Setup my FLEX6400 and de BLA350Plus. Please help.

Cees

Hi members, I recently got the BLA350Plus,

My question is: Does anyone have experience with setting up the FLEX 6400, for example the Radio set up menu. My hardware configuration seems correct to me. Are there any adjustments needed in the Radio Setup Menu or with the BLA350?

BLA350 : the setting on the LED screen is : Operate Auto

FLEX 6400: The setting has not yet been changed.

TUNE: at 10 Watts With the FLEX I can make 10 Watts, but the BLA350 remains inactive and gives no error message.

Think I have set something wrong because the BLA350 does not activate via the PTT.

Please help.

Cees, PA3CVI

KD0RC

Hi Cees, You need to connect TX1, TX2 or TX3 to the PTT jack on the amplifier. Then in Settings, TX Band Settings, make sure that the appropriate RCA jack is selected for the bands you want.

In this example, my amplifier PTT is connected to TX1, I have TX2 selected for a different piece of gear that I no longer have.

The PTT jack on the 6400 goes to a mic PTT switch or to a foot switch to put the radio into transmit.

Cees

Tks Len,

I checked the TX band settings for my band segments, as you left them, unfortunately without result. you advised: " You need to connect TX1, TX2 or TX3 to the PTT jack on the amplifier", but the BLA350 has no assignment to a TX setup .

Are the settings in Radio/Setup still important? I Haven't mentioned that I'm transmitting in CW mode, maybe that has an influence?

Len, if you think that regarding the FLEX, all the settings are correct, then the BLA350 setup would not be correct?

Regards,

Cees, PA3CVI

KD0RC

Hi Cees, I think the problem is that in your diagram, you show connecting the BLA350 PTT to the Flex PTT. It needs to be BLA350 PTT to Flex TX1. Then make sure that the RCA TX1 box is checked for each band that you want to use the BLA350 on.

I also see that you have the TX Profile set to SO2R_TX1, but I would think Default is more in line with your setup.

Cees

Oh, would that be the solution.

I had already measured what came out of the PTT Out and that was 3.3 Volt, both the Flex in TUNE-in and out. Can therefore never address the amplifier. Be sure to try it later, you'll hear from me. Thanks for your help.

Regards,

Cees.

Cees

Oh, would that be the solution.

I had already measured what came out of the PTT Out and that was 3.3 Volt, both the Flex in TUNE-in and out. Can therefore never address the amplifier. Be sure to try it later, you'll hear from me. Thanks for your help.

Regards,

Cees.

Cees

What a relief Len, it actually works. I am still of the old generation, and in those days the internet didn't even exist. How nice it is that such forums exist and you can ask questions to fellow amateurs regardless of where they live. There is always someone who wants to help you, thanks for your help Len.

Kind regards en 73,

Cees, PA3CVI

KD0RC

That is great news Cees! I am glad you got it working.

flyham

Cees,

I have the BLA350 plus and am using it with a flex 6400 and mfj 993b tuner. I have had trouble with overdriving the amp when I try to use 10 watts. The amp goes into protection mode and has to sit powered off for like 5 minutes before it works again. I would be curious if you have success using 10 watts of drive power?

Thanks!

Mitch

KE0UAS

Cees

Mitch 
I've only had the BLA350 in operation for a short time.
 Annoying for you. So far, no problem with that.
Cees

flyham

Cees,

Glad to hear you aren’t having trouble. I haven’t had the amplifier for very long. I’m still learning as well. When I’ve had trouble is in voice mode (SSB). I think voice peaks probably cause the overdrive shutdown because it is fine when I test it with tune button. Have you tried the amp yet for voice modes?

im happy to know someone else is using this amp.

73

mitch

ke0uas

Cees

Well Mitch,

in the thirty years that I h've been a licensed radio amateur, I never have held a microphone in my hand. Always worked in CW mode.

However, I can imagine that in Phone mode you will peak above the maximum HF output.

73, Cees, PA3CVI.

flyham

Cees,

Never too late to try something new, ha! Thanks for the info. I hope the Rmitaly works well for you with CW!

73

mitch

ke0uas

Cees

Dear Mitch,

I don't know if you regularly read the post, but I'll try to ask my question anyway, hoping you're QRV.

I have a problem with the BLA amplifier.

Whenever I go on transmit, the BLA cuts out because there is too large a SWR.

Occasionally it goes well after I have restored the BLA and then tuned it, I think I have found it, but if I turn the BLA completely off and then on again, the BLA says that the SWR is again too high. If I follow the same setup again, it doesn't help.

I just can't figure out what the error is.

If I put the BLA in Standby mode and tune with the FLEX then I have a very low SWR. If I am going to transmit with 100 Watt then I have no problem.

The BLA in Operate Mode immediately gives an error message even if the FLEX gives an input HF of 2 Watts.

What is your experience with this ?

73, Cees

Erik Carling EI4KF

Have you tried using a different transceiver with the amplifier? I am speculating that it is not a Flex problem.

Cees

No Eric, it seems unlikely to me that the FLEX is the cause. I try to rule out as many causes as possible to determine the cause.

flyham

Cees,

what are you using for a tuner? I’m using an mfj 993B auto tuner. From my limited experience with the amp, I’ve found that it does seem to be pretty sensitive to SWR. I set the tune threshold on the mfj to 1.5 SWR which is the lowest setting. To tune I put the tuner in auto mode and the amp in standby. Then I tune with 25-30 watts from the flex, using the flex’s tune button. I initially tried tuning with 9 -10 watts and had similar trouble to you. Tuning with 25-30 watts worked better. Once tune is complete I switch amp to operate and transmit with 9 watts. Hope this helps. Let me know what you find out. This amp is pretty new to me too.

73

Mitch

KE0UAS

Cees

Mitch,
I have the same swr/pwr atu. I will follow your proposal. I will also check to see if there is a ground loop.
I'll definitely let you hear from me.
73 Cees

Cees

Hi Mitch,

I didn't realize the MJF was so sensitive to the power where you have to adjust it, I really hadn't thought of that.

That also explains the failure of the experiments I've done, such as disconnecting the printer USB connection, not grounding the MJF. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. Now understand that everything depends on the correct MJF adjustment.

I do think that the MJF is very sensitive to the correct adjustment, I wondered whether that could be improved, for example further away from the PA, ferrite decoupling rods and the like.

Don't get me started too soon, but so far everything is going according to plan and I can usually make about 250 Watts. Thanks for your help.

As soon as there are further progress or comments I will let you know.

Regards and 73, Cees, PA3CVI

flyham

Cees,

Thanks for the update,

I'm glad to hear you are having success so far. This community is great, really like being able to find people with similar and equipment and questions to help work problems out.

I initially tried tuning with 10 watts thinking I could use the same power to tune as I would use for driving the amp. I wasn’t getting good tunes. The amp would still lock down for high SWR. Seemed to work much better when I used higher power (25 watts) for tuning. The MFJ manual isn’t real clear on this, but I agree that the tuner may be able to be improved.

please keep me in the loop on your experience with the amp and tuner. You are the only one I know of besides myself that has this set up.

Thanks!

Mitch

KE0UAS

Bob

Hi all

Need some help please! I have a 6400 M

I have my RM BLA 350 set up as in the photo by Cees above except the PTT on the amp is connected to TX1 on the radio. The box is checked. The Amp is off and the tuner is off. When I turn the radio on to a busy band, the band shows nothing in the Panadapter as if the band is dead which I know it isn't. When I return the antenna directly to the 6400 M everything normal, busy band again. What am I doing wrong. Shouldn't I be getting signals on the band even tho the amp and tuner are off? I am really shy about turning the amp on. It is very possible that I am mis-thinking what should be happening with everything off except the radio.

Thank you

Bob W1AGC