Jack, > The amp market on the other hand doesn't seem to have any vacant > niches, MFJ has the low end and mid-range covered and there are a > herd of companies duking it out over the high end market.
The one vacant market niche - and one Elecraft appear to have avoided - is the US "Legal Limit" solid state segment. There are literally dozens of 500 - 600 watt solid state amps and several good products at the 1000 W PEP level but there is nothing that covers 160 - 6 at 1500 W CW/RTTY. I suppose that begs the question whether there is a market for such an amplifier considering that the $/W tend to be higher for solid state amplifiers than tube amplifiers of comparable power levels. I have my feelings but since it isn't my R&D or marketing dollars on the line, they're not particularly important. 73, ... Joe, W4TV On 9/10/2010 11:57 AM, Jack Brabham wrote: > Lew, > > Except for issues related to physical size, most of your rationale for > not producing a 2KW amp seems equally applicable to a 500W amp. > > The K3, from a marketing perspective, played into a vacant market > niche. The Japanese companies had focused on low-end, how cheap can > we make it radios or over-priced bloated barges for the money is no > object crowd. > > There is still nothing out there that is competitive with the K3 on a > price/performance basis. > > The amp market on the other hand doesn't seem to have any vacant niches, > MFJ has the low end and mid-range covered and there are a herd of > companies duking it out over the high end market. > > There also doesn't seem to be much technical performance differentiation > between the low, mid, and high end amps on the market today. The > dollars/watt number for any particular brand seems to be mostly driven > by how fancy a box the amp is packaged in. > > So, I'm thinking that if Elecraft is determined to get into the amp > market the KPA500 will hit most of the product differentiators > available. It matches the K3 appearance and size, maintains the high > portability factor, and can claim some technical innovation for the > built-in PS. > > Considering that the principal product differentiators are only germane > to K3 owners maybe the intended market is primarily "existing K3 > owners", rather than the general amp market. No doubt that will be > where the Lion's share of the sales go in any case. > > Maybe the next Elecraft amp will be something more powerful with an > external PS but still in the K3 box, that would be interesting. > > 73 Jack KZ5A > > > > > On 9/10/2010 8:57 AM, Lew Phelps K6LMP wrote: >> I think some of the folks who are calling for gigawatt amplifiers (ok, full >> legal limit...) are losing focus on one key fact: Elecraft has prospered by >> making products that SOME hams want that NOBODY else makes. The K3 is a >> perfect example: an exquisite transceiver, quite arguably the best available >> at any price if you're not a fan of big boxes with big buttons. It's >> portable, can be expanded incrementally with modules to meet any operator's >> specific needs, and it's 'way up in the upper right hand corner of the value >> scatter graph (price on one axis, performance on the other). >> >> So, what could Elecraft bring to the 2KW amplifier market that would (a) >> differentiate it from the others and (b)stay within the general confines of >> the K3 "style", which means compact, efficient, modular expandability, and >> (probably) fit within the K3 form factor. >> >> You cannot build a 2KW amplifier that meets those criteria. Modular? Yes; >> you could make the power supply and an auto-tuner modular add-ons. >> Efficient? Yes. Compact? No. K3 form factor? Not a chance. For example, >> the Alpha 2KW amplifier measures 17.5w x 78.5h x 19.75d. It weighs well >> over 50 lbs. It costs $5000. There is no way to build a large-output amp >> that will fit within the K3 form factor. the physical size of components >> needed to handle that power makes it impossible. >> >> So, some on this list essentially are asking Elecraft to step outside its >> well-defined and highly successful approach to the market and build a "me >> too" legal limit amplifier that Elecraft could not meaningfully distinguish >> from the competition, except for the nameplate. Amplifiers are not that >> complex, compared to the K3. That lack of complexity is exactly why this is >> not a market in which Elecraft could compete successfully. There's no way to >> meaningfully differentiate its 2KW amp from others, except for the >> nameplate. Yes, they would "include" their superb customer support as a >> product feature. But I don't think they could bring enough differentiation >> from the Alpha, Tokyo Hygain, and other high end amplifiers already on the >> market to break into that market at a volume that would support design and >> production costs. >> >> The folks in Aptos DO understand the market. They are listening, and >> watching this dialogue. We can keep that process productive by not asking >> Elecraft to come out with a product that breaks the laws of physics. It's a >> small company, with limited design resources. Let's all encourage them to >> focus on new products that realistically fit within the Elecraft market >> niche. >> >> my 3 cents worth (inflation, you know...) >> >> Lew K6LMP >> >> >> >> >> >> >> On Sep 9, 2010, at 10:33 PM, Wes Stewart wrote: >> >>> Right, 500W is hardly worthwhile. Make it at least 2KW PEP. Got to make up >>> for the tuner and coax losses and to live on RTTY. >>> >>> --- On Thu, 9/9/10, Greg<n...@cableone.net> wrote: >>> >>>> Free market feedback...bring back the >>>> 1500 watt amp! 73 de Greg-N4CC >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> ______________________________________________________________ >>> Elecraft mailing list >>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft >>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm >>> Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net >>> >>> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net >>> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html >> ______________________________________________________________ >> Elecraft mailing list >> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft >> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm >> Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net >> >> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net >> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html >> > > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html