[Elecraft] wattage on k3 vs kpa500

[Rick Stealey]

Most likely the K3 is putting out 60 watts, real watts.  The wattmeter is also probably correct reading 80 watts forward, with 20 reflected, equal to a net 60 watts.  And 60 watts is radiated by the antenna.  No power get reabsorbeds by the amp because it is presenting a congugate match.  i.e. any power coming back from the  antenna sees a perfect mismatch at the transmitter and gets re-reflected back to the antenna.  Explained 100 times better than I can by Walt Maxwell in his books "Reflections"  or maybe the current one is "Reflections III" something like that.  Anyway the point is, none of this rf power heats up the finals.