[Elecraft] Connect K3S to Non-elecraft Amp (WU6R)

[Jim Brown]

On 10/18/2020 5:51 PM, Steve Sykes wrote:
 > You should also set a TX delay of at least 10 ms in the K3S, so of 
the solid state amps require more, maybe 20 ms

That depends a LOT on the amp. I'd RTFM for the amp before setting that 
much delay, which is usually limited by antenna TR switching. TenTec 
made one (maybe the first) solid state ham amp, and all of their amps 
used vacuum relays for antenna switching. They switched in less than 8 
msec. K4XU, designer of TenTec's tube amps later worked for Alpha. The 
86 and 87A were the last he did for them. They used diode switching, 
which is very fast. And in bar conversation, he made a point of saying 
that he designed the RF section, not the control circuitry.

I operated two of his TenTec Titan 425, bought used (their first legal 
limit tube amp) in my station for about 12 years of heavy contesting, 
until my purse got heavy enough to replace them with a pair of used 
87As, and this past summer, one of the 87As became a spare for a KPA1500 
(so I could get legal limit on 6M). Elecraft amps also use diode 
switching for antennas.

73, Jim K9YC