[Elecraft] KPA500 question

[Phil Wheeler]

Same here re adding the KPA500/KAT500. I did have 
an Ameriton AL-811H, and still do -- but have not 
fired it up since 2002. Worked fine, but not easy 
to use since it needed re-tuned with significant 
QSY. So mainly I did fine with my K2/100 and it 
was great until replaced by the "greater" K3!

The Elecraft system is pretty much like having a 
500 W. K3/P3. Once set up no need to touch the PA 
or ATU. Plus it the KAT500 handles switching among 
three antennas. I have four but #4 is a 30 m 
dipole and I mostly use that with lower power rigs 
(K2, K1 or KX3).

The main shack re-work I needed was to replace 
RG-8X in-shack coax runs with RG-213. The AL-811H 
was only used with my beam and mostly on 20 SSB, 
and had dedicated cables to the antenna port. My 
desk and shelf set up worked fine with the amp and 
atu -- and my shack looks much neater (there was a 
Kenwood TS-570DG where the KPA500 is now).

73, Phil w7ox

On 5/7/14, 4:50 PM, Joseph Carter wrote:
> I just added the KPA500 and the KAT500 last month - first amp I've ever had but so cannot compare but love it!
> Issue for me was ability to run on 120 volts. Great fun to assemble both and as mentioned nice compact grouping / size for my space constraints.
> Joe, w9jc
>
>
> On May 7, 2014, at 6:10 PM, Charlie T, K3ICH wrote:
>
>> Well, if you want a kilowatt station the Icom IC-7600 and PW-1 offer the same functionality with a built-in antenna matching circuit.
>>
>> Curiously, I am getting about 400 watts out of the PW-1 driving it directly with the KX3 at 12 watts out (no ALC).
>>
>> 73, Charlie k3ICH
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bill W2BLC" <w2blc at nycap.rr.com>
>> To: <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
>> Sent: Wednesday, May 07, 2014 4:14 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 question
>>
>>
>>> Exactly! The K-Line amounts to a fully automated (no tuning or knob twisting) 500 Watt HF station. Last time I saw that was a Halicrafters Tornado.
>>>
>>> I changed my entire radio desk to create more storage and shelves from the space formerly used by a large tube amp and the large tuner I used with it. The K3 and P3 take about the same space the previous HF rig took and the KPA500 and KAT500 take just slightly more space than the K3 by itself. In other words, the K-Line is extremely space efficient.
>>>
>>> Bill K-Line