LINEAR AMPLIFIER INTERFACING

What should be "simple" is simply misunderstood

by many, if not most hams.

 

Most transceivers have a back-panel connection for keying a linear amplifier.

Most amplifiers have a back panel for connecting to the transceiver.

So why can't we just connect them together and expect them to work?

What all can go wrong if we get it wrong?

 

ANSWERS:

  • You can blow up the keying circuit in the transceiver the first time you try to key the amp.
  • You can burn the relay contacts in the Amp's T/R relay.
  • You can damage the tube(s) or transistors in you Amplifier.
  • You may be causing key klicks across the band when working CW.
  • Any combination of the above.

 

In the past I have created two pages on related topics.  Recently I created a page on CW AMP Sequencing.  I have bundled all three pages together here under the common topic of AMP INTERFACING.

 

Even if you do not work CW, I suggest you read that page because it has a lot of useful information for learning about the differences in different models of linear amplifiers.

 

Here are the three pages:

  1. CW AMP Sequencing
  2. Linear Amp Relays
  3. QSK Realities