IC-7100 locks up on HF

[M1EMB]

Hello All

Need a little help please, I have recently installed a IC-7100 and have had some issues on HF.  Long story short if I TX on HF on full power the radio either locks up or shuts off.  Has anyone had any issues like this before please?   It's not so bad on low power but don't want to run a QRP station.   

I used to have similar issues on my 706 RR setup the display use to go all strange.

Hope someone can help please

Thank you

Stuary

[sm2o]

You have to keep the RF out of the schack. The best is to use a better balanced antenna, or if it's not possible put RF-chokes on the antenna feeder, If the RF comes back into the schack it's no idea to try to do something with the cables to the RRC/Radio.

/mike

[M1EMB]

Thanks very much for the reply to my post.  I am using a G5RV with an LDG tuner and the RR auto antenna tuner.  Not sure if it  will help or not but I made a video a while back detailing my RR shack and put it on Youtube here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrQmaGm8UaM     Maybe it might show something I can't see.  I guess I should remove the RR from between the radio and switcher first of all and maybe add ferrite rings to the switcher outputs?    Does that sound like a good plan?   I was trying to use 10 mtrs earlier and the radio just shuts right off when I tx on high power.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks

Stuart

[M1EMB]

Hi All

Sorry to drag up an old topic but this issue I have on HF is making life miserble as a regular ham, talking and then have the radio shut off because the power is too high that the RF is getting in, funny thing is its only effecting my original RR setup on the IC7100 and not the RR on my Kenwood d71, so I would think it would have to be getting in via the Cat5 cable from the 7100 radio to the RR otherwise it would shut down my other radio and RR when I TX on the Icom but it doesn't effect it at all.

I have a friend going to my Remote shack tomorrow and he is going to try and distance the RR from the Icom to see if that helps, I added RF ferrite clamps but that didn't work, any other advice to help solve the issue we can try please?

Thank you

73's Stuart

[sm2o]

I don't remember any other posts around RF and IC-7100 so I think your setup is causing the problem. Again try to keep the RF out of the shack by making RF chokes on the feeders to the antennas which cause the problems.

G4TXQ has a good website describing RF-chokes

http://www.karinya.net/g3txq/chokes/

I have used his calculations for making chokes to all my monoband yagis from 40 to 10m

73 de mike

[dj0qn]

I highly recommend the documents you can download from Jim, K9YC at:
http://audiosystemsgroup.com/publish.htm

73,
Mitch DJ0QN / K7DX

[M1EMB]

Thanks for the message guys I appricate it, if I am going to have to add more chokes I will have to do it myself on my next trip overseas.

My friend visited today and spent hours trying to eliminate the RF issue from the RR, he moved the RR 12 feet from the radio and it still does it whenever I go over 50w on HF!

We also tried the 10meter antenna direct into the HF port on the 7100 and it still made the radio shut off over 50w.  I had issues with the 706mrk2g also but not as bad as this, seems the 7100 is really sensitive. 

I also use a IT-100 ATU and the 10 Way Automatic antenna tuner that is sold via RR website and its a dream setup just the issue with the 7100 shutting off that's really bugging me now, what I don't understand is why isn't it shutting down my 2nd RR that's next to it for 2/70.   Just can't get my head around why it's ok with one and not the other , both identical with firmware ect.

Any more ideas I can try?

Thank you

Stuart

[m0wnt]

Hiya Stuart,

I had the same problem, in the end I totally rewired everything and put all my ground earths down one side, so there was no over lapping and fitted rf chokes to everything. That solved my problem!

My station worked fine on 2/70 until I went on HF then I had problems of locking up above 50 watts until I did the above.

Regards,
Neil
M0WNT

[kt7az]

I would really look at your ground system,  make sure you have a short run to earth and have one central point for all equipment, preferably by your tuner.

Had this problem and finally drilled a hole in floor under bench and drove a ground rod.  Problems went away.  Know this is drastic but if I ever move I will drive to flush and patch.

Good luck

Kt7az

[M1EMB]

Hi Guys

Just to put this one to rest, I have recently visited my remote QTH and after bypassing the RR and some more tests it turned out to be the PSU that had gone bad!  It was rated for 35amp but something has gone bad along the way inside it so after 17 years I am putting it out to pasture and went and bought a MAAS 50 amp supply and its running everything perfectly!    Thanks for the replies.

Stuart