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The K2LIM contest station had an experience once where we had a sudden change in VSWR on an antenna array. Of course the amplifier protected itself and went into “GRID OVLD”. At some point later, one of the operators tried to diagnose the antenna problem by operating the amplifier at a slightly reduced power level. While this troubleshooting was taking place, I was outside and casually looked up at the input to the power divider which fed the problem four antenna array and I saw what appeared to be a plasma welding arc being emitted (through four layers of premium quality electrical tape) at the feed point of the power divider. (The female connection on the power divider was not the same type as the male end on the hardline so an adapter was used. The adapter which we had used was not up to this task. Needless to say, the adapter was destroyed.
Personal observations:
The robust Lunar-Link LA-22 not only survived this encounter with inadequate materials in the feed line but it also protected itself.
Secondly: Believe what the instruction manual says about the use of proper cabling and connectors in your system. The same can be said about antenna switches and your antenna (VSWR / Power) metering. But…that’s another story.
Here is a picture of the “weak link” adaptor:
Joel Harrison W5ZN says “As a Single-Op and Multi-Op VHF contest winner, Lunar-Link amplifiers are the work horse components of the W5ZN 144, 222 and 432 MHz contest and EME stations. These amplifiers continuously provide full power under heavy load conditions during intense operating times. They are highly recommended for any operating activity requiring high power demand.”
Manitou Systems Inc. is a global supplier of high power radio frequency (RF) generators, high voltage DC plasma generators , microwave power system products and, plasma processing tools specifically designed for industrial and scientific applications.