[Elecraft] Thoughts on changing from ACOM 1000 to KPA500?

[Jim Brown]

On 8/2/2013 1:46 PM, Bill OMara wrote:
> Or should I stay with the ACOM 1000 because to
> the higher duty cycle of contesting and the benefit of extra 500w output?

No problem with contesting duty cycle, and you can run the KPA500 at 
full power on RTTY. I don't know about the ACOM for RTTY. The KPA is 
good for about 650W on HF, and about 550W on 6M. So the question really 
boils down to whether the saving of operating time (and brain cycles) is 
worth 2dB. Another advantage of the KPA is that it's instant on, so if 
you're idling a tube amp to be ready for DX in an instant, you save the 
bucks it costs to heat the filaments. That may not be a big deal in W4, 
but it is in CA, where our differential cost of power is about $0.35 per 
kWh.

My decision is use Ten Tec Titans (1.5kW)  for high power contesting and 
to break through a wall of EU or east coast to DX, but use the KPA 
during the week. OTOH, the only heat in my shack is a space heater, and 
the Titans help out when it gets chilly.

73, Jim K9YC