[Elecraft] Upper limits of KPA500?

[Andy Durbin]

"It is interesting to hear how others experience their KPA500s over various conditions."

I have over a years's worth of KPA500 data recorded but it takes some effort to run it through the Excel templates to make pretty plots.

My KPA500 temperatures are strongly influenced by ambient temperature.  Shack temperature is often over 30 deg C in the summer months and it's not at all unusual for my fan to run at level 3 in FT8 QSO.  I think I have only reached fan speed 5 twice and that was while running temperature tests not while operating.   I terminated those tests at fan speed 5 and didn't wish to push it any higher.

So many people seem to think reducing the output power will keep the temperature down.  It does not.   Half power is about the worst heat dissipation condition for the KPA500.

73,
Andy, k3wyc