Texas star 667 trouble

[Klint]

Was using it the other night and it was working fine then all of a sudden it went out like you cut a switch off. Wasn’t using it long either, it was on maybe a minute or less before No lights , no relay clicking, no meter moving on its readout, nothing. It has 2 35 amp fuses, checked those with meter and were good. Is there any internal fuses under the cover or what do you guys think ? I haven’t pulled the cover yet, haven’t had time. Just wanted some input from y’all before I do. Thanks

 

[DoctorAudio]

I've seen people put in a side screw that's too long by the switches which shorts out to the board and burns a trace in two on the bottom side of the board.

 

[Klint]

Will look into that. It’s been where it is and working great for about a year. I will probably take it out this weekend and check it. Thanks

 

[DoctorAudio]

Check for 12 volts at the amp with it turned on. If there is no power and you have it in a vehicle with a wire going to the battery, check all the connections. If there is power, then take the lid off the amp to investigate.

 

[Klint]

Will do, thanks

 

[Klint]

Well just a follow up..... I got out there this morning and traced my power wire and to my forgetfulness . I had added a 30 amp inline fuse that was tucked away and hard to see and... wa....laaa...there it was a blown 30 amp. I just knew I had component go out when I checked the two 35 amp fuses and all were good at the linear.

 

[9C1Driver]

A 30 amp fuse will not work at all. What size wire did you use? You want a 70 amp fuse right at the battery and then the two in the amp protect you at that end.

 

[AudioShockwav]

I run a 60 amp fuse at the battery on my 500V.
I also bypassed the 2 fuse holders in the amp and went right to the board with 8 gauge wire.
I have had the internal fuse holders fail in the past with both the 500 and the 667V.
Now days I do not run it much over 400 watts and have never had a fuse blow.
The 667 is a current hog and makes a lot of heat.
With today's radios you really need to be careful of the drive levels running the 667 or things start cooking fast.
I would rather replace a fuse than Toshiba's.
73
Jeff

 

[Klint]

I run a 60 amp fuse at the battery on my 500V.
I also bypassed the 2 fuse holders in the amp and went right to the board with 8 gauge wire.
I have had the internal fuse holders fail in the past with both the 500 and the 667V.
Now days I do not run it much over 400 watts and have never had a fuse blow.
The 667 is a current hog and makes a lot of heat.
With today's radios you really need to be careful of the drive levels running the 667 or things start cooking fast.
I would rather replace a fuse than Toshiba's.
73
Jeff

No doubt about that, I’m driving it with a cobra 29 that has been peeked and tuned. DK is around 2 watts, swings around 10 or 12. Ive been told to keep the variable pot wide open to keep it from burning itself out. What do you think ?

 

[AudioShockwav]

Yes run the dial a watt full open.
That radio is ok at those levels, put a fan on it and you should be good.
Problems start when guys are running hot export radios into the 667.
At that point a 500 is a better choice.
Have fun.

73
Jeff

 

[Klint]

Yes run the dial a watt full open.
That radio is ok at those levels, put a fan on it and you should be good.
Problems start when guys are running hot export radios into the 667.
At that point a 500 is a better choice.
Have fun.

73
Jeff

Thanks

 

[ExitThirteen]

On both of my 667V's, I bypassed the two fuseholders and installed a single inline fuseholder on the positive lead going to the power supply (since I run them on a base radio). I run 18W PEP SSB into them and I just run it on low with the variable wide open (which is also my recommendation, BTW... run the variable wide open). I also run a fan kit on mine and the amp is ran upside down so the warm air rises up off the heatsink, and the fan exhausts heat up off the heatsink as well. The amp doesn't even get warm to the touch even after I yack on it for a couple hours.



~Cheers~

 

[AudioShockwav]

This radio is on the patio in case I hear dx.
Running at 350/400 watt level on SSB, this setup has served me well for many years.


73
Jeff

 

[Klint]

On both of my 667V's, I bypassed the two fuseholders and installed a single inline fuseholder on the positive lead going to the power supply (since I run them on a base radio). I run 18W PEP SSB into them and I just run it on low with the variable wide open (which is also my recommendation, BTW... run the variable wide open). I also run a fan kit on mine and the amp is ran upside down so the warm air rises up off the heatsink, and the fan exhausts heat up off the heatsink as well. The amp doesn't even get warm to the touch even after I yack on it for a couple hours.

View attachment 42574

~Cheers~

I know a lot of people prefer the 500 over the 667, but since my 29 is really not driving that much , therefore is the reason I went with 667. I figured I could get more with the 667 since it has a driver built in.

 

[nomadradio]

I figured I could get more

Ah, the myth of "a little more".

When the 667 breaks, consider that the 500 tends to last longer. Cheaper to own, on the whole.

And the very-minimum power increase (or decrease) that will be noticed at all on the other end of the conversation is two-to-one.

If the 667 would get you twice the power of the 500 model, you could barely justify this.

But the additional 15 or 20 percent boost of that driver comes up way, way short of doubling the power.

If you put the 667 and a 500 in line with a switch, and compared them that way you would find that nobody could tell much if any difference.

The S-meter on the radio at the other end does not behave like the wattmeter at your end.

73