[Elecraft] KPA500 vs THP HL-550FX

[Fred Smith]

Hi Fred

I agree lots of good amps and I have owned several 6 different ones they
have ran from worked to excellent. My last 3 IMHO have been standouts the
first a Yaesu VL-1000 used it with 3 Yaesu radios from FT-2000 (2) of them
to a FTDX-5000MP and my K3 that amp was 4 yrs old when I sold it not a
single problem.

Sold the 5000 and VL-1000 bought second K3 and a Alpha auto tune amp but
only HF. A month later bought the KPA500 for the second K3 in the SO2R setup
so I had a 6m amp again. When I bought the KAT500 if turned the K3 into a
500w radio like my Yaesu's and VL-1000 a kw radio. An amp designed for a
radio can't be beat by a generic amp simple but the KPA500 does a good job
with my other radios very well on my Icom and other radios.

The Alpha will work with anything you hang on it, I do understand the weight
factor. 

73,
Fred/N0AZZ

-----Original Message-----
From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Fred Carvalho
Sent: Sunday, February 17, 2013 5:20 AM
To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [Elecraft] KPA500 vs THP HL-550FX

Hi Roy and all

I own a HL-550FX. At the time I bought it for DXpeditions the KPA-500 had
not been released yet.
Just to make the comparison fair, it does not take 5 minutes do reset
 after an alarm. You will need to turn it on/off  and it will go to normal
state again.
Regarding the input power level, I guess it was pretty much a decision than
a problem. THP inserted a 6dB attenuator in the input to lower the
amplifier's gain. So, even if you run close to 100W, you will be ok. BTW,
the amplifier was not meant to be driven with any specific exciter, so the
choice was probably to make it  match FCC's requirements regarding PA's
gain as well as to allow it to accept anything in the input without
reducing too much  the exciter's power. By bypassing the attenuator,  one
would need much less power to run it and would get more output power too.

There is at least one advantage for those that will cross the world with it
in airplane cabins. The THP weights 22.5Lbs against 26Lbs of the KPA500. It
seems not too much, but after 28 hours  carrying it in flights and
airports, it will make a difference. Some international airlines weights
the hand lugage. So  lighter the better.

I guess both products are in the good quality teams, but t you'll get more
features and power for a $ spent with the KPA500.

Regards

-- 
Fred - PY2XB

*Other Calls*: PY2FXH, PY2FXH/W2, PY2XB/0, F/PY2XB, ZX2XB, PT7BXB,
PY2XB/PY0F, PQ0F, VP5/PY2XB, PW2IO (SA-071), ZX8W (SA-060), PY2XB/1
(SA-029), 8P9XB, PQ8XB (SA-045), ZX2S (SA-028); W4/PY2XB, 3D2XB

*Team member*: PW2M (SA-071), PX8J (SA-041), T30PY/T30SIX, PT0S
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