[Elecraft] KPA500 (another view)

[Fred Jensen]

I'm fairly positive that everyone has their own story.  For perhaps 9-12 
months prior to purchasing the KPA500, I ran my 1,200W amp at 500W to 
see if this was going to be a good deal.  I decided it was, got the KPA 
and sold the amp.  I'm not sorry.

I'm probably somewhat more casual in contests and chasing DX than Brian 
is, but I seem to do OK.  I've put a little $$ into antennas, which I'm 
pretty sure has made a much bigger difference than the 700W difference 
in power, a friend got my TB working again for me which has made a BIG 
difference, and I managed over 700 QSO's in the RTTY RU, some of which 
were in fairly good sized piles.  YMMV, that's mine.

Now ... the P3 has been entirely different.  I bought it as a toy, my 
wife had been spending some on her hobby, we have an "Equal Hobby 
Allowance" policy, so why not?  "Seeing the band" has made a huge 
difference for me.  I'd have never made 700 QSO's on RTTY were it not 
for the P3.  Working DX has become almost automated ... see the pile, 
put VFO B in the middle, wait 'til DX answers someone, one signal shows 
up, put VFO B on him, wait for TU, call.  OK, sometimes it's 2 or 3 
signals, but it works almost every time.

I was able to get rid of a big amplifier that I needed one of my 
20-something grandsons to move for me, the footprint of my station on 
the desk is markedly reduced and easier to use, and I love 500W no-tune 
full QSK.  I'll probably spring for the KAT500, my antennas do change, 
it's the last thing I really have to experiment with.  Besides, Andrea 
keeps buying needlepoint stuff :-)

73,

Fred K6DGW
- Northern California Contest Club
- CU in the 2012 Cal QSO Party 6-7 Oct 2012
- www.cqp.org

On 1/17/2012 3:12 PM, Brian Alsop wrote:

> 1) You won't work everything you used to
> 2) It takes longer to work them
> 3) SSB pileup cracking is more difficult
> 4) RTTY pileups are more difficult still.