Davemade M80

Sounds like your amp is DOA ..... IF you turn it off does it make a diffrence

 

amp isn't going to do anything for your receive btw...only amplifies the output.

 

unless it has a preamp. my texas star dx250 has a preamp that is burned out. if i turn it on, the button still lights up, but the receive acts like the RF gain was turned halfway down.

it sounds like the op needs to either try another meter, or there is a problem somewhere. always start troubleshooting with the ground. without a good ground, nothing will work properly.

 

Did you buy this Amp New or used? Does it have a variable?

I have a issue with one of my Davemade Amps right now with the variable going out...What it does, is when I talk on the radio, the radios meter shows a signal going out as normal, but my external meter which is hooked between the Amp and antenna shows nothing...

I can play with the variable knob sometimes and get the thing to work, but it eventually screws up again so I know in my case it's the variable that needs replacing. (or by-passed which is what I'm planning on doing)

If the Amp has fried transistors in it, usually the small resistor right next to it will be burned...Just looking at the pills you can't tell a bad one from a good one...look at the small resistors and see if they are dis-colored or burned looking...A bad Amp can do all kinda funny stuff like screw with the transmit as well as your receive.

As for as grounding go's. I would just have it either grounded to the battery, or the frame, but not both...Doing both may cause a ground loop.

 

The low receive is telling you the problem is in the relay. Assuming it does not activate the moment you turn on the amp from a shorted keying transistor. Watch it and see. If not then contacts assuming there is no broken connection anywhere. If it does activate and you have no power upon keying the radio then you may have bad finals and a shorted keying transistor. But you should worry about the relay first. After it is working properly then see if you need finals. For instance if the keying transistor is open the relay does not kick, meaning finals may be good. If it has a RX preamp it's relay may have bad contacts. You need to provide better information if you want proper advice.

On the DX 250 post a 2N2907 is about 12 cents just replace it. This model does not use a relay for the RX preamp, rather it uses a switch. The RX transistor is up front near this switch.