[Elecraft] Amp power per $$ spreadsheet download

[Vic Rosenthal]

To really do this right, you would need to add factors for things like IMD, QSK, fan noise, duty cycle, ease of tuning, etc. Cost per watt is only one factor. Of course everyone would have their own personal concerns, so you could add a place in the spreadsheet where the user could weight the various factors appropriately. A CW operator doesn't care about IMD, a digital guy is very interested in duty cycle, a DXer wants instant turn-on and tuneup, etc.

Vic 4X6GP/K2VCO 

> On Apr 27, 2015, at 12:34 AM, Jim Brown <jim at audiosystemsgroup.com> wrote:
> 
>> On Sat,4/25/2015 7:35 PM, Phil Wheeler wrote:
>> Good job, Nick.  I didn't realize my AL-811H was so cost effective. Sure is a royal PITA to use, though. I'll give it away to someone local who will use it -- no way I will deal with shipping the beast.
> 
> I modified the spreadsheet a bit and re-sorted it. First, since we here in the US are permitted only 1,500W, I set max power for those amps with higher power ratings to that value. Second, just as Nick has included his used Alpha 99, I added my used Ten Tec Titan 425s.
> 
> k9yc.com/PwrAmpdB.png
> 
> There are many features and properties of power amps that go far beyond pure dB per dollar.  some examples:
> 
> The ACOM 1010 is a reasonably compact competitor to the KPA500, but it doesn't cover 6M. I bought one used from K6SRZ (to have another amp for CQP), who bought a KPA500 just to get 6M. Also, my occupied bandwidth tests show that the KPA500 is a bit cleaner than that ACOM 1010. And the 1010 is a single-voltage amp. It must be rewired to change it. The KPA500 can be switched by removing, rotating, and reinserting the fuse block built into the power plug.
> 
> The ACOM 1000 does cover 6M. Both it and the 1010 have manual antenna tuners built in. Some of these amplifiers have built-in tuners, some of those tuners are automatic or have memories. Some of these amps are much better built than others. My Ten Tec Titans use high quality vacuum relays with logic to prevent hot-switching, as do the Alphas. The Ameritron amps I've seen use much cheaper open-frame relays, so their switching is much slower.
> 
> My Titans are quite clean -- P3 measurements of both the KPA500 and the Titan look exactly like the K3 at the drive level required for rated power. But the Titans, like the lower cost ACOMs, are "manual everything.
> 
> 73, Jim K9YC
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:Elecraft at mailman.qth.net
> 
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> Message delivered to k2vco.vic at gmail.com