AMERITRON ALS-1406/S 1200 WATT 160-6 Meter NO TUNE LDMOS-FET AMPLIFIER INSTRUCTION MANUAL WARNING! NEVER APPLY POWER TO THIS AMPLIFIER WITH THE COVER REMOVED! CONTACT WITH THE POWER SUPPLY VOLTAGES IN THIS AMPLIFIER CAN BE FATAL! PLEASE READ THIS MANUAL BEFORE OPERATING THIS EQUIPMENT! Factory 116 Willow Road Starkville, MS 39759 USA 662-323-8211 Version 0 Printed in the USA
Table of Contents AMPLIFIER FEATURES ............................................................................................................................... 4 POWER SUPPLY FEATURES ..................................................................................................................... 4 QUICK START .............................................................................................................................................. 5 Installation and Operation....................
Figures Figure 1 Basic Interconnect ........................................................................................................................ 14 Figure 2 Basic Interconnect with Radio Interface Cable............................................................................. 14 Figure 3 Interconnect with Tuner and no KEY LOOP ................................................................................. 14 Figure 4 Interconnect using KEY LOOP ..............................................
Amplifier Features This amplifier provides the following standard features: • 160 through 6 meter operation • Two conservative linear-service rated, 50-volt dual LDMOS FET transistor packages • New push-pull stripline PA layout with exceptional VHF performance • Energy-efficient solid-state design greatly reduces heat, <100 watts power line draw on receive • Exceptional harmonic suppression • Operational in a few seconds, no long filament warm-up time • Clean layout with easy-to-service modular construction
Quick Start Thank you for purchasing this amplifier system. The ALS-1406 is a 1200-watt nominal PEP output amplifier and power supply system. This amplifier covers 160 to 6 meters. Nominal drive power is 100 watts or less. This system will not and does not operate on the CB band. The ALS-1406 interfaces with most modern amateur radio transceivers, including band data information. Band data connection will require purchasing an Ameritron interface cable for your radio.
.) The ALS-1406 power supply system is voltage regulated. You should see very little change in HV1 and HV2 with amplifier power. Less than 3 volts change from the 50Vdc nominal voltage is normal. 7.) The ALS-1406 has two power supply boards in the power supply. Exceeding safe power supply current on any supply line will force the overloaded supply into shutdown. Power Supply shutdown is reset by turning the main power switch off for a brief time.
Operation This amplifier has alert codes. SWR, PA, TX, and band switch lamps indicate operational faults. Operational faults reset by placing the amplifier in Standby momentarily.
With proper installation, basic operation is straightforward: 1.) Set the bandswitch to the desired band. This happens automatically in the REM position with a suitable radio interface cable. 2.) Set the exciter or transceiver to the desired power below 100 watts. 3.) Place the standby switch in the operate position. 4.) Transmit, and watching Forward Power metering, be sure power does not exceed 1200 watts on peaks. 5.) For high duty cycle modes and long transmissions, reduce the power.
Introduction The Ameritron ALS-1406 is 1200-watt nominal output, 160 through 6-meter amateur radio band, solid-state amplifier. The ALS-1406 uses two 50-volt, conservatively rated, linear MRFE6VP5600HR6 dual LDMOS FETs. These LDMOS FETs are specifically designed for broadcast power amplifier applications. They provide exceptionally low SSB distortion when compared to other solid-state devices. Fan speed is regulated by temperature sensors; assuring conservative cooling with minimal noise.
General Information Amplifier Overview The Ameritron ALS-1406 is a solid-state, 1200-watt nominal RF output power, 1.8 to 54 MHz amplifier. The ALS-1406 meets or exceeds all FCC requirements governing amateur radio external power amplifiers. The ALS-1406 uses two exceptionally low distortion MRFE6VP5600HR6 dual LDMOS SSB RF power transistors in push-pull. The characteristics of linear high-voltage FETs are very much like those of triode vacuum tubes.
Installation Please look your amplifier and power supply over carefully. Observe the air inlet and outlet ventilation holes. Facing the amplifier front panel, the cooling air inlets are on the top left and lower right side, including the right bottom. The warm air outlet is on the lower left side of the cabinet as viewed from the normal operating position (front view).
2. Insert the fuse and cap assemblies into the power supply’s fuse holders. The fuses lock in place with a quarter turn. 3. Connect the power supply to the amplifier. 4. Be sure the amplifier power switch is off. Caution! Fuses have both voltage and current ratings. Use only 250V rated fuses in this device. The voltage rating is generally marked on fuses. DO NOT use automotive-type low voltage fuses in any power line application. For 240-volt operation, 15-ampere fast blow fuses are required.
antenna or feed line installation problem. Typical problems causing desktop RF problems include the following: 1. Lack of suitable baluns or chokes. 2. Improper feed line routing near antennas, or improperly designed antennas. 3. Antennas too close to the operating position. 4. Poor equipment cabinet design, such as non-bonded or grounded equipment covers or panels. 5.
Interconnection Wiring Figure 1 Basic Interconnect Figure 2 Basic Interconnect with Radio Interface Cable Figure 3 Interconnect with Tuner and no KEY LOOP Figure 4 Interconnect using KEY LOOP 14
Front Panel Controls Figure 5 Amplifier Front Panel The front panel contains the following indicators and controls. To prevent damage, become familiar with the front panel before operating the amplifier. 1 PA Module Current meters 2 Forward Power meter and Multimeter (reflected power, module RF balance, ALC, and Module supply voltages) selected by knob 7. 3 Band or REMote selector knob. 4 Backlit Band and REMote LED indicators. 5 ALC limit adjustment. 6 Backlit Function and Fault Warning LED indicators.
Amplifier Rear Panel Figure 6 Amplifier Back Panel POWER INPUT The power supply should be unplugged before installing or removing this connector. This connector is indexed by a slight vertical offset in the two round index pins. Mate the round pins and holes. Seat the male plug fully onto the amplifier rear panel male connector pins. After seating, the power supply can be plugged into the AC mains outlet. ALC Optional connection. Connects to radio ALC input.
REMOTE These RJ45 connectors are for an Ameritron remote control head, or remote operation with an interface box. It provides access to controls, including most metering functions. Interconnections 1. If you use a desktop grounding bus system, connect the station ground bus to the amplifier’s rear panel wing nut. National safety codes require the station ground electrically bond to the power mains safety ground at the building entrance.
amp to the AMP ENABLE IN connector on the tuner, and run a cable from the AMP ENABLE OUT connector to the RELAY connector on the amp. Optional Radio Interface Cables ALS-1406/ALS-706/ALS-1306/RCS-12 Radio Interface Cables available from Ameritron. Model No.
Operation This amplifier covers all Amateur Radio frequencies below 54 MHz, as restricted by FCC or your local governing authority. Once you have established proper connections, please set the amplifier (Fig. 5, ref 3) to one of the following bands: Band 160 80 40 30 20 17 15 12 10 6 Frequency Range 1.8 - 2.2 MHz 3.0 - 4.8 MHz 4.8 - 9.0 MHz 9.0 - 14.5 MHz 9.0 - 14.5 MHz 14.5 - 22.5 MHz 14.5 - 22.5 MHz 22.0 – 30.0 MHz 22.0 – 30.0 MHz 50.0 – 54.
Initial Operation For your personal and equipment safety, double-check all wiring and connections (fig. 1) before turning power on. After you have verified amplifier connections, follow the procedures below. The following steps are necessary during initial checks: 1. Place the MULTIMETER switch (fig.5 ref 7) in the HV2 position. Place the ALC SET control (fig.5 ref 5) full clockwise (10 on knob scale). The multimeter is the right-side scale on the rightmost panel meter (fig.5 ref 7). 2.
12. Briefly, increase exciter power until the amplifier reaches 1200 watts output, or the exciter reaches maximum power without exceeding 1200 watts amplifier power. 13. After you have verified all of this, the amplifier is ready to operate. With 100 watts PEP, this amplifier should show approximately 1200 watts of output power. This can vary slightly from band to band. ALC Adjustment Radio manufacturers do not have standardized interfaces. Because of this, ALC requires some initial adjustment.
Warning Lights The ALS-1406 has three primary warning lights in the center of the front panel. It also uses other standard LED’s as warnings, flashing them in a certain code that indicates problems. These lights serve the following functions: ALC: The yellow ALC light indicates ALC output. Flashing is normal when using ALC. A steady intense light indicates a problem. Operational faults reset by placing the amplifier in standby.
100W BAND Frequency MHz 160M 2.000 80/75M 4.000 40M 7.000 30M 10.150 20M 14.350 17M 18.168 15M 21.450 12M 24.990 10M 29.700 6M 54.000 Antenna Gain dBi 0 3 6 0 3 6 9 0 3 6 9 0 3 6 9 12 0 3 6 9 12 0 3 6 9 12 0 3 6 9 12 0 3 6 9 12 3 6 9 12 3 6 9 12 15 600W 1200W Controlled Distance in Meters Uncontrolled Distance in Meters Controlled Distance in Meters Uncontrolled Distance in Meters Controlled Distance in Meters Uncontrolled Distance in Meters 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.4 0.5 0.8 1.1 0.7 0.
CFR Title 47 Part 97.13(C) (as of Apr. 1, 2020) requires the amateur operator to be in compliance with the radio frequency exposure requirements. The chart Table 5 above is a calculation of distances in meters for several different antenna gains using the formulae in the bulletin. To calculate the distances in feet multiply the distance in meters by 3.28. The chart Table 6 below is a calculation of some common antenna gains.
ALS-1300SPS Interconnect Diagram AC Mains Selection There are two different power supply modules that may be used in the ALS-1300/ALS1306/ALS-1406 power supply with different wiring to switch the power supply between 240 and 120 VAC. Identify which power supply module is used before trying to change the input voltages. Make sure the power supply is unplugged before removing the cover from the power supply. If the power supplies are changed to 120 VAC do not plug into a 240 VAC source. They will fail.
50-SPS600-1B Power Supply Module 220VAC 110VAC JUMPER Figure 8 50-SPS600-1B Line Voltage Jumpers For 220/240VAC operation (default setting), place the jumper on the 220VAC terminal. For 110/120VAC operation, place the jumper on the 110VAC terminal. Do not change any other jumpers on the board. Do this for both power supply modules in the power supply.
Factory 116 Willow Road Starkville, MS 39759 USA 662-323-8211 ALS-1406 LIMITED WARRANTY Ameritron warrants to the original purchaser that this product shall be free from defects in material (except tubes and RF output transistors) or workmanship for one year from the date of original purchase.
