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One theoretical question :)

NODENS

Member
Aug 2, 2018
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Hi mates, i have seen serveral videos from some channels that i follow in youtube about cb radios repairs and i'm observing one power modification i can understand but im not sure about potential risk.

A sample in min 19 more or less in that video:

What i can see (i believe): that tech, is modifying the capacitive divider at final stage :
upload_2020-10-9_14-8-44.png

I understand that playing with those values, you can decide wich amount of signal is going to antenna jack, being possible to take it up or down (depending capacitors values).

My question is, what can be the risk for the rig doing such thing? I dont have any unit that i can actually play with it and test how impacts it.

Kind regards and thx :)
 
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Well, you know Xc - is frequency dependent, so Larger values of C, you'd think that it would PASS larger values of the Frequency of choice.

Same can be applied for divider networks for Tank circuits. You have to meet the output of the Final correctly - in order to "load up" the output Tank, and then that "tank" has to meet with the output PI filter networks and then appear as a 50 ohm unbalanced load ready to be coupled to a reactive antenna load.

In the Bipolar realm, you have a wide variance of power levels and their appearance as a reactive (Read this as Conjugate) impedance change into the Tank Circuit. IF you didn't get it right, the easiest way to tell was that "Backwards swing" you'd have on the meters. So you turned the inductance slug to better meet the transfer admittance into the output network.

So it bears to mention that if you wish to couple any MOSFET to an output network and provide the proper filtering let alone the swing in characteristic impedance from it's output - then yes, you'd need to IDEALIZE the tank circuit to allow the best power transfer into the output network. It's not a Bipolar response, its' MOSFET and similar to a Tube tank design than a Bipolar one.

I can see why they do this, to offset the older Bipolar rework and provide better power transfer - but there is a cost in several ways on this approach.

You don't get something for nothing...

Losses in power transfer because of larger values of C give you a "Resistor Divider" effect - where your power output is HALVED the closer in values the two Xc's are approaching each other.

This can work in your favor when it comes to power level averaging to provide a better admittance window into the next stage - like a larger amplifier of greater Gain.

This was one of many problems with driving Analog, Linear, BJT amps with MOSFET designs - they literally CAN - SPIKE the input of the amp with PEP's that exceeded their input window or Safe Operation Area. (SOA)​

Another hit comes from the Admittance losses, the reflection hit - against the preceding Output power stage, if it's not idealized, the power transfer isn't fully completed, some losses are incurred as heat and power dissipation - but a vector of power is caused by the miss-match - that can endanger the previous stages ability to provide power without getting blown up in the process.(High SWR mis-match in coupling of the two stages).

In using this - you lose a power curve swing for say, SSB use, but you need to also look at this as Reciprocal, this may help SAVE the Finals from the poor Miss-Match from a poorly loaded antenna that will place - return as, reactive elements in the system, CMC onto Harmonics reflected power that needs to be sent somewhere before it strikes the Final.

IMO...
 
A very tiny "basic concept" I feel compelled to throw in here.....

X (reactance) is frequency dependent and is different for caps and coils.

X(c) = 1/ ( 2 * pi * freq * capacitance)

X(l) = ( 2 * pi * freq * inductance)

The most important thing to "develop a feel for" is......

Since, in the case of a capacitor, the capacitance AND frequency are in the DENOMINATOR of the fraction... as EITHER one goes UP....the reactance (ohms) goes DOWN. As either one gets smaller.... the reactance goes UP. This is an inverse relationship!

For a given capacitor, if you raise the frequency, you drop the reactance in ohms and vice versa.

For a given frequency, if you raise the capacitance, you drop the reactance in ohms and vice versa.

So, in a way, for RF !!!!!, you can think of them as resistances/impedances that vary with the frequency.

Exact opposite for chokes/coils. if the frequency OR the inductance goes UP then the reactance in ohms goes UP. If frequency or inductance go DOWN the reactance in ohms goes DOWN. This is a direct relationship.

If you get your head around this, you can develop a "quicker feel" for how these parts will behave.

(Handy Andy, in NO WAY was this an attempt to step on your posting. Just adding a little "point of view" that I am hoping might help the OP.
 

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