SG-500 SMARTP OWERCUBE™ LINEAR P OWER AMPLIFER User’s Manual SGC, 13737 SE 26th Street Bellevue, WA 98005 USA • Ph: 425-746-6310, Fx: 425-746-6384, Email: sgc@sgcworld.com www.sgcworld.
Table of Contents Warning and Safety Guidelines Page 1 1.0 Introduction Page 2 2.0 Specifications Page 2 3.0 Cautions Page 3 3.1 DC Power Supply Considerations Page 3 3.2 Safety Considerations Page 3 4.0 Antenna Feedline Tips Page 4 4.1 Antenna Characteristics Page 4 4.2 Transmission Feed Lines Page 4 4.2.1 Coaxial Cable and Routing Tips 5.0 Power Supplies Page 5 Page 5 5.1 Battery Power Supplies Page 5 5.2 Alternative Power Sources Page 5 6.0 Front Panel Description Page 6 6.
SGC SG-500 SmartPowerCube™ User’s Manual, Page 1 Warning! Safety First! The SG-500 SmartPowerCube™ is a high power amplifier capable of producing output power levels which can cause serious RF burns to anyone coming in contact with exposed antenna or feedline during transmission. These RF power levels can also cause fire, explosion, injury or even death resulting from improper or unsafe operation or installation.
SGC SG-500 SmartPowerCube™ User’s Manual, Page 2 1.0 Introduction The SGC SG-500 SmartPowerCube is a professional grade HF amplifier designed to provide a maximum of 500 watts PEP RF output when driven from virtually any HF transceiver – up to 150 W PEP input. This provides on the air signal levels within 3 dB of a full kW amplifier at a much lower cost. The unit has an operational frequency range of 1.6 to 24 MHz (to 30 MHz for Export version).
SGC SG-500 SmartPowerCube™ User’s Manual, Page 3 Operating Modes: SSB, CW, RTTY, SITOR, ALE, SSTV, AM at 250 W Dimensions: 4.9” H x 12.0” D x 10.8” W (6.1” H and 13.2”D with feet) (9.75” H with optional fan kit) Case: Solid cast aluminum with matte black powder coat finish Weight: 21 Pounds (9.5 Kg) 3.
SGC SG-500 SmartPowerCube™ User’s Manual, Page 4 4.0 Antenna and Feedline Tips The quality of your transmission is directly related to how efficiently you transfer the power from the amplifier to antenna (via the transmission line), and how effectively your antenna radiates your signal into space. Keeping those two facts in mind, we offer the following advice for your station installation. 4.1 Antenna Characteristics Connect your station antenna to the coaxial connector marked RF OUT on the SG-500.
SGC SG-500 SmartPowerCube™ User’s Manual, Page 5 4.2.1 Coaxial cable selection and routing tips: A. Transmission line loss varies according to cable age, length, and the frequency of operation. Cables “age” due to time, weather, and UV exposure – all of which may cause the dielectric quality of the insulation between the center conductor and the outer conductor to degrade. Therefore, always select the highest quality coax cable.
SGC SG-500 SmartPowerCube™ User’s Manual, Page 6 ‘barefoot’ transceiver operation. 6.0 Front Panel Description This section describes the front panel controls and ports of the SG-500. These are described from left to right. Refer to the drawing above when reviewing the following descriptions. 6.1 RF OUT & RF IN Jacks Connect your station antenna, coupling or tuning device, or manual matching network to the RF OUT jack, and the coax jumper from the exciter (transceiver) to the RF IN jack.
SGC SG-500 SmartPowerCube™ User’s Manual, Page 7 This barrier strip with screw terminals allows DC power and RF ground connections. The top screw terminal is for +14 VDC The middle screw terminal is for RF ground. The bottom screw terminal is for DC ground (return). Wiring Tips The +14 VDC wiring should be #6 AWG diameter or larger, and kept as short as possible to avoid excessive voltage drop. The RF ground should be connected to suitable ground system.
SGC SG-500 SmartPowerCube™ User’s Manual, Page 8 may occur during normal operation as the temperature of the amplifier rises. KEEP IT COOL: To avoid a high temperature condition, ensure adequate airflow around the unit. Keep the cooling fins unobstructed, and do not stack other station components on the SG-500. If the optional fan is installed, ensure it is plugged in and operating.
SGC SG-500 SmartPowerCube™ User’s Manual, Page 9 PTT – Push-to-talk control. This keys the amplifier circuitry when this line is grounded, and the PTT control switch is set to manual. ALC – Automatic Level Control. A positive-going voltage is present on this line for use with transceivers equipped for ALC input control. See the ALC control description.
SGC SG-500 SmartPowerCube™ User’s Manual, Page 10 e. Now switch the transceiver to SSB, and transmit in a normal voice. The ATTEN circuit should not activate, except on occasional voice peaks. (This concludes the test transmission. You can now connect your station antenna and any other interconnections.) INPUT DRIVE LEVELS: The amplifier reduces power when the ATTEN circuit activates, and then must be driven through a higher input range to derive maximum output.
SGC SG-500 SmartPowerCube™ User’s Manual, Page 11 made between these components, as outlined below: SG-235 Coaxial cable plug Yellow wire Blue wire White wire SG-500 RF out jack PTT line (pin #4) Smartlock Pro Blue wire White wire Please refer to the SG-235 manual for further coupler wiring details. Remote ON/OFF Power Control: The SG-500 can be turned on/off remotely via a connector provided for this purpose. To the left of the front panel PTT selection switch is a vertical 4-pin header.
SGC SG-500 SmartPowerCube™ User’s Manual, Page 12 8.0 Troubleshooting Guide The information presented in this manual attempts to cover the most commonly encountered questions and difficulties in HF station installations. However, conditions may arise when one or more components in your station may not function properly, causing the amplifier to not operate. 8.1 Fault Analysis A solid understanding station interconnections and equipment specifications helps in resolving the problem.
SGC SG-500 SmartPowerCube™ User’s Manual, Page 13 TEST PROCEDURE 1. Connect a 50-ohm RF dummy load (1 KW rating) to the amplifier output jack, and an inline wattmeter (0-200 watt range) between the transceiver and the amplifier. 2. Connect an in-line wattmeter (0-1000 watt range) between the amplifier output jack and the RF dummy load. 3. Select CW mode, and adjust the transmitter output power level to 40 watts. 4. Turn on the SG-500, and transmit.
