Re: [Elecraft] New from Elecraft: KPA1500 amplifier with built-in ATU, separate power supply

[iw2noy]

wayne burdick wrote
> We’re pleased to announce our KPA1500 solid-state amplifier, covering 160
> to 6 meters. Max power output is 1500 Watts. Other important features
> include:
> 
>   - Small RF deck fits on nearly any desktop (~4.5 x 13 x 11.5”, HWD);
> weighs only ~22 pounds
>   - [...]
*/
>  

>  - Silent PIN-diode T/R switching (no QSK relays)
/
> 
*

Can't believe it... YOU DID IT !!! O_O
Great result !

I love Elecraft ;-)

73's de iw2noy / w2noy



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Re: [Elecraft] New from Elecraft: KPA1500 amplifier with built-in ATU, separate power supply

[Clay Autery]

Wayne, Eric, and everyone else who had/has a hand in making this happen:

Well done!  Simply superb effort to overcome multiple and significant
obstacles on many fronts.

Please, do place me on the list of folks keenly interested in knowing
when one might place an order/pre-order.  :-)

Out-friggin'-standing!!

73,

__
Clay Autery, KY5G

On 4/20/2017 11:01 PM, Wayne Burdick wrote:
> We’re pleased to announce our KPA1500 solid-state amplifier, covering 160 to 
> 6 meters. Max power output is 1500 Watts. Other important features include:
>
>   - Small RF deck fits on nearly any desktop (~4.5 x 13 x 11.5”, HWD); weighs 
> only ~22 pounds
>   - Separate lightweight switching power supply weighs ~15 pounds (standard 
> cable is 6 feet long)
>   - Styling matches our other K-Line products
>   - Built-in wide-range antenna tuner (ATU) with instant recall of 
> per-band/per-segment settings
>   - Dual antenna jacks
>   - Rich I/O complement including Ethernet
>   - Interfaces to nearly any transceiver; fully integrated with K3 and K3S
>   - Extensive parametric monitoring ensures safe operation
>   - Silent PIN-diode T/R switching (no QSK relays)
>
> Introductory price: $5995.
>
> For photos and additional information, use the links below:
>
>http://www.elecraft.com/KPA1500/KPA1500%20FAQ%20rev%20A1b.pdf
>
>
> If you’d like to be notified when we begin taking orders, please contact 
> Elecraft. Or add your name to the list at the Visalia DX convention this 
> weekend. 
>
> Required notification: "This device has not yet been authorized as required 
> by FCC rules. It is not, and may not be
> offered for sale, or lease, or sold or leased, until authorization is 
> obtained."
>
> 73,
> Wayne, N6KR
> Eric, WA6HHQ

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Re: [Elecraft] New from Elecraft: KPA1500 amplifier with built-in ATU, separate power supply

[Wayne Burdick]

Hi Clay,

You're on the list. Thanks!

Wayne
N6KR



http://www.elecraft.com

> On Apr 21, 2017, at 10:44 AM, Clay Autery  wrote:
> 
> Wayne, Eric, and everyone else who had/has a hand in making this happen:
> 
> Well done!  Simply superb effort to overcome multiple and significant
> obstacles on many fronts.
> 
> Please, do place me on the list of folks keenly interested in knowing
> when one might place an order/pre-order.  :-)
> 
> Out-friggin'-standing!!
> 
> 73,
> 
> __
> Clay Autery, KY5G
> 
>> On 4/20/2017 11:01 PM, Wayne Burdick wrote:
>> We’re pleased to announce our KPA1500 solid-state amplifier, covering 160 to 
>> 6 meters. Max power output is 1500 Watts. Other important features include:
>> 
>>  - Small RF deck fits on nearly any desktop (~4.5 x 13 x 11.5”, HWD); weighs 
>> only ~22 pounds
>>  - Separate lightweight switching power supply weighs ~15 pounds (standard 
>> cable is 6 feet long)
>>  - Styling matches our other K-Line products
>>  - Built-in wide-range antenna tuner (ATU) with instant recall of 
>> per-band/per-segment settings
>>  - Dual antenna jacks
>>  - Rich I/O complement including Ethernet
>>  - Interfaces to nearly any transceiver; fully integrated with K3 and K3S
>>  - Extensive parametric monitoring ensures safe operation
>>  - Silent PIN-diode T/R switching (no QSK relays)
>> 
>> Introductory price: $5995.
>> 
>> For photos and additional information, use the links below:
>> 
>>   http://www.elecraft.com/KPA1500/KPA1500%20FAQ%20rev%20A1b.pdf
>> 
>> 
>> If you’d like to be notified when we begin taking orders, please contact 
>> Elecraft. Or add your name to the list at the Visalia DX convention this 
>> weekend. 
>> 
>> Required notification: "This device has not yet been authorized as required 
>> by FCC rules. It is not, and may not be
>> offered for sale, or lease, or sold or leased, until authorization is 
>> obtained."
>> 
>> 73,
>> Wayne, N6KR
>> Eric, WA6HHQ
> 
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Re: [Elecraft] New from Elecraft: KPA1500 amplifier with built-in ATU, separate power supply

[Jessie Oberreuter]

 I have to keep physically restraining myself from placing an order 
just for the pleasure of owning one!  It's *just* *so* *Elecraft*! :).


- kb7psg

On Fri, 21 Apr 2017, Clay Autery wrote:


Wayne, Eric, and everyone else who had/has a hand in making this happen:

Well done!  Simply superb effort to overcome multiple and significant
obstacles on many fronts.

Please, do place me on the list of folks keenly interested in knowing
when one might place an order/pre-order.  :-)

Out-friggin'-standing!!

73,

__
Clay Autery, KY5G

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Re: [Elecraft] New from Elecraft: KPA1500 amplifier with built-in ATU, separate power supply

[Wes Stewart]

Without modeling it, I would guess that it will actually narrow the matched BW 
and it makes it a single band antenna at the same time.


My Drake L4-B would drive anything.  When I decided I needed a new challenge 
(9BDXCC) I wanted to get on 160.  Of course the Drake didn't cover 160 and my 
then K3, now K3S doesn't have a tuner.  So I added some wire to the ends of the 
80-meter inverted V.  This meant that I didn't have an 80-meter antenna but the 
Drake would drive it anyway.  Currently, with a KPA500 and KAT500 I have modest 
power on 160 but the KAT500 chokes on 80 at above 200-300 Watts.


Hence the new vertical for next season.

On 4/21/2017 11:10 AM, j...@kk9a.com wrote:

It is very easy to put a hairpin coil on your top band vertical and bring
the resonant SWR to 1:1. This should give you much more usable SWR
bandwidth for the KPA1500. Many commercial tube amplifiers will only
tolerate 2:1 SWR.

John KK9A


>From Wes Stewart n7ws
Fri Apr 21 13:11:12 EDT 2017

I'm not necessarily defining a personal situation.  But almost any 80 or 160
antenna will suffice as an example.

I am currently constructing a vertical for those bands.  The model shows
2:1 on
160 at resonance and >3:1 just 60 KHz away and this is with considerable
ground
loss.  Less loss would equal lower BW.  With quarter wave resonance on 80
at 3.6
MHz it exceeds 3:1 at 3.8 MHz and is nearly 7:1 at 4.0.

Transmission line loss is a non-issue with 7/8" Heliax.

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Re: [Elecraft] New from Elecraft: KPA1500 amplifier with built-in ATU, separate power supply

[ab2tc]

Hi Wayne/Eric and all,

Congratulations; it looks you have done what everybody wanted. Do you have
any data on IMD at the 1500W level? I have been pleading with you in the
past to take the lead in improving the miserable record of solid state PA
stages. Is it happening?

AB2TC - Knut



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Re: [Elecraft] New from Elecraft: KPA1500 amplifier with built-in ATU, separate power supply

[GRANT YOUNGMAN]

There seems to be some disappointment that a relatively compact wide-range 
auto-tuner at legal limit CCS (or even ICAS) is not included.  I don’t consider 
this a negative.

1.  A legal limit "LOW LOSS" CCS tuner using the build methods of most typical 
ham auto-tuners would be large and heavy with BIG toroids or air-wound 
inductors and probably vacuum caps, and expensive.  The usual supposed 
wide-range high power auto stuff is ICAS at best — with the operative word 
being “Intermittent”, unless you’re trying to boil water or vaporize circuit 
board traces.

2.  There are many ways to bring any antenna/feedline's Z0 to something that a 
reasonably-sized affordable auto-tuner can handle at not too great a feed line 
SWR.  Not the least of which is to feed a commercial old fashioned mechanical 
tuner with heavy-rated components that can handle the reflected power from 
whatever bobbie-pin you’re trying to match without just melting all the plastic 
in the tuner if you key down for a bit too long.

The Drake L4B (and most well built tube amps) have wide range Pi-networks with 
heavy components (large air-wound inductors, caps, switch contacts) that can 
handle the stress of high SWR at the amplifier’s output.  But even that won’t 
successfully match anything you throw at it (well, except for the Johnson 
Ranger, but thats not the subject).  Look at the innards of an MN2000 or Millen 
92200 to get a feel for it.

In most cases you can use a (good, not fine junk) mechanical tuner (knobs you 
have to turn, meters you have to read) to set the SWR in a band to somewhere in 
the vicinity of 1:1 at the midpoint of operating interest, and most well made 
internal tuners can manage the band edges in that case — when the load is 
non-resonant and presents a high SWR.

I suspect a real auto-tuner that can handle just about anything at 1500 watts 
at key down for a long period would take at least another KPA1500 sized box.

(Just another curmudgeonly opine)


Grant NQ5T
K3 #2091, KX3 #8342



> On Apr 21, 2017, at 2:57 PM, Wes Stewart  wrote:
> 
> Without modeling it, I would guess that it will actually narrow the matched 
> BW and it makes it a single band antenna at the same time.
> 
> My Drake L4-B would drive anything.  When I decided I needed a new challenge 
> (9BDXCC) I wanted to get on 160.  Of course the Drake didn't cover 160 and my 
> then K3, now K3S doesn't have a tuner.  So I added some wire to the ends of 
> the 80-meter inverted V.  This meant that I didn't have an 80-meter antenna 
> but the Drake would drive it anyway.  Currently, with a KPA500 and KAT500 I 
> have modest power on 160 but the KAT500 chokes on 80 at above 200-300 Watts.
> 
> Hence the new vertical for next season.
> 
> On 4/21/2017 11:10 AM, j...@kk9a.com  wrote:
>> It is very easy to put a hairpin coil on your top band vertical and bring
>> the resonant SWR to 1:1. This should give you much more usable SWR
>> bandwidth for the KPA1500. Many commercial tube amplifiers will only
>> tolerate 2:1 SWR.
>> 
>> John KK9A
>> 
>> 
>> 





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Re: [Elecraft] New from Elecraft: KPA1500 amplifier with built-in ATU, separate power supply

[Bill Johnson]

I see the internal a plus, limiting, I would expect faults when there is high 
swr.  Smart move! Safety and buyers $'s.

73,
Bill
K9YEQ

-Original Message-
From: Elecraft [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of GRANT 
YOUNGMAN
Sent: Friday, April 21, 2017 3:00 PM
To: Elecraft Reflector 
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] New from Elecraft: KPA1500 amplifier with built-in ATU, 
separate power supply

There seems to be some disappointment that a relatively compact wide-range 
auto-tuner at legal limit CCS (or even ICAS) is not included.  I don’t consider 
this a negative.

1.  A legal limit "LOW LOSS" CCS tuner using the build methods of most typical 
ham auto-tuners would be large and heavy with BIG toroids or air-wound 
inductors and probably vacuum caps, and expensive.  The usual supposed 
wide-range high power auto stuff is ICAS at best — with the operative word 
being “Intermittent”, unless you’re trying to boil water or vaporize circuit 
board traces.

2.  There are many ways to bring any antenna/feedline's Z0 to something that a 
reasonably-sized affordable auto-tuner can handle at not too great a feed line 
SWR.  Not the least of which is to feed a commercial old fashioned mechanical 
tuner with heavy-rated components that can handle the reflected power from 
whatever bobbie-pin you’re trying to match without just melting all the plastic 
in the tuner if you key down for a bit too long.

The Drake L4B (and most well built tube amps) have wide range Pi-networks with 
heavy components (large air-wound inductors, caps, switch contacts) that can 
handle the stress of high SWR at the amplifier’s output.  But even that won’t 
successfully match anything you throw at it (well, except for the Johnson 
Ranger, but thats not the subject).  Look at the innards of an MN2000 or Millen 
92200 to get a feel for it.

In most cases you can use a (good, not fine junk) mechanical tuner (knobs you 
have to turn, meters you have to read) to set the SWR in a band to somewhere in 
the vicinity of 1:1 at the midpoint of operating interest, and most well made 
internal tuners can manage the band edges in that case — when the load is 
non-resonant and presents a high SWR.

I suspect a real auto-tuner that can handle just about anything at 1500 watts 
at key down for a long period would take at least another KPA1500 sized box.

(Just another curmudgeonly opine)


Grant NQ5T
K3 #2091, KX3 #8342



> On Apr 21, 2017, at 2:57 PM, Wes Stewart  wrote:
> 
> Without modeling it, I would guess that it will actually narrow the matched 
> BW and it makes it a single band antenna at the same time.
> 
> My Drake L4-B would drive anything.  When I decided I needed a new challenge 
> (9BDXCC) I wanted to get on 160.  Of course the Drake didn't cover 160 and my 
> then K3, now K3S doesn't have a tuner.  So I added some wire to the ends of 
> the 80-meter inverted V.  This meant that I didn't have an 80-meter antenna 
> but the Drake would drive it anyway.  Currently, with a KPA500 and KAT500 I 
> have modest power on 160 but the KAT500 chokes on 80 at above 200-300 Watts.
> 
> Hence the new vertical for next season.
> 
> On 4/21/2017 11:10 AM, j...@kk9a.com <mailto:j...@kk9a.com> wrote:
>> It is very easy to put a hairpin coil on your top band vertical and 
>> bring the resonant SWR to 1:1. This should give you much more usable 
>> SWR bandwidth for the KPA1500. Many commercial tube amplifiers will 
>> only tolerate 2:1 SWR.
>> 
>> John KK9A
>> 
>> 
>> 





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Re: [Elecraft] New from Elecraft: KPA1500 amplifier with built-in ATU, separate power supply

[Vic Rosenthal]

Just as a bit of anecdotal data, I am feeding a 20m dipole with 1200 watts 
through 600-ohm open line on 40 through 10 meters. The SWR on 40 meters 
approaches 100:1 (the line is short, but I am still eating about 2.2 dB loss).

Anyway, this presents a very difficult problem for most tuners -- and if you 
try it with an unbalanced tuner plus balun, even a 5kW DXE balun gets too hot 
quickly.

My solution was to cancel the reactance by switching in external capacitance or 
inductance as needed on 'difficult' bands (40 and 30 meters) and then letting a 
commercial autotuner take it from there.

Some day I'll put the matching circuits at the antenna and get the 2.2 dB back.

Vic 4X6GP

> On 21 Apr 2017, at 22:59, GRANT YOUNGMAN  wrote:
> 
> 2.  There are many ways to bring any antenna/feedline's Z0 to something that 
> a reasonably-sized affordable auto-tuner can handle at not too great a feed 
> line SWR.  Not the least of which is to feed a commercial old fashioned 
> mechanical tuner with heavy-rated components that can handle the reflected 
> power from whatever bobbie-pin you’re trying to match without just melting 
> all the plastic in the tuner if you key down for a bit too long.
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