Adding direct key to to a 12V amp... eg texas star, etc.

[drgrant]

Anyone know where I have to tap into? Back in the day I used to have a tech that would do this for me for about 10 bucks an amp. Basically he'd drill a hole in the back, put an RCA jack on it, and then would tie the center pin to a leg of some transistor in the amp. This would make the amp key. Need this because SSB delay sucks and I like to control all my amps with keying relays, etc.

-Mike

 

[nomadradio]

I started to shoot a picture, and decided it would be hard to capture the desired detail clearly.

Find the black diode that's against the rear face of the relay itself. The end of the diode that's nearest the outside edge of the circuit board (outboard end) has a white band on that end of the diode.

The NOT banded (other) end of the diode is where you attach the wire that goes to the center pin of your RCA socket. The foil trace for this part of the circuit is big enough to just lap-solder the end of the wire to that, rather than try to wrap it around one leg of that diode.

Should be all you need.

If the radio has a keying jack to hook the other end of the keying cable.

73

 

[drgrant]

Thanks, this at least gives me something to go off of when I get the amp.

-Mike