TEXAS STAR 500 AND POWER SUPPLY

[Sonar]

What's wrong with it?

 

[Sonar]

What's wrong with it?

I love mine, also, but it's taking up too much room on my bench. I have very limited space so it needs to go.

 

[Greg T]

What's wrong with it?

There is a switch on the back of the unit for cutting the driver stage in and out. With the drivers operating, you can feed it up to 10 watts. With the drivers disabled you can drive from 11 to 100 watts. The guy I sold it to either swapped switches, OR it was damaged in shipping and he wouldn't help me prepare a claim, just wanted his money back. So, that switch needs to be replaced.

 

[walterjn]

What's the difference between the 500V, and 500?
In all honesty is rather buy new.
If there's a advantage to owning (running) a 500 over the 500V I might concider purchasing a 500.
Since the amps I own were out of production when I pitched them I had no choice but to buy second hand.

The non variable version has 4 set power levels, as far as I can tell the variable version has 2 set power levels & then 2 with the variable pot to change things up ( I have never played with one before so I am not positive). The 4 standard power levels are Max (power button lit), high (power and am buttons lit), med (power and SSB buttons lit), and low (power, am, & SSB buttons lit). On SSB you get 2 power levels, low and med, am you get all 4. The nice thing about the standard version is that you do not have to worry about the variable pot failing.

 

[Tokin]

As soon as i get this dx1600 back from a rework ill be shelving my 300a also. I just had it refurbished top to bottom by a member here back in January and it works flawlessly. I also have a stickman 4 pill that was also reworked this last spring by another member here. I have no clue what im going to do with that so thats on the back up shelf with my little silver streak 2x mrf455 box. I've got another 300a that needs to be worked on. Its in great shape cosmetically and never been in a smoking enviroment. Very very clean inside. Hv board needs rebuilt and if i had it my way id have it totally refurbished like my other.
Back to topic, Sonar, have you contemplated having one built to your specs? I have 2 transformers capable of 50a each id be willing to send your way if that would be of any help.

 

[Ranch55]

In your opinion the 75 amp PS should be sufficient?

Yes, absolutely.
The 75MV will handle a Texas Star 500V with leg room to spare, which is exactly what you want.
Been running two setups like that for several years.
The 500V can pull up to 62~65 amps when driving it hard.
Keep it nominal and you are good to go.

 

[Ranch55]

Well, guys. I don't know how that could be because the 500V has a 45A fuse inside that doesn't blow when the amp is used correctly. If these people are pulling 62 amps I would have to say they beating the piss out of it.
Take a look HERE:

Negative ........
The Texas Star DX 500V amplifier has two - 30 amp fuses, connected in parallel, which will give you 60 amps of protection ........

 

[Greg T]

Negative ........
The Texas Star DX 500V amplifier has two - 30 amp fuses, connected in parallel, which will give you 60 amps of protection ........

HHhmmmm............ something is strange. I ordered a 500 from Delta and when I was asking about them I was told there was one 45A fuse. Which is rather irrelevant anyway because I'm going to do the power wire upgrade and bypass the fuses. I have a 70A inline going into the power cord.

 

[Shadetree Mechanic]

Hey Sonar,
I am not sure what output you would get with the drive you will be using. Can anyone tell us how much drive it takes to get rated power on a 500v? I am thinking you might be around 300w with the drive you have, but I have never had a 500v so I don't know for sure. Maybe the 667v would be better, I don't know.
Chris

 

[Greg T]

What they told me when I was on the phone with Delta, is that max 4 watt deadkey nets 200 dead key out and 500 pep modulated. SSB is max 20 watt pep and nets 500 watts pep.

 

[Tokin]

What they told me when I was on the phone with Delta, is that max 4 watt deadkey nets 200 dead key out and 500 pep modulated. SSB is max 20 watt pep and nets 500 watts pep.

Did they say at what voltage and whether that was into a dummy load or antenna?

 

[Greg T]

Did they say at what voltage and whether that was into a dummy load or antenna?

I didn't ask, but they DID mention NOT to volt these 500s. They are stating 14 volts MAX. Then I asked if this was a true mobile because some auto mfgs are still using 14.4 to 15 volts. The tech told me that was a "nominal figure". So, I don't know what they mean. He did say the newer TS models are not as friendly with high volts as the older ones. So, I'm guessing the chinese transistors are sensitive to over-volting. I would say 14.5 would be safe as cars are using that nominal figure. I assumed he was referring to a dummy load. I believe anything tested in the factory would be such.

 

[Ranch55]

What they told me when I was on the phone with Delta, is that max 4 watt deadkey nets 200 dead key out and 500 pep modulated. SSB is max 20 watt pep and nets 500 watts pep.

Yes, that is about what you would see .....

 

[Ranch55]

I didn't ask, but they DID mention NOT to volt these 500s. They are stating 14 volts MAX. Then I asked if this was a true mobile because some auto mfgs are still using 14.4 to 15 volts. The tech told me that was a "nominal figure". So, I don't know what they mean. He did say the newer TS models are not as friendly with high volts as the older ones. So, I'm guessing the chinese transistors are sensitive to over-volting. I would say 14.5 would be safe as cars are using that nominal figure. I assumed he was referring to a dummy load. I believe anything tested in the factory would be such.

Yes, as I have posted earlier, 14~14.5 vdc is a good nominal supply to operate the Texas Star 500 amps.
All of their testing is done on a dummy load.
The Texas Star manufacturer does not do any testing at all on an antenna.
This information is straight from the manufacturer.

 

[Ranch55]

HHhmmmm............ something is strange. I ordered a 500 from Delta and when I was asking about them I was told there was one 45A fuse. Which is rather irrelevant anyway because I'm going to do the power wire upgrade and bypass the fuses. I have a 70A inline going into the power cord.

Unless the design has been recently changed, (very, very recently) and I doubt that it has, the TS 500V amps still have two 30 amp fuses in parallel in fuse holders installed into the back of the amplifier.
I always remove those when I perform a power wire upgrade.