Power output of KT8900

Question

Any ideas on adjusting the low power output of the KT8900. The output tranny has a max rating of 12V and specs are centred on 7.5 volts. Yet they try to run it at 13.8V?? I want to reduce the output to about 5 watts, save the transistor some grief and run outboard amps on VHF and UHF instead, but there is no adjustment other than high and low which are just about the same anyway!

Answer 1

The circuit diagram for the KT9800 can be found here, along with the specifications for the RF finals here.

Looking at the specifications sheet, the transistor's maximum drain-to-source voltage (Vdss in the spec sheet) is 30V, so I would not be worried about the finals unless you're using more than double the 13.8V you are worrying about.

The Vgs has a maximum of 12V, but it looks like the main IC (although I might be mistaken here) uses a supply voltage of 3.3V, so I would expect that to be the approximate level of the input to the finals. Way within the 12V maximum, anyway.

EDIT: To try to answer the question as asked, there is no straightforward way of changing the power output, as the circuit does not look like it has any way of adjusting the level of the signal going into the finals. There are no variable components (e.g. a variable resistor) between the output of the RDA1846 and the final stage. So if the powers to be varied, it has to be done within the RDA1846 itself. And of course we don't have direct access to that because there is a control IC in the way.