Flex 6400

Jerry5219

I am brand new to the Flex world. I noticed that my 6400 puts out about 18 watts more than the power selected. Is this an issue? Or is there some sort of calibration that needs to be done?

Thanks,

Jerry

KD0RC

Hi Jerry, what version of the software are you using? How are you measuring the power? (antenna or dummy load. internal or external meter)

If you are running 3.3.29, then I would submit a helpdesk ticket. Be sure to let them know your settings and environment (model, version, mode, RF Power setting, Tune Pwr setting, internal or external wattmeter, etc).

Is your Flex new or did you get it used?

Jerry5219

Hi Len, Thanks for the quick response. I bought this radio used and it is about 2 years old. I am running version 3.3.29. The power is being measured with an external LP-100A meter with remote sensor. SWR is 1.58.

It seems to be only 20 meters where the power is about 18 watts higher then the power setting. Most of the other bands seem to be only about 3 to 4 watts higher. Tune power setting is 10 watts and RF power is set at 80 watts. Now the meter shows 86? Seems to have changed a bit?

I also have a Icom 7610 and I don't see any issues there

I have a HY-Tower vertical antenna with a tapped coil at the bottom.

73,

Jerry - W7KR

Jerry5219

Just tried dummy load. RF power at 80 and meter shows 95.4 watts.

Jerry

N5NHJ

I have the opposite issue, same radio (6400) and same firmware (3.3.29).

My radio is remoted, I just test it time to time. Yesterday I was at the remote location and played with it a little bit. Power set to 100W, radio, external meter, and amplifier meter they all read 85W.

Checked over 10/20/80, same result.

I'm pretty sure I was getting more power; the radio doesn't have much TX hours.

73, Max

PS: something interesting I just noticed, the output power follows the slide up to 90W, then jumps back to 85.

KD0RC

Yep, that is my experience as well. I believe that there is a software issue in 3.3.29. In my case, at 100% RF Power in CW, I get 70 to 80 out depending on band. If I drop back to 93%, I get 100 W out. Sideband behaves just a little differently. At 100%, I get 90 to 100 W out.

Since this is an easy workaround, I will leave my 6400 at 3.3.29 for Field Day (100 W limit for all stations this year...). When I run CW, I will just knock the RF Power down to 93% and for sideband I will bump it back up to 100%.

In CW or sideband, when I knock the power down to 25 or 30 W for my amp, it goes to the level set, so this issue only seems to be at the full power point of the power slider. When I use my amp, I don't have to do anything different.

I haven't tried the digital modes yet, but will test that later today or tomorrow.

KD0RC

I did a quick test, and all modes except for CW behave normally.

Speaking of modes, did 3.3.29 sneak in a couple of new modes? I just discovered that I now have RAW and ARQ. Or did these get loaded when I was fooling around with VARAHF or WinLink or something?

John KB4DU

So, ham grade power measurements can be off by 10% or more. Not lab grade accuracy.

N5NHJ

John, this is about behavior between different versions, not really about accuracy.