you got a new toy coming now and like I said you should be a happy camper. Good day.