KPA-500 low voltage on start

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KPA-500 low voltage on start

Hunsdon Cary III
Just finished my build and it went together beautifully.  My 220 socket is wired like a dryer 220 socket so I removed the plug from the cable (OK per Dale at Elecraft0 and installed a 220 plug for the socket.  When I start it up the HV reads .1 (yes, point one) and 0 current.  Could I have the neutral and live backwards? I have a call into Support but he's on another call so i figured maybe someone out thee knows?
Cary, K4TM
KPA-500 #698
K3-100 #3448

H. Cary III
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Re: KPA-500 low voltage on start

Don Wilhelm-4
Cary,

You use a Dryer plug!  While that is overkill for the KPA500, it is
definitely OK.
If you cut the 120 volt end off the power cable, you will have a white,
a black and a green conductor.  The white and the black wires should
connect to the "hot" 240 volt connectors in your plug, and the green
wore should connect either to the neutral or the ground connection
(depends on whether your dryer plug is a 3 conductor or a 4 conductor).

Actually, if you mix the neutral and live, you will end up with 120
volts, so I presume you have some different problem.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 2/16/2012 7:03 PM, Hunsdon Cary III wrote:
> Just finished my build and it went together beautifully.  My 220 socket is wired like a dryer 220 socket so I removed the plug from the cable (OK per Dale at Elecraft0 and installed a 220 plug for the socket.  When I start it up the HV reads .1 (yes, point one) and 0 current.  Could I have the neutral and live backwards? I have a call into Support but he's on another call so i figured maybe someone out thee knows?
> Cary, K4TM
>
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The fix: KPA-500 low voltage on start

Hunsdon Cary III
Don:
It was an easy fix.  I changed the yellow and red wires on the TAB per Dale at Elecraft (Dale said it didn't make any difference)...I'd had the red one on because book said that was one for 220 range.
Checked it with interlock manually depressed and got 76 volts, right in the middle of the target range.  Put cover back on and was back to .1 HV - what the heck?
In checking the activation of the interlock switch, it seems I neglected to put the nut on the shaft which activates the switch.....once I fixed that, all works FB!
Makes me wonder if the red wire would have been okay for the 220 but I am not opening the cover again as everything is working well.
Now to hook it up to the K3, just in time for a contest weekend!
Again, thanks for your help!
73,Cary, K4TM

On Feb 16, 2012, at 7:17 PM, Don Wilhelm wrote:

> Cary,
>
> You use a Dryer plug!  While that is overkill for the KPA500, it is definitely OK.
> If you cut the 120 volt end off the power cable, you will have a white, a black and a green conductor.  The white and the black wires should connect to the "hot" 240 volt connectors in your plug, and the green wore should connect either to the neutral or the ground connection (depends on whether your dryer plug is a 3 conductor or a 4 conductor).
>
> Actually, if you mix the neutral and live, you will end up with 120 volts, so I presume you have some different problem.
>
> 73,
> Don W3FPR
>
> On 2/16/2012 7:03 PM, Hunsdon Cary III wrote:
>> Just finished my build and it went together beautifully.  My 220 socket is wired like a dryer 220 socket so I removed the plug from the cable (OK per Dale at Elecraft0 and installed a 220 plug for the socket.  When I start it up the HV reads .1 (yes, point one) and 0 current.  Could I have the neutral and live backwards? I have a call into Support but he's on another call so i figured maybe someone out thee knows?
>> Cary, K4TM
>>

H. Cary III
[hidden email]



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