Micro PA50 HF Amplifier Firmware Update

In this video, we show how to update the firmware on the Micro PA50 HF Amplifier for Ham Radio. Sponsored by www.pcbway.com Cheap & quick PCB, 3D Printing, CNC machining, and fabrication services from PCBWay.
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📺 Thanks to ‪@ON7OFF‬ for his video and links: • Tutorial: update the M...
🔗Manual for the Micro PA50: drive.google.com/file/d/1dj9I...
🔗v2.6 Firmware: drive.google.com/file/d/1zuiB...
🔗Flash Software: drive.google.com/file/d/13G47...
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[@Swamp-Fox]

It will be interesting to see if the firmware update fixes the SWR protection issue.

[@TheSmokinApe]

Yeah, I’m hearing that it does but I’d like to test it for myself 👍

[@socallars3748]

@@TheSmokinApe Hey, have you had a chance to test the firmware upgrade? I'm not convinced it's improved, but I'd love to know what you've experienced with it.

[@TheSmokinApe]

@@socallars3748I haven’t tested anything newer than what I did in the video

[@mike94560]

I have a PA50+. It was alarming with 5W of drive power. The output power exceeded 50W. And it shut down. My QRP rig and the PA50 does not have an RF output control. Here is the trick... Run the amp on a lower voltage. I get 20W out with a 9V power supply. No more problems. You could go 10V and it would still be OK. I am happy at 20W and much less likely to blow anything up.

[@TheSmokinApe]

That is a good trick, thanks for posting 👍

[@2BlkDogs-K2BKD]

Thank you! I don't think would have gotten through this update with the instructions alone. My micro PA50 seems to work perfectly now. I just connected it to my ic-705 and made 12 contacts. Thanks again. -K2BKD

[@TheSmokinApe]

Nice! Glad to hear it worked for you.

[@don_n5skt]

Finally 😉I have never had the issue with it being overly sensitive but I am going to do the upgrade. Thanks Ape

[@TheSmokinApe]

Godspeed Don!

[@hikerboyz]

THe SWR was the least of my problems with it. I had to open it up and resolder the connections to the SO239 ports.

[@TheSmokinApe]

That sucks, I gave the innards of this one a quick check and the connections looked fine 👍

[@DonzLockz]

I think they fixed the issues in the new version and a bit bigger screen but still random solder issues on the antenna sockets. :/

[@PaulFillmoreIII]

Same here! It only worked out of the box when I applied pressure to the connector

[@socallars3748]

Same, one of the solder joints on mine was cracked right out of the box, causing crazy behavior whenever touching the attached coax. Most of the amp is actually built pretty well, but the way they chose to connect the SO239s to the PCB with nothing but a blob of solder is a bit of a joke. Solder is there to provide electrical stability, NOT mechanical stability. Speaking of boxes, I was shocked by the flimsy, thin cardboard box the thing was delivered in. Aliexpress will use a pound of bubble wrap to ship a pack of fuses, but an HF amplifier is sent basically wrapped in a bit of heavy paper!

[@deankq4adj125]

Another great video Ape. I have been looking at this amplifier so I would be interested in a deeper dive into the workings of this unit.

[@TheSmokinApe]

Posted a video today and have another in planning 👍

[@KC5TGTRadiosNMore]

Awesome. Thanks for the update. Interested to see if this fixed anything.

[@TheSmokinApe]

Yeah, I need to do some testing 👍

[@Hank_W6IR]

That resistor is 49R9 which translates to 49.9 ohms. You have a good camera Ape as I was able to make it out on my screen.

[@TheSmokinApe]

Lol, I couldn’t 👀

[@AD6DMDennis]

Hacking those FTDI's. Good stuff, Ape!

[@TheSmokinApe]

I just needed something else to work on 👍

[@brianhendrix]

You may already know this but your picture for the video shows the PA50+ (plus) which is what I'm trying to get more info on.

[@TheSmokinApe]

Hey Brian, and I had no idea d’oh!

[@ShooterReadyStandBy]

Nice of them to make it so dang easy...

[@TheSmokinApe]

Lol

[@KS0JD]

It would be good to see if the updated fixed anything or made it worse (made it worse = Future feature enhancement) 73

[@TheSmokinApe]

I do have some future testing videos planned, just posted one today 👍

[@mikesmithg0rfd356]

thank you

[@TheSmokinApe]

Anytime Mike, thanks for watching 👍

[@NgakpaW]

What are the clips you use to connect to the amplifier. Please help out an old timer😊

[@SFJF26]

Thanks for this! I did not want to solder the extra resistor either. 73s de Sean KU2FU

[@TheSmokinApe]

Hey Sean, good luck with the upgrade 👍

[@SFJF26]

@@TheSmokinApe Thanks man. Got it done today. Thanks to you.

[@TheSmokinApe]

@@SFJF26 Awesome!

[@Kinetic79]

Often bad readings of SWR are the fault of common mode current… do you choke really well before the amps/tuners (some are both), especially for non-resonant and off-center antennas, which is best practice? You’re the choke king, but you didn’t mention it at the beginning.

[@TheSmokinApe]

Hey Kinetic, that’s correct that RFI can cause that problem. Generally I choke at the antenna feed point and then after the amp / tuner. In the case of this amp it was widely reported that that amp had problems with SWR so it wasn’t just me 👍

[@DutchmanRadio]

Reading "Choke king" made me chuckle. Choking lol.

[@lyledal]

Hi Ape! Dumb question: Does that UART adapter come with the cable?

[@TheSmokinApe]

Just the DuPont cables

[@cornbread-KO5RN]

SMOKIN YOU GOT MORE PROJECTS GOING ON THAN MY SON DAPPER DAN.🎃

[@TheSmokinApe]

You ain’t lying 🤥

[@GraymanPOTA]

Can we get a video of you poking around the innards with the power on?

[@TheSmokinApe]

While standing in water?

[@socallars3748]

@@TheSmokinApe Salt water. 😁

[@johnwright2661]

Is the unit a PA50+ or a regular PA50?

[@TheSmokinApe]

The regular PA50 👍

[@tomKZ8TOM]

What 45-50W amp do you recommend?

[@TheSmokinApe]

The Hardrock 50 from HobbyPCB is probably the best. This is my second Chinese amp, I doubt I would buy another, hopefully after I get to test this one out I’ll feel good enough to recommend it 👍

[@tomKZ8TOM]

@@TheSmokinApe Need one with a small form factor for my FT-818.

[@TheSmokinApe]

Gotcha, we’ll stay tuned as I will do more testing of this one 👍

[@mostlypostie1]

I would love to know if this fixed the problem for you, And also if it makes any change to needing to physically press a reset button. I hoped to use this amplifier for remote use however it goes into protection mode so easily and then you have to physically be there to reset it... Does the new firmware solve this problem?

[@TheSmokinApe]

I’ll do some testing on the SWR and report back. I hadn’t used the amp in months because it was pretty bad before 👍

[@loraz0]

There is a new software version that lets you turn off the beep!

[@TheSmokinApe]

Nice, I should check that out

[@loraz0]

@@TheSmokinApe I got 2.8 loaded, and it works!

[@jerryKB2GCG]

so did the firmware upgrade fix the problem ?

[@ON7OFF]

it did with me

[@TheSmokinApe]

Hey Jerry, I’ll do some testing on it and report back. 👍

[@jasong9695]

These are piles of junk, they can put power out on fm ok, but trip the protection circuit at 5w ssb into a dummy load, even disabling the protection it still does this, even with the resistor mod and another one next to it grounded to remove the circuit totally from working, it still does it..

[@TheSmokinApe]

I think these are a case of you get what you pay for…

[@socallars3748]

5W into the amp? Or out of it? If the latter, there is something wrong with your unit. My un-modded amp will happily produce 50W into a dummy load or tuned antenna. I keep the input around 3W, no more than 4. Things don't get flaky until the SWR goes up or fluctuates. Don't get me wrong, it's hardly a Mercury LUX. It's the Yugo of power amps! But it does work, within its limitations.

[@socallars3748]

@@TheSmokinApe Yep. I'm reasonably happy with mine, precisely because I paid so little for it!

[@TheSmokinApe]

@@socallars3748 I’d say the same, nice to be able to get a little boost when needed 👍

[@socallars3748]

@@TheSmokinApe And if it blows up, I've got a fistful of IRF530 MOSFETs that cost just a couple dollars. 😁🔥