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Low Power 12 Meters

Lou N2TU
Lou N2TU Member
edited September 2019 in SmartSDR for Windows
Lower power on 12 meters....

Tried this with two different power supplies....an Astron 35 and a SAMLEX 1235M. Each with its own Powerpole ****. No other unit plugged into the strips. West Mountain, not MFJ strips. In other words, two different set-ups. The Powerpole strips are within 5 feet of the power supplies and the original F6500 power cable is used. The Flex 6500 RF Power slider all the way to the right.

Using a LP100A and a Palstar DL2K dummy load, I get the following readings....notice the 12M reading.

160 102W
80 106W
40 103W
30 95W
20 98W
17 98W
15 90W
12 73W *****
10 93W

So the question is why the power drop on 12 m?

Any reasonable answer accepted! Hi Hi!

73/ Regards

Lou N2TU

Answers

  • K2CM
    K2CM Member ✭✭
    edited September 2019
    I have had this happen to me on a couple of bands. I found a problem with my dummy load, so changed dummy loads and put an external wattmeter in line with the dummy load. This solved my problems. I have also had problems with occasional low output traced to RF feeback. Ferrite cores and better grounding solved this.
  • KY6LA_Howard
    KY6LA_Howard Member ✭✭✭
    edited January 2017
    Resonant length of coax. Try a different lengthy of coax
  • Lou N2TU
    Lou N2TU Member
    edited February 2016
    Ground is excellent....copper braid...and a common junction point...no ground loops...and ferrites everywhere....

    I used an external wattmeter...the LP100A...and the dummy load meter was within a few watts of the LP100A, so I am confident the reading is accurate. Also, the readings coincided with readings when the rig was connected to my antenna. Again verifying the accuracy of the readings. 

    Trying a different length of coax is out...seeing the readings are almost identical when using the antenna...

    Thanks....

    Lou N2TU




  • KY6LA_Howard
    KY6LA_Howard Member ✭✭✭
    edited January 2017
    Next Guess... Gremlins....
  • Jerry Wilk
    Jerry Wilk Member ✭✭
    edited August 2017
    Lou, I have the same situation on 12 meters.  Did you ever resolve the problem?   AA7SN

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