Basic operation with any transceiver – Elecraft KXPA100 Manual User Manual
Page 30
30
Basic Operation with any Transceiver
The following instructions assume that your transceiver is connected to the KXPA100 amplifier as shown in
Figure 5 on page 18. If you are using a KX3 with the KX3 to KXPA100 Adapter Cable connected as shown in
Figure 3 on page 14, refer to Operation with the KX3 using the KX3 to KXPA100 Adapter Cable on page 24.
ALC Adjustment: If your transceiver adjusts RF output power in steps greater than 0.1 watt, the
KXPA100 Automatic Level Control (ALC) circuit must be adjusted to provide the correct output power.
See Adjusting the KXPA ALC on page 46
Initial Basic Operation Settings
On the KXPA100, set the
3 dB ATTEN
switch as follows:
o
Set the switch to
OUT/AUTO
if the driving transceiver is not capable of more than 5 watts
output.
o
Set the
3 dB ATTEN
switch to
IN
when using the amplifier with any other transceiver capable of
more than 5 watts output. Never apply more than 10 watts of RF drive to the KXPA100 at any
time, even with the
3 dB ATTEN
switch set to
IN
.
Switch the KXPA100
OFF/ON
switch to
ON
. The
ON
LED will light. The
ATT LED
will light if you
have the
3 dB ATTEN
switch set to
IN
.
Connect a 50-ohm dummy load or antenna feed line that presents an SWR of less than 1.5:1 to the
active KXPA100
ANT
connector. If you have the optional KXAT100 ATU, the
ANT 1 or ANT 2 LED
will light indicating which antenna connector is active and the
Man MODE
LED will light. If you do not
have the KXAT100 ATU installed use the
ANT 1
connector. Hold the KXAT100
AN T
switch to change
the selection. Be sure you have a suitable load attached to the active antenna connector.
Amplifier Basic Operation
Fault Conditions: If the
Fault
LED on the KXPA100 front panel lights, refer to Faults on
page 32 for a description and remedy.
Apply about 2 watts of RF drive to the KXPA100:
Transmit Mode: The
TX LED
on the amplifier front panel will light indicating that it is in transmit
mode. (If the LED does not light, the amplifier remains in receive mode and the RF drive simply passes
through. Check the KEY line connections and make sure your transceiver is pulling the KEY line to
ground on transmit.)
Band Switching: The amplifier senses the frequency of the RF drive and automatically changes to the
correct band.