Amplifiers

Stations with an amplifier show an Amplifier panel while you are connected at a rate that can transmit. Whether the amplifier is actually available depends on the rate you chose: the rate menu says Amplifier is enabled or Amplifier is disabled for each one, and QRO rates cost more per minute. See Connect to a station and Airtime and rates.

The panel

The amplifier's name is at the left. At the right, while the amplifier is on:

• its temperature, in °F;
• a Preamp button, on amplifiers that have one;
• the level button — click it to open Select Amplifier Level. Depending on the amplifier the choices are full, mid, low and standby; full, half and standby; or just full and standby. The button is green at full and orange otherwise. In standby the amplifier passes your signal through unamplified.

Some stations have an amplifier the console cannot switch. Those show a fixed label instead: High Power when it is in line, Barefoot when it isn't.

While the amplifier is heating up the button reads Warmup in … with a countdown, and while it cools down after switching off, Cooldown in …. When it is off, the panel shows OFF.

Across the bottom is a bar graph of the output power, with the power in watts and the SWR beside it. The SWR turns red at 3.0 or above.

If your rate doesn't include the amplifier, the level button is disabled.

Faults

If the amplifier trips — high SWR, overdrive, too hot — a red Fault button appears and a dialog opens: The amplifier encountered a fault. with the amplifier's own message, if it gave one. Click Clear Fault to reset it, then fix the cause before you transmit again: usually a mistuned antenna, too much drive, or the wrong band on the antenna switch.

Some amplifiers raise a warning rather than a fault: Warning – title, with an explanation and an I Understand button.

If a fault or warning keeps coming back, disconnect and report a station problem rather than clearing it over and over.