[Elecraft] Please do a KPA1500

Eric Swartz - WA6HHQ, Elecraft eric at elecraft.com
Fri Dec 30 17:54:33 EST 2016


Folks, we have not ever formally said we would never do a 1500W amp. We have 
said at times in the past that we were not doing one at that time, but we never 
rule anything out.

We're always looking for good suggestions and marketing input on what we should 
do in the future.

73,
Eric
/elecraft.com/

On 12/30/2016 12:16 PM, Guy Olinger K2AV 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
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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 eric.swartz at elecraft.com



More information about the Elecraft mailing list