Why not buy a SPDT relay from radios shack and connect the relay coil from the + 12 out on the radio to the relay and the cold end of the coil to the radio key line. Then connect the N/O relay contacts to the amplifier. No battery, key any voltage and the relay only cost under $2.00.

HRO in Denver has a AL-82 for under $1400.

I am going to jump into the fray on the TS-590. The audio is flawed. It is OK by FM repeater standards but not the level of clarity, distortion  and dynamic range you find on the higher prices radios. I had the the TS-590 for abut two weeks and try as I must it never approached the dynamic range and clarity of other radios in that price range.

The  radio is fine if you are loading into a dipole/vertical. Run and amplifier and a mono-bander up high and your signal in now 30 dB higher. The audio artifices now can be heard. I might add when you look at the signal on a spectrum analyze it spreads out pretty quickly at -35 dBC from peak carrier.

 "All the books, articles, and advice I have received over the years uniformly condemns long CQ calls as unnecessary, wasteful of band space, and is a poor operating practice.  Almost cast as a mortal sin.  Yet, I have also heard 160 is a totally unique band with its own rules and procedures.  So maybe I will get out my programable keyer and toss out some long ones and see what happens."

I don't know why a CQ waste band space. You would be using the bandspace in a QSO so what is the difference? Also I hear hams calling CQ like they are in a repeater...CQ CQ and there call. Then they listen for 15-20 seconds. No one knows you are trying to start a QSO if you are listening. You need to call CQ for about 30-40 seconds. On the higher band I also give my location so they can turn their antennas in my direction. Not the case on 80-160 meters.

One of the problems with higher voltage on a transceiver is the output transistors are directly connected to the DC power source. When the voltage is raised on the power transistors the gain of the device also increases. The power dissipation  increases and in the case of power across the output impedance the power output goes up by the square of the voltage divided into the termination impedance.

Increasing the voltage from 13.8 to 15.7 VDC can increase the output wattage by 28%. Your output wattage was designed by the manufacture to provide normal margins of safety for temperature, surge conditions and don’t forget VSWR from other than perfect loads.  Transistors unlike tubes are very sensitive to VSWR reflection voltage. If the transistor breakdown voltage is exceeded they pop. It has often been said transistor protect fuses.

Many manufactures make charge /pump regulators for solar cell systems. You can see these units at Tessco webs site. These regulators are multi stage units and will condition the battery charging, not only to properly charge the battery but limit current to the battery when they are properly charged. I don’t know the model unit you are using but the 15.5 volt equalize voltage is used about once a month to keep all the cells in the AGM battery exercised so the cells don’t sulfate. This overcharge level is low current and if you were to transmit the load current would drag the voltage down to the normal cell voltage and the battery would be under 14 VDC.

LED lights don’t emit any RFI. It is the power supply that is pulse modulating the LED that is generating the radio interference. A led light has a narrow window going from dark to full brilliance. By pulse modulation and varying the plus width the average brilliance can be efficiently varied. I an effort to provide the most efficient light the pulse shape is very square which generates lots of RFI due to its fast rise time.

Probably most of the RFI is being radiated in the house wiring. You might try some snap on RF beads where the wiring goes into the light socket.

Do you have CC7R's?

Why not just buy male connectors and put a short jumper in the connectors to short the center connector to the outside shell.

If your signal is just above the noise level at the other hams location 6 dB is a big deal.

If your signal is 30 dB over S9 at the other hams location they probably wont notice the difference.

Most hams have a high noise level operating from the city or the burbs. I have noticed when I call CQ at 100 watts my return rate is about 50%. When I cal CQ at 1200 watts four to six stations on average return the CQ call.

Running a 240 volt 30 amp line to your shack is no big deal. Don't let that be the basis to make your decision.

Pulse Rated tubes have greater spacing from the cathode to the anode. This enables the design to run higher voltage on the anode for higher pulse wattage out of the tube. The wattage dissipation still has to be within tube specifications. Along as the duty cycle is pulse and the output dissipation is within tube specification the tube will last. I SSB mode the duty cycle is between 20-30%. Most pulse rated tubes are ceramic such as the 3CPX800A7 and the CPX1500A7. As a result some amplifier designs run higher anode voltage with the pulse rated tubes for increased output on CW or SSB. Key down dissipation is still the same.

In an amplifier designed for a set voltage like the AL-80B, no advantage is made by switching to pulse rated tubes. Your anode voltage has not increased.  On the down side pulse rated tubes generally require more drive due to the increased anode to cathode distance. Switching to a pulse rated tube could actually result in lower power output.

Also tubes don't see high spike current in a RF amplifier or DC service. In a pulse application the tube is still a sine wave conduction times the number of sine waves given the duration of the pulse. Depending on the class of service A, AB or C or other the tank circuit will complete the sine wave with what is call the flyback effeect.You cannot pull 10 amps out of a tube designed for 1 amp of service with out greatly increasing the anode voltage. Then you run into Anode Cathode break down voltage.

It's not the coax. Radiation directly from the antenna is your problem. distance is the only thing that wil help.

What bands are you wanting to operate?

I don't believe the CEO of HRO is a ham.

I am using solder paste that is 20 years old. Put the lid on tight and it will last forever.

The capacitor on each side of the main  AC switch is a 470 pF cap/ 250 volt. It is used for RF bypass.