TGXL fan noise

Erik Carling EI4KF

I took delivery of a TGXL yesterday.

Before the question I should say: "wow" what a superb device. I have been using a Palstar HF Auto for my low band antennas for years. Though each one is more or less resonant, I prefer to fully match for the sake of the amplifier. The Palstar is a pain as it often will not tune or tune to a mismatch requiring manual intervention or supposedly save a setting but then occasionally not recall it and so on.

The TGXL tunes quickly, accurately, recalls every time and overall is bliss!

The question: from a posting on this Forum in 2021, there is this which relates to my issue

When I turned off my TGXL yesterday I did so at the wall socket for the PSU. On power up this morning the fans ran at full speed and would not stop. Has this issue been fixed in the past 4 years please and, if so, what do I need to do? The FW is 1.2.17

Thanks

Erik

Mike-VA3MW

4O3A designed the TGXL to operate from 15-28VDC. You’ll notice that is says 15V on the back.

If you can operate from above 15VDC the fan issue does not occur. I run my at 18VDC and I used a Wallwart I had from a older clock radio. This was the solution provided by 4O3A years ago.

See if that helps. Mike va3mw

Erik Carling EI4KF

OK thank you, Mike. I was misled by reading the manual which told me to use 13.8V

I will acquire a 18VDC wallwart.

Erik.

Alan

Eric

I had the same issue.

The rapid fan running is due to low voltage on startup, in your scenario, caused by turning off then on the power supply AC, and the resultant ramp up of the power supply output DC voltage….at the same time the TG-XL is booting up.

Solution is, if you must power down the TGXL, turn the DC on/off, leaving the power supply always on….or start the power supply first, then the TGXL DC.

Alan. WA9WUD

Erik Carling EI4KF

In the interim 4 years since Dan asserted that the issue was being worked on by engineers, could there not have been a FW revision to terminate the fan in such a scenario? Evidently not.

But anyway, hello Alan and thank you. I will do that (start PSU then TGXL). I can easily reach and find the on/off switch even in spite of its remarkably tiny size.

Erik.

Gord-VA7GP

It saddens me that the TGXL is not 12v-compliant, to work harmoniously with all other ham gear 😕

Erik Carling EI4KF

When I saw 13.8V in the TG user manual I thought 'excellent, wire the supplied lead to the shack power supply along with the 8400M'. This morning, already similarly saddened as you are Gord, a mains power outage (one of many we get here). Later whilst outside in the yard, the XYL comes running out (slight overstatement) to me "there is a horrendous noise from your radios". Power had been restored and the TGXL was doing its best to resemble an aircraft at take-off. So, the 18V PSU will fix that but surely is this the best 4O3A can do? Now saddened and exasperated🤒. It is still an excellent piece of kit and I love it really.

David Decoons, wo2x

I fun my ShackMaster 600 supply at 14.5 volts and it feeds the radio plus a West Mountain Rig Runner 4005i for low current items (TG, AG and LP700). The 4005i uses solid state relays and is network controllable.

With the ShackMaster 609, I haven’t experienced the slow voltage ramp up that linear supplies sometimes have.

73 Dave wo2x

Erik Carling EI4KF

OK David, good info. For me it is too expensive. I have taken Mike's advice as its only a few Euro on Amazon.