Hello,
Hit the Easy button. determine the diameter plug you need. Go to the local Fastenal, They can have it in a couple of days. They have local metal shops in all areas. OR McMaster-Carr, They have some of everything.

Good luck,

73 Milo W4MLO

Hello,
I also have recently purchased a SB 1000. As-is. It showed up with a new in the box Eimac 3-500z and a blown bias zener. The correct 10w zener is readily available. I would think about replacing the rigged board w/ the correct part considering the cost of the 3-500z. I have done much research before buying the SB 1000 and have found that it is a very solid amp as designed when built properly. Make sure you check for cold joints especially around the bandswitch, mine had solder resin that had dripped down on the lower contacts. Bring it up to power slowly the first time out and make sure there is no arcing in the loading cap.

Good Luck and enjoy it!

73 Milo W4MLO

The really smart thing to do would be to put a sub panel to feed your entire shack from this circuit. If it is a 4 wire just buy a $30 sub panel and feed it directly, if it is a 3 wire just run a same size ground back to the main panel routed with the existing wire. perfectly legal and proper. This way you can run all of your shack from it and have local breakers when needed.

You will love the SB 1000, I do

Good luck,

73 Milo W4MLO

Thanks for the quality info Allen. I will follow the original build instructions for the replacement and testing.

The new tube is being shipped seperately, thanks I  had that covered.

I do understand the issues working the Hv in the amp...I am certified by Dupont to install and test HV gear and systems to 44Kv so I hope I can handle this! lol

I appreciate all of the replies and will consider this one closed until we go thru it and fire it up.

Thanks again to all,

73 Milo W4MLI

Thanks for the reply Steve,
I bought it off ebay. The defect was described as a bad grounding "transistor", It is being shipped w/ a new 3-500z so I suspect it is actually something around the tube. Thanks for the heads up on the caps, all things considered it can't be THAT old. I have a good friend/Elmer that is an excellent tech to help walk me through the repair but he has never owned one of these. Does this amp need a soft start added?

Thanks and 73
Milo W4MLO

Thanks for the reply Micheal,
I have cousins in Ventura County, I have been there several times(most recently 1983) and I have great memories of riding Motorcycles with Malcome Smith and Paul Neuman in 1974 at Indian Dunes, going to the motorcycle races at the Ventura County fairgrounds, and deep sea fishing on a converted PT boat out of Port Hueneme(?). The first ATM I ever saw was in Oxnard in 1977! We even took my cousin Jim Estes's dune buggy up the coast to Pismo Beach!

The info on the W8JI web site is very generic. What I am hoping for is the specific idiocincricies(?) of the SB 1000 and the SA2060A tuner. As I stated my exciter is an Icom 746 Pro, keyed w/ an Ameritron 704 Keyer.

Thanks again and 73
Milo W4MLO

Hello,
I have just purchased my first amp, a SB-1000 that needs a minor repair(I hope, lol). It will be coupled with a sweet 2060A tuner. Aside from the expected issues with replacing caps and having it gone through by my local trusted tech,is there any advice you can give me? I have purchased an Ameritron 704 universal amp keyer to interface w/ my Icom 746 pro. Are there any upgrades I should make to it? Including protecting it from my lack of amp experience and/or to add protection circuits for feedline shorts, inrush current, operating tips, etc? Any constructive comments are greatly appreciated.

73 Milo W4MLO

Thanks for the reply Jeff,
I agree cheap insurance. The Heathkit store is out of stock on their univ. keyer but I bought an Ameritron 704 today. I think they are basicly identical. Now if I can just get through all of the soft start and protection issues.

Thanks,

73 Milo W4MLO

Hello Amp Elmers,
I have just purchased and am waiting arrival of my first amp, a clean Heath SB-1000. I have read much about soft starts, trip circuits, interfaces, and input matching to modern solid state rigs, not using the RF power control on the rig for amp output control,...MY HEAD IS SPINNING!!

After having the local tech check it out, what do I really need to do/know to add this to my shack without causing damage to the amp or my transmitter?

My gear:
IC 746 Pro
Heath SA-2060A Tuner
Ameritron remote antenna switch for my HF antennas

antennas
"resonant" 40/80 dipole
252' doublet
ma5b mini beam
AV 640 vertical

I am not looking to eak every milliwatt out of this thing I just want to be able to have that extra umph when needed for nets and ragchews. I operate phone on 75 and 160 mostly.

Any constructive commentary/advice would be welcome and appreciated.
 
Thanks in advance,
73 de Milo W4MLO

 

 

are you using a 252' doublet?
according to cebik it will tune....I don't know.

The knife switch is for shunting to ground close strikes. Nothing will protect from a direct strike.

Thanks

73
Milo
W4MLO
 

Thanks for all the great replies to my original post!

I have decided to home brew a 252' doublet fed w/450 ohm ladder line. This will be at 60'+ flat top and used primarily for 40 and below SSB. Your constructive comments on how I think it should be installed are appreciated.

I think is the appropriate installation is as follows:

 
ladder line more or less straight down (vertical) to PVC "clothes line pole" supports starting 15' above grade back to 10' from the enterance to the shack. It would then connect to a lightening arrestor then to a knife switch connected to outdoor grounding buss tied to electrical system ground and to a quality 4:1 voltage(?) balun with 15' of LMR400 to the internal tuner in my Icom 746 Pro.

Is this a bad plan? I understand the 252 is tunable w/ an internal tuner on most rigs. If not should I forget the balun and run the ladder into the shack to a tuner?

Thanks
73 Milo W4MLO

Hello Lindy,
I have decided to build the 252' doublet you describe. I found your article "Antenna Primer"... great article. Two questions though, when bringing the ladder line away from the feedpoint is there any problem with it coming straight down to a series of PVC "clothes line poles" back to 10' from the shack and putting a quality 4:1 balun and switching to LMR400 to my 746 Pro so I can use the internal tuner, or will that cost me in efficency? Thanks for all of the patient replies to all of us that are trying to "build some".

73 Milo W4MLO

Thanks for the replies,
I will try to catch it all here,

Right now I want to be able to cover mainly north America on SSB, I like to ragchew and just want a decent signal. As funds allow I intend to install a vert array and buy/build an amp down the road.

A key piece of info I did not completely convey is the horizontal line between the two supports is more or less the same elevation, the ground just slopes away into a ravine between the two trees south to north.
 
My 16x80 all metal trailer (and shack) sits on the southeast corner of the lot, about 30' from the southern support. the shack is on the north end of the trailer so center feed is not too much of a problem. Radials @ the base of the southern support are not possible due to a large concrete pad and my brother's trailer. Radials under the north tree are no problem but it is about a 200' run for the feedline that would have to be underground or supported from the carrier cable

Is 60'high enough to get decent performance from the Windom? Could I support it with a steel cable, say 10' above it?

Lindy, That 252' doublet is sounding pretty good, center fed and no radials.

Robert that is interesting stuff, I will have to let it sink in for a while! Could that vert dipole be  supported from the steel carrier cable without interference due to the cap hats?

Thanks for all the replies, please keep it going!

73 Milo

 

Hello all,
I am relatively new to HF and have just moved. I am trying to get back on the low bands(160/80/40). I had a Carolina Windom at 30-40' sloped (top wire not vert radiator)at my old QTH and was not impressed with the performance. I need to get a wire antenna up but time and physical agility limits the ability to experiment much. I have the following to work with and would very much appreciate advice frome those who have "BEEN THERE, DONE THAT".

parameters:

location northwest Georgia

soil conductivity 4

useable space: 270' north X south

slope: south downhill to north 50' drop over the 270'

south tree support @ 50' above grade

north tree support @ 90' above grade

no center support available, but a 50' push up is possible but would be 100' from shack and 20' below wire, guys would be tough

only possible location for a fan dipole or inverted V or ground radials for a vert is half way down the hill, (except inverted L in south tree support but the vert section would be only 35' from a power line perpendicular to the flat top section)

I have the following available:

a Carolina Windom 160
a shorty G5RV ladder line fed
a 40/80 home brew coax fed trap dipole
plenty of copper wire and insulators
plenty of 4mm steel support cable, pulleys, etc

I do not have a tuner except in my Icom 746 Pro but might be able to swing something used.

I have thought about running a steel cable the entire 270' and supporting the windom and the 40/80 dipole below it? probably a bad idea?

Any constructive advice is very much appreciated.

73 de Milo W4MLO



 

Me! I have all of the #14 awg copper you want for $38/500' roll, $180/ 2500' roll, shipped con US.

73 de Milo W4MLO
milo@copperhounds.com