[Elecraft] Elecraft QSK

[Vic Rosenthal 4X6GP]

No, the real question is why doesn't Elecraft make a KPA1500!

I agree about the Alpha PIN diodes. I had an Alpha 86 for a few years, 
and never had any trouble with the PIN diodes -- and I made plenty of 
'antenna mistakes'. I sold it because I was tired of waiting the 90 
seconds for it to warm up, and I believed that Elecraft was about to 
release the KPA800 and 1500.

I suspect some of the PIN diode failures were due to static discharges. 
I had ICE antenna protectors that provided a good DC path to ground and 
a good lightning ground system. Or else I was lucky.

73,
Vic, 4X6GP
Rehovot, Israel
Formerly K2VCO
http://www.qsl.net/k2vco/

On 1 Mar 2017 01:14, wb6rse1 at mac.com wrote:
> The Elecraft KPA500 silent QSK is achieved without expensive PIN
> diodes but rather with relatively inexpensive switching diodes. I’ll
> guess that the 1500 watt Elecraft prototype amp of some years ago
> used a similar inexpensive, silent design.
>
> Avoiding QSK should be because of operator preference not because of
> fear of relay failure. In the case of operating non-QSK, it’s vital
> for the operator to keep calls short and not be caught in a cycle of
> doubling with the DX that’s heard all too often.
>
> My Alpha 87A of 17 years or so has never had a PIN diode failure.
> When the 87A was first introduced there were indeed PIN diode
> failures. This was attributed to a bad batch (or batches?) of PIN
> diodes. Subsequent runs of 87A's ceased to exhibit PIN diode
> failures. Yet the urban legend persists that 87A’s should be avoided
> because of the PIN diodes - which are expensive to replace.
>
> The real question is why amplifier manufacturers continue to use
> vacuum relays when inexpensive switching diodes can do the job. Thank
> you Elecraft.
>
> 73 - Steve WB6RSE