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Message |
    
Mayor513
Intermediate Member
Username: Mayor513
Post Number: 156
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 14, 2006 - 11:47 pm: | 
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--Hi, all. Is there such a thing as running too little wattage into the Texas Star Sweet Sixteen DX1600? Will one and a half watts hurt it? I remember years ago someone telling me that you can mess up either your radio or your amp. if you run too little power. It doesn't make sense to me, but that is what he said.
--According to the Texas Star website, I can put as much as 100 watts into the Sweet Sixteen and it supposedly produces 1200 watts. However, I can put as little as one and a half watts into it and get 115 watts out. That is as low as my 2950DX will go. Below are some watts in, watts out figures I got. I did not test above 5 watts dead key into the amp.
2 watts = 170 watts DK
3 watts = 250 watts DK
4 watts = 300 watts DK
5 watts = 450 watts DK
--Now, explain this to me, please. If this amp. will accept as much as 100 watts input to produce FULL output, why is this DX1600 putting out as much wattage with such low input figures? It doesn't seem right. By the time I get to 100 watts input, the amplifiers wattage output should be through the roof. Can anyone tell me their output results with various wattages? Thanks for your help. |
Hotwire
Senior Member
Username: Hotwire
Post Number: 2025
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 15, 2006 - 1:54 pm: |
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The DX 1600 is built for like 20-30 watts dead key and 100-150 watts swing. To be on the safe side and run it easy 20 watts DK and 100 watts swing.
Your RCI 2950DX does not have enough power to hurt it. I see your numbers and to be honest I am puzzled! I don't know how you did it.
The amp should deadkey 300-350 watts and swing a max of 1200 watts at max performance. |
Mayor513
Intermediate Member
Username: Mayor513
Post Number: 157
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 15, 2006 - 5:58 pm: |
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--Thanks, Hotwire. Well, my wattmeter may be off at high power levels, I dunno. I am using an Autek WM1 and it may need to be calibrated. From now on, I will use one and a half to three watts input and the amplifier should loaf. |
Hotwire
Senior Member
Username: Hotwire
Post Number: 2027
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, November 16, 2006 - 12:23 pm: |
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If you put 3 watts DK in, how much PEP are you driving it with? With that setup, what is the PEP from the amp?
Now just sitting here and thinking a bit I remembered something. In the past I have myself had odd meter readings from using the wrong watt scale by mistake. If one was going to check wattage from a DX 1600 they would set the meter to the appropriate scale according to how much drive they are using. It is possible, to get confused and read the wrong scale. Do you think you might have been reading a higher watt scale with the meter set to a lower scale? JUST a thought trying to help you out! You've been a cber for a long time so I know you know how to use a meter! We all goof up now and then and if your like me, well then, Goof is my middle name!
Anyway, have fun with that big ol' box ! 73
kenny
cef491 |
Mayor513
Intermediate Member
Username: Mayor513
Post Number: 162
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, November 16, 2006 - 3:51 pm: |
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--Hi. I may have read something wrong I don't know. I double-checked my results right now, with my results from last night but they are 99.99% the same. Below is what I got:
1½ watts = 115-120 watts DK
2 watts = 170 watts DK
3 watts = 250 watts DK
4 watts = 320 watts DK
5 watts = 450 watts DK
--If I put in 3 watts DK in, my PEP from radio is 26-27 watts. With that setup, the amp will DK 250 and PEP to 900. PEP readings from meters must not be all they are cracked up to be! If this amp was PEP'ing 900 watts, I would throw a breaker, haha.
--Anyway, my setup is RCI 2950DX and Maco V58 for the antenna. My wattmeter is an Autek "WM1 Computing Meter". Power supply is an Astron RS-70M. Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I have a Bencher YA1 low pass filter to help with harmonics/bleedover, neighbors, etc. haha. Thanks for your help.
P.S.
I just looked at the power supply amperage meter and with the amplifier doing 450 watts DK, the power supply is almost maxed out at 68 amps (the power supply is 57 amps continuous 70 surge, haha). However, I almost never run the power supply past 40 amps or so. |
Pegleg
New member
Username: Pegleg
Post Number: 4
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 21, 2006 - 10:52 am: |
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The 1600 at it's best voltage supply will draw somewhere in the neighborhood of 120 amps.
I noticed that you did not say anything about how much voltage drop you have with your power supply "almost" max 'd out?
I am willing to bet that you have at least a 3 volt drop, this is why you have such low wattage comming out of it, your power supply cannot give what that amp wants.
Peg Leg |
Mayor513
Intermediate Member
Username: Mayor513
Post Number: 165
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 22, 2006 - 10:45 am: |
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--Hi, Pegleg. I just tested it again, at approximately 67-68 amps from the Astron and there was no noticeable voltage drop on the Astron Voltage meter. |
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