[Elecraft] KPA-500 fan noise

[AG0N-3055]

> Am I missing 
> something here or is this normal?

Sounds normal for mine.  I've recently had mine on 52.525 in an FM QSO.  I ended
up at about 250W with short transmissions.  That didn't surprise me much at all,
because my KPA seems to produce quite a bit of heat on six meters anyway.  Hit
the dummy load and do some continuous carrier testing and see how long it takes
to hit high speed.  It won't take long.  That's one screaming fan.

By the way, you can sample those speeds just by going to the menu and changing
the fan control setting.  That menu item sets the minimum speed the fan will run
(auto = off when below threshold).  One thing you might try is to set the fan to
the first or second speed (not auto) when you're operating those modes.  That
let's the fan run all the time at the speed you set, which allows it to cool in
receive mode when it might normally kick down to the off mode until you key the
next time.  Don't miss understand, the fan control menu sets the MINIMUM speed
the fan runs.  It still kicks up faster for warmer operation.

Gary
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