KPA500 Internal Clicking Sound

[Rick Tavan N6XI]

Once my KPA500 warms up, it begins making sporadic clicking sounds. Usually
it sounds like a relay but sometimes it's quieter and might be metal
buckling as it contracts and expands. Any suggestions on tracking it down?

Thanks,

/Rick

--
Rick Tavan N6XI
Truckee, CA
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[Michael Cozzi]

     I am experiencing the same issue. Amp works fine however. Seems to
be heat related.

     Michael- KD8TUT


On 10/20/2015 9:41 PM, Rick Tavan N6XI wrote:
> Once my KPA500 warms up, it begins making sporadic clicking sounds. Usually
> it sounds like a relay but sometimes it's quieter and might be metal
> buckling as it contracts and expands. Any suggestions on tracking it down?
>
> Thanks,
>
> /Rick
>

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[Elecraft mailing list]

Page 17 of the manual
"you may hear audible clicking sounds,particularly as amplifier components cool after transmitting. This is normal."


      From: Rick Tavan N6XI <[hidden email]>
 To: Elecraft Reflector <[hidden email]>
 Sent: Tuesday, October 20, 2015 9:41 PM
 Subject: [Elecraft] KPA500 Internal Clicking Sound
   
Once my KPA500 warms up, it begins making sporadic clicking sounds. Usually
it sounds like a relay but sometimes it's quieter and might be metal
buckling as it contracts and expands. Any suggestions on tracking it down?

Thanks,

/Rick

--
Rick Tavan N6XI
Truckee, CA
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[Wes (N7WS)]

http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/KPA500-clicking-td7596512.html

On 10/20/2015 6:41 PM, Rick Tavan N6XI wrote:
> Once my KPA500 warms up, it begins making sporadic clicking sounds. Usually
> it sounds like a relay but sometimes it's quieter and might be metal
> buckling as it contracts and expands. Any suggestions on tracking it down?
>
> Thanks,
>
> /Rick
>

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[Rick Tavan N6XI]

Well, I'll be! I've had the amp (albeit with some part replacemnts) since
field test days and just started noticing the clicking. Never saw that
warning in he manual which may post-date construction of my amp.

Thanks, Harry.

/Rick

On Tue, Oct 20, 2015 at 7:00 PM, Harry Yingst <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Page 17 of the manual
>
> "you may hear audible clicking sounds,
> particularly as amplifier components cool after transmitting. This is
> normal."
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
> *From:* Rick Tavan N6XI <[hidden email]>
> *To:* Elecraft Reflector <[hidden email]>
> *Sent:* Tuesday, October 20, 2015 9:41 PM
> *Subject:* [Elecraft] KPA500 Internal Clicking Sound
>
> Once my KPA500 warms up, it begins making sporadic clicking sounds. Usually
> it sounds like a relay but sometimes it's quieter and might be metal
> buckling as it contracts and expands. Any suggestions on tracking it down?
>
> Thanks,
>
> /Rick
>
> --
> Rick Tavan N6XI
> Truckee, CA
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
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>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> Message delivered to [hidden email]
>
>
>

--
Rick Tavan N6XI
Truckee, CA
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[James Bennett]

Yes, you will find in the archives that this is a "normal" occurrence with the KPA500 - it IS heat/cooling related and is nothing to worry about.
Jim Bennett / W6JHB
Folsom, CA

> On Oct 20, 2015, at 6:55 PM, Michael Cozzi <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
>
>    I am experiencing the same issue. Amp works fine however. Seems to be heat related.
>
>    Michael- KD8TUT
>
>
>> On 10/20/2015 9:41 PM, Rick Tavan N6XI wrote:
>> Once my KPA500 warms up, it begins making sporadic clicking sounds. Usually
>> it sounds like a relay but sometimes it's quieter and might be metal
>> buckling as it contracts and expands. Any suggestions on tracking it down?
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> /Rick
>
> ______________________________________________________________
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[DaleJ]

Yes, the book says normal, but it's annoying.  I fixed mine by taking the heatsink off and using heatsink compound on it to the mating surface then I used locking washers under the machine screws and tightened it down, be careful not to over toque.  The clicking is caused by the heatsink expanding and contracting.  

Good luck
Dale, k9vuj

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[Michael Cozzi]

     Dale,

     Was there a temperature improvement by using the grease?

     I've seen 7c+ reductions by using Arctic silver type compound on
processors instead of the stock melty pads sometimes provided.

On 10/21/2015 8:49 AM, DaleJ wrote:

> Yes, the book says normal, but it's annoying.  I fixed mine by taking the heatsink off and using heatsink compound on it to the mating surface then I used locking washers under the machine screws and tightened it down, be careful not to over toque.  The clicking is caused by the heatsink expanding and contracting.
>
> Good luck
> Dale, k9vuj
>
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[mcduffie]

On Wed, 21 Oct 2015 07:49:26 -0500, DaleJ wrote:

> Yes, the book says normal, but it's annoying.

This is an interesting topic and the explanation I saw on it some time back made
perfect sense.  However, I also find it interesting that I have never
experienced the ticking at all on mine.  Over the last couple of years, it has
had a nice workout almost daily on six meter digital modes, where it heats up to
stage 4 and sometimes 5 on the fan, and it has never done it.  Even before that,
when it was newer and was only used on SSB/CW (stage 1 and sometimes 2 fan), it
didn't do it.  I'm curious why some do and some don't???

Gary - AG0N
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[DaleJ]

When I called support about this they said it was normal expansion and contraction of the heat sink.  They also said for me to check the screws and make sure they are tight.  I went the step further and added heat sink compound and lock washers under the screws.  Never clicked again.

Dale, k9vuj



On 21, Oct 2015, at 9:09, [hidden email] wrote:

On Wed, 21 Oct 2015 07:49:26 -0500, DaleJ wrote:

> Yes, the book says normal, but it's annoying.

This is an interesting topic and the explanation I saw on it some time back made
perfect sense.  However, I also find it interesting that I have never
experienced the ticking at all on mine.  Over the last couple of years, it has
had a nice workout almost daily on six meter digital modes, where it heats up to
stage 4 and sometimes 5 on the fan, and it has never done it.  Even before that,
when it was newer and was only used on SSB/CW (stage 1 and sometimes 2 fan), it
didn't do it.  I'm curious why some do and some don't???

Gary - AG0N

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