AL-80B on Loaded 120v Circuit

[K4DPK]

I wonder what happened.....

Phil C. Sr.
k4dpk

[VE3FMC]

I run my AL-80A on 120 V but it is on a circuit that has nothing else on it other than a couple of lights, which are never on when I am using the amp.

Sure I see some voltage drop on the amp's meter. But I also get very close to the output rating of the amp if I drive it to that point.

I am remodeling my shack this winter and will likely install a 220 line into the shack.

[KL3HY]

I wonder what happened.....

Phil C. Sr.
k4dpk

RF was definitely affecting my digital multimeter, causing the erroneous reading of 70v ac. I should've suspected this was the case, especially considering that my meter is a cheap Home Depot special, but for some reason it just didn't occur to me.

As I've mentioned before, this is a very temporary situation until I get the 240v line run.

Thanks for all the great feedback,
Mike

[K7KBN]

Mike I've seen RF mess up $500 Fluke DMMs, so the fact that a Home Depot cheapie reacts similarly is no shock.  That's why I use Simpson, Triplett and a few other varieties of regular, old-technology analog VOMs whenever a significant RF field is in the area where I'm trying to measure.  They're dang near bulletproof in these applications.

[G3RZP]

I haven't used a DVM yet that didn't go mad with RF around, one of them with even as little as 2 watts!