[Elecraft] KPA1500 opinions

[john at kk9a.com]

N4ZR posted a similar question on August 12, 2022 and few people publicly
responded. I am sure some people will privately email you with their
experiences. It seems like some people have great luck with the KPA1500 and
others keep blowing LDMOS finals. It would be nice to pinpoint the cause for
blown finals, power level, mode, antenna etc. Reducing power reduces the
efficiency so much that doing so does not help reduce the final's heating. I
also follow the SPE Expert list and blown finals is a common topic there.
LDMOS finals are nowhere near as forgiving as ceramic tubes! I have not
heard of any issues with the KPA500 finals, even from people that have had
blown their KPA1500 so it may be more robust.

John KK9A



Scott Manthe N9AA wrote:

Hi Everyone,

I'm in the market for a legal limit solid state amp. There are lots of 
options out there, but I've been an Elecraft fan since the beginning and 
have owned a KPA500, K3/P3, and KX3/PX3. So, obviously I'm a fan. 
However, I'm also aware that over the years, some of the gear has had an 
issue or two, which generally have been taken care of by the good folks 
in Watsonville.

So, for the KPA1500 users out there, do you have any serious issues to 
report for the KPA1500? I have "heard" that they're not as robust as the 
KPA500 and that occasionally there have been failures with the PA 
devices. Is this true? I was one of the people that saw the KPA1600 run 
all day every day at Dayton years ago, and have dreamed of that amp ever 
since. I know the KPA1500 probably can't live up to that ideal, but are 
there issues a potential buyer should be aware of?

Thanks in advance for any and all feedback.

73,
Scott N9AA