[Elecraft] Amp comparisons

[Larry (K8UT)]

The most important difference between the Elecraft KPA1500 and the 
FlexRadio PowerGenius XL is that you can actually buy one of the 
KPA1500s.

According to the FlexRadio website, the PowerGenius - announced over two 
years ago - is still just taking reservations.

-larry (K8UT)

------ Original Message ------
From: "john at kk9a.com" <john at kk9a.com>
To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
Sent: 2018-07-24 08:12:53
Subject: [Elecraft] Amp comparisons

>K7ERQ left EHAM reviews on both, it would be nice if he wrote a
>comparison.  A couple things not mentioned below is that the Flex amp 
>is
>SO2R capable and has a higher list price.
>
>John KK9A
>
>
>K9MA wrote:
>
>
>On 7/23/2018 21:37, Gary K9GS wrote:
>>Any side by side with the KPA1500 and the Flex Power Genius yet?
>>
>I haven't seen any yet. I did have a conversation last year with 4O3A,
>designer of the Power Genius. From what Ranko said, the Flex amp seemed
>to have more headroom than the KPA1500, which might result in better
>linearity at 1.5 kW, albeit at the expense of efficiency. (The specs 
>say
>"capable of 2 kW.") There is some scheme to dynamically adjust the
>supply voltage for higher efficiency at lower power, I presume for CW
>and RTTY, where linearity isn't a big issue. I read somewhere that
>supply voltage is NOT modulated in SSB mode, which I imagine would 
>cause
>lots of nonlinearity.  The Flex amp can do predistortion with their
>radios. However, the KPA1500 also has an output sampling port, which
>should allow it to do predistortion also with a radio capable of it,
>probably including the Flex. (I wouldn't be surprised if Elecraft came
>out with that feature eventually. Could that be the reason it has that
>sampling port?)
>
>The Flex amp has an external ATU, which 4O3A strongly favors, but I
>think that's a personal preference. For most stations, with antennas
>that aren't always below 1.5:1, a solid state amplifier without an ATU
>is pretty useless, so I think Elecraft's decision to integrate it makes
>sense.
>
>While the Flex amp can certainly be made to work with Elecraft radios,
>the seamless integration with the KPA1500 is very attractive. I'm happy
>with mine so far.
>
>73,
>
>Scott K9MA
>
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