[Elecraft] KX2/3 Amplifiers

[Tom Francis, W1TEF]

Phil,

The Hardrock 50 has an atu - I don't know if the toroids are pre-wound 
or not - if not, that's an
issue for me.

Actually, I'm kind of in the reverse situation - I want to keep my 
KX2/3, but get rid of my FT-450D
- which is a nice radio, but it's bigger than I can use mobile.

All suggestions are welcome and you certainly gave me something to think 
about.

Thanks.

Tom, W1TEF
Lexington, SC

On 5/28/2017 2:04 PM, Phil Hystad wrote:
> I looked into that very question a few months ago (February)…
>
> My comments:
>
> 1.  I don’t think Hardrock-50 has an auto-tuner so in pricing comparison, compare with
> a separate vendors auto-tuner (as good as Elecraft’s) if you are assuming buying the KXPA100 with
> auto tuner.
>
> 2.  Hardrock-50 is half (or, less than half?) the output power of KXPA100 (of course, you know this).
>
> 3.  Include your own labor time in $ for building the kit?  I do this for everything I do to determine
> if I want to do myself or pay to have it done.  For many of my projects, my time is a lot more valuable than
> the cost of somebody else’s time.  For example, as a plumber my own labor costs are thousands of dollars
> per hour.
>
> Well, these are the three key items that I looked into in comparing leaving out the very likely quality
> difference between a full soldering kit built by me versus a kit from Elecraft.
>
> I chose the KXPA100+autotuner as a result of my evaluation.
>
> But, the rest of the story.
>
> I didn’t buy the KXPA100.  My reason for 100 watts was to see about getting a 100-watt capable
> backup rig and could also be used in portable operations (with adaquate DC power of course).
>
> I made a wild decision.  Instead of getting an amp for my KX3.  I sold my KX3!  In its place I
> bought a new Icom IC-7300 and it is light-weight and could be portable (not mobile) as well.
>
> But, I still loved QRP portable ops too so I bought a KX2 to replace my KX3.  I also sold other
> equipment that was merely collecting dust to also put together the funds to buy the KX2 as
> well as a second KAT500 to work with the IC-7300 (since the 7300s internal tuner is not good
> enough for all of my antennas in use on all of my bands of interest).
>
> Net cost was  minus $130.   That is, I had a net gain after buying the IC-7300, the KX2,
> and the KAT500 by selling the KX3, and a mobile HF rig, a mobile VHF/UHF rig, and a R-75
> receiver.
>
> 73, phil, K7PEH
>
>
>> On May 28, 2017, at 10:50 AM, Tom Francis, W1TEF <KX2_KX3 at swsports.org> wrote:
>>
>> Greetings,
>>
>> I'm looking for a little practical advice about linear amplification for the KX2/3 (I have both).
>>
>> Hardrock-50 or KXPA100.
>>
>> Essentially, it would be used mobile, although taking it out the car and using it portable is
>> possible.
>>
>> So any information from users of these two amps will be greatly appreciated.  Also, as the
>> Hardrock 50 is a kit, how hard is it to build for something with finger nephropathy?
>>
>> Thanks for any info.
>>
>> Very best regards,
>>
>> Tom, W1TEF
>> Lexington, SC
>>
>>
>>
>>
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