[GreenKeys] power problems?

[Ralph Mowery]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Eugene Hertz" <ehertz at tcaf.org>
To: <boatanchors at mailman.qth.net>; <greenkeys at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 2:42 PM
Subject: [GreenKeys] power problems?


Hello all,

I've spent the last 2 years working to get my first amateur station set up 
in my house. The station is almost 100% hollow state gear such as central 
electronics 100V transmitter, collins 51J4 receiver, SP600, M28 teletype 
machines.  I finally have everything interconnected, I have an antenna up 
and it would seem I am ready to get on the air to make my first QSO ever!

I now discover, I have a power problem in the shack (2nd floor spare 
bedroom).  Seems all this hollow-state gear is very sensitive to line 
voltage.  I measured my voltage and it can easily vary from 108V (RMS) to 
121V (RMS).  Seems when the line voltage varies, everything changes 
frequency -- my transmitter, my receivers, everything!

To be more accurate, certainly the more gear I have on the more the voltage 
drops, but that would be ok as long as it was stable. Problem seems to be 
that appliances and the well-pump (well water) kicking on and off cause the 
voltage to be unstable. All lights in my house dim for an instant when the 
pump kicks in. Also, keying the transmitter will cause the voltage to change 
which causes a changing cw note. For example, monitoring my transmitted CW 
frequency can vary 200-300 Hz.  Now an operator on the other side could 
probably deal with that, but if I use RTTY at 170 hz shift, I doubt the 
receiving TU could adjust 200-300hz all within 20 seconds of keying.

One solution ($$$$$) might be to run a new circuit to the shack. But I still 
think my well pump will cause problems. Does anyone know of a device that 
can regulate the voltage to my transmitter and receiver to keep a good 
120vac? Or anything that is stable? I always thought that was what regulator 
tubes are for, but perhaps they are only regulating over-voltage conditions, 
not under-voltage.

Does anyone have any suggestions? In the end, I might have to run a new 
circuit, but it still may have problems when the well pump kicks in.

Any advice is greatly appreciated. I hate the thought of having gotten this 
far in my early ham career to have something like this derail my efforts. Of 
course, I could go solid state, but what fun would that be?

I have cross-posted this question, so please reply direct or only to the 
list to which you belong.
Thanks!
Eugene (kc2nwg-someday!)


You may try a device like this:

http://www.elect-spec.com/klr_$.htm

or one of the computer UPS that run all the time off the batteries and 
charge them at the same time.

Much of the tube equipment drifts due to two factors where the voltage is 
changing.    The high voltage changes and the gear may have a voltage 
regulator for that.  Also the filiment voltage will change and not much of 
the gear will have regulators for that .  In the years the equipment you 
have was made, much of the rtty shift was 850 hz or 425 hz shift.

The older equipment was not designed to hold the frequency that close.  If 
you look at the dials of much of the older equipment you will see the 
calibration marks are only about 1 khz.