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PROBLEM DESCRIPTION
POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
Everything appears normal, but
there is no RF power
1. Wait a few more seconds, MAX PRO 5000 series exciters need about 10 seconds
to get their power to full
2. Maybe one of the alarms was triggered and power was reduced, try to power off
and power back on, whenever an alarm is triggered power may be reduced until you
power off and back on
RF output power is too low
1. Check the power limit jumper J12
2. Maybe one of the alarms was triggered and power was reduced, try to power off
and power back on, whenever an alarm is triggered power may be reduced until you
power off and back on
3. Find out which alarm was triggered, maybe your unit is over-heating or your
antenna (SWR) may be way off. Let the unit cool off and ensure proper cooling in
the future. Perhaps you adjusted TEMP ALARM or another alarm too low, set it
slightly higher.
4. Exciter may not give full 15W/25W or 40W when you use a supply voltage of less
than 15V.
LCD display keeps showing
TEMP/SWR error warning
1. Unit is probably over-heating or your antenna is faulty. Let the unit cool off and
ensure proper cooling in the future. Perhaps you adjusted TEMP ALARM too low,
set it slightly higher.
2. It is very likely that your antenna is not working correctly, check cable and check
SWR. You may need to adjust SWR ALARM slightly higher (but first make sure
your antenna and cable are OK).
Audio too quiet/loud
1. Open or close the modulation trimmer on MAX PRO 50XX+ exciter board a
little bit.
2. Increase or decrease level on your audio source a little bit, start using software or
hardware compressor
Audio too loud
Close the modulation trimmer on MAX PRO 50XX+ exciter board a little bit.
Audio without any treble
Set pre-emphasis to either 50uS or 75uS. If you’re using stereo model, enable pre-
emphasis there (see manual for stereo encoder module , SE5000 or SE3000).
Unit blows fuses and draws
excessive current
You have managed the impossible: You have burned the output transistor. You've
probably tried to squeeze out more output power by using higher supply voltage
above 15V or even changing the bias current. It is time to order a replacement final
transistor and get the soldering iron. Next time think twice about doing these things.
Power supply is blinking
Probably the same thing as above. Blinking power supply means its protection is
shutting it off and back on, probably due to excessive current draw caused by
burned final.
Audio distortion on high peaks,
for example on “s” sound.
Your audio input level is slightly too high, reduce input audio level slightly at your
audio source. Use some kind of compressor to remove over-modulation peaks.
There is HUM in audio
- Move antenna as far away from the transmitter and audio gear as possible
- Use balanced audio inputs (XLR audio connectors) rather than RCA (for your
stereo encoder, SE5000 and SE3000 have XLR inputs)
- Make sure SWR is low
- Did you miss the part about metal enclosure? Put your unit in enclosure!!
- Keep audio cables short and away from antenna and RF coaxial cable
- Form a coil from coaxial cable going to the antenna, make a few turns. This stops