[Elecraft] KPA-500 in Contest Conditions

[iw1ayd - Salvatore Irato]

Hi all.
The KPA is a good performer. Even when it get at 70C temperature, it 
doesn't crank down the power.
It's noisy that's right compared to no noise there is some when it is 
hot. But with my previous experience with a 1K-FA by SPE it is much 
silent than that. Power is comparable in between the two is comparable, 
as the SPE have the specification for RTTY at the same 500W as the 
KPA500. But the SPE loose power over time, the KPA500 instead doesn't 
lose any power.
It maybe that the noise of the KPA500 is much better as Elecraft use a 
big fan, that when scream have a lower pitched tone the the SPE. The SPE 
use 8 smallest fan, it have inside much more modules, 3 instead of one, 
of the KPA500.
That's why I switched over the two to the Elecraft one amp and I am not 
regretting it.

Activity here is substantially only in RTYY: DXing doesn't produce any 
remarkable noise; Contesting RTTY make it sounding for sure. But way 
better than my older one SPE. You could survive without headphone with 
the KPA500.
I have engaged several times the overtemp protection in the SPE in over 
4 years of use. I tried to engage the same protection on the KPA500, 
RTTY Contest CQing cycle, but after fifteen minutes at 70C I stopped the 
test. That's not a scientific and repeatable test, maybe, but it's quite 
enough for me.

I don't have a great station here at home but sometime RTTY RUN times 
are really interesting as it was on the latest DLDX and before on one of 
the 75 baud contest.

Take care also that the late season was 28C to 35C, it's pretty hot here 
down with relevant humidity. I am speaking of almost one month since the 
switch of the PAs.

For serious RTTY Contesting at legal power limit I would use a vacuum 
tube PA.

Not to mention one sure thing, the way as the KPA500 is engineered leave 
all the space for a great serviceability. It's not the same for several 
other SS PAs.

                     73 de iw1ayd Salvo