[Elecraft] KPA1500 Fan Noise - Not An Issue

[Bob McGraw K4TAX]

Room acoustics play a big part of the "how loud" factor. Absorptive 
materials applied to the walls an ceiling of a room, specially small 
rooms,  do reduce the build up of sound / noise emitted from fans and 
blowers.

73

Bob, K4TAX


On 6/4/2018 10:04 AM, Richard Thorne wrote:
> Don,
>
> Thanks for the updated information.  It's quite helpful.
>
> For those of you that don't think that fan noise is a potential 
> problem, you need to understand my point of view on this.
>
> I've tried very hard to get a good clean noise free signal to my 
> speaker or head phones..  This starts with a good antenna system 
> followed by a good ground system and chokes as needed to reduce any 
> induced noise into the system.  i still have work do in this area.
>
> It doesn't make much sense to get the above done, only to have the 
> audio portion of the signal interfered with.
>
> So before I lay down significant $ for another device, I want to find 
> out all the pro's and con's for that device so I don't later regret 
> the decision.
>
> In my case I'm not interested in getting a set of headphones (that 
> includes a boom mic) that clamps on to my head that causes 
> discomfort.  If I'm going to use a set of headphones it will continue 
> to be the Yamaha CM-500.  The mic is outstanding and it's the most 
> comfortable headset I've ever used.  I use the headset for cw and ssb, 
> but I prefer to use my external speakers for RTTY with the volume low.
>
> While I'm not all that interested in remoting the amp, I may end up 
> going this direction.  I have the room to build a sound proofing wall 
> that can be located between my operating desk and external wall to the 
> shack where my entrance panel is.  This may be a good option, if 
> needed, in order to have a quality piece of equipment in my shack.
> I've spent time on my antenna system to mitigate noise, I may have to 
> do the same thing on the audio side.
>
> So the folks who don't mind the extra fan noise (if in deed it exists) 
> fine, but understand where some of us are coming from that don't want 
> to deal with the noise (if in deed it exists).
>
> At this time I'm still looking forward to taking delivery of the 
> KPA-1500 in the very near future.
>
> Rich - N5ZC
>
> On 6/3/2018 6:33 PM, Don Butler wrote:
>> A post this afternoon refered to KPA1500 fan noise as an "issue" that 
>> might
>> need to be addressed.   I personally think that is an unfair suggestion.
>> Fan noise with this amplifier is NOT an issue to me.   I have made 
>> previous
>> comments and have also posted a video on this thread, and if I have 
>> given
>> the impression that fan noise is a problem in my shack I apologize, 
>> because
>> that is simply not the case.
>>    Quite frankly, I think all the hubbub about KPA1500 fan noise is a 
>> huge
>> overreaction.  The reality is that the fans will NEVER be required in 
>> most
>> operating situations.   I've had my amplifier for three months now, 
>> and it
>> has gotten many hours of use.   Typically, with the amp idling in 
>> standby as
>> I tune and complete occasional short CW QSOs, the fans NEVER do kick on.
>> And if they do they will rarely rise above Level  2.   Levels 3, 4 
>> and 5 may
>> be required during very heavy duty only, and, at least at my station, I
>> cannot foresee that happening more than 1 or 2 percent of the time.   
>> I have
>> manually selected level 3 on just two occasions, and have never had 
>> to use
>> levels  4 or 5.   I personally believe that folks out there are fretting
>> over fan noise that may never occur.
>>   IMHO the KPA1500 is a great amp.   Amps are going to get hot. The 
>> more an
>> amp is put into transmit mode the hotter it's going to get.   So it 
>> has to
>> be cooled.  There's no free lunch.   When my amp does get hot enough to
>> require speed level 3 or above I will simply put on my earphones and
>> continue to operate (I use earphones most of the time anyhow). As I
>> mentioned above, in the three months that I have owned this amplifier, I
>> have manually switched to level 3 just two times (once while CQing 
>> for hours
>> while running in a CW contest and once when I spent about 30 minutes 
>> chasing
>> a DX station in a major CW pileup).
>>   To me, increased fan cooling capability is one of the KPA1500's 
>> uniquely
>> great features.  Yes, the fans create noise, but they also rapidly 
>> cool the
>> heat sink (probably better than any other amplifier out there).   But 
>> folks
>> seem to be more concerned about this noise thing when (I think) they 
>> should
>> really be appreciating the KPA1500's superior cooling capabilities.
>>   I think we should get over this fixation on noise and just enjoy our
>> amplifiers.
>>
>> As far as I'm concerned fan noise is NOT as issue with the KPA1500.
>>
>> Don, N5LZ
>> KPA1500 S/N 45
>>
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>
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