[Elecraft] KPA-500 Features and Pricing

[Pat Bunn]

I made the comment after building the Motorola EB104 amp demonstration 
board. The proper toroidal transformer for it cost over $200 and I had to 
wind the secondary.

The MFJ replacement transformer that some builders of this board use cost 
about $75 and isn't in the same league with a properly sized toroidal 
transformer. It may put out 600 watts for 5 seconds  - but not for long. The 
linear power supply is unregulated in the MFJ and in my opinion 50% 
undersized. Fine for low duty cycle SSB - but not what I would expect from 
Elecraft.

The "Southern Boy" comment is a bit of a slight to us technical guys who 
live in the south. Most of the MFJ stuff that I have owned was made in China 
and had pretty awful QC. Comparing Elecraft gear to MFJ isn't a  fair shake.




----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jack Brabham" <kz5a at att.net>
To: <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Thursday, September 09, 2010 2:44 PM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KPA-500 Features and Pricing


>  Phil,
>
> No anger with Elecraft, they are my favorite ham company, and I'm quite
> proud of my K3 even if it did take months of research and hair pulling
> to figure out how to get a decent output from it on SSB.
>
> I am concerned, based on the KPA500 rumors, that Elecraft may be
> deliberately pricing themselves out of the average ham's range.  The
> "Oh, it cost so much to produce a product in the USA!" argument doesn't
> hold water either.   Where do you suppose MFJ's are made?  Or for that
> matter the K3?
>
> I'm thinking that if them old southern boys at MFJ can make a /decent
> /amp for around $2/watt, the folks at Elecraft "ought" to be able to
> make a /great /amp for about the same money.  They definitely smoked
> Yaesu and Icom on value postion with the K3.
>
> FWIW "Stupid Yuppies", in my book,  would be those folks who are willing
> to pay twice what something is actually worth just for a label, or for
> the joy of owning the most expensive.
>
> 73 Jack KZ5A
>
> K3 #4165
>
>
>
>
>
> On 9/9/2010 9:46 AM, Phil Townsend wrote:
>> Ewww, Jack You are soo mean... "Stupid Yuppies"... Come on Jack, why so 
>> angry at a great USA company that ACTUALLY builds some great products?
>>
>> Phil
>> Santa Fe
>>
>>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:Elecraft at mailman.qth.net
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html