I did it. It works fine.
Dr. William J. Schmidt - K9HZ-J68HZ-8P6HK-ZF2HZ-PJ4/K9HZ-VP5/K9HZ-PJ2/K9HZ Owner - Operator Big Signal Ranch Staunton, Illinois email: b...@wjschmidt.com -----Original Message----- From: Elecraft [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Guy Olinger K2AV Sent: Saturday, December 13, 2014 12:01 AM To: Bob Cc: Elecraft Reflector Subject: Re: [Elecraft] kpa1500? On Fri, Dec 12, 2014 at 9:57 PM, Bob <rtk...@gmail.com> wrote: > > I have in the past suggested a 1500 watt amplifier constructed in 500 watt > modules. > A while back someone talked about a way to put three KPA 500's (or two) in parallel and still force equal power out of the individual amps. Buy three KPA 500's, buy the combiner circuit made for them, and crank away. Where did that idea disappear to? But that still is 6K bux plus the combiner stuff. Kind of get the idea that the problem of the missing 1500 watt amp has something to do with price point for an amp that is brick-on-key reliable and seamlessly integrates as does the KPA500. And then there would have to be a KAT1500 to go with it. That last is a designer's nightmare that is torturing more than one company trying to get a reliable ham price point unit out there that can stand the kinds of things hams do to them. It's like the whole problem shifts into some higher gear around 1000 watts RTTY, and the price change for higher capacity is anything but a linear relation to the power output. The Ameritron ALS-1300 (PEP for SSB voice duty cycle only) is the power out equivalent of a KPA800, if you look at actual CW and RTTY output. 1500 watts brick-on-key you have to go to the big Alpha's, like my 8410, and other close equivalents where you have to read the fine print very carefully. KPA500 was below the 1000 watt price explosion point, used some reasonably priced very reliable finals in a simple configuration, could be put in a K3 case, including its power supply, and a matching antenna tuner was well below the point where reliability required vacuum variables (600 bux plus each for units NEWLY manufactured to spec) and mechanical driver circuitry to adjust them. Friend of mine sold his Acom 2000, went to a K-line plus a pair of KAT500's. He doesn't miss the extra 1000 watts. I'm keeping my 8410, but I know where he's coming from. He's 7 dB over barefoot, I'm 12 dB. Two stations with only one S-unit difference headed to the antennas will always come down to antenna systems and operators. Operators making the difference? Remember that there is a potential 27 dB gain between the ears. Or stated differently, a LID operating a QRO station with big antennas could be beaten in a pile-up by a maxi-operator running 5 or 10 watts with big antennas. 73, Guy. ______________________________________________________________ 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 Message delivered to b...@wjschmidt.com ______________________________________________________________ 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
