[Elecraft] Please do a KPA1500

[Ken G Kopp]

I have no interest in a 1 or 1.5 KW Amp.

Guy (K2AV) sums it up nicely.

73!

Ken Kopp - K0PP

On Dec 30, 2016 1:18 PM, "Guy Olinger K2AV" <k2av.guy at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Dec 30, 2016 12:36 PM, "Fredric Serota" <fserota at msn.com> wrote:
> > Now more than ever there is a need for a 1500 watt amplifier of the
> > quality and function of the KPA500. PLEASE, Elecraft, reconsider your
> > decision to produce a KPA 1500.
>
> Without debating how much use is had from a 5 dB increase in signal
> strength (a lot), the real reason Elecraft did not do a 1500 watt amp
> is all business and marketing. Elecraft is a small business and as
> such does not have the financial "mass" to absorb jabs in the bank
> balance from the marketplace that do not doubly pay for the research
> and development.
>
> There is a breaking point for ham-priced transistor amp equipment
> somewhere beyond 500 watts and before 1500 that has to do with
> reliability of components at those stress levels, and the cost of
> components and circuits to control the amp's response to the
> unbelievably bad treatment afforded amps by some purchasers.
>
> If this were not true, you would have seen dozens of 2K transistor
> equivalents to the likes of the Alpha 9500 and 8410, with which you
> can actually put a brick on the key and let it run at 1500 watts out
> indefinitely or until you lose your nerve.
>
> I'm sure the military has stuff, but then the military has specs and
> bidding, and they are willing to pay what it REALLY costs for that
> layer of reliability.
>
> Hams are unwilling to pay mil-spec prices, and Big E. knows it. They
> also know that a major failure of an expensively developed product
> with a lot of warranty returns can put a small business into chapter
> 11.
>
> Wayne & Co have put out a lot of leading edge products, kept their
> business rolling through the Great Recession, and embarassed the fool
> out of Yakencom for the better part of a decade, kicking the ham
> equipment industry into a new level of performance where they really
> didn't want to go.
>
> When Wayne *doesn't* do something that gets repeated requests, there
> is a reason. I trust his judgement, because he has earned that.
>
> I particularly do not want them to go out of business and find myself
> stuck with Yakencom again.
>
> If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
>
> 73, Guy K2AV
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