PGXL sudden power drops and HIGH SWR errors

Frank,

I would be grateful if you would post here what action / remedy you have taken to solve your issue.

My PGXL is also quite new, having been bought from WiMo at the end of last year (in their Black Friday sale). Until 4 days ago there was not any problem but now something similar to your issue has started occurring.

On starting a transmission on any mode, the power is a few hundred watts less than it should be and then shoots up to what is expected. For example, testing a constant carrier mode into a dummy load (I chose FT8 and then CW), setting the power to 1100 watts out exhibits a starting output of circa 800 watts and then it will go to 1100.

My VDD voltage remains stable. I have tried increasing the TX delay.

I am currently in hospital from today until who knows when. I should have done something in the last 4 days but with my health issues I forgot. Now I have very limited access to internet / email and would really like to know any definitive answer as to who to contact and then my XYL can arrange shipping if indeed that is what will be required.

Thanks,

Erik.

Frank - hello, thank you for your update. My PGXL has same fault. Tim Ellison at Flex also advised me to contact WiMo but I sent WiMo email only yesterday so have yet to hear from them. Presumably I will also be sending it to them for repair in next days.

73 de Erik

Also my PGXL shipped to WiMo who acknowledged receipt. Waiting for info…

Erik EI4KF

I have not yet heard from WiMo about my PGXL.

I am sure you have made clear to WiMo that your PGXL has a real problem. You have a video of it, I presume you have sent it to them. I sent video with my support request. Also you have the response from Flex which I hope you have forwarded to WiMo. Also, in the event of their support staff being unconvinced that there is an issue, you can as I have had to do in the past, direct an email personally to Volkmar Junge the Managing Director. Some time ago he sorted out an issue I had with equipment I had returned and was very helpful. So if all else fails, make sure you discuss with him. Good luck.

Erik.

OK Frank. Good luck. Another thought, if I were in your position, I would also be corresponding with 4O3A and see what they say. It is impossible for you to experience a problem and then have an engineer claim that there isn't one. Do they think you imagined it? I have found 4O3A also helpful so maybe a note to them if needed could help.

Keep us informed.

Erik

My PGXL repair will have taken 6 weeks by the time WiMo send it back to me on Tuesday of next week. This is longer than I hoped, especially as the amp was only 4 months old and also considering the price paid. But it is what it is and to put into context, when I suffered numerous failures with a SPE 1.3 and 1.5 those repairs took 7 or 8 weeks each.

The engineer's report is

Bias current in "AB" was 1,6 amps instead of 2 amps.

Adjusted bias in AB and ABB. Checked Calibration data, it is correct.

Resoldered the LDMOSs and retested the amplifier, this time in multiple bands and 1 min on and 30sec off.

Test lasted 20 minutes. No power output issues.

Then we contacted Dragan at 4O3A and asked for any further test,

he has asked us to wait a few more days before sending it back to see

if there are any other cases from the field with this production batch.

This last comment arises from there being other PGXLs with faults, all bought from WiMo in 2024.

It is just one of those things. No company sets out to make defective equipment and repair times these days have lengthened due to pressures of work, availability of parts and so on. My PGXL never worked properly from the day it arrived but, even though I am annoyed at having lost 6 months warranty, hopefully from when I receive it back it will be as new and working without further issues.

Yes indeed Tom but they will not. It is not the first time with them either, same with a non-Flex product a few years ago. If I have more trouble with the PGXL within what I would consider the warranty period but they refuse to honor it, I will take the matter further. 4O3A may well underwrite warranty not provided by WiMo, I don't know because I haven't asked them but they rightly have a good reputation.

Erik