2 Meter KW Amplifier Kit Assembly Instructions (Sept. 2018 and later)

Here's the most current schematic

Assembly instructions are listed below:
 

Begin by trimming the coaxial pieces:

The first components to mount are the capacitors.

The 470pf MC18 capacitors are installed in pairs at the four locations shown. Mounting them on their thin edge helps to balance the currents in the pairs.

Then mount the two 1206 size 1000pf capacitors, the two 2.2uf and two 220uf electrolytics.
 

TC-12 coax transformers are next. The position of the connection point at the drain traces will affect the match; the loop at the left should be lined up with the transition line where the trace transitions from wide to narrow, on the side of the transition toward the top of the photo. The loop on the right should be placed right up against it on the other side of the transition as shown.
 

Wind the VDD chokes using the two pieces of #14 magnet wire supplied (the ends are already tinned). Wind them on a 1/4" form (such as a wooden dowel, tool shaft or a small pipe) with close-spaced windings as you see them here.

Remove them from the 1/4" form and install the two 10-turn VDD drain inductors
 

The larger coaxial capacitor is next, formed in a way that keeps the open end away from other components.
The RG142 balun is next.

The last component on the output board is the smaller coaxial capacitor. Position this part so the open end is away from other components.

This is the completed output board.
 

Except for the input transformer, mount all input board components. The bias has been set up for 12v feed. See the assembly instructions for the 500w 70cm amplifier for other bias feed configurations.

Mount the input transformer. It must be soldered to the board at the 5 points shown.
 

Slide the boards under the transistor tabs (transistor should have been previously flow-soldered to a copper spreader).

Here is a video showing how to flow-solder your LDMOS to the spreader.

Here is the drilling template for the spreader.

Secure the boards to the spreader with 4-40 x 3/16 screws and flat washers. Do not over-tighten. This older photo shows 10 screws, but 4 of the screws (the outer two pairs near the LDMOS trench) are not used on this amplifier.

Use some liquid flux, and solder the boards to the tabs as shown.
 

Recommended tune-up procedure

1. Fasten the spreader to a suitable heat sink using the guide on the right. Use a very thin coating of heat sink compound between spreader and heat sink (too much, and it will actually impair heat transfer).
2. Attach input and output coax jumpers. Your driver should be limited to 2w max, and the output should be on a dummy load for the initial testing.
3. Attach ground, bias (12v?) and VDD (50v) wires to the RF deck, but do not apply power yet.

• CAUTION - for the initial test, you should place a 3 to 5 ohm 50w power resistor in series with the VDD, or use a current-limited power supply (limited to 5a). If there is a short from a stray wire strand, or a weak capacitor lets go, it will create an arc powerful enough to vaporize board traces, transistor tabs, etc.

1. Turn on the 50v main supply voltage, but not the bias; there should be no current drawn

2. Turn on the bias and note the idling current drawn from the 50v supply. Adjust IDQ for 2 amps. Note: the current drawn by the bias supply (usually12v) is not what you are measuring here...you must measure the idling current (IDQ) the LDMOS draws from the 50v supply.

3. Shut off the power supply, and remove current limiting.

4. Drive the amp with about 1/2w, and check the output; it should be in excess of 250w.
5. If all OK in step 6, the amplifier can now be driven to full output. Typical performance is 2w in, 1kw out at 50V VDD and 27 to 29 amps. Many of these RF decks will produce 1250w with 2.5w drive (50v VDD, 32 to 35 amps).