Elenos ETG 1000W Repair

[BriansBrain]

OK...

Looking at the Maintenance pdf's of each model (500W & 1000W)

The Comparison of Combiner outputs looks like this...

Comparison of Combiner outputs.jpg

The experts here will be able to comment on this idea I have of
reducing it to 500W to boost the efficiency at the lower power

[rigmo]

efficiency will be the same ! even you use only 500W if you wont better efficiency you need remove driver and 4 stages ( sale ) use one modul 500w or 1kw direct driven from exciter...

[thewisepranker]

It's not as simple as just disabling output stages, you will also have to trick the control loop into thinking that whatever output power you've decided upon is now 1 kW, and possibly several other parts of the loop as well such as driver output power, supply current to each pallet, who knows what layers of protection they've got in there without spending hours going over the schematics.

[BriansBrain]

It's not as simple as just disabling output stages, you will also have to trick the control loop into thinking that whatever output power you've decided upon is now 1 kW, and possibly several other parts of the loop as well such as driver output power, supply current to each pallet, who knows what layers of protection they've got in there without spending hours going over the schematics.

Yes.......... that is what I realized after I thought of it....... it's going to be a pain

Well it's working fine at the lower powers of < 400W
My current dummy will only handle 500W MAX

I have ordered parts to make a 1KW

[BriansBrain]

OK power output Readings on the Elenos TX compared to a BIRD 4304A Wattmeter going into a 50Ω Dummy Load

Code: Select all

on the		on a
Elenos		BIRD
150W	=	100W
312W	=	200W
456W	=	300W
575W	=	400W
687W	=	500W 

And now some very bad efficiency readings

Code: Select all

Mains Power
Consuption
140W 	@	No RF Out
330W 	@ 	50W out  = 15.2%
474W 	@ 	100W out = 21.1%
707W 	@ 	200W out = 28.3%
900W 	@ 	300W out = 33.3%
1100W 	@ 	400W out = 36.5%
1243W	@ 	500W out = 40.2% 

Then had to stop because my BIRD 4304A Wattmeter only reads up to 500W

+ I fucked up my 500W Dummy Load

Good job I have ordered some parts to make a new 2kW instead of a 1kW one

[mikroman]

below 100w the display shows x2 compared to bird reading. deja vu!

[projuicer]

Can you show us what remains of the dummy load?

[BriansBrain]

Can you show us what remains of the dummy load?

Nothing visible can be seen, just blown open circuit

[projuicer]

Some years ago a mate had bodged a dummy load in a hammerite can with a tight top. I don't know the details of the construction but it was basically a can of cooking oil with some gubbins.

Long story short, I expect that particular flat still has cooking oil in the ceiling

[Albert H]

I know someone in South London (I'm looking at you, Bill) who used secondhand cooking oil for his dummy load. Every time he fire up a rig into it, his workshop smelled of frying chips!

[BriansBrain]

I know someone in South London (I'm looking at you, Bill) who used secondhand cooking oil for his dummy load. Every time he fire up a rig into it, his workshop smelled of frying chips!

Could of been worse........ fish for example

[BriansBrain]

OK....
Now I have realized on of the 80mm PAPST 8314/12H 6W fans is running
slow or not at all when at low RF power or when the PS is at 30V > 38V

One on order......... waiting

ETG1000 rear.JPG

[Maximus]

Some years ago a mate had bodged a dummy load in a hammerite can with a tight top. I don't know the details of the construction but it was basically a can of cooking oil with some gubbins.

Long story short, I expect that particular flat still has cooking oil in the ceiling

[Marcel]

Have repaired about 20/25??? of them already.

The weak points are indeed the driver, the ridiculously loud blowers (moisture/dirty), the transmitter is almost rising and the point I've had the most headaches about is the switched power supply.

If it breaks you really have a big problem because it is specially made for Elenos.

[rigmo]

Out of curiosity, have you measured the mains power consumption? I tried to find some info about the efficiency of these but there doesn't appear to be any information, which usually means well you can probably guess...

efficiency is certainly lower with so many coax cables, connections. every splitter and combiner...
as I said earlier, sell all the modules and replace them with 1kw output amplifier stage.

[rigmo]

As I mentioned in another thread, the newer model Indium Version of this Elenos TX is quoted at 74% efficiency.
This older model could never get anywhere near that

I was even thinking of somehow disabling two of the final output stages and run it at 500W to increase it's efficiency
As Brian's electric running cost is very high on my agenda
I will have to look into that

you fixed it. resell it and build new one with higher efficiency modules..

[BriansBrain]

...... the most headaches about is the switched power supply.

If it breaks you really have a big problem because it is specially made for Elenos.

I was warned about the power supply problems with this older model before I got it.

However the PS I have in this TX is the more modern 2.5kW EPSU2K5PZ001 so lets see

[BriansBrain]

you fixed it. resell it and build new one with higher efficiency modules..

I am hoping to get a second hand Elenos Indium 500W
which is the newer model and has a quoted efficiency of 74% @ 500W

Then I will keep this older model for backup