VL-1000 OPERATING MANUAL YAESU MUSEN CO., LTD. 1-20-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-Ku, Tokyo 146-8649, Japan YAESU U.S.A. 17210 Edwards Rd., Cerritos, CA 90703, U.S.A. YAESU EUROPE B.V. Snipweg 3, 1118DN Schiphol, The Netherlands YAESU UK LTD. Unit 12, Sun Valley Business Park, Winnall Trading Estate Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 0LB, U.K. YAESU GERMANY GmbH Am Kronberger Hang 2, D-65824 Schwalbach, Germany YAESU HK LTD. 11th Floor Tsim Sha Tsui Centre, 66 Mody Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui East, Kowloon, Hong Kong General Description Congratulations! You are now the owner of the Yaesu VL-1000 Linear Amplifier, which brings you leading-edge technology for the ultimate in operating convenience and reliability. We appreciate your investment in Yaesu equipment, and wish you many years of satisfying operation using your new amplifier! The VL-1000 is an all-solid-state linear amplifier operating on the 160 through 6 meter amateur bands (USA version: 160-15 meters) at a power output level of 1000 Watts on CW and SSB (500 Watts on continuous data modes such as RTTY). The VL-1000 includes a built-in antenna tuner with 240 memories for tuning data, and microprocessor control of the tuning circuitry. The VL1000 features input jacks for two different exciters, as well as four antenna jacks for connection of antennas for different bands. Extensive self-test, system monitoring, and protection circuits are provided, with status and tuning information being displayed on a huge Liquid Crystal Display panel. The separate VP-1000 Power Supply Unit provides the +48 Volts required by the PA transistors, as well as all required control voltages for the amplifier. The VL-1000 normally is powered via 220 Volt AC mains, although it can be operated, at the 500 Watt level, from 117 Volt AC power. We encourage you to read this manual thoroughly before beginning installation and operation of your VL-1000 Linear Amplifier. The details regarding proper installation and operating advice contained in these pages will help you derive maximum satisfaction from your new Yaesu equipment. Be certain to observe all due safety precautions when using this high-power device! Supplied Accessories Item ALC Cable (T9101489; 2 m) Band Data Cable (T9101487A; 8-pin DIN 1 8-pin DIN, 2 m) Control Cable (T9101491; D-sub 15-pin 1 RCA, 2 m) Quantity 1 1 1 VL-1000 Operating Manual Page 1 Installation The proper, safe installation of the VL-1000 is not difficult to accomplish, using the guidelines to follow. However, the AC power cable/plug configuration will be somewhat different, depending on the country in which you purchased your amplifier. In some countries, the VP-1000 is shipped with the standard 220 Volt connector appropriate for your location. In those areas where there are multiple 220 Volt connectors in common use, the VP-1000 is shipped without the power connector; one may be obtained at a local hardware or electrical supply store. Pictorial diagrams of the common 220 and 117 Volt AC connectors in use are shown below. When wiring your own connector, be absolutely certain to observe the proper polarity on the pin connections. Consult with an electrician if you have any doubts about your wiring! Be sure that your house wiring is capable of sufficient current capacity on the 220 Volt circuit to be used, especially if this circuit is shared with household appliances. It always is preferable to operate the VL-1000 from a dedicated 220 Volt circuit with its own circuit breaker. Caution! Lethal AC and RF voltages are present within the cabinets of the VL-1000 Linear Amplifier and VP-1000 Power Supply. Use extreme caution when opening the cabinet(s) to perform any alignment or adjustment steps, and take particular care to inspect interconnection cables frequently to ensure that they are in good condition. It is assumed that you possess technical knowledge and experience consistent with your possession of an amateur radio license; this knowledge and experience are important tools which will aid in the successful installation of this apparatus. Should you have any questions about the safe installation of this equipment, consult your Yaesu dealer or seek the assistance of a professional installer. AC Power Connections (using VP-1000 Power Supply) The VL-1000 is usually operated from 220 Volt (nominal) AC power. With 220 Volt input to the VP-1000 Power Supply, full (1000 W) power output will be obtained from the VL1000, while 117 Volt input to the VP-1000 is possible at the 500 Watt power output level. The advanced switching-regulator power supply used in the matching VP-1000 Power Supply does not require any transformer rewiring, nor any changing of a switch position; the power supply will operate from either 220 or 117 Volt line voltages without configuration changes. Transceiver or Exciter Interconnections The interface wiring to the transceiver or transmitter which drives the VL-1000 consists of: (A) A 50 coaxial cable for carrying RF drive power from each exciter to the amplifier; (B) A 2-conductor transmit/receive control cable which provides a closure to ground signal from the transceiver to the amplifier during transmission; (C) A (supplied) 2-conductor ALC (Automatic Level Control) line, used to limit the drive level from the exciter to the amplifier; and (D) When using a compatible Yaesu transVP-1000 AC Cable wiring (U.S.A version) USA Plug UK Plug European Plug Australian Plug (European version) (viewed from plug prong side) Page 2 VL-1000 Operating Manual Installation ceiver, a BAND DATA cable may be connected which provides automatic band change and T/R control (thus eliminating the need for cable (B) above), and +48 V DC supply voltage On/Off control (if the REMOTE switch on the rear panel of the VL-1000 is set to the ON position). Typical installation diagrams are shown below. When two exciters are utilized, be certain that all the cables from exciter #1 are connected to the INPUT 1/PTT 1/ALC 1 jacks, and that all cables from exciter #2 are connected to the INPUT 2/PTT 2/ALC 2 jacks. When using a BAND DATA cable for interconnection, you do not need the PTT cable for the corresponding exciter, as the T/R control signal will be made via the BAND DATA cable. FT-920/VL-1000 FT-1000MP/FT-650/VL-1000 VL-1000 Operating Manual Page 3 Installation Antenna Connections As many as four HF or 50 MHz antennas may be connected to the rear panel Antenna jacks, labeled ANT 1 ~ ANT 4. The antenna to be used on a particular band will be memorized once you make the selection manually via the front panel ANT switch. See the "Operation" section of this manual for more details. connections labeled TX GND on the rear panel of the transceiver; do not, however, use the transceiver's PTT jack, as it was designed for PTT input (via a footswitch, etc.), not for amplifier control. Automatic Amplifier Tune-Up If you connect the supplied control cable between the transceiver's PTT or REMOTE jack and the VL-1000's BAND-DATA 2 jack, the transceiver will automatically transmit when you press the amplifier's front panel F SET key (make sure that the MODE switch of the transceiver is set to CW, RTTY, or some other continuous mode, and set the DRIVE or RF PWR control fully clockwise, if you want to perform antenna tuning). To accomplish this function, pin 11 of the BAND-DATA 2 jack closes the transceiver's PTT or REMOTE jack to ground, thus placing the transceiver in the transmit condition. ALC Connections The VL-1000 provides negative-going ALC, which provides a negative voltage to the exciter which begins to appear when sufficient drive power from the exciter is being received; the voltage becomes of greater (negative) magnitude if the drive is increased, so as to prevent overdrive of the amplifier. The voltage range provided from the VL-1000 is 0 to -10 Volts DC, and this is compatible with all Yaesu transceivers as well as many exciters of other manufacture. At 1000 Watts of output power, the typical voltage generated for use with Yaesu transceivers is about -4 V DC. The ALC cable must be connected between the transceiver and VL-1000 to prevent overdrive of the amplifier, and especially to facilitate the proper operation of the protection circuitry if sudden antenna system problems should cause the SWR to rise to dangerous levels. Automatic Amplifier Tune-Up using FT-1000MP Transceiver When using the VL-1000 in conjunction with the FT-1000MP transceiver, the front panel F SET key may be used to initiate an automatic tuning procedure for the amplifier. In order to accomplish this, Menu Item 7-9 on the FT1000MP must be set to "KEYER " (which is its default value), and a control cable must be connected between the FT-1000MP's REMOTE jack and the VL-1000's BAND-DATA 2 jack. The required wiring for this cable is shown below. PTT Connections These jacks, labeled PTT 1 and PTT 2, accept T/R control signals from your exciter. Grounding the center pin of one of these PTT jacks will cause the amplifier to be placed in the "Transmit" mode. These jacks utilize a positive voltage (+5V DC) at very low current (10 mA maximum), so they are compatible with most open-collector NPN transistor amplifier control circuits in modern transceivers. Mechanical relays may also be used, so long as they are "floating" contacts that do not apply a voltage to the VL1000's PTT jacks. On Yaesu transceivers, use either the transistor or relay (Normally Open) Page 4 VL-1000 Operating Manual Plug Pinout BAND-DATA 1 CO NTROL + 13.5V TX GND GND BAND DATA BAND DATA BAND DATA BAND DATA TX INH A B C D NC GND REMOTE PS ALARM LOW POW ER GND -12V INPUT +12V INPUT as viewed from rear panel as viewed from rear panel BAND-DATA 2 DC48V IN + 13.5V TX GND GND BAND DATA A BAND DATA B BAND DATA C BAND DATA D TX INH F SET COMMON F SET 1 F SET 2 NC NC NC GND +48V +48V +48V +48V GND GND GND GND INPUT INPUT INPUT INPUT as viewed from rear panel RCA Plug as viewed from rear panel VL-1000 Operating Manual Page 5 Front Panel Controls and Switches 1. POWER Switch This switch turns the VL-1000 on and off. When the amplifier is turned off, the INPUT 1 jack is connected directly to the ANT 1 jack. If using a Yaesu transceiver with a BAND DATA cable, the VL-1000 AC power will be remotely controlled by the transceiver's power switch when the REMOTE switch on the rear panel of the VL-1000 is set to ON. 4. LOW Switch This switch selects the RF output power. When in the LOW position, the RF output power will be reduced to (approximately) 500 watts PEP, and "LOW" will appear on the display. Note: This switch should be set to the LOW position when operating from a 100 ~ 117 VAC power source. 2. OPERATE Switch Pressing this switch activates the power amplifier section of the VL-1000. When the power amplifier is activated, "OPERATE" will appear on the display. Press this switch again to turn off the power amplifier section. 5. INPUT Switch Press this switch to toggle between the exciters connected to the INPUT 1 and INPUT 2 connectors on the rear panel. The indicator "INPUT 1" or "INPUT 2" will appear on the display to indicate which exciter is in use. 3. DIM Switch This switch selects the brightness level of the LCD display. In low-light situations, activating the Dimmer may reduce excess brightness in the display. For normal room lighting, however, the Dimmer should be set to OFF for best visibility. 6. ATT Switch This switch activates a 3 dB input RF power attenuator, to reduce excessive input power from the exciter. It should be on if exciter output exceeds 100 watts PEP, as is the case when using the FT-1000/D. The "ATT" indicator will appear on the display when this switch is on. Page 6 VL-1000 Operating Manual Front Panel Controls and Switches 7. ANT Switch This switch can be used for manual selection of up to four antennas. The antenna selection is stored in memory, so once selected and matched on a particular band, the same antenna will be reselected automatically when recalling that band. One of the indicators "ANT 1" to "ANT 4" will appear on the display to indicate which antenna is in use. When using the Grapfical SWR Meter display, press and hold this switch for ½ second to change the frequency span of the meter. 11. TUNER Switch Pressing this switch places the antenna tuner in the transmit signal path. When the antenna tuner is activated, the "TUNER" indicator appears on the display. Press this switch again to turn off the antenna tuner. 8. DISPLAY 1 Switch Press and hold this switch for ½ second to copy the current display into Display Memory #1. Press this switch momentarily to recall the Display Memory 1 data to the display. This switch is also used for alignment of the ALC system, if needed. 12. TUNE Switch This switch activates the auto-tune system manually. Normally, when the operating band is changed, the tuner will automatically adjust itself for the same antenna selection and mat ...