70-Watt, 1.2 GHz, Solid State Power Amplifier (SSPA)
Weatherproofing: I plan to install this amp on the back of a ten-foot dish on my tower. To survive the weather the amp is housed in a welded steel Hoffman box, and all box penetrations are o-ring and/or gasket sealed. Two Desiccant canisters will absorb internal moisture and an indicator on the lid displays the humidity.
Construction: The RF section is mounted on a massive heat sink just visible at the bottom of the box. The panel visible in the picture sits above the RF section on stand-0ffs and contains RF switching relays and a Bird 43 RF wattmeter section.
Primary Power: The SSPA is powered from a 13.8 volt switching power supply on the lid. A second "iron" power supply provides clean 15 VDC to an LNA at the dish feed.