As you know I was one of the concerned individuals about fan noise.
I went ahead and took delivery of the amp Friday and hooked it up this
morning.
I have all of the equipment installed in a rack just to the right of my
operating desk (updated pictures on qrz.com) within easy reach.
I went
My alpha 87a was purchased as a refurbished unit in 2012. It has an external
fan on the rear of the chassis, and the floating blower inside the chassis. I
had not until today realized that the fan on the back is the external fan
recommended for RTTY use - it came that way and I don’t recall
Bob please give us the model number of your acoustic level meter, Thanks.
Mel, K6KBE
From: "Stefan von Baltz, DL1IAO"
To: "elecraft@mailman.qth.net"
Sent: Monday, June 4, 2018 1:44 AM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KPA-1500 Fan Noise - measured (sort of)
FWIW - My test using the Alpha 89, was with only the built-in fan on,
not the add-on one in back (which I've never really had to use).
73,
Chris, W2PA
On 6/4/2018 4:43 AM, Stefan von Baltz, DL1IAO wrote:
Hello Bob,
Thanks for the measurements! Was this with the Alpha’s auxiliary fan on or
Hello Bob,
Thanks for the measurements! Was this with the Alpha’s auxiliary fan on or off?
You will find this fan and its belonging switch on the amplifiers back on the
right side where the power supply transformer sits.
73,
Stefan DL1IAO, SA3CWW/SM9A
--
Stefan v. Baltz
From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net On
Behalf Of Eric Swartz - WA6HHQ, Elecraft
Sent: Saturday, June 2, 2018 11:14 PM
To: Les Peters
Cc: elecraft@mailman.qth.net; elecraft-requ...@mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KPA-1500 Fan Noise
One quick note: We have shifted up the fan
My measurements were taken with a microphone about 2 feet from the front panels
of the components. I wondered if W2PA’s alpha 89 was as quiet as he reported,
so I thought I’d report on what I found -
Ham shack in a finished (insulated drywall) room in a metal shed with equipment
and
At 09:14 PM 6/2/2018, Eric Swartz - WA6HHQ, Elecraft wrote:
There are no limitations to turning it on and off frequently. (Of
course we recommend letting it cool first before turning it off
temporarily when running higher duty TX cycles.)
I would have thought the software would have kept
One quick note: We have shifted up the fan turn on temperatures by about 7
degrees for Fan speed 2 and above in our next KPA1500 s/w release and on newly
shipping amps. The release should be available in the next week or two.
As noted by others, setting the minimum RF deck fan speed to 1 (or
Those numbers are pretty impressive for quiet.
Certainly quieter than a quiet dishwasher unless you really pushing it.
Mike va3mw
On Sat, Jun 2, 2018 at 11:09 PM, Bob McGraw K4TAX
wrote:
> Using a Sound Level Meter with A weighted scale, measure the noise at 1
> meter in at least 4 different
Using a Sound Level Meter with A weighted scale, measure the noise at 1
meter in at least 4 different directions. Preferably done in a "free
field" such that any acoustic reflections are at least 6 meters
distant. I know it is difficult to make measurement outside on a
piece of equipment
2018 4:14 PM
Subject: [Elecraft] KPA-1500 Fan Noise - measured (sort of)
In an attempt to quantify this, I installed OSHA's free NIOSH app, which
measures noise, onto my iPhone 7 and tried it out. It's not a
measurement instrument, mind you, so the absolute numbers are highly
qu
In an attempt to quantify this, I installed OSHA's free NIOSH app, which
measures noise, onto my iPhone 7 and tried it out. It's not a
measurement instrument, mind you, so the absolute numbers are highly
questionable. But the relative numbers are interesting. I held the
phone at eye level
Subject: [Elecraft] KPA-1500 Fan Noise
Message-ID: <002901d3fa1e$d39e0db0$7ada2910$@yahoo.com
mailto:002901d3fa1e$d39e0db0$7ada2910$@yahoo.com >
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
Just thought I would add a few thoughts as far as the fan noise.
I'm
Not from Elecraft but...
Yes the caution is warranted for "VGA" cables. They are not always pin for pin
and can do two things wrong. One is that not all pins are wired and the other is
worse as they sometimes tie the shields together shorting out needed pins. There
are multiple versions of
Yes John, and it turns out to be a fairly simple equation if you make a
few assumptions. Around 1958 or so and a student [sophomore], I spent
the summer with a small crew building KPFK on Mt. Wilson in Los
Angeles. The TX was almost totally homebrew [REL serrasoid exciter],
with 4 4-1000A's
@mailman.qth.net; elecraft-requ...@mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KPA-1500 Fan Noise
Jim I agree with your personal observations. I run some high duty cycle
modes so I notice the fans kicking into speed 3 a lot when the PA temp gets
to 68-70 degrees. That setting does a good job of reducing
: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net
[mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of James F. Boehner MD
via Elecraft
Sent: Saturday, June 02, 2018 1:43 PM
To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Subject: [Elecraft] KPA-1500 Fan Noise
I would ask someone from Elecraft to respond to the VGA extension cable
Subject: [Elecraft] KPA-1500 Fan Noise
Message-ID: <002901d3fa1e$d39e0db0$7ada2910$@yahoo.com
mailto:002901d3fa1e$d39e0db0$7ada2910$@yahoo.com >
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
Just thought I would add a few thoughts as far as the fan noise.
I'm no
, June 02, 2018 12:08 PM
To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net; elecraft-requ...@mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KPA-1500 Fan Noise
Jim I agree with your personal observations. I run some high duty cycle
modes so I notice the fans kicking into speed 3 a lot when the PA temp gets
to 68-70 degrees
[mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Gmail - George
Sent: Saturday, June 02, 2018 8:10 AM
To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KPA-1500 Fan Noise - YouTube ?
One other thought to keep in mind - solid state amps need a lower delta T
than tube amps. Tubes like to run
in Barstow, CA so know the desert.
Tuscon is a nice town; visited in 1997.
73, Ed - KL7UW
From: Wes Stewart
To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KPA-1500 Fan Noise - YouTube ?
What's a basement?? On towertalk they talk about letting the lawn grow over
ground radials.? I wonder
, N1SV
#113
> Date: Fri, 1 Jun 2018 23:07:20 -0400
> From: "James F. Boehner MD"
> To: "'Elecraft Reflector'"
> Subject: [Elecraft] KPA-1500 Fan Noise
> Message-ID: <002901d3fa1e$d39e0db0$7ada2910$@yahoo.com
> mailto:002901d3fa1e$d39e0db0$7ada2
levels II and III
http://cwops.org/
On Sat, 6/2/18, Jim via Elecraft wrote:
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KPA-1500 Fan Noise
To: "John Perlick"
Cc: "elecraft@mailman.qth.net"
Date: Saturday, June 2, 2018, 6:20 AM
I don’t have a do
to the components.
Unfortunately, the same Omni VI was hit by lightning some years later.
73, Will, wj9b
CWops #1085
CWA Advisor levels II and III
http://cwops.org/
On Sat, 6/2/18, Gmail - George wrote:
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KPA-1500 Fan Noise
I don’t have a dog in this fight - someone who spends half the year (the half
with all the good contests) in a Florida condo is not a candidate for buying
amps. But might water cooling be a possibility? As in a heat sink that sits in
water, with appropriate thermal shutoff if the water/amp get
One other thought to keep in mind - solid state amps need a lower delta T
than tube amps. Tubes like to run hot - solid state devices not so much.
I've seen a tube with the fins so hot that the solder was in globs, while
the transmitter was still operating. I doubt any solid state final would
: Friday, June 01, 2018 9:28 PM
To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KPA-1500 Fan Noise - YouTube ?
What's a basement? On towertalk they talk about letting the lawn grow over
ground radials. I wonder what a lawn is. They also say to install ground rods
where the rain will hit them
Bill Schmidt is right--you have to get rid of a bunch of heat--no matter what
device you are using to amplify (tubes, transistors, or magic). The amplifying
device must dissipate considerable heat because we are running Class AB and
because of all electronic devices are naturally lossy.
...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Dr. William J. Schmidt
Sent: Friday, June 01, 2018 8:59 PM
To: 'Elecraft Reflector'
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KPA-1500 Fan Noise - YouTube ?
So just a bit of thermodynamics... if the input to any amplifier is 1500 watts
and it is 50% efficient, since energy is conserved, 750 watts
7:33 PM
To: Elecraft Reflector
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KPA-1500 Fan Noise - YouTube ?
Rich
You pretty much hit the nail on the head about solid state amps. As they say
there's no free lunch. Solid state has made great strides in high power
ampsbut its still solid state and a p/n junction
: Friday, June 01, 2018 5:55 PM
To: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Subject: [Elecraft] KPA-1500 Fan Noise - YouTube ?
This fan noise issue has me concerned to the point that I’m considering
cancelling my order.
While the amp won’t be on my operating desk, it will be on a rack next to my
operating desk
Hmmm
I realized that there maybe fan noise and built a shelf away from the
station before it got here.
I have Command 2500 here and am totally aware when it it is on. And to be
soon out of the shack. Solid state does mean that heat has to go somewhere,
so IMHO, plan for the KPA1500 to be out
What's a basement? On towertalk they talk about letting the lawn grow over
ground radials. I wonder what a lawn is. They also say to install ground rods
where the rain will hit them. I wonder what rain is.
Wes N7WS
On 6/1/2018 6:05 PM, hawley, charles j jr wrote:
Some years ago we
-
From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net
[mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Bill Stravinsky via
Elecraft
Sent: Friday, June 1, 2018 7:33 PM
To: Elecraft Reflector
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KPA-1500 Fan Noise - YouTube ?
Rich
You pretty much hit the nail on the head about solid
Some years ago we cooled a PDP11 by putting the fan remote and running a dryer
hose to the computer. How about putting the fan in the basement and the rig on
the desk where it’s handy?
Chuck Jack
KE9UW
Sent from my iPhone, cjack
> On Jun 1, 2018, at 7:57 PM, Michael Walker wrote:
>
> Bill
at Groups.IO.
email: b...@wjschmidt.com
-Original Message-
From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net
[mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Bill Stravinsky via
Elecraft
Sent: Friday, June 1, 2018 7:33 PM
To: Elecraft Reflector
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KPA-1500 Fan Noise
Bill is correct
You have to move air to cool down those devices and it takes fans to do
it. Water cooling might work if you wish to modify it. :)
But, there is no free lunch as was mentioned. Be prepared that any 1500
watt LMDOS amp requires cooling but since there is no tube, they are built
Rich
You pretty much hit the nail on the head about solid state amps. As they say
there's no free lunch. Solid state has made great strides in high power
ampsbut its still solid state and a p/n junction or some form thereof. 1500
watts of heat in those junctions has to be cooled down or it
This fan noise issue has me concerned to the point that I’m considering
cancelling my order.
While the amp won’t be on my operating desk, it will be on a rack next to my
operating desk. Remoting the amp is not an option. Quite frankly I have no
interest in remoting the amp.
Is there anyone
Regarding my previous post requesting that Elecraft look into ways to reduce
the fan noise on the KPA-1500, I should have stated that I do own good
headphones and use them every time I operate. I'm using Bose Noise Canceling
model QC-15. If you know of a headphone that is comfortable for long
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