AMERITRON ALS-606, Instruction Manual

Page: 10 / 44

Version 0A 10
Operation
Before attempting operation:
This amplifier is optimized for 50-ohm loads. Be sure your antenna system 50-ohm
SWR is as low as possible. As SWR increases from 1:1, either heat or distortion will
increase.
Be sure your antenna system, including any switches, baluns, matching circuits, or
lighting protection devices, are in good condition and will safely handle high power.
Connectors, cables, and antennas must not have loose connections or insulation
failure issues.
Your exciter must be adjustable to significantly less than 100-watts output. Start at 50
watts maximum drive power and increase or decrease drive to reach desired power.
Do not exceed 25 amperes or 600 watts, and do not drive into non-linearity on SSB. A
trapezoid scope pattern is recommended for drive adjustment. Overdriving results in an
excessively wide signal, and overdriving can damage the amplifier.
Power mains should be reasonably stable and match power supply voltage wiring.
The low pass filters cut off just above the traditional primary amateur bands. A primary
band’s filter is used on the next lower WARC band. For example, the 20-meter low
pass filter is used on 30 meters. Some radios do not supply enough band data to know
the exact band. With these radios, amplifier band data displays the
next higher
primary band above the radio’s WARC band. If you are using such a radio, do not be
alarmed if 15 meters illuminates when the radio is on 17 meters. This is still the correct
filter.
The amplifier will automatically attempt to reduce power if it appears thermal limits will
be reached.
The amplifier will shut off with an incorrect band selection, high antenna SWR (even for
an instant), if safe thermal limits are reached, or with catastrophic failures.
The ALS-606 reads peak envelope power on forward and reflected RF power scales.
Alerts
This amplifier has front panel alert codes using the SWR, PA, TX, warning LED’s and
bandswitch band indicators. When a fault code appears, the amplifier is disabled. When
an operating problem is corrected, operation is restored and alerts canceled by moving
the front panel Standby/Operate switch to
Standby .