EXPERT 1K-FA
Contents
1. User s manual EXPERT 1K FA 2 1 Linear Amplifier OFF ON POWER DISPLAY 3 OPERATE ON TX 1 8 50 MHz Solid State O O YU OC 1 PANEL DESCRIPTION 1 1 FrontPanel Fully Pai Lo 15 al INPUT BAND BAND ANT CAT 4 gt SET a Expert 1K FA 1 ON 2 OFF 3 DISPLAY switches between display pages 4 POWER switches output power from FULL HALF 1KW 500 W 5 OPERATE switches between Standby Operate 6 SET used to program the amplifier 7 V used to program the amplifier 8 4A used to program the amplifier 9 INPUT selects one of the two inputs of the amplifier 10 BAND switches bands manually downward in frequency 11 BAND switches bands manually upward in frequency 12 ANT switches the antennas for every single band 13 CAT shows the current CAT interface setting 14 TUNE starts the automatic tuning process 15 C used for manual tuning 16 Cb used for manual tuning 17 L used for manual tuning 18 L gt used for manual tuning 19 TX red led illuminates during transmission 20 OP yellow led illuminates when the amplifier is in Operate state 21 ON green2. 65 16 21 OPERATING ara 66 18 22 OPERATE Mode and FLEX RADIO CAT 68 10 25 DIAGROSTOS MEE m 70 19 jn 72 20 VELE PE 73 ce woe eevee ranieri aiar ii 15 Pag 4 of 4 a User s manual EXPERT 1K FA Congratulations for choosing the SPE EXPERT 1K FA linear amplifier It is small and powerful it covers the whole frequency range from 1 8 to 54 MHz completely automatically All operating conditions frequency antenna and tuner may be controlled from your transceiver It is possible to connect it to every type of device it is extremely user friendly and offers a product which is best in class IMPORTANT Read this instruction manual carefully before attempting to operate the linear amplifier The warranty will be invalidated in the case of non observance of these instructions Keep this manual It contains important safety and operating instructions for the SPE EXPERT 1K FA This manual may be subject to changes and updates therefore please refer always to the updated version available on the website www linear amplifier com If in doubt refer to the interpretation in English version PRECAUTIONS Explicit definitions DEFINITION WORD Risk of danger of fire or electric shock to persons Possible dama
3. M 23 10 1 Ways operadle 23 11 INITIAL OPERATION OF THE AMPLIFIER ii 26 initial Programing m 26 Glos 9 28 12 CAT CONNEC TIONS ene aisi 30 12 1 WE COMMO O es ami 30 ea 30 31 CAT e m Renee lla 31 BAND CONTROL VOLTAGE Interface idu raro D vate ii 31 Ca 11 09 P lalla er esiti serial 32 CAT RS252 WAC B niga ili ad aad 32 CAT 9V TIE terae salina 32 E AESU E 33 3232 IMENICE ein 33 CATSV TTL SAC ace a dci 33 BAND DATA Interface 34 126 FlexRadio ELECRAFT 34 CAT RS252 IRntena68 I 34 127 TRANSCEIVERS OF OTHER BRANDS vie 35 13 2 iii 36 13 1 ALC RELAY CONNECTIONS im ird iota b etiaro tain oa 36 REMOTEONLINK vnm 36 12 RTT 37 14 TRANSCEIVER CONTROLLED WITH PC i 38 14 1 lee INTERFACE aree ni ia e teenage alone eae acne 38 R323ZINFER
4. 7 lt Se 2 3 brown 50 W 1 KW TRANSFORMEF TRANSFORMER 215 VAC 200 VAC blue _ m EN NN MD 1 1 _ e Mc o N f q black black d DELE m 78 I ws mm N white white AS 2 V A i d Farr i pra AS brown 3 brown lt pA 50 W 1 KW 50 W 1 KW TRANSFORMEF TRANSFORMEF TRANSFORMER TRANSFORMER 100 VAC 115 VAC orange at RY et N 50 W 1 KW 50 W 1 KW TRANSFORMER TRANSFORMER TRANSFORMER TRANSFORMER Pag 18 of 18 a User s manual EXPERT 1K FA After checking your wiring re install the plastic protection the bottom cover and make sure that when using 115 and 100 Vac in Fuse 1 there is a 1A fuse and in Fuse 2 there is a 20A fuse included in the packaging Mark the voltage change on the back panel Pag 19 of 19 a User s manual EXPERT 1K FA 8 TUNER The amplifier has an automatic tuner that handles load mismatches up to 3 1 VSWR 2 5 1 for 6 m The circuit used is a PI L network with excellent harmonic suppression The amplifier contains a look up table with all the permitted bands For tuner management antenna data and other working data are stored Every b
5. This menu item allows to choose between the two possible Standby Operate states e Standby turns the amplifier in the Main Display Page after its power up From this display page the user can perform all the operations described till now e Operate turns the amplifier in the OPERATE Mode that will be described later after its power up From this display page the user can eventually go to the Main Display Page 18 19 START Settings To make these changes press the SET key To leave this menu the QUIT option has to be chosen and then confirmed using the SET key Note this setting will be applied after the next power up of the linear amplifier and will remain till any eventual future changing Pag 64 of 64 SET ce This menu item allows to choose between the two possible C F Celsius degrees Fahrenheit degrees the temperature readout inside the Status Bar This value is taken from the internal heatsink 18 20 TEMP Settings To make these changes press the SET key To leave this menu the QUIT option has to be chosen and then confirmed using the SET key Pag 65 of 65 18 21 OPERATE Mode In this working mode the linear amplifier power circuitry is supplied and enabled It can be activated from the Main Display Page either by pressing the OPERATE key located of the front panel or by previously setting from the SETUP OPTIONS menu the START Operate option There are two possible OPE
6. a SOCIET PER L ELETTRONICA s r l EXPERT 1K FA 1KW SOLID STATE FULLY AUTOMATIC LINEAR AMPLIFIER USER S MANUAL THIRD SERIES CERTIFIED CE FCC Rev 3 1 Pag 2 of 2 a User s manual EXPERT 1K FA Main index INPORTANT 5 PRECAUTION 5 BIG CAm 8 1 PANEL DESCRIPTION tta ware vk dart rivi aai d ra in 9 1 1 BC He MMO ian iaia ria arri 9 1 2 iridata ai 10 2 GENERAL INFORMATION 11 2 1 mois ie ori 11 2 2 11 2 3 ALC RELAY 11 3 INTERCONNECTION WITH THE TRANSCEIVER me remettre reris 13 4 USE OF THE LINEAR AMPLIFIER ii 14 4 1 SO2R Single Operator Two 15 5 EXTERNAL GROUND CONNECTION iii 16 D ANTENNA sli 16 T POWER SUPPLY iaia 17 7 1 Mains Cable termlfiallOi iussione putt cxcneweawuvaenyeacsaanndanbivbuwsdusebeusasuvmendidueaansiaed 17 8 TONER c 20 9 ipta kk iii 21 10 mise eiae
7. To reset the alarm file log press the TUNE and OPERATE keys together For further details please consult the next paragraphs Note if the acoustic alarm is very frequent during transmission the possible causes should be investigated Pag 21 of 21 a User s manual EXPERT 1K FA Note Note Note before the temperature limits are reached the output power will change from FULL to HALF automatically so that transmission with the amplifier may continue with reduced power In SSB the use of the compressor is recommended only when necessary this strongly reduces the temperature increase If the temperature is allowed to rise further then a SERIOUS alarm will eventually be activated during a SERIOUS alarm there is an acoustic alarm for 10 sec Pressing the DISPLAY key the system changes to STANDBY state immediately ATTENTION when a FATAL alarm occurs immediately contact your reseller Pag 22 of 22 10 PROGRAMMING The three SET 4A and VP keys underlined with an orange line permit programing the amplifier and they can used in the following way SET Use it to open the menu page to validate the choices and to exit from the menu page lt A V gt Use these to select the options A green led illuminates during the programming process To program the system is very easy You will find your programming choices confirmed by the items shown at the lower part of the display Note progr
8. IN 1 YAESU RS 232 Solid State TEN TEC HONE Fully Automatic KENWOOD FLESCRADIO Standby SET CAT INTERFACE IN BAND ANT CAT OUT ane TEMP 4 Cek SELECT CSET CONFIRM SET 1 166 m 1 SPE HALF 25 C Note SPE CAT doesn t need any baud rate setting since it is internally fixed 18 8 ICOM CAT Settings SETUP OPTIONS vs IN 1 1K FR ANTENNA CONTEST DPF QUIT oll n Fully Automatic START Standby Standby BACKLIGHT TEMP IN BAND TANT pur sur Tewe Var SET CAT INTERFACE FEATURES 1 158 m 1 NONE HALF 25 C 481 ob SELECT 5 1 CAT vs IN 1 SET ICOM vs 1 SPE YAESU RS 232 EO TEN TEC NONE n FLEX RHDIO SET CAT INTERFACE SET PROPER ICOM INTERFACE 44 wb SELECT CSETI CONFIRM 421 7h SELECT CSETIFCONFIRM SET SET BAUD RATE vs IN 1 CAT Icon BAUD RATE 1200 EXPERT_1K FA oll ate 4568 Automatic Standb SET PROPER BAUD RATE IN BOND ANTI CAT our swe TEMP 44 Cob SELECT CSETIECONFIRM SET 1 168 m 1 liom HALF 25 C Note when CI V setting is made the transceiver must be enabled in its TRANSCEIVE ON Status following the proper setu
9. Select the transceiver brand and progress with programming according to the type of connection between the amplifier and the transceiver read the CAT CONNECTIONS chapter of this manual At the end of programming exit and go back in STANDBY To verify the correctness of programming press the CAT key and all the data stored will appear on the display To verify the correct CAT operation press SET and select MANUAL TUNE While changing your transceiver VFO you should see the amplifier frequency display follow Then return to STANDBY In the same way if BAND CONTROL VOLTAGE or BAND DATA are connected check that the amplifier follows band changes at the transceiver If it does not verify that your programming or your link has been done correctly Pag 26 of 26 a User s manual EXPERT 1K FA d Use of Automatic Tuner To complete the programming it is necessary to match the antennas to the amplifier by operating TUNE read the TUNER chapter of this manual We recommend you to select each band with available antenna and then program the tuner for the sub bands within which you will operate Refer to the table in section 18 of this manual to select the appropriate sub bands for your operating preferences Progress as follows 1 Find the central frequency of the sub band to tune in the table refer to section 18 of this manual and set the transceiver to that frequency 2 Set your transceiver to transmit a
10. 7063 58 59 7113 1601 7138 61 7163 62 7188 63 7213 641 7238 ew pee NINE rr sas pene Ta ae 181120975 85121025 18121075 8121125 84276 180121225 pe GE Mm reas vem pm om m E IE rae ssaso Note sub band Central frequency KHz Pag 72 of 72 a User s manual EXPERT 1K FA 20 WARRANTY TERMS SPE warrant to the original Purchaser that this product shall be free from defects of materials or workmanship SPE warrant for two 2 years from the date of original purchaser that SPE will provide free of charge all parts and labor necessary to correct defects in material or workmanship The Purchaser has only to pay the shipping expenses for warranty service work Customers should address requests for warranty service work to the Distributor Dealer where they made their purchase As part of their reseller agreement with SPE they are responsible for service support If the Distributor Dealer has closed down or when the Purchaser moves into another area SPE will be directly responsible for warranty service at their factory in Rome The shipping expenses to and from SPE will then be paid by the customer Any repair requests to other dealers will be subject to specific direct negotiations between the customer and the dealer In order to not invalidate
11. RELAY connections use the shielded cable furnished with phono RCA connectors For the CAT connection the cable must be made for the transceiver to be connected This cable may also be made to include ALC RELAY ON OFF read the CAT CONNECTIONS chapter of this manual For all other information about connecting a transceiver please refer to its manual Pag 13 of 13 a User s manual EXPERT 1K FA 4 USE OF THE LINEAR AMPLIFIER e e lt 1 0 C ANT2 INPUT1 e E e TUNER e e FS P INPUT2 gt pe ms l e ANTA SO2R IN 1 IN 2 REA ALC CAT ie RS 232 The position of the contacts as shown in the diagram is the situation of the linear amplifier in OFF state The linear amplifier can be used in the following ways 1 OFF Only two direct connections are actuated between INPUT 1 and ANT 1 between INPUT 2 and SO2R 2 STANDBY the functions are activated band change antenna change tuner control but the transmission is from the transceiver only 3 OPERATE All the functions are activated and the transmission is using the linear amplifier Note regulation of the exciter s power is automatic through the ALC connection With the ALC connected the amplifier input power in OPERATE mode is reduced to the correct level to drive the amplifier In standby the exciter wil
12. VOLTAGE GND BAND CONTROL VOLTAGE GND RADIO CONNECTOR This interface is standard for all the Icom models not equipped with CAT The change of a voltage determines the change of band Pag 31 of 31 a User s manual EXPERT 1K FA 12 4 KENWOOD CAT RS232 Interface 1C RX 232 09 OT RX 232 20 L 2210 V TX 232 3 C x 110 Te oN GND m RTS CTS 6 RADIO CONNECTOR TO 21582 8 DB15M The Radio connector could be DB 9 or DB 25 male connector or female connector read the specific manual In the manual also verify if the RTS CTS link is necessary CAT 5V TTL Interface i E 20 TX 19 A 1 y KEN TTL RX 4Q SND ux m RTS 13 CTS 6 14 RADIO 7 C 2415802 8 0815 The connector is described in the specific manual Verify if the RTS CTS link is necessary Pag 32 of 32 a User s manual EXPERT 1K FA 12 5 YAESU CAT RS232 Interface gt RX 232 A TX 232 RA RXD TX 232 2 E 10 TXD RX 232 1100 40 GND GND BO RTS m E CTS 140 RADIO CONNECTOR 15 0815 The radio connector may be a DB 9 DB 25 male connector or female connector read the specific manual Verify from the manual if the RTS CTS link is necessary CAT 5V TTL Interface
13. continuous tone in RTTY or CW 3 Press the TUNE key The procedure for automatic tuning will start and then it will stop when SWR is at a minimum Sometimes it is possible to improve tuning by pressing the TUNE key again 4 Repeat the previous steps for all bands and sub bands you want 5 Repeat the previous steps for the eventual other antenna of the same band after having selected it using the ANT key Note if the ALC link is not used it is preferable to reduce the transceiver power to about 50 Watts during this operation Note as a default the table is programmed for standard 50 ohm out If for a band antenna you want to reset to default programming proceed as follows Go to the ANTENNA menu page and set this band antenna to NO then exit from that page Go to the ANTENNA menu page again assign the appropriate antenna to this band then exit from that page The programming will be reset for 50 ohm output The initial programming concludes after steps a b c To get more acquainted with the display features and to learn more about setup procedures please refer to 18 APPENDIX 1 Pag 27 of 27 a User s manual EXPERT 1K FA 11 2 Operating You need few precautions when using the amplifier thanks its high level of automation SPE reminds you that it is better to lose a fraction of dB in transmitted power by slightly reducing the drive power than to over drive the amplifier and have a poor quali
14. the date of first sale is not well specified or is greater than one year from the date of the shipping from SPE to the Distributor Dealer the date of shipping from SPE to the Distributor Dealer will be considered the start of the warranty period Pag 73 of 73 a User s manual EXPERT 1K FA The warranty does not apply either if the certificate of the first purchase invoice is missing the s n is undecipherable falsified or to any defect that SPE determines is due to 1 Improper maintenance or repair by persons not authorised by SPE to carry out such work including the installation of parts or accessories that do not conform to the quality and specifications of the original parts 2 Misuse abuse neglect or improper installation user s manual non observance 3 Carelessness accidental or intentional damage SPE warrant aforesaid items only and the Purchaser shall have no remedy and no claim for incidental or consequential damages It is mandatory when sending SPE equipment to be repaired to enclose Invoice of the original purchase Document of the second purchase if any Particular agreements between retailer and Purchaser or particular obligations imposed in other countries are matters for the local retailer and not for SPE In the event of dispute Rome s court of competent jurisdiction will apply By purchasing SPE equipment the Purchaser declares his acceptance of the above warranty terms Pag 74 of 74 a Use
15. the warranty service the original Purchaser must complete the warranty registration card and send it to SPE no more than 30 days from the date of purchase Unless otherwise agreed the products will be delivered ex works from the factory of the seller The delivery even in the event of a return for repair is understood done with the delivery of the goods to the carrier specified by the purchaser or failing that to the carrier chosen by SPE The products will travel at the risk of the purchaser even if at the request of the same one or for other causes SPE should carry out transport or choose the carrier If the original Purchaser finds some defects after having received the equipment he must immediately notify the Distrubutor Dealer of the defects found by sending the properly filled in REPAIR FORM Replacement of may be done by SPE in exceptional circumstances and at SPE s complete discretion In any case no replacement will be provided if more than the twentieth day after delivery has passed In case of a purchase of a used equipment in order to retain the warranty s validity it is necessary to notify SPE of the following data e Document for the second purchase used e Invoice for the original purchase e Serial number s n of equipment Replacement of equipment in these circumstances is not an option In any case the warranty period shall be two 2 years from the original purchase and not from any subsequent purchase Whenever
16. 1 1A USA and Japan only 1 20 A USA and Japan only g Spare air filter standard RS232 cable 15 pole connectors 1 12 5 A 1 0 5 A 1 20A b 2 cables with RCA phono connectors for ALC RELAY links a Transport carry bag e User manual f Spare fuses d 2 c 1 If you find any damage or if there are any parts missing contact your retailer immediately Keep the shipping cartons for future transportation if required Remove the packing and carefully check the contents UNPACKING Accessories included in a resero see seni na S Si 2222 x EE gt SZ TTT To ESE EE a AE E lt xe Ee 2 ZZZ 2 _ 17 SEE cm Soc repe pa x ps um En n SS SS x i _ _ E EE ee _ Si E uuum eee _ k IA _ p D I 0 WIS pepe pep a H i HHH 5 HH Mte mm H HHHHH o HH Cama nrima bo at TTT Ga m Meli lud Ge Pom criam Lem A eee Argile 18 44 Fear Do EXPERT UMAR AMPLIFTR h Certificate of compliance and warranty form Pag 8 of 8 1 4
17. 10 RXTTL 00 TX 40 GND GND ALI RTS 50 m CTS 14 RADIO CONNECTOR TO 2152 8 0815 The connector is described in manual Verify if the RTS CTS link is necessary Pag 33 of 33 P BAND DATA Interface P 1 N 10 CM g CX 7 GND User s manual EXPERT 1K FA DB15 7 f GND 130 ae BAND A q4 BANDS BAND B P DANDE BAND C BAND D EAD RADIO CONNECTOR Without the CAT the band is commanded by four digital signals Band A Band B Band C Band D Refer to the specific manual 12 6 TEN TEC FlexRadio ELECRAFT CAT RS232 Interface DB15 M 10 KON 11 aa 2 N S 14 N J 154 po TO TA 232 RXD TX 232 a v RX 232 GND GND RTS CTS RADIO CONNECTOR The radio connector may be a DB 9 or DB 25 male connector or female connector read the specific manual Verify from the manual if the RTS CTS link is necessary Pag 34 of 34 a User s manual EXPERT 1K FA 12 7 TRANSCEIVERS OF OTHER BRANDS A special link is not necessary as the internal amplifier frequency counter will measure the input frequency and will control the amplifier Pag 35 of 35 a User s manual EXPERT 1K FA 13 OTHER CONN
18. 25 of 25 a User s manual EXPERT 1K FA 11 INITIAL OPERATION OF THE AMPLIFIER Before turning ON the amplifier the following preliminary operations are necessary 1 Read this manual with care 2 Be sure that the amplifier is correctly set for the local mains voltage supply 3 Connect the amplifier to the ground circuit 4 Connect the antennas 5 Connect the amplifier to the transceiver read the CONNECTIONS WITH THE TRANSCEIVER chapter of this manual Operate I the main switch on back panel and press the ON key on the front panel oelect the INPUT for the transceiver and always carry out programming with the amplifier in STANDBY If you change INPUT you have to repeat this programming Note you may have to repeat some programming if you change antenna transceiver etc Note ATTENTION the RELAY and CAT signals in some types of transceivers are only turned ON from a transceiver MENU Refer to the user manual Note ATTENTION when the amplifier is on the STANDBY and OPERATE modes always disable the transceiver auto ATU 11 1 Initial Programming You must carry out the next steps in the sequence below a Set Antenna Press SET and open the ANTENNA menu page Assign an appropriate antenna for the band concerned If you don t have an antenna for a band input NONE When all the antennas are programmed exit and go back to STANDBY b Set CAT Press SET and enter the CAT menu page
19. 44 Ibs 41 8 Ibs typ The most technologically advanced in the world Two CPUs are used one of which is dedicated to the transceiver interface requirements CAT Pi L output circuit Over 13000 lines of software for performance that cannot be found in any other amplifier Fully Automatic Easy connection with all models ICOM YAESU KENWOOD TEN TEC FlexRadio ELECRAFT for immediate management of the bands tuner and antennas oame performance with all makes or homemade rigs The operator has only to move the Frequency Tuning Knob in the transceiver Wide frequency coverage 1 8 MHz to 50 MHz including WARC bands Fully solid state 1 KW pep SSB output 900 W pep CW out typ 700 W pep out typ on 50 MHz FULL HALF power selected according to the operator SSB CW power requirement for digital modes and for linear protection automatic No heating time immediately ready Virtually limitless life of the amplification devices MOSFETs Automatic Antenna Tuner built in Capable of matching 3 1 SWR on HF and 2 5 1 SWR on 6 meters Capable of programmable switching of 4 antennas SO239 connectors Up to two antennas for the same band Bands Antennas Tuning conditions are changed in 10 msec Bands Antennas and Tuning conditions are managed also in STBY to support the exciter only SO2R Two inputs available 5 0239 connectors High power gain up to 16 dB In OPERATE the required drive power is automati
20. 50 push pull amplifiers connected through a combiner Note temperature measurement is used also to control fan speed The thresholds where the speed changes may be changed from NORMAL default or CONTEST See the Programming chapter of this manual The protection system is effected in two different ways 1 Through hardware circuits to guarantee minimum intervention time 2 Through software with one of the two CPU s to guarantee the maximum precision The two results are always compared every difference produces a protection trip and consequent alarm There are three types of protections alarms a SIMPLE This is the most common case An acoustic warning beep sounds but no operator intervention is required as the control system automatically restores the correct operating conditions b SERIOUS When automatic system recovery is not possible e g the temperature climbs over the limits due to obstruction of the fans SWR is too high etc In this case the amplifier switches into standby state and the alarm is stored Normally transmission can continue with the exciter only FATAL If the amplifier is in the b situation but the CPU is faulty or it isn t able to operate the amplifier is turned OFF with no other warning To restart the amplifier the main switch in the rear panel has to be set first to O and then to the I position Note itis possibile to read the alarms history in the standby mode using the DISPLAY key
21. 56 of 56 SET SET 18 13 RS 232 CAT Settings SET Note RS 232 CAT interface is an internal link connected to the serial interface connector used for EXPERT s remotization that has to be made using a suitable PC software Further details concerning this kind of interface can be found by consulting the document Communication Protocol Specifications Rev 2 0 freely available from the EXPERT linear amplifier s website http www linear amplifier com 18 14 NO CAT Settings e ELI Note this choice disables any kind of CAT interface and is the right to choose when the used transceiver is not inside the supported models and then this link cannot be used Pag 57 of 57 When either in STANDBY or OPERATE mode at any time a short report about the CAT settings related to the two inputs can be obtained by simply pressing the CAT key and keeping it held down an info display screen with a short summary like the following will be shown in which it can be seen that e An ICOM CAT CI V interface running at 9600 baud is set for Input 1 e Ageneric KENWOOD CAT interface running at 9600 baud is set for Input 2 The CAT key has another informative functionality It is used to show the firmware relase version too by shortly releasing it and pressing it again a new display info page like the following will be shown while it is held down By relasing the CAT key the original display p
22. ATA B Bit B of Band Data digital switch of band for YAESU 7 DATA C Bit C of Band Data digital switch of band for YAESU 15 DATA D Bit D of Band Data digital switch of band for YAESU 8 REMOTE ON Applying a voltage from 9 to 15 Vcc turns the amplifier ON Using the above information an appropriate cable for your transceiver s may be constructed or you might wish to order a correctly made up cable when you order your amplifier from your local dealer The amplifier connector is included with the amplifier and the transceiver connector called Radio in the next diagram is usually supplied with the transceiver For connections to the Radio connector refer to the transceiver operating manual 12 2 SPE In the case of SPE transceivers it isnt necessary to make a cable because it is supplied with the transceiver Pag 30 of 30 1 4 User s manual EXPERT 1K FA 12 3 ICOM CAT CI V Interface 5C 13O 6 M TO 15 8 O 4 J LT 10 CN N i Pi AR 1 1 75 47 Pa STR 120 DB15 M GND RX TTL CAT DB15 PLUG STEREO Pin10 TTL Pin 4 GND x gt RADIO CONNECTOR 02 a j This interface is standard for all the Icom models equipped with CAT the cable always terminates to a 3 5 mm plug BAND CONTROL VOLTAGE Interface 10 100 12 1300 m 15 N DB15 M BAND CONTROL
23. DB15 M Pag 37 of 37 a User s manual EXPERT 1K FA 14 TRANSCEIVER CONTROLLED WITH A PC If the transceiver is controlled with a PC using the CAT utility the link with the amplifier can be made as described in the following paragraphs Note BEWARE SPE assures only the direct connection between the Linear and the Transceiver The use of external control software could create malfunctions that must be resolved by the provider of such software 14 1 ICOM CI V INTERFACE Y ICOM a RADIO LINEAR CONNECTOR L B d CI V INTERFACE CT 17 The plug from the amplifier has to be connected to a CI V port of the CT17 or similar device The transceiver has to be connected to another Cl V port Pag 38 of 38 a User s manual EXPERT 1K FA 14 2 RS232 INTERFACE 9 o x R RS232 i RX 232 9 X 20 1 24124 3 i RS232 d M 5 x GND PC CONNECTOR MO TN 150 ka DB15M This type of link is the same for KEWOOD YAESU TEN TEC FlexRadio and ELECRAFT On the other end of the cable it is necessary to link only GND and RX 232 14 3 5V TTL KENWOOD INTERFACE KENWOOD die RADIO CONNECTOR UJ a 9 Dn gO RX TTL i 110 KEN TTL X a SD 50 2 55 6 TTL INTERFACE 15 PC DB15M The links on the linear connec
24. ECTIONS On the 15 pin connector in addition to the CAT signals the ALC and RELAY signals are repeated REMOTE ON and TX INH are also available If you use this connector in some cases separate ALC and RELAY cables may not be necessary or it may be possible to turn the amplifier on off by turning on off the transceiver REMOTE ON The following diagram shows how to integrate all transceiver control connections to the 15 way amplifier connector Check the transceiver handbooks for terminating that end of the cable 13 1 ALC RELAY CONNECTIONS 9 10 GND 11C Li ar GND 4 sil 3 BELAY RELAY SEND TX GND ALC GND 12 C 13 C ALC 14 GND 15 RADIO CONNECTOR 13 2 REMOTE ON LINK x 110 GND 08 J 12 X m 435 GND 0M 13 8V 15 i RADIO CONNECTOR REMOTE ON DB15 M Pag 36 of 36 a User s manual EXPERT 1K FA 13 3 TX INH LINK some tranceivers have a suitable input called TX INHIBIT LINEAR MUTE etc that disables transmission To improve the receive transmit switching efficiency it is highly recommended but not mandatory to connect this input with the pin 13 of the linear connector TX INH 0 mire enn 40 ona 03 Oat TX INH 140 _ 150 RADIO CONNECTOR
25. FACE 39 14 3 5V TTL KENWOOD INTERFACE 39 144 45V TTL YAESU INTERFACE Uo ai roe naruto are aei t cr terc 40 15 USE OF THE RS 232 au uta a 41 16 MAINTENANCE 42 17 CHARACTERISTICS 5 43 Pag 3 of 3 a User s manual EXPERT 1K FA 18 lagos 4 e 45 18 1 Main Display Page STANDBY 225 IPM aaa 45 18 2 Main Display Page TX ExcCiter iii 46 18 3 Alarm History Display Page iii 47 18 4 Setup Options Mil lla 48 18 5 SET ANTENNA Men aeree 50 18 6 SET CAF MONU rile een 52 18 7 PE CATO ORNO sereni aE 54 18 8 ICOM CAT SUNS TR 54 18 9 KENWOOD ELECRAFT CAT DO 15 10 YAESU CATSEliNGS piccoi ila iii ainsi DO 15 11 TENPTEG CAT iI iii 56 18 12 FLEX RADIO CAT Settings iii 56 18 13 RS 232 22 I ian 57 NOCAT OUNO eat iii 57 16 15 MANUAL TUNE Display TE BODL eii mii rai nti i e ati 59 18 16 BACKLIGHT Display Page sergio A E i abit 61 CONTEST I E one een eee eee eee 62 CUNO 6 cin ARE AN NA AAA tea 63 DM MEE LAE uo 64 5 2 TEMP ut
26. FCONFIRM 5641 1 5 SETIFCONFIRM EXPERT Solid State Fully Automatic Standby IN BAND CAT OUT i 1 160 m 1 T TEC HELF 225 C Nota TEN TEC transceivers come with their respective baud rate setting fixed by default so the baud rate menu is not proposed since it is useless 18 12 FLEX RADIO CAT Settings ___ SETUP OPTIONS vs IN 1 SA Lea ANTENNA SENILST Bit QUIT oli ate Fully Automatic START Standby zu e BACKLIGHT TEMP pi i IN BAND CAT OUT alle TEMP SET CAT INTERFACE FEATURES 1 166 m 1 NONE HALF 25 C SET 1427 Deb SELECT CSET CONFIRM SET SET CAT vs IN 1 _ SET BAUD RATE vs 1 CAT FLEX RADIO BAUD RATE SPE YAESU RS 232 TYPE ALL TEN TEC NONE KENWOOD SET CAT INTERFACE SET PROPER BAUD RATE 4 Cek SELECT CSET CONFIRM SET 4 Deb SELECT CSET CONFIRM SET EXPERT 1K FA Solid State Fully Automatic BAND CAT OUT y 1 1168 m 1 FLEX HALF 25 C Note FlexRadio Cat interface doesn t need any model characterization Its main feature is it needs some presets which have necessarily to be fixed when in OPERATE Mode If interested read carefully the section OPERATE Mode and FLEX RADIO CAT interface detailed later Pag
27. PF LC E I 1 QUIT HHT OUT SbF 15 1 ICOM FULL 1 5 Set your exciter to transmit a continuous RT TY or CW signal Press the 1 L gt 4 C keys until you obtain the minimum SWR The operating frequency and the sub band are also shown on the display Note the tuning process has to be repeated for every entry INPUTT1 INPUT 2 d BACKLIGHT Regulates the backlight of the display Note display contrast has to be set manually Remove the upper cover and adjust through the hole at the upper right of the CPU card Adjust only if it is necessary and use an insulated screwdriver with care e CONTEST Permits programming fan thresholds for normal operation Normal and heavy use Contest off Normal 40 C 70 C 83 C 104 F 158 F 181 F on Contest 60 C 75 C 140 F 167 F f BEEP on All acoustic warnings alarms operate and a beep confirms keystroke off When you press a key there is no beep feedback but for all warning conditions and alarms the acoustic warnings are still functional g START standby STANDBY mode at startup operate OPERATE mode at startup h TEMP C Display tempeature readout expressed in Celsius degrees F Display tempeature readout expressed in Fahrenheit degrees To get more acquainted with the display features and to learn more about setup procedures please refer to 18 APPENDIX 1 Pag
28. Power supply The amplifier s power supply is 230 215 200 115 100 Vac 230 Vac default The main switch I O is located on the rear panel in the O position all the internal circuitry is powered off in the I position red led ON it is possibile turn ON or turn OFF the linear amplifier in one of the following ways a Using the ON OFF keys on the front panel b Applying removing 9 15 Vdc on pin 8 of the CAT connector C Using the RS232 port and the management software It is possible to download this software from the website www linear amplifier com Note when turned ON almost all transceivers output 13 8 Vdc With this voltage the linear amplifier can be turned automatically ON OFF at the same time as the transceiver 2 2 Input Output The linear amplifier has two inputs INPUT 1 INPUT 2 to which it is possible to connect two transceivers of any brand or type These inputs are selected with the INPUT key It can manage up to four antennas ANT 1 ANT 2 ANT 3 ANT 4 The amplifier selects antennas automatically when they have been programmed The SO2R functionality is implemented using its proper connector 2 3 ALC RELAY CAT There are two transceiver inputs IN 1 IN 2 to allow two different transceivers to be connected at the same time ALC Is a voltage 0 11 Vcc generated by the amplifier it is used to control the output power of the transceiver In this way the power from the amplifier may
29. RATE Mode display pages e displaying of PA OUT output power PA power supply source current e displaying of PW REV reverse power V PA power supply source voltage e NB The PW REV thus displayed is the reflected power before the low pass filter including harmonic power reflected by the filter It is NOT the reflected power as measured at the antenna output The DISPLAY key allows to switch back and forth these two display pages and to make a proper context change When entering the OPERATE Mode the default display page is the one left either the last time before the return to the Main Display Page or before a soft shutdown using the OFF key DISPLAY OPERATE In any way it is allowed to return to the Main Display Page pressing the OPERATE key again Note while in OPERATE Mode the SWR readout inside the Status Bar is substituted with the power amplifier gain value PA GAIN expressed in dB and according to the following formula PA GAIN dB 10 log PA_OUT PW_ IN Pag 66 of 66 As previously written while in OPERATE Mode two distinct display pages can be obtained and they allow to control together with the Status Bar the full working of the amplifier To switch back and forth the two display pages press the DISPLAY key Output power pep of the amplifier Power supply source current DISPLAY 1L Reflected power with all harmonics cont
30. age will be shown again in this example the Main Display Page Pag 58 of 58 18 15 MANUAL TUNE Display Page Cia en iL This display page is for making some small adjustments to the L C values of the automatic tuner this fine tune operation could be necessary either if the user cannot reach a good match using the automatic tuning or if he simply wants to apply some manual variations to the current settings In the following picture is shown an example of some settings of the Manual Tune Display Page together with the Status Bar readouts that allow total control of the situation it can easily seen that Input 1 is used in the 160 m band with antenna 2 connected and with the sub band 6 1 840 MHz 1 850 MHz switched The two sliders L C Lout Cout position is e 8 2 uH for Lout e 1436 9 pF for Cout Using the following keys e lt L L gt the resulting value of Lout may be changed e lt C C the resulting value of Cout may be changed All the changes are shown using the sliders graphics shown on the display page Pag 59 of 59 When in TX mode the frequency readout and the SWR readout displayed in the Status Bar are simultaneously updated If the applied manual changes are satisfactory this configuration can be saved inside the non volatile memory related to sub band 6 using the TUNE key By pressing the SET key the original tuner setting can be restored instead i e the on
31. amming is only possible in STANDBY mode Note programming changes take effect only after exiting from the menu page the green led turns off 10 1 Ways to operate Pressing the SET key opens the menu page On the display there are the following options a ANTENNA An appropriate antenna may be assigned to each band selecting the ANT 1 ANT 2 ANT 3 ANT 4 connector If you don t have an antenna for a particular band input NO This setup allows to preset up to two antennas for the same band Both antennas can be switched using the ANT key while working either in OPERATE or in STANDBY mode Pag 23 of 23 LE User s manual EXPERT 1K FA b CAT Allows you to program the amplifier to accept control commands from specific transceiver types You may need to refer to your transceiver user manual to ensure that it is correctly programmed to handle such a link KENWOOD SET CAT we IN 1 THESU Romeo EH TEL HOKE FLE SCRADIO SET CHT INTERFACE 1 Cet SELECT SET 1 CONF I E Select the brand or function SPE COM KENWOOD YAESU TEN TEC FLEX RADIO ELECRAFT RS232 NONE No further programming is necessary all is already programmed for the SPE transceivers You need to choose between CI V or Band Control Voltage if you use the analog connection read the CAT CONNECTIONS chapter of this manual If you choose CI V you also need to choose the
32. and has a sub band set and for each of those data related to the antenna and auto ATU tuning is stored The CAT and the frequency counter detect the operating frequency and the correct sub band Thanks to the stored data the tuner and the antenna are automatically set correctly For every input there is a different table If two exciters are connected at the same time each exciter can have different configurations It is possible to use the two different tables when the amplifier operates at two different locations In fact it is possible to use the INPUT 1 at one and INPUT 2 on the other In this way repeated reprogrammings are not needed Furthermore table driven management is useful to inhibit operation of the amplifier for instance when an antenna for a particular band is not available All auto tuner functions remain on standby whilst using the transceiver only oetting of the match data to write to the tables is performed automatically by pressing the TUNE key The system will then find the correct match for minimum SWR To achieve a better match than that achieved with the automatic tune routine most unlikely it is possible to set the tuning manually by using the keys CP 1 LD When manual tuning has been performed it is possible to read the tuning value the working frequency and the associated sub band on the appropriate screen page Both the types of tuning are always effected in STANDBY state Note the tune
33. appropriate for the country of use is fitted If the amplifier is used in a country other than that of the original purchase refer to your dealer for assistance The default mains voltage supply of the amplifier is 230 Vac 210 250 Vac It may be set to 215 200 115 and 100 Vac also To change the operating voltage see below N WARNING REMOVE THE MAINS CORD FROM THE WALL SOCKET AND WAIT AT LEAST 2 MINUTES FOR CAPACITORS TO DISCHARGE Only then remove the bottom cover the plastic protection and connect following the diagrams below Single phase 3 wire line 210 250 VAC The green yellow wire from AC power cable must be blue whita connected to the ground wire Brownback The blue and brown wires from the AC power cable can be connected to either terminal Single phase 2 wire line 105 125 VAC The green yellow wire from AC power cable must be O blue white connected to the ground wire The blue wire from AC power cable must be connected to the hot live wire The brown wire from AC power cable must be connected to the return wire Pag 17 of 17 I 2 1 User s manual EXPERT 1K FA 230 VAC blue i di E a DN blue J orange NZ Para NS m J uu N den e Le N black black Os _ PA P4 CLOSE white white i _ _ A NU J brown
34. baud rate which is usually 9600 You have to choose the baud rate almost always 9600 If you use the CAT connection read the CONNECTIONS chapter of this manual select the model of the transceiver and than select the baud rate almost always 4800 If the model isn t in the list select Band Data read the CAT CONNECTIONS chapter of this manual Make the CAT connection read the CAT CONNECTIONS chapter of this manual and follow the menu instructions Make the CAT connection read the CAT CONNECTIONS chapter of this manual and follow the menu instructions Make the CAT connection read the CAT CONNECTIONS chapter of this manual and follow the same indications as for KENWOOD With a proper protocol it is possible to use this port not only as a remote control but also as a CAT port useful to link the linear with any customer application Download the protocol specification from the website www linear amplifier com Program when there isn t a link with the Transceiver The amplifier frequency counter will then be used Note if using the CAT check that the baud rate of your transceiver is set to the same value as you program to the amplifier Pag 24 of 24 User s manual EXPERT 1K FA C MANUAL TUNE Allows you to tune the amplifier manually However achieving a better setting than that obtained by automatic tuning is very unlikely MANUAL 21 149 MHz SUB_BAND oF b HH Poet
35. be automatically controlled This link is recommended If the ALC port is not connected it is ncessary to manually regulate the drive power from the transceiver RELAY This essential link allows the amplifier to be put in the transmit state To do that it is necessary that the inner pin of the phono connector is connected to signal ground This is normally done at the transceiver with either a close on ground relay or with a switching transistor It is important that the voltages at that terminal do not exceed 12 Vdc On the transceiver this link is often called SEND or TX GND Refer to your transceiver manual for more details CAT Thanks to this link the linear amplifier will detect the operating frequency of the transceiver and then automatically control changes of band antenna and automatic antenna tuner Most modern tranceivers have CAT control In old models often analog or digital information are sent for changing band The SPE Expert 1K FA thanks to an efficient frequency counter constantly Pag 11 of 11 User s manual EXPERT 1K FA controls and verifies data coming from the transceiver Automatic management of bands antennas and tuner can be done in the following way a b d Note Note In all recent transceivers through CAT connection In the older ICOM models through BAND CONTROL VOLTAGE In the YAESU models not listed or without CAT through BAND DATA In every other case through the inte
36. cally set with an ALC connection and in STANDBY exciter is then automatically reset to full power Very clean and low distortion output Spurious emissions less than 50 dB 50 MHz 60 dB 3rd order distortion two tone test 36 dB typ Pag 43 of 43 a User s manual EXPERT 1K FA Input 50 ohm always perfectly matched SWR less than 1 2 1 Fully protected Temperature Over Voltage Over Current SWR Reflected Power Max RF Tuner Voltage Over Drive Amp The correct parameters are continuously monitored The same protection is realized in two different ways Via hardware circuits HW to assure great speed Via the software SW to assure great accuracy Thanks to the SW transmit relay changeover is carried out with zero current at the contacts Full break in operation QSK Normal Contest operation to optimize performance Very quiet operation Seven quiet three speed cooling fans 150 CFM maximum total air flow Temperature thresholds for speed change 40 C 104 F 70 C 158 F and 83 C 181 F normal mode 60 C 140 F and 75 C 167 F contest mode Noise level 39 dBa at maximum blower speed Continuous use FULL mode SSB unlimited key down 2 minutes HALF mode SSB unlimited key down 5 minutes Regulated power supply input 230 215 200 115 100 Vac With all input voltages the output power doesn t change A well designed grain oriented tape wound tor
37. e before the changes In any way there is a return to the Main Display Page Pag 60 of 60 18 16 BACKLIGHT Display Page ee SET SET This display page allows the backlight setting of the LCD display mounted of the front panel of the amplifier using the arrow keys lt A V The amount set is displayed by the slider setting To complete the operation and save the setting press the SET key Pag 61 of 61 18 17 CONTEST Settings SET This menu item allows setting of the fan s speed In detall e Contest the three speeds are set at the following thresholds o 40 104 F On 37 98 6 F Off o 70 C 158 F On 67 C 152 6 F Off 83 181 4 F On 80 C 176 F Off e Contest On the three speeds are set at the following thresholds o Permanently active 60 C 140 F On 57 C 134 6 F Off o 75 167 F On 72 C 161 6 F Off To make these changes press the SET key To leave this menu the QUIT option has to be chosen and then confirmed using the SET key Pag 62 of 62 18 18 BEEP Settings SET This menu item allows you to select if the beep is On or Off following any keystroke coming from the linear amplifier front panel keyboard To make these changes press the SET key To leave this menu the QUIT option has to be chosen and then confirmed using the SET key Pag 63 of 63 SET
38. erations inside the tuned band relative to the selected input The Global settings perform their action over the whole system and they are BACKLIGHT for setting the LCD backlight brightness CONTEST for setting one of the two handling modes of the amplifier s cooling fans CONTEST On Off BEEP for enabling disabling the acoustical feedback following any keystroke coming from the amplifier s keyboard START for setting the amplifier s startup mode STANDBY OPERATE occurring after the next power up TEMP for displaying the temperature measurements using either Celsius degrees C or Fahrenheit degrees F Pag 49 of 49 18 5 SET ANTENNA Menu SET SET The SET ANTENNA is for setting the proper antennas for every ham band relative to the two inputs the available choiches are e 1 2 3 4 corresponding to the individual output connectors mounted on the rear panel of the amplifier ANT1 ANT2 ANT3 ANTA e NO means that there is no antenna setting for a certain ham band this kind of setting also causes the tuning memories to be restored to factory defaults Note up to two different antennas can be assigned to every one of the ten ham bands these choices are shown on the same line of the label band Each of the two settings can be recalled while either in STANDBY or in OPERATE by simply pressing the ANT key which switches them back and forth Pag 50 of 50 User s manual EXPERT 1K FA To edit the anten
39. ere must be programmed the maximum power limits for the transceiver in order to avoid the EXPERT s overdrive protection system intervention refer to the Diagnostics section this is a very important operation since FlexRadio transceivers don t have any traditional ALC input These settings have to be done while in OPERATE Mode according to the followings For every ham band two settings are allowed storage memories e One setting for HALF mode e One setting for FULL mode The following table shows an overall vision of these settings Band 160m 80m 40m 30m 20m 17m 15m 12m 10m 6m HALF Preset Preset Preset Preset Preset Preset Preset Preset Preset Preset Half Half Half Half Half Half Half Half Half Half Full Full Full Full Full Full Full Full Full Full The user has to set for every band of interest the power limit concerning the input power limitation Power Control using the keyboard and the display of the linear amplifier To make this obtain a proper band selection using the CAT interface and without leaving the RX mode press one of the arrow keys 4 A V from EXPERT s keyboard a report value having the format PC xxx where xxx is a numerical value having a range from 000 to 100 which represents the transceiver s upper power limit expressed in percentage will appear just over the BAND label of the Status Bar This value is relative to the tuned band and to the se
40. ge to the amplifier NOTE Serious problems if not observed Danger of fire or electric shock for the operator or damage to the equipment N WARNING HIGH VOLTAGE DO NOT disconnect an antenna from the amplifier during transmission electric shock or fire is possible N WARNING DO NOT modify the internal wiring of the amplifier Any modifications will invalidate the warranty and may reduce the performance of the linear amplifier or damage it N WARNING Before using the linear amplifier compare the value of voltage of the local mains supply network with the value required by the amplifier and set it up correctly N WARNING DO NOT turn ON the linear amplifier unless it has been properly grounded through the green yellow conductor of the mains cord Your dealer will already have provided the correct mains plug for your local electricity network with the earth pin connected to that conductor Do not disconnect this under any circumstances or there is a risk of severe or fatal electric shock A WARNING Pag 5 of 5 a User s manual EXPERT 1K FA DO NOT use an extension cord with the AC power cable as if it is not correctly rated there is a risk of fire or electric shock Pag 6 of 6 a User s manual EXPERT 1K FA N WARNING DO NOT allow metallic objects or wires to enter inside the amplifier N WARNING DO NOT obstruct the entries for cooling air at both the sides of the amplifier Ensure tha
41. has an excessively slow ALC regulation Poor ALC regulation could result in overdrive which in turn could result in damage c RTTY DIGITAL MODES SSTV FM SPE recommends you operate in HALF mode because these types of transmission have a very high duty cycle Check PW REV and if it shows more than 120 140 Watts decrease the power from the transceiver In case of very heavy use it is advisable to work in Contest condition to take advantage of the greater efficiency of the fans d AM This transmission mode radiates a continuous carrier which is 25 of its PEP value 400W PEP AM 100W carrier power SPE recommends you always operate in HALF mode for AM To get an output signal without distortion proceed as follows transmit the AM carrier only with your transceiver MIC GAIN set to zero and no modulation Set the transceiver without exceeding 125W of carrier output from the amplifier Then speaking into the microphone normally set the MIC GAIN of the transceiver until the peak output power on speech peaks as shown on the amplifier display is no more than 500W Note that because of the modulation characteristics of AM the average value shown will normally Pag 28 of 28 a User s manual EXPERT 1K FA Note Note Note be much less SPE suggests you monitor your transmission to check that the MIC GAIN setting is correct In case of very heavy use it is advisable to work in Contest condition to
42. ine cables Take special care with antennas with traps because trap warming can occur during periods of high power transmission and a high SWR can result Always use antennas with SWR less than 1 6 1 even if the tuner is able to overcome some mismatches greater than 3 1 With the tuner the PA is matched but with a high VSWR the cable is mismatched and there can be consequent loss of power heating and high voltages present Always operate with the best possible matching because despite the amplifier s protection against high SWR continuous use into a mismatched load a bit lower than the protection threshold may lead to damage It is suggested that suitable static protection be given to antenna feeder cables Pag 16 of 16 a User s manual EXPERT 1K FA T POWER SUPPLY The power supply unit of the SPE Expert 1K FA has two blocks with two separate power transformers The first block has regulated and protected voltages and powers all the electronic circuits for command and control The second block powers only the PA It has a toroidal transformer with a low magnetic field to avoid disturbances to nearby equipment The output voltages are 44 Vdc on FULL power mode and 30 Vdc on HALF power mode regulated with SCRs that also provide soft start on switch on This design was adopted as it provides maximum efficiency and therefore less heat to dissipate 7 1 Mains cable termination Your dealer will ensure that a mains plug
43. l give the output power as set by its POWER OUTPUT control Without the connection you have to manually regulate the exciter power to drive the amplifier correctly Note for continuous duty cycle transmissions RTTY PSKxx SSTV FM AM etc we recommend switching the power to HALF state Pag 14 of 14 a User s manual EXPERT 1K FA 4 1 SO2R Single Operator Two Radio RIXI RIX2 INPUT 1 INPUT 2 ANT 1 ANT SOIR SPE AMT EXPERT 1K FA MULTIBAND TREE ANTENNA TRASMITTING ANTENDAS This kind of operation is used during a contest in order to acquire as more quickly as possible a new multiplier The following connections are needed see the diagram 1 INPUT 1 connected to the first transceiver RTX1 2 INPUT 2 connected to the second transceiver RTX2 3 ANT 1 2 3 4 connected to the available antennas set 4 SO2R connected to a multi band antenna The operating mode could be the following If you are operating using RTX1 on a given band e g 20 m the correct antenna ANT 1 2 3 4 is automatically selected while RTX2 is connected to the multi band antenna in RX mode on another band If when operating on 20 m a multiplier of interest is heard on RTX2 e g 40 m the only action needed is to push the PTT2 in order to RTX2 to the 40 m antenna while RTX1 will be switched to the multiband antenna in order to receive the 20 m band Note the isolation between the transmitting antennas and the receiving antenna must be
44. lected power mode HALF FULL In the following picture is shown as an example a Power Control equal to 31 in the 20 m band and in FULL power mode 660 960 12060 Cee ul H Per 5 lita Pressing the arrow keys 4 A V gt this value can be decremented incremented until it reaches the requested value at the operation completion a time out period about seconds must be awaited to expire for the PC xxx indication disappearing and for eventually proceed to another adjusting using the same rules The Power Control settings are global since they applies to both inputs Pag 68 of 68 In the following picture can be seen as an example the Power Control 15 setting relative to the same band 20 m but using the HALF mode selection instead Once adjusted the proper preset go to TX mode RT TY CW to verify the output power ATTENTION It is strongly recommended to start with a low preset value e g 10 and progressively increasing it this is to avoid the linear overdriving The output power levels to reach are about 900 W FULL mode e 500 W HALF mode The following empty table could be useful as a template for the FlexRadio user s Power Control presettings Band 160m 80m 40m 30m 20m 17m 15m 12m 10m HALF Pag 69 of 69 18 23 Diagnostics During normal working the system performs a continuous monitoring of some measurement
45. led illuminates when the amplifier is ON 22 SET green led illuminates during programming 23 TUNE yellow led illuminates during tuning 24 ALL red led illuminates when there is an alarm 25 DISPLAY 26 AIRFLOW GRID Pag 9 of 9 User s manual EXPERT 1K FA 1 2 Rear Panel 9 B 22 O L O 52 O GOOO AA NY ANT 1 ANT 2 ANT 3 ANT 4 SOR INPUT 1 INPUT 2 5 227752 lt mM Y M y II o a DI DC C OQ Sw MOO o7 ae AC FUSE1 FUSE 2 AT RELAY ALC CAT RELAY ALC RS232 e Q De ol eere E e 2 2000 i IN 1 n 11 A is O 8 6 10 1 ANT connectors for four possible antennas 2 SO2R connector for SO2R operations 3 INPUT connectors to connect two exciters 4 FANS 5 RS 232 CONNECTOR 6 IN 1 7 IN2 8 FUSE2 9 FUSE 1 10 AC 11 GND 12 ON ALC RELAY CAT connectors for exciter 1 ALC RELAY CAT connectors for exciter 2 fuse for the power supply PA unit 12 5A 230 215 200 Vac 20A 115 100 Vac fuse for the power supply electronic unit 0 5A 230 215 200 Vac 1A 115 100 Vac mains power cable ground connector main switch Pag 10 of 10 a User s manual EXPERT 1K FA 2 GENERAL INFORMATION Read the specific chapters for more details 2 1
46. lly Automatic Standby ze inu LHT OUT ICOM FULL 44 0 Pag 45 of 45 18 2 Main Display Page TX Exciter When in STANDBY mode and having a transceiver connected to one of the two inputs of the linear the TX is switched to there is a context change and the Main Display Page showing the STANDBY Mode changes to another display page TX Exciter which shows the input power signal level both in graphical form by means of a level bar and in numerical format W pep The level bar and the numerical indication have a maximum peak hold function with a programmed delay of about 1 second When the connected transceiver is switched back to RX mode the Main Display Page showing the STANDBY state is displayed again Reception Transmission IL exciter only Reception 11 During the whole transmission period the SWR cell inside the Status Bar displays in real time the current value of the Standing Wave Ratio when back in reception mode the null value is shown Pag 46 of 46 18 3 Alarm History Display Page If in STANDBY mode the DISPLAY key is pressed the Alarm History Page report is displayed this new page shows in reverse order the higher numerical index is the last alarm message all the stored alarm messages since the last stack reset To come back to the Main Display Page STANDBY mode all it needed is to press the DISPLAY key again DISPLAY Due to the small dis
47. n TEMP SET CAT INTERFACE FEATURES 1 166 m 1 NONE HALF 25 C SET 4 ek SELECT CSET CONFIRM SET SET CAT vs INI RS 232 847 KENWOOD FLEX FADIO i SET CAT INTERFACE 1 5 Cek SELECT CSET CONFIRM SET SET BAUD RATE vs IN 1 PETERT oli ate Fully Automatic ii SET PROPER BAUD RATE IN BAND ANT CAT OUT 4 Cek SELECT SET CONFIRM SET 1 166 m 1 YAESU HALF 25 C Note usually YAESU CAT interfaces run at 4800 baud but to make the right choice it s better read the transceiver s documentation carefully If the BAND_DATA interface is chosen the baud rate setting will not be proposed Pag 55 of 55 a User s manual EXPERT 1K FA 18 11 TEN TEC CAT Settings SETUP OPTIONS vs IN 1 CAES Ld ANTENNA ee E QUIT oli ate n Fully Automatic START Standby Standby BACKLIGHT TEMP IN BAND CAT OUT a TEMP SET CAT INTERFACE FEATURES 1 166 m 1 NONE HALF 25 C SET 4 ek SELECT CSET CONFIRM SET SET CAT vs IN 1 SET TEN TEC vs IN 1 YAESU RS 232 WOUND JUPITER ICOM NONE ARGONAUT V KENWOOD SET CAT INTERFACE SET PROPER TEN TEC MODEL 44 1 SELECT CSETI
48. na SPACE FOR THE REPAIRER REPAIRER ieri Eee DATE OF ARRIVAL 2s wh RR TEX eni NOTES ABOUT THE AMPLIFIER WHEN YOU 1 2 RUE RR RC ERR REOR Rag THERME PARTS DATE OF TESTS SIGNATURE OF THE REPAIRER Pag 75 of 75 LE User s manual SPE s r l Via di Monteverde 33 00152 Rome Italy Tel 390658209429 Fax 390658209647 E mail info linear amplifier com Website http www linear amplifier com Pag 76 of 76 EXPERT 1K FA
49. na setting for another band the arrow key 4 A must be used to select the proper choice and then repeat the above described procedure At the end of the desired setting operations the SAVE option must be chosen and confirmed using the SET key in order to save all the data relative to the bands antennas to the amplifiers storage memory these settings will be available until over written As a confirmation of the data save the DATA STORED message will appear and then the Main Display Page which restores the system in STANDBY mode The ANT cell of the Status Bar shows in this example the new antenna value ANT 2 which has been selected for the tuned 160 m band If the user wants to repeat the same kind of operation on the other input in this example input 2 the right input must be switched using the INPUT key just before entering the Setup Options Menu and repeating the above described procedure The Status Bar always shows the updated value of the selected input Pag 51 of 51 SET 18 6 SET CAT Menu SET The SET CAT menu allows setting or exclusion of the CAT Computer Aided Transceiver interface This interface if present in the connected transceiver allows the amplifier to read frequency and band information from the transceiver even whilst in receive mode This means the antenna switch and ATU settings are effected even whilst in receive mode During transmissi
50. oidal transformer reduces magnetic fields around the amplifier The linear can be switched ON OFF also switching ON OFF the exciter With a large LCD display is possible to have a great deal of information W pep out V pa pa W pep reflected Power gain Temperature SWR Input setting CAT setting Band and other indications including an alarms log Easy to operate Powerful SW gives you a user friendly unit RS 232 port for PC control SW is supplied to remote the linear front panel With a proper protocol it is possible to use this port not only as a remote control but also as a CAT port useful to link the linear with any customer application Easy transportation A sturdy carry bag is supplied for QSY FIELD DAY DX PEDITIONS etc Certifications CE FCC SPE guarantees all previous data on 14 MHz These specifications are subject to change without notice Pag 44 of 44 a User s manual EXPERT 1K FA 18 APPENDIX 1 18 1 Main Display Page STANDBY Mode The Main Display Page just like any other visual page handled by the system is substantially divided into two parts e AUser Area showing some information data which vary according to the current working status e A Status Bar which is committed to displaying either the various status information or as for the info pages visualization and setup menus for user prompts and for short help notes contextual helps f 7 EXPERT iK FA Solid State Fu
51. on the internal logic bound to the frequency counter measurements will override eventually correct and validate this information When the SET CAT menu is entered the current setting is selected To change the current setting to a new one select one of the proposed choices using the arrow keys lt A V gt and then confirm it using the SET key Next will be presented a new menu showing the supported models e g the ICOM transceivers are equipped with two kinds of interface CI V and VOLTAGE BAND the choice selected has to be validated using the SET key Pag 52 of 52 And at the end will be shown the menu for communication speed selection baud rate When the proper choice is made e g 9600 baud and validated pressing the SET key the Main Display Page will be shown and the Status Bar will be updated according to the change just made Note not all CAT interfaces allow all the above mentioned setting options in the following pages the operational sequences of the various implemented options will be shown in short form Pag 53 of 53 a User s manual EXPERT 1K FA 18 7 SPE CAT Settings SETUP OPTIONS vs IN 1 mm 1 ANTENNA CONTEST OFF QUIT So 1 ate n im Fullu Putomatio START Standby Standby BACKLIGHT TEMP IN BAND ANT CAT OUT SUR 1 168 m 1 NONE HALF 25 C SET SET CAT vs
52. p sequence described in its reference manual Note if the analog VOLTAGE_BAND inteface is chosen the baud rate setting will not be shown as it is useless In order to avoid troubles this setting must be chosen only if the transceiver is not equipped with any CI V CAT interface Pag 54 of 54 F User s manual EXPERT 1K FA 18 9 KENWOOD ELECRAFT CAT Settings SETUP OPTIONS vs IN 1 SALE ANTENNA Beene Br QUIT oli ate n Fully Automatic START Standby Standby BACKLIGHT TEMP e IN BAND ANT CAT OUT TEMP SET CAT INTERFACE FEATURES 1 i168 m 1 NONE HALF 25 C SET 1427 ek SELECT CSET CONFIRM SET SET CAT vs IN 1 __ SET BAUD RATE vs IN 1 CAT KENWOOD BAUD RATE YAESU RS 232 TYPE ALL TEN TEC HONE FLExX RERHDIO SET CAT INTERFACE SET PROPER BAUD RATE 4 Cek SELECT CSET CONFIRM SET 1 Deb SELECT CSET CONFIRM SET EXPERT Solid State Fully Automatic Standby IN BAND CAT OUT zd TEMP 1 168 m 1 KEMHDIHRLF 25 C Note KENWOOD CAT interface doesnt need any model setting 18 10 YAESU CAT Settings SETUP OPTIONS vs IN 1 CELSUS La ANTENNA EUHIEST m QUIT oli ate n Fully Automatic START Standby Standby BACKLIGHT TEMP IN BAND CAT OUT z
53. pecification that permits creation of a proper software application Note SPE doesn t take any responsibility for these applications Pag 41 of 41 a User s manual EXPERT 1K FA 16 MAINTENANCE The Expert 1K FA linear amplifier doesn t need internal maintenance because it has a cover without ventilation holes No tube type EHT is used so the high voltages present in tube amplifiers which sometimes attract dirt are not present The user has only to periodically check the cleaning of the air filter on the front panel The frequency of such operation depends how dusty the amplifier location is and how much it is used We recommend monthly cleaning of the filter To clean the filter a Remove the front grid b Remove the filter and clean it with care C Reassemble the filter and the grid after having carefullly cleaned the mechanical structure that includes them Note check the filter if an unexpected rise of temperature is noticed Note never operate without the filter as dust could be deposited on the surface of the heatsink limiting its ability to cool Note to allow the most efficient heat dissipation large copper parts have been used Pag 42 of 42 a User s manual EXPERT 1K FA 17 CHARACTERISTICS SPECIFICATIONS The smallest in the world Built in Power supply and Automatic Antenna Tuner Dimension w 28 h 14 d 32 cm 11 02 W 5 51 H 12 60 D connectors included Weight approx 20 Kg 19 Kg typ
54. play capability the Alarm History Page can show only four message lines at a time so in order to view any other message out of sight the arrow keys lt A must be used to obtain the text scroll one line down 4 one line up To empty the whole alarm stack the TUNE and OPERATE keys must be pressed and kept down till the following display page appears Pag 47 of 47 18 4 Setup Options Menu The Setup Options Menu can be accessed using the SET key while standing in the Main Display Page A menu composed of various items which can be selected will be displayed one item at a time using the arrow keys lt A V to confirm a choice the SET key must be pressed The QUIT item must be chosen to leave the Setup Options Menu and come back to the Main Display Page The items shown by the Setup Options Menu can be divided into two categories Selected input settings ANTENNA MANUAL TUNE Global settings 1 Globalsetings BACKLIGHT CONTEST BEEP START TEMP Pag 48 of 48 a User s manual EXPERT 1K FA The Selected input settings are used for characterizing some parameters relative to both the inputs and they are ANTENNA for setting the proper antenna up to a maximum of two for every ham band relative to the selected input CAT for setting the proper CAT interface relative to the selected input MANUAL TUNE for making some manual fine tune op
55. r like all analog circuits introduces a loss 0 8 dB max that may vary with tuning conditions The power meter of the amplifier does not show this loss as the power is measured at the tuner input where the load resistance is always constant 50 ohm Note ATTENTION When the amplifier is either in STANDBY or OPERATE mode always disable the automatic tuner in your transceiver Note ATTENTION As two different tables are used for INPUT1 and INPUT 2 it is necessary to make separate matching for the same antenna depending on the used input Ignoring this caution could make the amplifier work for a long period with a high SWR and this practice could seriously damage the amplifier even if the protection level is not exceeded Pag 20 of 20 a User s manual EXPERT 1K FA 9 PROTECTIONS ALARMS The SPE EXPERT 1K FA has a sophisticated protection system that constantly controls the amplifier s most important parameters These parameters are Temperature of the heatsink max min voltage on the PA max PA current SWR reflected power max voltage RF on the tuner input power power combiner balance Note unlike all the other linear amplifiers that measure only the reflected power of the antenna to guarantee a greater protection of the PA the SPE amplifier measures also the power of harmonics reflected by the band pass filter Note to guarantee the maximum efficiency with the same output power the PA has three MRF1
56. r s manual EXPERT 1K FA REPAIR FORM CONNECTION STATE AT THE MOMENT OF THE BREAKDOWN TRANSCRIVNERMODBEL sr tag Hp RS CAT CONNECTION YES O NO IF YES INDICATE THE ITEM HEADING IN THE USER S IF NO BAND DATA INTERFACE YES BAND CONTROL VOLTAGE INTERFACE YES ANY LINK THE ALC WAS CONNECTED YES 0 NO WAS THE DRIVING POWER OF THE TRANSCEIVER SET AT THE MAXIMUM LEVEL YES NO IF NO WHAT POWER OUTPUT 5 ON WHICH BAND DID THE FAULT HAPPEN DID YOU CHANGE BANDS ANTENNA IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THE FAULT HAPPENED YES O NO PLEASE WRITE THE TRANSMISSION MODE SSB O CW O QSK O DIGITAL MODE FM FOR HOW LONG BEFORE THE FAILURE DID YOU SWITCH ON THE THE AMPLIFIER WAS IN THE HALF POWER FULL POWER WHICH WAS THE INPUT USED INPUT 1 INPUT 2 WHICH WAS THE TEMPERATURE OF THE WHAT FAULT INFORMATION WAS DISPLAYED ON THE LCD WHICH WAS THE MAINS VOLTAGE AT THE MOMENT OF THE edat de qubd Or Len en
57. ribution Power supply source voltage The output power reflected power supply voltage and supply current are displayed other than in numerical form in graphical form too by means of proper level bars provided with a peak hold embedded function about 1 s which is useful for better evaluating the measurements variations While in OPERATE Mode the following switchings are possible e Input selection Pressing the INPUT key there is a switching between the two inputs the same result can be obtained driving the two RELAY inputs placed on the rear panel of the amplifier itself by pressing the respective PTT keys of the two connected transceivers e Manual band selection Pressing 4BAND and BANDP keys the working tuning band can be selected if there is not any CAT setting CAT NONE e Antenna switching one of two for a given band Pressing the ANT key there is an antenna switching between the two presets stored for the selected band and a subsequent variation of the tuner settings e Power mode setting Pressing POWER key the amplifiers power management is switched between HALF half power mode and FULL full power mode The complete readouts of the early mentioned settings are displayed inside the Status Bar as shown in the above reproduced page detail Pag 67 of 67 a User s manual EXPERT 1K FA 18 22 OPERATE Mode and FLEX RADIO CAT interface When FlexRadio CAT interface is set th
58. rnal frequency counter in case d the CAT link with the transceiver is not needed because the frequency is detected from the transmitted signal in some transceivers the RELAY and CAT signals are activated by menu selection refer in this case to their proper user s manuals Pag 12 of 12 a User s manual EXPERT 1K FA 3 INTERCONNECTION WITH THE TRANSCEIVER ANTENNAS MULTIBAND EM na 3 322 TRANSCIEVER M js SEE MANUAL MAMAS RELAY CAT GND ALC RS232 D S T TREO oo 5 o 5 L IN 2 The diagram shows the connections with one transceiver only To connect the second transceiver repeat the same connections using the port IN 2 For the ALC
59. s directly acquired from certain internal test points among the most important there are the ones related to the power supply unit behaviour When a dangerous situation is going to happen a serious alarm message is raised and the working mode is switched from OPERATE to STANDBY The user can either immediately restore the Main Display Page by pressing the DISPLAY key or wait for the visual alarm time out expiration about 10 seconds In the following picture is shown as an example the case of a power supply unit trouble the power supply voltage level is fallen below the programmed threshold while in OPERATE mode After having restored from an alarm message the Alarm History report can be viewed and browsed as described in the relative section The following table shows all the system s alarm messages that are recorded in the Alarm History stack MEANNG Pag 70 of 70 I User s manual EXPERT 1K FA While the following table shows all the dynamic warning messages that are not recorded in the Alarm History stack MESSAGE 24 MEANING 20 m ANTENNA NOT AVAILABLE Antenna not available for 20 m band 17 m ANTENNA NOT AVAILABLE Antenna not available for 17 m band Pag 71 of 71 a User s manual EXPERT 1K FA 19 TABLE BAND TABLE SUB BAND CENTRAL FREQUENCY SUB BAND Egg 48 3950 49 3970 50 3990 51 4010 52 4030 S4 ss 56
60. t no object impedes the correct operation of the fans N WARNING DO NOT expose the linear amplifier to rain snow or any liquids N WARNING DO NOT instal the linear amplifier in a place without good ventilation This could limit heat dissipation and the amplifier could be damaged N WARNING DO NOT touch the amplifier with damp or wet hands There is danger of electric shock Avoid opening it before you have disconnected it from the mains supply then wait at least 2 minutes for electrolytic capacitors to complete their discharge To clean the amplifier DO NOT use chemical agents like alcohol or benzene because the plastic surfaces could be damaged AVOID using the amplifier in areas with temperatures below 10 C 14 F or above 40 C 104 F AVOID using the linear amplifier in locations that are very dusty damp or in direct sunlight AVOID placing the linear amplifier against walls the circulation of the air would be obstructed and the noise of the fans would be reflected toward the operator AVOID permitting children to play with the amplifier If you do not use the linear amplifier for long time set the back main switch I O to the OFF position O This amplifier should only be operated by persons who have an appropriate radio transmitting licence and you should observe your licence conditions whilst using it Pag 7 of 7 EXPERT 1K FA User s manual the carton DB 15 for CAT links
61. take advantage of the greater efficiency of the fans if you choose to set the output power of the amplifier by varying the output power of the transceiver the ALC connection is not required ATTENTION never stress the amplifier with long periods in key down transmission as this can stress the amplifier components in SSB the use of the compressor is recommended only when necessary this strongly reduces the temperature increase Pag 29 of 29 12 CAT CONNECTIONS 12 1 CAT Connector User s manual EXPERT 1K FA In this diagram the rear panel CAT connector and pinouts are shown 10 RX 232 9 TX 232 20 BAND CONTROL VOLTAGE 10 RX TTL 30 TX TTL 10 KEN TTL 4 GND 12 gt RELAY 50 ALC TX INH 6 BAND A a BAND B BAND DATA TO BAND C 15 BAND D 8 REMOTE ON DB15F pin n pin name Description 1 RX 232 Used on KENWOOD and YAESU transceivers for the link with a RS 9 TX 232 232 connection 2 BAND CONTROL VOLTAGE Analog band switch on the Icom transceivers 10 RX TTL Used on Icom KENWOOD and YAESU transceivers for the CAT 5V 2 TX TTL TTL connection 11 KEN TTL Connect to GND if CAT 5V TTL KENWOOD connection 4 GND Signal ground 12 RELAY Connected in parallel with the RCA phono RELAY connector 5 ALC Connected in parallel with the RCA phono ALC connector 13 TX INH Used to improve the receive transmit switching efficiency 6 DATAA Bit A of Band Data digital switch of band for YAESU 14 D
62. tor side are the same On the other end of the cable it is necessary to link only GND and RX TTL Pag 39 of 39 a User s manual EXPERT 1K FA 14 4 5V TTL YAESU INTERFACE m YAESU RADIO CONNECTOR 0 mo oo RATTL u TX TTL X ELIO 4 om 12 50 zz 130 6 TTL INTERFACE 14 if V e 15 PC N DB15M The links on the linear connector side are the same On the other end of the cable it is necessary to link only GND and RX TTL Pag 40 of 40 User s manual EXPERT 1K FA 15 USE OF THE RS 232 PORT Through the RS232 port it is possibile to interface the amplifier with a PC It is possible to download from the website www linear amplifier com the software that permits interfacing the amplifier in a remote way connecting the amplifier to a PC with the supplied cable E EXPERT Console Rel 0f_07_07_B CE FCC Compliant Second Series Setup EXPERT 1K FA Fully Automatic Solid State Linear Amplifier PL DEF overview pep Uu PUWEH ea DISPLAY 0 12 5 25 Ki TUNE PA 36 0 A OPERATE iN BAND ANT OUT TEMP pu ser 1 20m 1 FULL 16 508 31 C or IN BAND BAND ANT CAT SET Serial port COMM Remote connection ON Auto shutdown OFF On the same website there is for programmer use a protocol s
63. ty transmission During transmission check the parameters on the display always because SPE has selected designed and adjusted them with care SPE recommends using the ALC link that the transceiver should be set to its maximum drive power To reduce the amplifier output if required it is then necessary only to set the amplifier to HALF power state rather than changing the transceiver drive power Of course you may also regulate continuously the amplifier output power by changing the level of drive power from your transceiver If less output power than 500 Watts is desired it is preferable for best efficiency to start to reduce drive from the HALF power state SETTING DRIVE LEVELS a SSB Regulate the MIC GAIN of the transceiver until speaking normally into the microphone the signal peaks on the display don t quite reach the maximum rated output power Monitoring the transmission is a good way of checking your settings If there is however some distortion decrease the mic gain or decrease the power of the transceiver until a small reduction of the output power of the amplifier is seen b CW In key down you get the maximum output power automatically Check the PW REV If it shows more than 120 140 Watts decrease the power of the transceiver until that value or less is noted When CW mode is extensively used a manual regulation of the exciter s output power is advisable to avoid improper ALC action if the transceiver
64. very high and therefore very well planned Locating the antennas at some distance from each other and using appropriate band pass filters will help to achieve this SPE cannot be responsible for any damage caused to equipment by using this mode of operating Pag 15 of 15 a User s manual EXPERT 1K FA 9 EXTERNAL GROUND CONNECTION N WARNING Before connecting an external ground as described below check with a qualified electrician that your national wiring codes permit such a connection To reduce TVI BCI and other RF problems it is sometimes helpful to connect the amplifier to a good RF ground The inductance of such a connection has to be low so the connection to ground should be as short and direct as possible Large section copper conductors should be used for this purpose Terminating the earth connection with a small metal plate is suggested The best solution is to have a ground stake driven into the ground and used only for the radio station Often good results can be acheived using correct earthing clamps connected to the mains water supply pipe attention most water pipes are now in plastic DO NOT use central heating pipework AVOID the electric circuit ground of the building to be used for the 50 60 Hz safety only N WARNING DO NOT connect to gas pipes because there is danger of explosion 6 ANTENNA Because this is a high power amplifier it is necessary to use correctly rated antennas and feedl
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