[Elecraft] Considering a KPA-500

[Jim Brown]

Hi David,

I have a K3/P3/KAT500 SO2R station for contesting that uses two Ten Tec 
Titan 425 (legal limit tube amps from 1984. I own three, each bought 
used for less than the cost of a new KPA500. I chatted with the 
designer, K4XU, at Visalia this past weekend). They're very good 
quality, not automatic anything, easy to repair because all the 
semiconductors are discrete and easy to find. I'm a very competitive 
contester, so if I'm competing high power,  I want that 4 dB. I also 
work QRP in some DX contests, with about 150 countries worked, about 120 
confirmed in LOTW.

My "most of the time" setup is a KPA500 replacing the Titan. I turn on 
the Titan for difficult pileups. 4 dB is significant when conditions are 
marginal -- for example, the other guy has bad noise.

The KPA500 is really a 600W amp, and you can run it that way in keydown 
modes like RTTY and JT65, except on 6M, where I get about 550W. I love 
it because it is instant on, has the 6M capability, and is pretty much 
automatic everything. A dit or a tap on the mic does bandswitching for 
both it and the KAT500.  Its also a very clean amp (and so is the Titan).

See k9yc.com/FTDX5000_Report.pdf and k9yc.com/P3_Spectrum_Measurements.pdf

Dunno about operation on MARS. Ask Elecraft.

The KPA500 is a winner.

73, Jim K9YC

On Thu,4/23/2015 7:34 PM, David Cole wrote:
> I am considering a KPA-500...  I currently have an AL-82, and am getting
> tired of all the band switching etc.
>
> My only real issue with the KPA-500 is the output power of only 500
> watts.