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Homebrew amp with a dowkey relay question

Feb 22, 2011
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Hello, I have a homebrew amplifier that has a dowkey relay in it that was setup with a heathkit 2 piece separate transmitter/receiver that uses 2 separate coaxs. Is there a way to adapt the amp/dowkey relay to be able to use a single coaxed 10 meter transceiver unit on it? Any help would be greatly appreciated. "313"
 

It might be possible, but what would you be gaining? The transceiver already has a changeover system that switches the antenna between receive and transmit ... at least it should.

Those Dow-Key relays were designed for a station using a separate transmitter and receiver with one antenna. It was the "changeover system", and if it had the auxiliary contacts and if your receiver was compatible, it would mute the receiver to keep it from overloading.

I wouldn't use the Dow-Key unless you go with separates.
 
Pat (Beetle) I'm thinking he wants to use the amp with a "10m radio" but the amp has no bypass feature to allow the antenna to be connected to the radio in RX mode. The existing relay is most likely a single pole double throw type to simply switch the antenna from receiver to output of the amp and in order to do what the OP wants to do he wouold need a DPDT or double pole double throw type to bypass the amp in RX mode. 313 can you give us a model number of the relay or post a picture or even just tell us how many ports the relay has. A DPDT relay which you would need has a total of six ports and a SPST has just three ports.
 
here ya go

here ya go
 

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Is there another RF connector hidden from view? (This is the first of the Dow-Key series with Type N connectors I've ever seen. I knew they made them; just haven't seen one before).
 
That's what I was afraid of. that relay won't handle both antenna and amplifier switching. You would need either two of them or a relay that is basically two of them on one frame like this.

ff4f_35.JPG
 
dowkey

it is sitting on the other one which is also the same type connector. if it needs a dpdt relay it would be a pl-259 type because thats what the radio and the amplifier itself has. "313"
 
Garth - don't know if you knew this, but where we in the Western world use "dit" and "dah" when verbalizing Morse code, the Japanese use "toh" and "tsu", respectively.

A "Tohtsu" relay therefore translates as "A" - and according to some JA friends of mine, it's a reflection of the high quality of the product!
 
Garth - don't know if you knew this, but where we in the Western world use "dit" and "dah" when verbalizing Morse code, the Japanese use "toh" and "tsu", respectively.

A "Tohtsu" relay therefore translates as "A" - and according to some JA friends of mine, it's a reflection of the high quality of the product!

(y) I knew Tohtsu relays were high quality but I didn't know that bit of trivia behind the name. Ill have to remember that the next time I'm in Japan. :D
 
Yeah - the Japanese equivalent of "CQ" would be "TSUtohTSUtoh TSUTSUtohTSU". It's a bit of relearning for the tongue and such.

Learn a little "wabun" (Japanese Morse-style code where each sound pattern is a SYLLABLE rather than just a letter). They get really impressed!

313 - sorry to hijack the thread :oops:.
 
R.F. relays are cheap and all over ebay rright now. You can parallel coils and use more than one verses an expensive JA ditditditdit dit dit one.
 

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