Presented is my build on the 'famous' W6PQL Solid State PA. I purchased the SSPA as ready-built module, together with the controller_board directly from Jim, W6PQL. After I heard the SSPA could create RFI into surrounding modlues like the Power_supply, controller_board or VSWR_monitor, I immediate decided to build the SSPS into a screened housing. The housing is made out of aluminium strips 40 x 6mm. All the strips are drilled, tapped and mounted to the copper heat-spreader. On top of the housing, a lit is mounted. The SSPS is mounted onto a large heatsink which is additionally is cooled by a very large, slow rotating fan. The fan is controlled in RPM based on the momentary temperature of the heatsink. Up to now, after several QSO's inclusing 120D mode QSO's, the noise of the fan was never above the average noise in the shack.

In-, and output consist of N-Connector with integrated large diameter semi-rigid. Following the advise from Jim W6PQL, there are small brass strips soldered to the screen of the semi-rigid, and then these brass strips are simply screwed onto the PCBA. This makes the soldering of a coax or semi-rigid onto the PCBA obsolete as this would be difficult anyhow due to the large heat-transfer into the copper heat-spreader. Also the teflon clamp is visible in the pictures below. This clamp prevents the PCB traces to get unglued due to repeated warm-cold cycles. For completenes als the detail how to attach the semi-rigid is depicted here below.

W6PQL Controller board