QCX 50W Power Amp - TX LED


Eduardo
 

Just finished build the 20m amplifier. DC Connected - 16V.

The green led lights up fully. but the red led also lights up but more faint.

Applied 5V to T/R switch and red led lights up fully. No RF applied until now. DC bias done correctly.

Owners of this amp, Is it normal to have the red led  lighted up in receive mode ? or .....trouble ahead ?

No RF applied until now.

Eduardo



Bojan Naglic
 

Hi,
The red LED should be off when in RX.
I would check (replace) the Q6 and eventually Q5.

73 Bojan S53DZ


timo.vandermerwe@...
 

Hi Eduardo,
There should be "No red light" on RX.  
Check all die diodes for correct orientation and makes sure that you reflow them.
Check T2 that you have connected it correctly.  It is quite easy to get the connections wrong - I have done that previously, and that creates all kinds of problems.
73


Eduardo
 

Hi, Bojan and Timo,
Many thanks for your sugestions, next weekend i will try them.
For now i'm suspecting of Q6, i will start there.

73's Eduardo


Eduardo
 

Hi, 
Done a dirty job, but it did worked.
Now the TX Led is working normally.
Didn't want to disassembly the board, so i cut Q5 wires with a wire cutter and soldered new BS170 in the wires left in the board.
Clean work will be done in a future incident where i really need to take the board apart...replace power transistors, for ex.
Q5 was toasted, dont know why. DOA  ?
By the way, the amp is setup for 17m accordingly to Bojan published values.
Next week i will perform RF TX tests, i will publish it.
Again many thanks Bojan and Timo.

73's Eduardo