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DOCNUMBER 8410
Document Issue 1.1
August 2015
Page 3–3
RKR Designs LLC
Alpha 8410 Linear Amplifier User Manual
Preparing Your Station
Support the coax frequently using noncompressive clips so that it does not
hang or stretch under its own weight. Avoid sharp or kinked bends (most
manufacturers specify a minimum bend radius for their product).
Ensure that the connection from feed line to antenna is waterproof.
Provide for disconnection of the feed line when it is not in use. This
protects against damage caused by wind static and lightning strikes,
which are not covered under the amplifier warranty.
The importance of a well-constructed feed-line system cannot be
overstated. The purpose of the amplifier is to provide approximately 2 S
units (12+ dB) of improvement in your radiated signal. Cheap, poor, or
underrated coax and connectors can degrade performance by at least one
S unit. (This means that you could have bought a 375-W amplifier and
achieved the same radiated signal by buying good-quality feed-line
components!) Never use old coax, which may have had moisture
penetrate under the jacket.
NOTE:
The FCC requires users to check their installations for
compliance with published values for allowable exposure to RF fields.
This information is available in ARRL publications, FCC printed rules,
and on the web. We strongly recommend that you do this for any
installation, both fixed and at an expedition or contest site.
If you have any questions regarding engineering your amplifier into
your amateur radio station, go to
www.rksdesignsllc.com
and click
Support
.
Step 5
Provide surge protection.
Induced energy from nearby electrical storms or other power transients
may damage amplifier components.
Such damage is not covered under
warranty.
It is therefore important to use a good lightning arrestor.
However the only lightning-proof solution available is to disconnect
antenna feedlines and AC power when the equipment is not in use.
NOTE:
Whenever the amplifier is online — either off, on standby
(STBY), or warming up with the WAIT LED lighted — the amplifier is
bypassed and the exciter is connected directly to the antenna. For
SWR = 1:1, the throughput limit in all cases is 500 W. For a higher
SWR, the power level should be reduced accordingly. Any power level
higher than this may damage the RF switching relays in the amplifier.
