Acom 1200S Installation and operating instructions

ACOM 1200S
1.8-54 MHz
Linear Power Amplifier
User's Manual
Installation, Operation
and Maintenance
August 2021
OUTSTANDING HF POWER PRODUCTS

User's Manual | ACOM 1200S | 1.8-54 MHz Linear Power Amplifier
Page 2of 60 | S e c t i o n ABOUT DOCUMENTATION
August 2021
This manual is for electronic distribution mainly.
If you have it on paper and you no longer need it, please, recycle it!
The latest versions of our User's Manuals are available at
www.acom-bg.com

User's Manual | ACOM 1200S | 1.8-54 MHz Linear Power Amplifier
August 2021
S e c t i o n ABOUT DOCUMENTATION | Page 3of 60
ABOUT DOCUMENTATION
All ACOM documentation (including manuals, brochures, specifications, descriptions, presentations, video
materials, etc.) are based on the latest available information at the time of creation of our documents.
As we always strive to constantly improve and update our products, ALL PRODUCTS, PRODUCT
SPECIFICATIONS AND DATA ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. ACOM reserves the right to make changes and
improvements at any time without further notice or obligation to notify any person or organization of such
revisions or changes, made in order to improve the reliability, function, quality and design, and/or
performance of the ACOM products and services.
Further, this User's Manual is provided AS IS and ACOM shall not be liable for possible errors contained
herein.
This manual supersedes all previous editions, which thereby become invalid.
The cover images used in the manual are illustrative only.
We are continuously striving to improve our documentation, but nobody is perfect.
And our documentation is not an exception of this rule.
Have you found any errors or would you like to suggest changes in our documentation?
Please help us by sending your suggestions to the following e-mail address:
[e-mail]
The latest versions of our User's Manuals are available at
www.acom-bg.com
We highly recommend you to use this manual in electronic form as PDF-file instead of printed version. The
PDF-file is easy to read on any computer, tablet, smart phone or other similar device. In the PDF file you will
find the necessary information very fast due to context-oriented links (marked in orange) inside the file,
including context-linked Table of Content.
To open PDF-files you can use any free PDF viewer, for example:
•Adobe Acrobat Reader DC (https://get.adobe.com/reader);
•Foxit Reader (https://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf-reader);
•Your web browser. Web browsers like Google Chrome, Firefox and Safari all have integrated
PDF readers.

User's Manual | ACOM 1200S | 1.8-54 MHz Linear Power Amplifier
Page 4of 60 | S e c t i o n ABOUT DOCUMENTATION
August 2021
Title of Documentation
ACOM 1200S 1.8-54 MHz Linear Power Amplifier
User's Manual
Installation, Operation and Maintenance
Type of Documentation
User's Manual
Purpose of Documentation
This manual explains Installation, Operation and Maintenance of the
ACOM 1200S 1.8-54 MHz Linear Power Amplifier.
Record of Revisions
Description
Release Date
Notes
ACOM 1200S User's Manual
-
First edition
ACOM 1200S User's Manual
-
Second edition
ACOM 1200S User's Manual
11.05.2017
Third edition
ACOM 1200S User's Manual
30.08.2021
Fourth edition, R01
Validity
The specified data is for product description purposes only and may not be
deemed to be guaranteed unless expressly confirmed in the contract. All
rights are reserved with respect to the content of this manual and the
availability of the product.
Copyrights
© 2021 ACOM Ltd.
Copying this document, giving it to others and the use or communication
of the contents thereof without express authority, are forbidden.
Offenders will be held liable for infringement of any intellectual property
of ACOM Ltd. and all damages which may rise as a result.
Published by
ACOM Ltd.
Bulgaria | Bozhurishte 2227
Sofia-Bozhurishte Economic Zone | 6 Valeri Petrov Str.
GPS coordinates: 42.748616о| 23.209801о
Web: www.acom-bg.com
E-mail: [e-mail]
Note
This manual has been printed on chlorine-free bleached paper.

User's Manual | ACOM 1200S | 1.8-54 MHz Linear Power Amplifier
August 2021
S e c t i o n ABOUT DOCUMENTATION | Page 5of 60
Contents
ABOUT DOCUMENTATION ................................................................................................................................ 3
1. GENERAL INFORMATION........................................................................................................................... 8
1.1. Introduction and Description.......................................................................................................... 8
1.2. Owner Assistance............................................................................................................................ 9
1.3. Equipment Supplied........................................................................................................................ 9
1.4. Features......................................................................................................................................... 10
1.5. Safety Considerations, Explicit Definitions.................................................................................... 11
2. INSTALLATION.......................................................................................................................................... 14
2.1. Unpacking and Initial Inspection................................................................................................... 14
2.2. Line Voltage Selection................................................................................................................... 14
2.3. Amplifier Location Selection ......................................................................................................... 15
2.4. Connections................................................................................................................................... 16
2.5. Connecting to External Devices (transceiver, computer, etc.) and User Settings ........................ 20
3. FIRST POWER-ON, CONTROL SYSTEM, AND INITIAL CHECK.................................................................... 22
3.1. Low Energy STANDBY Mode of the Power Supply........................................................................ 22
3.2. Front Panel.................................................................................................................................... 23
3.3. Initial Turning On........................................................................................................................... 23
3.4. Basic Screen................................................................................................................................... 24
3.5. Control System - Buttons and Menus ........................................................................................... 25
3.6. Test Transmission.......................................................................................................................... 26
4. OPERATION.............................................................................................................................................. 30
4.1. Change of Modes RX/TX and OPERATE/STANDBY; AUTO OPERATE User Setting........................ 30
4.2. Band Change, Standard and Expanded Frequency Coverage ....................................................... 31
4.3. Operation with an External Antenna Tuner.................................................................................. 32
4.4. Automatic Protection System ....................................................................................................... 33
5. MENUS - SETTINGS AND OPTIONS .......................................................................................................... 36
5.1. Menu AMP MEASURE (Amplifier Measurements)........................................................................ 37
5.2. Menu AMP SERVICE (Amplifier Service Functions)....................................................................... 38
5.3. Menu CAT/AUX SETTINGS (Selection of CAT/AUX Interface) ....................................................... 39
5.4. Menu USER PREFERENCES ............................................................................................................ 41

User's Manual | ACOM 1200S | 1.8-54 MHz Linear Power Amplifier
Page 6of 60 | S e c t i o n ABOUT DOCUMENTATION
August 2021
5.5. Menu FAULTS LOG ........................................................................................................................ 42
5.6. Menu RESTORE DEFAULT SETTINGS.............................................................................................. 43
6. REMOTE CONTROL .................................................................................................................................. 44
6.1. Remote Control via ACOM eBox ................................................................................................... 44
6.2. Remote Control via RS-232 interface............................................................................................ 44
7. MAINTENANCE ........................................................................................................................................ 45
7.1. Periodic Maintenance ................................................................................................................... 45
7.2. Cleaning......................................................................................................................................... 47
7.3. Fuse Replacement......................................................................................................................... 47
7.4. Using the Fault Codes (signatures) for Diagnostics....................................................................... 49
7.5. Firmware ....................................................................................................................................... 50
7.5.1. Firmware Versions........................................................................................................... 50
7.5.2. Prequistments.................................................................................................................. 50
7.5.3. Firmware Updates ........................................................................................................... 50
8. SPECIFICATIONS....................................................................................................................................... 52
8.1. Parameters.................................................................................................................................... 52
8.2. Functions....................................................................................................................................... 54
8.3. Storage and Shipment................................................................................................................... 55
8.3.1. Storage Environment....................................................................................................... 55
8.3.2. Shipping Size and Weight ................................................................................................ 55
8.3.3. Transportation................................................................................................................. 55
8.3.4. Returning to the Service Provider ................................................................................... 55
8.4. Information on Disposing and Recycling of Old Electrical and Electronic Equipment.................. 56
NOTES.............................................................................................................................................................. 57
Figures
Figure 2-1 Front panel - Ergonomic position with tilt foot bar ....................................................................... 15
Figure 2-2 Rear panel - Connections ............................................................................................................... 16
Figure 3-1 Front panel - Controls and Readouts ............................................................................................. 22
Figure 3-2 Basic screen without ACOM 04AT antenna tuner assigned........................................................... 24
Figure 4-1 ACOM 04AT Remote Automatic Antenna Tuner and Switch......................................................... 32

User's Manual | ACOM 1200S | 1.8-54 MHz Linear Power Amplifier
August 2021
S e c t i o n ABOUT DOCUMENTATION | Page 7of 60
Figure 4-2 Amplifier screen with ACOM 04AT antenna tuner installed.......................................................... 33
Figure 4-3 Appearance of an alarm message.................................................................................................. 34
Figure 5-1 MENU SELECTION........................................................................................................................... 36
Figure 5-2 Menu AMP MEASURE..................................................................................................................... 37
Figure 5-3 Menu AMP SERVICE ....................................................................................................................... 38
Figure 5-4 Menu CAT/AUX SETTINGS.............................................................................................................. 39
Figure 5-5 Menu USER PREFERENCES ............................................................................................................. 41
Figure 5-6 Menu FAULTS LOG ......................................................................................................................... 42
Figure 5-7 Menu RESTORE DEFAULT SETTINGS............................................................................................... 43
Figure 6-1 ACOM eBox Ethernet Remote Control device ............................................................................... 44
Figure 7-1 Bottom view - Air Filters................................................................................................................. 46
Figure 7-2 ACOM Terminal S screenshot......................................................................................................... 51
Figure 8-1 Packaging cardboard box ............................................................................................................... 55
Tables
Table 2-1 Signals and pin out of the CAT/AUX connector............................................................................... 20
Table 2-2 Signals and pin out of the RS-232 connector .................................................................................. 21
Table 5-1 Transceiver interface type and command set selection.................................................................. 40
Table 7-1 ACOM 1200S firmware versions history.......................................................................................... 50

User's Manual | ACOM 1200S | 1.8-54 MHz Linear Power Amplifier
Page 8of 60 | S e c t i o n GENERAL INFORMATION
August 2021
1. GENERAL INFORMATION
Congratulations on purchasing one of the finest HF amplifiers in the world today.
ACOM is pleased that you have chosen one of our products, and we will endeavor to provide you with the
information and support you need to enjoy your purchase for many years.
We urge you to read all of the following materials before you embark on operating your new amplifier.
1.1. Introduction and Description
This manual explains:
•Installation
•Operation and
•Maintenance
of the ACOM 1200S HF + 6 m solid-state linear power amplifier.
The ACOM 1200S is a state-of-the art linear power amplifier that covers all amateur bands from 1.8 through
54 MHz and provides 1000 W output power (PEP or continuous carrier) with less than 50 W of drive. The
amplifier operating information is shown on a multi-functional, high resolution color display. ACOM 1200S
can be controlled either by the six front-panel buttons or remotely.
The ACOM 04AT Remote Automatic Antenna Tuner and Switch is designed to work with
our transistor (solid state) amplifier series, including the ACOM 1200S (see Section
4.3 Operation with an External Antenna Tuner).
Remote control of ACOM 1200S is provided by ACOM eBox Ethernet Remote control
device or RS-232 port (see Section 6 REMOTE CONTROL).

User's Manual | ACOM 1200S | 1.8-54 MHz Linear Power Amplifier
August 2021
S e c t i o n GENERAL INFORMATION | Page 9of 60
1.2. Owner Assistance
If assistance is needed, you should contact your local dealerfirst. If necessary, your dealer will contact ACOM
for additional guidance.
If you still have an issue you need to discuss with one of ACOM's specialists, the contact information is as
follows:
ACOM Ltd.
E-mail: [e-mail]
Bulgaria | Bozhurishte 2227
Sofia-Bozhurishte Economic Zone | 6 Valeri Petrov Str.
GPS coordinates: 42.748616о| 23.209801о
1.3. Equipment Supplied
The ACOM 1200S amplifier and this User's Manual are shipped in a cardboard box.

User's Manual | ACOM 1200S | 1.8-54 MHz Linear Power Amplifier
Page 10 of 60 | S e c t i o n GENERAL INFORMATION
August 2021
1.4. Features
•Easy to operate
The overall operation of ACOM 1200S is extremely simplified: the screen menus are intuitive and easy
to follow, no special skill is required from the operator when changing frequency bands.
•User-friendly automatic control
When connected to a transceiver with CAT capability, the amplifier will track the operating frequency,
and will change bands accordingly.
Even if not CAT connected, the amplifier monitors the input signal frequency through the built-in
frequency counter and automatically switches bands.
•High resolution color display
All amplifier status indications are explained via detailed text displayed on the 5" high resolution color
display (108x65 mm, 800x480 pixels, and 24-bit color).
•Transceiver-independent
Compatible with all transceiver models - does not need any special signals: "ground on transmit" and
less than 50 W of RF drive power is sufficient.
•LDMOS transistor technology
Тhe final PA stage uses a rugged LDMOS transistor - BLF188XR or equivalent.
•Broadband input circuit
Broadband input circuit, providing a perfect transceiver load with SWR below 1.2 (typically 1.1),
without retuning throughout the whole frequency range from 1.8 to 54 MHz.
•Intelligence
Takes care of itself during operation via continuously working protection circuits in all modes.
The operator can monitor more than 10 parameters of the amplifier in operation.
•Easy maintenance
Detailed data (55 parameters) about each of the last 28 hard-fault protection trips is stored in the
amplifier's memory.
•Remote control capabilities
Remotely controlled by RS-232 port and via Internet by the ACOM eBox Ethernet Remote Control
device.
•Compact and lightweight construction
Convenient for expeditions and field operation due to the extremely compact and lightweight
construction and the built-in switching-mode power supply (SMPS) that operates with extended mains
voltage range of 100-240 VAC (output power reduced to about 500 W PEP below 200 VAC), with no
internal switch over. The consumed current is purely sinusoidal, Power Factor Corrected (PFC) and
inrush limited. This makes the operation from unstable mains and generators easy and trouble free.
•Electromagnetic compatibility
Perfect electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) with both highly sensitive devices and the powerful
devices in the radio station (receivers, computers, other amplifiers) exceeding the standard EMC
requirements due to the used PFC and built-in radio-frequency filters.