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Fwd: KPA1500 problem

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Steve Reichlyn

Fwd: KPA1500 problem

Sent from my I-Phone

Begin forwarded message:

> GE, folks
> My KPA1500 (s/n 121) has developed a problem:
> When applying power (15-20W) from the K3 to the amp, it immediately faults to:low gain fault ratio 3 (sometimes ratio 2 to ratio 6). The SWR indicator shows high SWR as the amp faults. 100w only from exciter will cause ATU to tune to 1:1 but when amp is switched on, it immediately faults as above. Looked through archives and manual. No mention of this particular fault. Any ideas would be appreciated.
> 73 and HNY
> Steve AA4V
>
>
> Sent from my I-Phone

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Mark Goldberg

Re: Fwd: KPA1500 problem

It's been said before. Check your cables and connectors for arcing. It
won't happen with lower power but as the voltage goes up with higher power
it may arc across a bad cable or connector. Possibly even in a tuner.

Can you test with different cables or a dummy load?

73,

Mark

On Sun, Dec 30, 2018 at 5:35 PM Steve <[hidden email]> wrote:

>
>
> Sent from my I-Phone
>
> Begin forwarded message:
>
> > GE, folks
> > My KPA1500 (s/n 121) has developed a problem:
> > When applying power (15-20W) from the K3 to the amp, it immediately
> faults to:low gain fault ratio 3 (sometimes ratio 2 to ratio 6). The SWR
> indicator shows high SWR as the amp faults. 100w only from exciter will
> cause ATU to tune to 1:1 but when amp is switched on, it immediately faults
> as above. Looked through archives and manual. No mention of this particular
> fault. Any ideas would be appreciated.
> > 73 and HNY
> > Steve AA4V
> >
> >
> > Sent from my I-Phone
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> Message delivered to [hidden email]
>

alorona

1500 W is a lot of power

About two months ago I posted that amateur radio needs a tutorial, 'What to expect when you get an amplifier'. As we see again and again here even basic things like cables, connectors, grounding, and house wiring that work fine at 100 W may be inadequate for 1500 W. We need guidance to study our stations piece by piece to ensure those pieces can handle these power levels without failing or causing problems.

Al W6LX
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Elecraft mailing list

Re: 1500 W is a lot of power

There's also the traditional maxim: Get an amp, meet the neighbors.
...robert

On 3/11/2019 20:07, Al Lorona wrote:

> About two months ago I posted that amateur radio needs a tutorial, 'What to expect when you get an amplifier'. As we see again and again here even basic things like cables, connectors, grounding, and house wiring that work fine at 100 W may be inadequate for 1500 W. We need guidance to study our stations piece by piece to ensure those pieces can handle these power levels without failing or causing problems.
>
> Al W6LX
> ______________________________________________________________
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>

--
Robert G Strickland, PhD ABPH - KE2WY
[hidden email]
Syracuse, New York, USA
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Elecraft mailing list

Re: 1500 W is a lot of power

In reply to this post by alorona

Anyone who writes one should include a note about replacing older GFCI breakers (ARRL website is quite helpful).

Tom W4KX

Sent from my iPad

> On Mar 11, 2019, at 4:07 PM, Al Lorona <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> About two months ago I posted that amateur radio needs a tutorial, 'What to expect when you get an amplifier'. As we see again and again here even basic things like cables, connectors, grounding, and house wiring that work fine at 100 W may be inadequate for 1500 W. We need guidance to study our stations piece by piece to ensure those pieces can handle these power levels without failing or causing problems.
>
> Al W6LX
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
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Bob McGraw - K4TAX

Re: 1500 W is a lot of power

In reply to this post by alorona

Three things:

(a) ARRL Handbook - contains everything you need to know and then some.

(b) ARRL Antenna book - contains everything you need to know and then
some.

(c) Grounding and Bonding, by Ward Silver, an ARRL Publication -
MANDATORY reading.

And of course one must visit the contents of these books frequently
along with each manual that came with the product. RTFM

73

Bob, K4TAX

On 3/11/2019 3:07 PM, Al Lorona wrote:

Robert Sands

Re: 1500 W is a lot of power

my garage door opens with only 500 watts. fun reminder about RF capture.

On Mon, Mar 11, 2019, 2:20 PM Bob McGraw K4TAX <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Three things:
>
> (a) ARRL Handbook - contains everything you need to know and then some.
>
> (b) ARRL Antenna book - contains everything you need to know and then
> some.
>
> (c) Grounding and Bonding, by Ward Silver, an ARRL Publication -
> MANDATORY reading.
>
> And of course one must visit the contents of these books frequently
> along with each manual that came with the product. RTFM
>
> 73
>
> Bob, K4TAX
>
>
> On 3/11/2019 3:07 PM, Al Lorona wrote:
> > About two months ago I posted that amateur radio needs a tutorial, 'What
> to expect when you get an amplifier'. As we see again and again here even
> basic things like cables, connectors, grounding, and house wiring that work
> fine at 100 W may be inadequate for 1500 W. We need guidance to study our
> stations piece by piece to ensure those pieces can handle these power
> levels without failing or causing problems.
> >
> > Al W6LX
> > ______________________________________________________________
> > Elecraft mailing list
> > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> > Post: mailto:[hidden email]
> >
> > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
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> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html

Robert Sands
K7VO
Olympia, WA

k6dgw

Re: 1500 W is a lot of power

In reply to this post by Bob McGraw - K4TAX

The Internet, HTML, Email, and Google have made finding answers much
easier. Unfortunately, for every increment of increase in use of these
sources, there has been a corresponding decrease in trips to the
bookshelf. There has also been a corresponding decrease in the ICFTO
Coefficient ["I Can Figure This Out"] and some posts for help are
beginning to approximate, "My KPA500 quit. What's wrong?"

A side benefit of the books, at least for me, is that I inevitably run
across something I didn't know while researching what I walked to the
bookshelf for in the first place.

73,
Fred ["Skip"] K6DGW
Sparks NV DM09dn
Washoe County

On 3/11/2019 2:19 PM, Bob McGraw K4TAX wrote:

ke9uw

Re: 1500 W is a lot of power

In reply to this post by Robert Sands

Put a ceramic .1 uF across the connector on the door opener where the wire to the button by the kitchen door comes from.

Chuck Hawley
[hidden email]

Amateur Radio, KE9UW
aka Jack, BMW Motorcycles

________________________________
From: [hidden email] <[hidden email]> on behalf of Robert Sands <[hidden email]>
Sent: Monday, March 11, 2019 4:32 PM
To: Bob McGraw K4TAX
Cc: Elecraft Discussion List
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] 1500 W is a lot of power

my garage door opens with only 500 watts. fun reminder about RF capture.

On Mon, Mar 11, 2019, 2:20 PM Bob McGraw K4TAX <[hidden email]> wrote:

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Chuck, KE9UW

riese-k3djc

Re: 1500 W is a lot of power

In reply to this post by alorona

that would be the ARRL handbook,,, it was for me

Bob K3DJC

On Mon, 11 Mar 2019 20:07:54 +0000 (UTC) Al Lorona
<[hidden email]> writes:

> About two months ago I posted that amateur radio needs a tutorial,
> 'What to expect when you get an amplifier'. As we see again and
> again here even basic things like cables, connectors, grounding, and
> house wiring that work fine at 100 W may be inadequate for 1500 W.
> We need guidance to study our stations piece by piece to ensure
> those pieces can handle these power levels without failing or
> causing problems.
>
> Al W6LX
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html