[Elecraft] KPA500 brick-on-key (CCS) ratings?

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

A PEP rating higher than CW is always going to be heat related.  One
should always inquire about the brick-on-key rating, e.g. the CCS or
Continuous Commercial Service rating.  For an Alpha 9500 and 8410 it
is 1500 watts.  For my 76CA it is 750 watts at the low voltage (CW)
setting.  For obvious reasons, some manufacturers do not want to
release that number.  They are expecting us to be so dumb as to not
read past the first number we see.

This is a continuing game played with tuners, which for a long time
have given ratings for stand-alone tuners based upon average voice AND
typical short conversational duty cycles, ICAS conversational voice
only, and would fry the tuner brick-on-key at that power level.

What IS the CCS rating for the KPA500, with NO duty cycle caveat?
400, 350?  Operation at those levels, not WFO, is what puts amplifiers
in people's wills.  I understand that Elecraft says that the KPA500
will handle 500 watts out RTTY at contest duty cycles forever, and I
trust them.  But the CCS rating, for me any way, is the feel-good
number.  The point at which small dB over that level normally just
ain't worth it.

It would be oh, so refreshing to have CCS ratings on ALL the amps out
there.  Something like 500 watts contest cycle RTTY *and* 350 CCS is
feel good and refreshing raw truth on the counter.

73, Guy

On Thu, May 26, 2011 at 12:25 PM,  <n5ge at n5ge.com> wrote:
>
> In addition, according to the user's manual, the key down time in CW at max
> power is ten minutes.  I wouldn't want to do that to any of my VHF or UHF
> bricks, so it seems to me it's a pretty rugged amp.
>
> 73,
> Tom
> Amateur Radio Operator N5GE
>
>
> On Thu, 26 May 2011 08:09:25 -0700, Robert Friess <rfriess at usa.net> wrote:
>
>>The KPA500 is rated for 500W PEP or CW.
>>
>>Bob, N6CM
>>
> [snip]
>
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