Just bought an Ameritron QSK-5 for my TL-922...

[timbo]

I just bought stole an Ameritron QSK-5 on Fleabay last night...no bids so in the last seconds I bid a dollar over and won it at about 10% of what they go for brand new. The item was from an estate sale...not known if it works (the seller said) but there's really not that much to it.

I read the instructions and they are vague at best (I'll post the link below), but pretty sure I can get it to work on my TL-922 amp. I have a call into Ameritron just to verify operation with what I want to use it on but they are closed until next week, post New Years. I won't be getting it for a few days so I have time to sort it out. If anyone here has experience with this box, I'm all ears. Pretty sure I can figure it out but no need to reinvent the wheel if I don't have to. I also sent an email to the guy that was the design engineer for this box when he worked for Ameritron, W8JI.

Manual:

https://static.dxengineering.com/global/images/instructions/ame-qsk-5.pdf

 

[ToddDubya]

Good for 2KW! That'll be tough to outgrow.

 

[UJay]

I think the idea is that this thing places the amp PTT line for ~3 seconds after first key-up (so relay doesn't chatter) but the QSK-5 vac relay is flipping through the amp>>>antenna with the rigs key/ptt/qsk nearly eliminating the 922's mechanical relay duty cycle.

Cool, congrats.

UJay

 

[timbo]

I think the idea is that this thing places the amp PTT line for ~3 seconds after first key-up (so relay doesn't chatter) but the QSK-5 vac relay is flipping through the amp>>>antenna with the rigs key/ptt/qsk nearly eliminating the 922's mechanical relay duty cycle.

Cool, congrats.

UJay

Thanks! The QSK-5 actually uses PIN diodes to switch RF paths. I was collecting parts to make a QSK unit internal to the TL-922 but I figured this would be a plug and play deal...we'll see. I have almost all the parts (vacuum relays included) to complete the DIY QSK unit so if the QSK-5 doesn't work for me, I can flip it for 5x what I paid for it. I paid $50 for it.

 

[UJay]

r- PIN diodes- my bad... Honestly though there was a vac relay on the QRO side..... looks like ameritron makes a pcb version.... I don't know if there is a ton of room inside the tl-922 for that, but also interesting as a backup.

Whoa! $380 for the qsk-5 PCB version! You got a deal!

Have to rip into one of the SS amps since I let the smoke out of the 160m LPF trying to excite a not-160m-antenna... But since then I have resurrected the FCP for top band.

UJay

 

[timbo]

r- PIN diodes- my bad... Honestly though there was a vac relay on the QRO side..... looks like ameritron makes a pcb version.... I don't know if there is a ton of room inside the tl-922 for that, but also interesting as a backup.

Whoa! $380 for the qsk-5 PCB version! You got a deal!

Have to rip into one of the SS amps since I let the smoke out of the 160m LPF trying to excite a not-160m-antenna... But since then I have resurrected the FCP for top band.

UJay

This one I got is not the pcb version....the standalone version, which I have on the way, runs about $550 new. I have most of the parts for the DIY version and it's actually on a pretty small PCB. The vacuum relays are off board so there's no problem finding room in the amp...one relay goes in the spot where the old mechanical relay resides right now (it's removed to install one of the internal QSK vacuum relay)...the other relay is mounted to an "L" bracket that I'll have to fabricate and that bracket will be mounted to the 922 chassis near the other vacuum relay. I may eventually build and install the DIY QSK unit and sell the Ameritron QSK-5.

I have a few other mods to do to that amp....I blew out the 160 meter contacts on the band switch and I have a new heavier duty switch that I will install in the not too distant future. I also have an issue with the input circuit on the 7MHz band (high SWR). I think I have a bad silver mica cap on the coil...

The real problem I am having right now is back issues...I have three slipped discs and lots of arthritis in the lumbar region so I will need my lovely wife to give me a hand lifting the amp off the desk here and help me place it on my work bench upstairs so I can work on it. Getting older sucks....plus, I am the oldest of six kids and we all have the same back issues. I can thank my mom for that. She's still with us, 88 years old, so we continue to thank her for the genes she's passed on to us. The gift that keeps on giving