I don't think you can over drive it as there is a overdrive fault and output leds change color to let you know how much power you are putting out. Mine is packed for J6 so I don't recall if it is green, yellow, red. I set the radio output so the amp puts out 500w. An extra 100 watts probably is not going to make much of a difference on hf so I don't feel the need to push the amp.
If your duty cycle is 50/50 I would assume the amp will be just fine. The suggestion to ask support is a good one. If any amp on the market can handle the load this is the one. It is a tank. Mike W0MU J6M CQ WW DX CW Contest 2011 J6/W0MU November 21 - December 1 2011 W0MU-1 CC Cluster w0mu.net On 11/14/2011 7:45 PM, Sebastian, W4AS wrote: > Thanks for the comments on my questions on the KPA500 amp. > > To expand on some of the comments: I have no reason to believe the amp's > meter isn't accurate. Since I haven't seen one yet, it appears to me the > meter is of the LED type, which for me is a bit difficult to read. I find it > easier to read an external analog meter. > > With the exception of one person (who was very specific), everyone either > said the output is 500 watts, or above. I asked this question because in the > past I have found the rated output power of a transistorized amplifier is > often higher than what is actually obtained. > > I imagine overdriving it to obtain more than the rated output would stress > the transistors and/or power supply and/or affect the signal quality (or all > of those). Naturally, a difference between 500 and 600 watts can't be > discerned anyway. > > As far as WSJT, no that's not a lower power mode. A weak signal mode, > doesn't mean a low power mode. The subset mode JT65A is becoming very > popular on HF. That mode wasn't designed for HF, it was designed for 6 meter > EME, where you use all the power you have. > > My primary interest with WSJT and the KPA500 is for meteor scatter on 6 > meters, using FSK441 where you use the most power that you have. Often, it > takes 30 - 45 minutes to complete a contact, so my concern was if this amp > could handle the stress for such a long period of time. > > 73 de Sebastian, W4AS > > > > ______________________________________________________________ > 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
