Linear Amp Question

**clantonman1983** · 11.09.2009

I have a Galaxy 979 running with a Palomar 225 in my pickup truck.

As far as I can tell, it works fine and I get out plenty. I did notice something and had a question about it though...

I have a variable power knob that I keep the deadkey turned all the way down with. When the amp is off and I key up, the needle move to however many watts of deadkey it is set on. When the amp is on, it looks like it is a little bit less deadkey but barely noticeable...

does this make any sense?

**Flying Dutchman** · 11.09.2009

The meter on your radio is only reading the radio's power....since it is not wired in after the amp. What would make it go down is just one of those RF mysteries, guaranteed nothing is wrong with your setup though as long as you keep your deadkey down.

**clantonman1983** · 11.09.2009

cool. i keep that dead key all the way down. I also noticed that I can hear a very faint click whenever i key up and stop talking around my amp, but then i figured out that it was the little green lights on the amp coming on and off whenever i keyed up. haha.

**Flying Dutchman** · 11.10.2009

Might be the ssb delay also if it has one..

**DocHolliday** · 11.10.2009

Originally Posted by clantonman1983

cool. i keep that dead key all the way down. I also noticed that I can hear a very faint click whenever i key up and stop talking around my amp, but then i figured out that it was the little green lights on the amp coming on and off whenever i keyed up. haha.

There is an RF sensing circuit in the power amplifier, which senses RF being transmitted into it. IT, in turn sends voltage to a relay, which actually applies the voltage to the drivers and finals (it's more complicated than that, but this is the short version) which allow the radio's power output, to be amplified to the amount that the linear amplifier is capable of, with the given amount of drive.
And, to answer, as best I can, the question about the slight drop in meter reading when using the RF amplifier, it is likely not a tuned input, and thus affects the power output of the radio, very slightly. As long as you have a good SWR setting on your antenna system (1.5:1 or lower), you should be fine. But I remind you, that running an amplifier on a class D citizen's band radio, is a violation of FCC rules, part 95, so I wouldn't go talking about it much, and certainly wouldn't openly use it, regularly.

**clantonman1983** · 11.10.2009

Originally Posted by DocHolliday

But I remind you, that running an amplifier on a class D citizen's band radio, is a violation of FCC rules, part 95, so I wouldn't go talking about it much, and certainly wouldn't openly use it, regularly.

Why should I not talk about it much on an internet forum? thousands of people do it everyday. Also, I don't have a splatterbox, so even if I use it all the time, nobody is going to know if I have one and they probably don't care either. LOL

Thanks for the input though.

**WA4GCH** · 11.11.2009

Originally Posted by clantonman1983

Why should I not talk about it much on an internet forum? thousands of people do it everyday. Also, I don't have a splatterbox, so even if I use it all the time, nobody is going to know if I have one and they probably don't care either. LOL

Thanks for the input though.

I think he is saying you never know who might be reading this .... FCC included.

As long as it stays on CB even the FCC does not care ...

**FriedTater** · 11.11.2009

If your running a box there is no doubt you are "splattering"

Originally Posted by clantonman1983

Why should I not talk about it much on an internet forum? thousands of people do it everyday. Also, I don't have a splatterbox, so even if I use it all the time, nobody is going to know if I have one and they probably don't care either. LOL

Thanks for the input though.