In a message dated 4/25/2005 9:15:57 PM US Mountain Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
The least expensive of the lot is the new Tokyo Hypower HL2KFX at around $2600 plus $330 shipping. Its a bare bones KW amp at 54 lbs with its built in switching power supply. If you add a KW autotuner to the combination, the price starts to get up near the $4000 range. Very few in the hobby can afford it. So there is a very limited prospect for sales unless the price could be kept below 3K. Here is the web link for a very interesting amp. Although I can afford it, they will play "H E double toothpick" selling me one at anything close to that price--probably at any price. Amps are, in my view, the most overpriced pieces of gear in the hamshack. If you spend one tenth of that amount sprucing up your antenna system you will get more benefit. The worst thing that ever happened to ham radio was when they allowed amplifiers that run more power than the local commercial radio station. The U.K. allows, I think, a maximum of 400 watts---or is that Australia? Anyway, that's plenty! From that level, the most you can improve your signal is about 1 "S" unit--unless you cheat! Anything more than a couple hundred watts just creates QRM--it becomes brute force rather than technique! Obviously I'm spitting in the wind, but I just don't see the fun of running that much power. In truth, I'm just a tad disappointed that a company, which has such strong roots in lower power equipment and innovation, finds it necessary to jump into the QRO market. I realize that everyone has to make a living somehow, but the incredible talent in that company could seemingly be much better utilized in a thousand other ways than amps. I can only conclude that the markup must be phenominal! Dave W7AQK _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
