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IFR-500AM/FM power supply blow'd up.

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VK5ZEA

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Dec 11, 2011
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PORT LINCOLN South Australia
Hi Everybody,

My beloved IFR500AM/FM has a dead/dying power supply. It's been repaired several times by an Australian service/calibration lab... but now it has been declared terminal, parts are no longer available.

From what I have read, the IFR 500AM/FM power supply seems to be the weak point in an otherwise fairly solid bit of test equipment. Is there any hope or should I forget about trying to get it going again.

What is a good low-end replacement/equivalent? Don't really need any trunking or digital capabilities. SSB would be great (I do a lot of marine HF repair work).

Michael VK5ZEA
Port Lincoln
South Australia
 
prcguy

prcguy

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So Cal - Richardson, TX - Tewksbury, MA
There is no good low end replacement for an IFR500, you would give up a lot of quality, accuracy and stability in my opinion.

I assume it's the regulator section that's giving you the trouble and the old design is full of power wasting and heat generating linear regulators.

There are some pre-packaged universal switching regulators made in China that will take any unregulated voltage from about 9 to 32v and give you 1 to 32v adjustable output floating from the input. You could keep the IFR power transformer, rectifiers and filters then upgrade the various regulators.

The switching regulators are about 90% efficient, tiny in size and you may be able to fit the them iside the existing power supply area on the IFR. Check marcmart.usa seller on EBay, they have an assortment of switching regulators in many different wattage ratings. Ive bought several and am pleased with the quality.
prcguy
 
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VK5ZEA

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Messages
61
Location
PORT LINCOLN South Australia
I need to get some power supplies for testing purposes. I'm not interesting in keeping the 12V DC or battery operation.

The 500AM/FM needs +40V, +/-12V and 5V for operation. +40V is the only issue I have at the moment, my adjustable power supply only goes up to around 32V.

I think the 40V rail is low at the moment... I need to determine if it is the power supply, or if something else is dragging it down.
 
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