Palstar PM5K Owner's Manual - page 7
18 PM5K WATTMETER
1-800-773-7931 WWW.PALSTAR.COM
instance, if you have a 2,000 watt amplifier, chose the
2,500 watt bar graph scale. This will result in the bar
graph displaying most of the graph at this power level. At
the highest scale the meter will display a resolution of 2.4
watts, but when you
’re at exciter levels of 100 watts or
less the auto range scale can display resolutions of 1 watt
even though it is resolving .09 watts in the sampling cir-
cuit. We intentionally limit the display to 1 watt incre-
ments.
The PM5K is calibrated in two segments: HF (2-30MHz)
and at 50.1 MHz. It has better then +/- 5% accuracy on
our certified calibrated lab test equipment. We provide a
calibration table on each directional coupler just like the
calibrated sensors we use from our measurement system.
The ability to program the PM5K with this calibration
“trim”
data assures you that you have the best calibration possi-
ble with your meter. The data supplied has two ranges:
1.5 to 30 MHz
– HF Range noted as 30MHz on the
coupler sticker
50 MHz
– 6 Meter Amateur Radio Band noted as 50
MHz on the coupler sticker
Program the Forward and Reverse Power trim settings in
your meter to match your coupler for the frequencies you
will use. We typically see +/- 3% accuracy at HF and
even better at the 6 meter band.
If your application calls for better accuracy on a certain
band, you can easily recalibrate the unit to suit your needs
by adjusting the forward power and reverse power trim
settings. In this case, you can enjoy enhanced accuracy
since you have calibrated exactly to your test equipment.
There are no potentiometers or variable capacitors in the
coupler or the display enclosure to adjust. The calibration
values are held in non-volatile memory.
PM5K WATTMETER 7
1-800-773-7931 WWW.PALSTAR.COM
INSTALLATION DETAILS
DISPLAY HEAD AND COUPLER LOCATION
The Display Enclosure is designed to be either table-top or 19-inch
rack mounted with the optional rack mounting plates. You can
mount one or two meters side by side in a standard 19-inch rack
with the available mounting plates in a 2U high space. If using the
Display Enclosure as a table top or shelf mount, simply place it
into a position that is easily seen, but be careful not to place it on
top of an amplifier in a way that it blocks the cooling of your ampli-
fier. Choose a suitable location for the Directional Coupler and
mount it as well. We suggest mounting it with an adapter right at
the output of your amplifier. Be sure that you mount the Direc-
tional Coupler close enough to the Display Head so that the sup-
plied cable can reach. If you require a longer cable, any shielded
¼
” “Stereo” jumper cable will suffice. If you use a longer cable, test
it for accuracy and RF immunity.
Connect a 12-15V DC power supply cable with 2.1mm plug to the
Display Head. The center pin is the
“+” side of the DC power plug.
Wire your cable to a clean DC power source. Remember that
some switch mode or cheap wall warts are RF
“noisy”. The Dis-
play Head is protected against polarity reversal.
DIRECTIONAL COUPLER WIRING - Since the purpose of the
PM5K is to provide an indication of the match of your antenna sys-
tem to your transmitter, it is critical that the Directional Coupler be
installed as the first element after the antenna jack on your trans-
mitter or amplifier and before a tuner. Connect from your transmit-
ter's antenna jack to the SOURCE connector on the Directional
Coupler.
The standard Directional Coupler comes with SO-239 connectors.
You can order optional
“N” connectors or 7/16 Din connectors for
very high power operation.
If you are using an amplifier, install the Directional Coupler after
your amplifier. Connect the cable that goes to your antenna sys-
tem to the ANTENNA jack on the Directional Coupler. You may
use the VSWR protection circuitry if desired.