[Elecraft] kpa1500?

[Jim Brown]

On Fri,12/12/2014 10:00 PM, Guy Olinger K2AV wrote:
> Two
> stations with only one S-unit difference headed to the antennas will always
> come down to antenna systems and operators.

Several comments. First, while the "official" definition of an S-unit is 
6dB, one S-unit on most receivers is more like 3-4 dB. While I haven't 
done a linearity test on the K3 S-meter, I suspect it's a bit better.
Second, our contest club's leading statistician, N6ZFO, did an analysis 
of our ARRL Sweepstakes scores and came to the conclusion that 3 dB was 
worth about 8% in the score of THAT contest. Those dB can come from a 
lot of places -- power amps, feedlines, antennas, and even QTH. I've run 
Field Day QRP from a 5,000 ft peak, where I can hold a run frequency 
with 5 W -- nothing like a 5,000 ft tower!


Third, a dB or two is a very big deal when conditions are marginal (for 
example, the other guy has RX noise). From my own personal experience, 
I've many MANY marginal QSOs by increasing my output power by 2 dB (by 
retuning the rig after a wide QSY).

Bottom line -- I'll take my dB any way I can get them, and I'll take all 
I can get. My "weekday" amp is a KPA500, but my weekend (contesting) 
amps are '80s vintage legal limit Ten Tec Titans, The latest improvement 
in my shack was adding an LP100A wattmeter that reads true peak power. 
Because it's more accurate than the other wattmeters (SWR indicators, 
built into rigs) that has allowed me to operate 1-2 dB closer to the 
legal limit.

73, Jim K9YC