Hobbypcb Hardrock-50 User manual

Hardrock-

500 Assembly Instructions

Run 1 - 2020

Jim Veatch

WA2EUJ

30 August 2020

500 Assembly Instructions

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................................................ 1

2. ADVISORY AND WARNINGS ..................................................................................................................................... 2

AC VOLTAGE............................................................................................................................................................................ 2

WATER/MOISTURE ................................................................................................................................................................... 2

HIGH LEVEL RF ......................................................................................................................................................................... 2

PHYSICAL CONSIDERATIONS ........................................................................................................................................................ 2

3. GENERAL ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS ........................................................................................................................ 3

AC LINE CORD ......................................................................................................................................................................... 3

4. LOW-PASS ASSEMBLY INVENTORY ........................................................................................................................... 4

5. POWER SUPPLY ASSEMBLY INVENTORY ................................................................................................................... 5

6. REAR PANEL ASSEMBLY INVENTORY ........................................................................................................................ 7

7. FRONT PANEL ASSEMBLY INVENTORY ..................................................................................................................... 9

8. CHASSIS PACK INVENTORY ......................................................................................................................................10

9. LARGE ITEM INVENTORY .........................................................................................................................................12

10. LPF ASSEMBLY ....................................................................................................................................................14

BUILD OPTIONS ...................................................................................................................................................................... 15

ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS ......................................................................................................................................................... 15

11. POWER SUPPLY ASSEMBLY .................................................................................................................................25

ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS ......................................................................................................................................................... 26

12. REAR PANEL ASSEMBLY ......................................................................................................................................34

ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS ......................................................................................................................................................... 35

13. FRONT PANEL ASSEMBLY ....................................................................................................................................39

ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS ......................................................................................................................................................... 39

14. FINAL ASSEMBLY ................................................................................................................................................44

15. SETTING THE BIAS ...............................................................................................................................................61

PREREQUISITES ....................................................................................................................................................................... 61

APPENDIX A – AN-1819 INVENTORY ................................................................................................................................64

APPENDIX B – AN-1819 ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS .........................................................................................................65

[1]

1. INTRODUCTION

This assembly manual covers the Hardrock-500 HF Amplifier Support Package manufactured by HobbyPCB, LLC

The Hardrock-500 is an Amplifier Support Package and contains everything needed to support in operation of a RF

amplifier capable of operation in the 1.8 – 30 MHz band at power levels up to 500W.

To create a complete amplifier using the Hardrock-500, the builder must supply a suitable amplifier deck. HobbyPCB

engineers have extensively tested the Hardrock-500 with the RF Power Tools, AN-1819 amplifier board that uses a pair

of Microsemi VRF2933 LDMOS FETs and is capable of 400-500W output with 5 watts of drive.

ITEM SPECIFICATION

Manufacturer HobbyPCB, LLC.

Model Number Hardrock-500

LPF Bands 160, 80, 60, 40, 30, 20, 17, 15, 12, 10 meter Amateur Radio Bands

AC Power Input 90-260 Volts AC, 47-63Hz, 13A max. @ 115V, 6.5A max @ 230VAC

DC Power 57V Volts, 22 Amps maximum, 1250 watts

DC Output 13.5V, 2A max for powering transceiver

Cooling RF deck: 3 fans, 32CFM Power Supply : 1 Fan 26 CFM

In/Out Jacks Three UHF connectors; 1 radio, 2 antenna

Size 9” W by 7” H by 14.2” D

(229mm W by 178mm by 361mm)

(not including switches and connectors)

Weight 16.5 lbs/7.2 Kg under 18 lbs/8.2 Kg with ATU

Metering VDD : 0 – 60 Volts

IDD : 0 – 20 Amperes

Forward Power: 0 – 500 Watts

Reflected Power: 0 – 50 Watts

Drive Power: 0 – 10 Watts

Temperature: 0 – 70°C

VSWR: 1.0 – 9.9:1

Hardrock-500 features:

 Completely self-contained - built-in power supply for 80-260 VAC

 Light weight - 7.5 Kg (16.5 lbs.) including power supply

 Dual color LCD touch screen displays for metering and operating controls

 Full HF coverage of 160-10M amateur bands

 Seamless integration with transceivers from HobbyPCB, Elecraft, Yaesu, Elad and Xiegu

 Internal ATU and input attenuator for 100W transceivers (coming soon)

 Arduino Mega controller - 100% open source firmware

 Automatic protection for SWR, temperature, voltage, current and excessive drive

 13.8V, 2A DC output to power QRP transceivers

 USB control for unattended/remote operation

[2]

2. Advisory and Warnings

There are several risks associated with assembling, testing and operating high power RF equipment. At HobbyPCB, LLC.

safety is our highest priority and we have taken every reasonable precaution to ensure the safety of our builders when

assembling and operating our products. Take a moment to read through the advisories and warnings and if you are not

comfortable assuming the risks associated with this product you should return it unassembled in its original packaging

for a complete refund.

AC Voltage

The AC voltages inside the Hardrock-500 are potentially dangerous. We have taken precautions inside the case of the

Hardrock-500 to prevent high voltages on exposed surfaces but the potential for electrical shock still exists in the bottom

portion of the chassis around the AC wiring and the power supply boards. Under no circumstances should AC power be

connected to the Hardrock-500 with the bottom cover removed. There are no adjustments, measurements or tests

that require the builder/operator to open the bottom cover with power applied to the unit. Always connect the chassis

to a suitable ground using the ground stud on the rear of the unit.

Water/Moisture

The Hardrock-500 is designed to be operated indoors in a dry location. The forced air cooling system used by the

Hardrock-500 moves large quantities of air in through the front, top and bottom of the enclosure and forces it out

through the rear of the enclosure. Any moisture, (rain, beverages, drips, leaks, etc), can be drawn inside the Hardrock-

500 chassis creating a potentially dangerous conditions. Never operate the Hardrock-500 if there is the potential for

water in or near the environment surrounding the Hardrock-500. If liquids are present or inadvertently enter the

Hardrock-500’s enclosure, immediately remove the AC power by disconnecting it at the source and do not operate the

Hardrock-500 until completely dry conditions can be assured.

High Level RF

Even though an amplifier is not included with the Hardrock-500, we anticipate that the majority of builders will add a

high power amplifier to the Hardrock-500 which can create high power RF which has some inherent dangers. In the top

of the chassis, the RF deck, LPF board and rear panel board all carry high-level RF energy. Under no circumstances

should the Hardrock-500 be operated at high RF power levels with the top cover removed. There are no adjustments,

measurements or tests that require the builder/operator to open the top cover with RF applied to the unit.

Once the Hardrock-500 is fitted with a RF amplifier, the operator should ensure that the RF power is being delivered to a

suitable load or antenna. The Hardrock-500 has protection circuitry and algorithms for internal circuitry but not for

external equipment like loads and/or antennas that could be damaged if not sufficiently rated for the applied RF power.

Antennas should be installed in a manner that prevents excessive RF exposure.

Physical Considerations

The Hardrock-500 weighs up to 18 lbs (8.2 Kg). Avoid dropping the unit. The fans on the rear of the unit pose a potential

risk to fingers and other small objects. Do not block the opening in the top, bottom, front or rear of the chassis. Some of

the internal parts may have sharp edges so use caution (and gloves) to prevent cuts.

[3]

3. General Assembly Instructions

Assembling the Hardrock-500 amplifier kit should be an enjoyable and rewarding experience. If at any time you feel

frustrated or are having difficulty, take a break, ask questions on the forum or email, and remember that if you are

having a problem with something there’s a good chance that someone else has had the same issue. We have a “no

questions asked” replacement part policy, so if you lose a part or need an extra length of wire or find something missing

an email is all it will take to get you a replacement. Contact [email protected] if you need any help.

The assembly is organized into the following subassemblies:

 Low-pass Filter assembly

 Power Supply Assembly

 Rear Panel Assembly

 Front Panel Assembly

 Amplifier Deck

 Final Assembly

 Setting the Bias

There are a few required tools:

 Soldering iron – A small temperature controlled unit is the best.

 Solder – Rosin core, fairly thin

 Screwdrivers –All of the screws in the kit are Philips

 Tweezers – For holding small parts and reaching tight areas

 Wire Stripper – For making the coax jumpers

 Long-nose pliers – For general mechanical assembly

 ¼” Nutdriver– Not essential but helps with panel assembly. If only metric tools are available use pliers or an

adjustable wrench.

 Toothpick – For unbraiding coax

 Adjustment tool or small flat blade screwdriver – Turning pots

 Thread locker – Loc-Tite 242 or similar to prevent screws from loosening (optional)

 Digital Multimeter – Doing resistance checks

 QRP Transceiver – The reason you bought the amp in the first place

In a production environment, an assembly station would also include an anti-static mat and all work would be

performed while wearing an anti-static wrist strap. If you are equipped with these, I encourage you to use them. If you

don’t have these items, use caution when handling the PCBs and touch a grounded surface before picking up the device.

AC Line Cord

Due to the worldwide variations in AC connections, we do not supply a AC line cord for the Hardrock-500. The amp has a

IEC320-C13 power connector. Make sure to use a cord made with #16 AWG or larger wire and only connect the amplifier

directly to a wall output. Do not use a power strip. The performance of the unit will be compromised by an inferior AC

line connection.

4. LOW-

PASS ASSEMBLY

DESCRIPTION

32X1.75" F

F STAND

OFF

32X3/8" PAN HEAD SCREW

40x1/4"M

F THREADED

SPACER

40X1/4" PAN HEAD SCREW

40 HEX NUT WITH LOCK

WASHER

40X1/4" FLAT HEAD SCREW

T80

6 CORE

YELLOW

T80

2 CORE

RED

#20 ENAMELED WIRE

#28 ENAMELED WIRE

#18 TEFLON WIRE

(color may vary)

FT82

GRAY

[4]

PASS ASSEMBLY

INVENTORY

PICTURE

QUANTITY

15'

QUANTITY

15'

6”

POWER SUPPLY ASSEMBLY INVENTORY

DESCRIPTION

40x1/4"M

THREADED

SPACER

40 HEX NUT

WITH LOCK

WASHER

40X1/4" PAN

HEAD SCREW

40 3/6" JACK

SCREW W/ NUT

& WSR

40X1/4" FLAT

HEAD SCREW

CAP ALUM

10000UF 20%

80V SNAP

CAP ALUM

1000UF 20% 63V

JST 3

PIN SHE

CABLE TIES

COLOR MAY

VARY

AC NEUTRAL

CABLE

[5]

POWER SUPPLY ASSEMBLY INVENTORY

PICTURE

QUANTITY

MAYBE

INSTALLED IN

ACC JACK

AC LINE CABLE

AC SWITCH WIRE

#14 WIRE 19”

#14 RED

BLACK

ZIP WIRE

WITH SPADE

TERMINALS

4”, 6”, 9”

#14 RED

BLACK

ZIP WIRE

6”

[6]

REAR PANEL ASSEMBLY INVENTORY

DESCRIPTION

40 3/16" JACK SCREW

W/ NUT & WSR

40 1/4" STEEL PAN

HEAD SCREW

40 1/4" M

F THREADED

ALUMIN SPACER

40 HEX NUT WITH LOCK

WASHER

32 HEX NUT NYLON

BLACK

32 1" NYLON SCREW

BLACK

32X1/2" PAN

HEAD

SCREW (GROUND LUG, AC

INLET)

32 HEX NUT WITH LOCK

WASHER

32 WING NUT

40 1/2" STEEL PAN

HEAD SCREW

(FAN MOUNTING)

Ground Wire

[7]

REAR PANEL ASSEMBLY INVENTORY

PICTURE

QUANTITY

[8]

POWER ENTRY MODULE

(AC INLET)

80MM X 25MM 12VDC FAN

W/ 2-PIN CONN

CONN UHF C

HASSIS

MOUNT

FAN AXIAL 40X20MM

12VDC

FRONT PANEL ASSEMBLY INVENTORY

DESCRIPTION

40 3/4" M

F THREADED

STAND-OFF

40 1/4" STEEL PAN HEAD

SCREW BLACK OXIDE

40 HEX NUT WITH LOCK

WASHER

CONN HEADER VERT 3

6POS

2.54MM

CONN HEADER VERT 40POS

2.54MM

ARDUINO STACKING HEADERS

6 PIN AND 8 PIN, 2 EA.

LCD DISPLAY 2.8 TOUCHSCREEN

ARDUINO MEGA 2560

CIRCUIT BREAKER WITH SWITCH,

20A, RED ILLUM

[9]

FRONT PANEL ASSEMBLY INVENTORY

PICTURE

QUANTITY

CHASSIS PACK INVENTORY

DESCRIPTION

32X3/8" PAN HEAD

SCREW (BLACK)

40X1/4" FLAT HEAD

SCREW (BLACK)

40 X 0.75” Threaded Rod

#4 NYLON WASHER

40 HEX NUT WITH LOCK

WASHER

40 1/2" STEEL PAN HEAD

SCREW

(MOSFET MOUNTING)

32X1/2" PAN HEAD

SCREW

RUBBER FEET

RIBBON CABLE

8CM

(3”)

2X5 PIN 0.1"

RIBBON CABLE

(13.8”)

2X5 PIN 0.1"

[10]

CHASSIS PACK INVENTORY

PICTURE

QUANTITY

[11]

12V Power Cables 2 PIN

Polarized 35CM (13.8)

12V Power Ca

bles 2 PIN

Polarized 50CM (19.7”)

AMP CONTROL CABLE 4 PIN

Polarized 25CM

316 COAX CABLE

18”

58 COAX CABLE

24”

THERMAL COMPOUND

PACKET

9. LARGE IT

EM INVENTORY

DESCRIPTION

EANWELL

EPP

400-18

18V, 22A DC

Supply

SIDE PANELS

FRONT PANEL

REAR PANEL

TOP/BOTTOM

PANEL

RF DECK

[12]

EM INVENTORY

PICTURE

QUANTITY

PANEL – POWER

SUPPLY

HEATSINK

COPPER HEAT

SPREADER

200mm X 200mm

THERMAL PAD

PCB Set

Power PCB, LPF

PCB, Rear Panel

PCB and Front

Panel PCB

[13]

[14]

10. LPF ASSEMBLY

This section covers the steps required to construct the Low-Pass Filter Assembly. The LPF PCB is supplied without the

toroidal inductors installed. These must be wound and installed on the LPF board.

Here are photos of the LPF board as supplied in the kit. Notice that several of the components are not installed. Check

the photos against the PCB supplied with your kit for verification.

LPF PCB Top Side

LPF PCB Bottom Side

[15]

Build Options

T303 and T304 form a directional coupler used to determine the Hardrock-500’s forward and reflected power. The

coupler can also be used to provide an RF tap or sample of the RF power used by some SDR transmitters to further

linearize the amplifier. If you want to use this option you will need to install a SMA connector in the ‘RF-TAP’ location.

This tap is 30 dB below the RF output and MUST be terminated in 50 ohms for the amp to work correctly.

A negative ALC voltage is available at the ALC location on the PCB. Some transmitters can use an ALC voltage to limit

their output to protect the amplifier. If you want to use this option populate VR301 with a 10K ohm potentiometer and

connect the ALC voltage to the ALC pins.

Assembly Instructions

□Step 1: Jumper –Select the build option and install a wire jumper in JP2 as

shown.

 Install a jumper wire in the green location for normal operation

 Install a jumper in the red location to use the RF-TAP. If you select this

option you MUST terminate RF-TAP in 50 ohms for the amp to work

properly

A jumper MUST be installed in one of the two locations for the Hardrock-500 to

operate properly.

Tips for Winding Toroidal Inductors:

1. The enamel on wire included with the kit is designed to be removed by scraping. After the inductor is

wound, scrape off as much of the enamel as possible, tin the end with a soldering iron which will

remove the remaining enamel and prepare the inductor for installation on the PCB. Repeat this process

until the inductor lead is thoroughly coated with solder.

2. There are two possible directions to wind a toroid. They are electrically identical but the PCB layout

favors right hand winding. When winding inductors always insert the initial turn of wire and add turns to

the right. This will ensure that the inductors mount nicely on the PCB.

3. Tight, neat windings not only make your finished kit look professional but tighter coils have less wire

which leads to less resistance and higher Q so bend the wire around the toroid rather than loop it.

4. There seem to be multiple ways to count the turns on a toroid. We use the “turns = the number of times

the wire passes through the hole in the core” method. If you feel the need to use a different method

that’s fine but make sure your toroids look like the ones in the photos. The photos show working/tested

toroids; if you put more or less turns because you think I counted wrong, your amp will not work

correctly. Count the turns however you want, make it look like the photo.

[16]

5. Since many of the toroids vary in turns count by one or two turns, insert the toroid into the PCB as soon

as you finish tinning the leads. This will prevent mixing up the toroids which will prevent the low-pass

filter from operating correctly.

□Step 2: L10A – 7 turns (8 in/20.3cm) of #20 enameled wire on a T80-6 (yellow) toroid core. Wind the