Acom 500S User manual

OUTSTANDING HF POWER PRODUCTS
ACOM 500S
160-4 m
Linear Power Amplifier
User's Manual
Installation, Operation
and Maintenance
March 2023

User's Manual | ACOM 500S | 160-4m Linear Power Amplifier
Page 2 of 66 | S e c t i o n ABOUT DOCUMENTATION
March 2023
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 500S | 160-4m Linear Power Amplifier
March 2023
S e c t i o n ABOUT DOCUMENTATION | Page 3 of 66
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.
ACOM company creates and distributes its documentation in ENGLISH language only.
Any translations in other languages made by our dealers, partners, distributors, etc. cannot
be related to ACOM company in any way.
ACOM is not liable for non-English documentation correctness in any way.
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:
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The latest versions of our User's Manuals are available at
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User's Manual | ACOM 500S | 160-4m Linear Power Amplifier
Page 4 of 66 | S e c t i o n ABOUT DOCUMENTATION
March 2023
Title of Documentation
ACOM 500S 160-4 m 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 500S 160-4 m Linear Power Amplifier.
Record of Revisions
Description
Release Date
Notes
ACOM 500S User's Manual
29.03.2023
First 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
© 2023 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.
Trademarks
ICOM, KENWOOD, YAESU, ELECRAFT, and other product names or brands
mentioned in this documentation are either registered trademarks or
trademarks of their respective holders.
Published by
ACOM Ltd.
Bulgaria | Bozhurishte 2227
Sofia-Bozhurishte Industrial Park | 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 500S | 160-4m Linear Power Amplifier
March 2023
S e c t i o n ABOUT DOCUMENTATION | Page 5 of 66
Contents
ABOUT DOCUMENTATION ................................................................................................................................ 3
1. GENERAL INFORMATION........................................................................................................................... 8
1.1. Introduction and Description.......................................................................................................... 8
1.2. Product History and Documentation Validity ................................................................................. 9
1.3. To the Reader of this Manual.......................................................................................................... 9
1.4. Additional Documentation............................................................................................................ 10
1.5. Owner Assistance.......................................................................................................................... 10
1.6. Product Identification ................................................................................................................... 11
1.7. Equipment Supplied...................................................................................................................... 11
1.8. Features......................................................................................................................................... 12
1.9. Safety Considerations, Explicit Definitions.................................................................................... 13
2. INSTALLATION.......................................................................................................................................... 16
2.1. Unpacking and Initial Inspection................................................................................................... 16
2.2. Line Voltage Selection................................................................................................................... 18
2.3. Amplifier Location Selection ......................................................................................................... 18
2.4. Connections................................................................................................................................... 19
2.5. Connecting to External Devices (transceiver, computer, etc.) and User Settings ........................ 24
3. FIRST POWER-ON, CONTROL SYSTEM, AND INITIAL CHECK.................................................................... 26
3.1. Low Energy Standby Mode of the Power Supply.......................................................................... 26
3.2. Front Panel.................................................................................................................................... 27
3.3. Initial Turning On........................................................................................................................... 27
3.4. Basic Screen................................................................................................................................... 28
3.5. Control System - Buttons and Menus ........................................................................................... 29
3.5.1. OPR/STB and BAND buttons............................................................................................ 29
3.5.2. Menu button.................................................................................................................... 30
3.6. Test Transmission.......................................................................................................................... 30
4. OPERATION.............................................................................................................................................. 34
4.1. Change of Modes RX/TX and OPERATE/STANDBY; AUTO OPERATE User Setting........................ 34
4.2. Band Change, Standard and Expanded Frequency Coverage ....................................................... 35
4.3. Antenna Change............................................................................................................................ 36
4.4. Operation with an External Antenna Tuner.................................................................................. 37

User's Manual | ACOM 500S | 160-4m Linear Power Amplifier
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March 2023
4.5. Automatic Protection System ....................................................................................................... 39
5. MENUS - SETTINGS AND OPTIONS .......................................................................................................... 41
5.1. Menu AMP MEASURE (Amplifier Measurements)........................................................................ 42
5.2. Menu AMP SERVICE (Amplifier Service Functions)....................................................................... 43
5.3. Menu CAT/AUX SETTINGS (Selection of CAT/AUX interface) ....................................................... 44
5.4. Menu USER PREFERENCES ............................................................................................................ 46
5.5. Menu FAULTS LOG ........................................................................................................................ 47
5.6. Menu RESTORE DEFAULT SETTINGS.............................................................................................. 48
6. REMOTE CONTROL .................................................................................................................................. 49
6.1. Remote Control via ACOM eBox ................................................................................................... 49
6.2. Remote Control via RS-232 interface............................................................................................ 49
7. MAINTENANCE ........................................................................................................................................ 50
7.1. Periodic Maintenance ................................................................................................................... 50
7.2. Cleaning......................................................................................................................................... 50
7.3. Fuse Replacement......................................................................................................................... 51
7.4. Using the Fault Codes (signatures) for Diagnostics....................................................................... 52
7.5. Firmware ....................................................................................................................................... 53
7.5.1. Firmware Versions........................................................................................................... 53
7.5.2. Prequistments.................................................................................................................. 53
7.5.3. Firmware Updates ........................................................................................................... 53
8. SPECIFICATIONS....................................................................................................................................... 56
8.1. Parameters.................................................................................................................................... 56
8.2. Functions....................................................................................................................................... 58
8.3. Regulatory Requirements ............................................................................................................. 59
8.4. Storage and Shipment................................................................................................................... 61
8.4.1. Storage Environment....................................................................................................... 61
8.4.2. Shipping Size and Weight ................................................................................................ 61
8.4.3. Transportation................................................................................................................. 61
8.4.4. Returning to the Service Provider ................................................................................... 62
8.5. Information on Disposing and Recycling of Old Electrical and Electronic Equipment.................. 63
NOTES.............................................................................................................................................................. 64

User's Manual | ACOM 500S | 160-4m Linear Power Amplifier
March 2023
S e c t i o n ABOUT DOCUMENTATION | Page 7 of 66
Figures
Figure 1-1 | ID (identification) label/plate, example....................................................................................... 11
Figure 2-1 | Packaging carton (outside view).................................................................................................. 16
Figure 2-2 | ACOM 500S packaged in a cardboard box .................................................................................. 17
Figure 2-3 | Rear panel - Connections............................................................................................................. 20
Figure 3-1 | Front panel - Controls and Readouts........................................................................................... 26
Figure 3-2 | Basic screen ................................................................................................................................. 28
Figure 4-1 | ACOM 04AT tuner mounting possibilities ................................................................................... 37
Figure 4-2 | ACOM 06AT antenna tuner and switch (shown near 500S amplifier) ........................................ 37
Figure 4-3 | ACOM 500S amplifier screen with ACOM 04AT or 06AT antenna tuner installed...................... 38
Figure 4-4 | Appearance of an alarm message ............................................................................................... 39
Figure 5-1 | MENU SELECTION........................................................................................................................ 41
Figure 5-2 | Menu AMP MEASURE.................................................................................................................. 42
Figure 5-3 | Menu AMP SERVICE..................................................................................................................... 43
Figure 5-4 | Menu CAT/AUX SETTINGS ........................................................................................................... 44
Figure 5-5 | Menu USER PREFERENCES........................................................................................................... 46
Figure 5-6 | Menu FAULTS LOG....................................................................................................................... 47
Figure 5-7 | Menu RESTORE DEFAULT SETTINGS............................................................................................ 48
Figure 6-1 | ACOM eBox Ethernet Remote Control device............................................................................. 49
Figure 7-1 | ACOM Terminal S screenshot...................................................................................................... 54
Figure 8-1 | Packaging cardboard box............................................................................................................. 61
Tables
Table 1-1 | Production versions history............................................................................................................ 9
Table 1-2 | Package contents.......................................................................................................................... 11
Table 2-1 | Signals and pin out of the CAT/AUX connector ............................................................................ 25
Table 2-2 | Signals and pin out of the RS-232 connector................................................................................ 25
Table 5-1 | Transceiver interface .................................................................................................................... 45
Table 7-1 | ACOM 500S firmware versions history......................................................................................... 53

User's Manual | ACOM 500S | 160-4m Linear Power Amplifier
Page 8 of 66 | S e c t i o n GENERAL INFORMATION
March 2023
1. GENERAL INFORMATION
Congratulations on purchasing one of the finest solid-state 160-4 m linear 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 500S solid-state 160-4 m linear power amplifier.
The ACOM 500S is a state-of-the art linear power amplifier that covers all amateur bands from 1.8 through
70.5 MHz and provides 500 W rated output power (PEP or digital). The amplifier operating information is
shown on a multi-functional, high-resolution color display. ACOM 500S can be controlled either by the six
front-panel buttons or remotely.
The ACOM 04AT and 06AT Automatic Antenna Tuners with four-way Antenna Switches are
designed to work with our transistor (solid state) amplifier series, including the ACOM 500S
(see Section 4.4 Operation with an External Antenna Tuner).
Remote control of ACOM 500S is provided by ACOM eBox Ethernet Remote control device
or RS-232 port (see Section 6 REMOTE CONTROL).

User's Manual | ACOM 500S | 160-4m Linear Power Amplifier
March 2023
S e c t i o n GENERAL INFORMATION | Page 9 of 66
1.2. Product History and Documentation Validity
The ACOM 500S amplifier serial production started in February 2023.
This manual refers to the ACOM 500S amplifiers and describes the operating possibilities of all amplifiers
produced till the publishing date of this manual.
This manual is valid till a new manual is issued.
Table 1-1 | Production versions history
Production Version
Release Date
Notes
02.2022
Basic design;
Table 1-1 | Production versions history
1.3. To the Reader of this Manual
This document is written for the technically qualified users who will use the ACOM amplifier.
To ensure your safety in accordance with safety standards, read this manual carefully and follow the steps
described in it.
Everyone who will use the amplifier must read this manual, and follow the instructions in it, and other
accompanying ACOM documentation (see Section 1.4 Additional Documentation), and consider also the
appropriate safety precautions.
Informational notes
Observe the informational notes provided in this manual to ensure reliable and efficient operation of the
amplifier. In this manual, you will find the following informational notes:
The information symbol highlights operating procedures or practices that may improve
equipment reliability and/or personnel performance, or to emphasize a concept.
The book symbol represents a cross reference to external documentation, e.g., other
ACOM manual.

User's Manual | ACOM 500S | 160-4m Linear Power Amplifier
Page 10 of 66 | S e c t i o n GENERAL INFORMATION
March 2023
Symbols and fonts used for marking text
In this manual the following symbols and fonts are used for marking text:
Format
Meaning
Orange bold text
Identifies all internal links in the document between Sections, Figures,
Tables, etc. for your convenience.
BOLD TEXT IN
CAPITAL LETTERS
Identifies the connectors, switches, and button names and labels.
TEXT IN CAPITAL
LETTERS
Identifies the amplifier operating modes, menu names, etc.
1.4. Additional Documentation
For further important information, please, refer to the following documentation:
•ACOM 500S Brochure;
•ACOM CAT cables Technical Information;
•ACOM 04AT User's Manual;
•ACOM 06AT User's Manual;
•ACOM eBox User's Manual.
The documentation is available for download at www.acom-bg.com.
1.5. 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 Industrial Park | 6 Valeri Petrov Str.
GPS coordinates: 42.748616о| 23.209801о
Including the ACOM equipment's model name, serial number, and a detailed problem
description in your service assistance request is mandatory. Without this information, we
cannot proceed with your request, or the proceeding will take longer.