KPA 500 CQWW flawless performance

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KPA 500 CQWW flawless performance

KD3RF
A thank you to the Elecraft team for the excellent engineering and performance delivered in the KPA500.

Team VE2DXY contest DXpedition from zone 2 is using a KPA500 in the CQWW SSB contest with absolutely flawless performance from this fine amplifier.

Been hammering it hard for more than 8 hours of continuous operation in the contest with more than 500 watts output on all bands (even on 10 meters where our other tube amplifiers suffer from reduced output) with temperatures in the PA never exceeding more than 28 deg C.

Using another mfr's auto tuner and after experiencing the excellent integration between our K3s and the KPA500 we are really looking forward to having a KAT500 in the line up next year.
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Re: KPA 500 CQWW flawless performance

Johnny Siu
True, I use kpa500 as well. 28mhz seems very good

Sent from my  iPhone 4

KD3RF <[hidden email]> 於 2011年10月29日 下午1:46 寫道:

> A thank you to the Elecraft team for the excellent engineering and
> performance delivered in the KPA500.
>
> Team VE2DXY contest DXpedition from zone 2 is using a KPA500 in the CQWW SSB
> contest with absolutely flawless performance from this fine amplifier.
>
> Been hammering it hard for more than 8 hours of continuous operation in the
> contest with more than 500 watts output on all bands (even on 10 meters
> where our other tube amplifiers suffer from reduced output) with
> temperatures in the PA never exceeding more than 28 deg C.
>
> Using another mfr's auto tuner and after experiencing the excellent
> integration between our K3s and the KPA500 we are really looking forward to
> having a KAT500 in the line up next year.
>
> --
> View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/KPA-500-CQWW-flawless-performance-tp6942607p6942607.html
> Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
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> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
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Re: KPA 500 CQWW flawless performance

KD3RF
In reply to this post by KD3RF
We are now 24 hours into the contest and the KPA 500 is perking right along with no issues.... just keeps pumping out the watts and running cool.  

We brought it on the VE2DXY DXpedition to give us the ability to band-hop and chase multipliers and it's really helping our score.

It's been running constantly for 21 out of the past 24 hours.  2,000 QSOs and still going strong.

We have the cooling fan set on a constant "2" to keep the air moving.  

PA temp is at 27 deg C, just slightly above ambient room temp.

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KPA 500 CQWW flawless performance

Johnny Siu
Ditto here in VR2. Cool and quiet.


TNX & 73,


Johnny VR2XMC


________________________________
從︰ KD3RF <[hidden email]>
收件人︰ [hidden email]
傳送日期︰ 2011年10月30日 (週日) 8:42 AM
主題︰ Re: [Elecraft] KPA 500 CQWW flawless performance

We are now 24 hours into the contest and the KPA 500 is perking right along
with no issues.... just keeps pumping out the watts and running cool. 

We brought it on the VE2DXY DXpedition to give us the ability to band-hop
and chase multipliers and it's really helping our score.

It's been running constantly for 21 out of the past 24 hours.  2,000 QSOs
and still going strong.

We have the cooling fan set on a constant "2" to keep the air moving. 

PA temp is at 27 deg C, just slightly above ambient room temp.



--
View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/KPA-500-CQWW-flawless-performance-tp6942607p6944653.html
Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
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Update & final score Re: KPA 500 CQWW flawless performance

KD3RF
In reply to this post by KD3RF
Hi All:

Our final results for CQWW-SSB...

In a 48 hour time-span, team VE2DXY made 3,584 QSOs with our Elecraft K-Line (K3, P3, KPA500 on station 1, and K3, P3 and Tokyo HyPower on station 2) for a total of 4,372,688 points in the CQWW-SSB contest.

VE2DXY is an all-Elecraft contest DXpedition that activates Zone 2 each year to give contacts and multipliers from this rare zone to fellow contesters worldwide.

We took KPA-500 S/N 179 on the DXpedition "to work it hard" in contest style operations and it performed exceptionally well with no problems experienced at all.  

Our theory was that if the KPA500 could endure nearly 48 continuous hours of operation without failure that it would prove to be an extremely reliable amp in "regular" operation.

If you worked us in the contacts, thank you for the QSO and the points!

Andy V, KD3RF / VE2DXY
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Re: Update & final score Re: KPA 500 CQWW flawless performance

Johnny Siu
Hello Andy,

Ditto from my observation of Kpa500.  How did yr THP perform?  73 Johnny

Sent from my  iPhone 4

KD3RF <[hidden email]> 於 2011年11月6日 下午10:35 寫道:

> Hi All:
>
> Our final results for CQWW-SSB...
>
> In a 48 hour time-span, team VE2DXY made 3,584 QSOs with our Elecraft K-Line
> (K3, P3, KPA500 on station 1, and K3, P3 and Tokyo HyPower on station 2) for
> a total of 4,372,688 points in the CQWW-SSB contest.
>
> VE2DXY is an all-Elecraft contest DXpedition that activates Zone 2 each year
> to give contacts and multipliers from this rare zone to fellow contesters
> worldwide.
>
> We took KPA-500 S/N 179 on the DXpedition "to work it hard" in contest style
> operations and it performed exceptionally well with no problems experienced
> at all.  
>
> Our theory was that if the KPA500 could endure nearly 48 continuous hours of
> operation without failure that it would prove to be an extremely reliable
> amp in "regular" operation.
>
> If you worked us in the contacts, thank you for the QSO and the points!
>
> Andy V, KD3RF / VE2DXY
>
> --
> View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/KPA-500-CQWW-flawless-performance-tp6942607p6967983.html
> Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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
______________________________________________________________
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Re: Update & final score Re: KPA 500 CQWW flawless performance

KD3RF
Hi Johnny:

The THP is an older tube model running a pair of 4X150's and like all tube amps it was less efficient, and produced only 350 - 400 watts on the 15 and 10 meter bands with 60 watts drive.  On 20, 40 and 80 meters the THP produced more power, but still not as good as the KPA500.

The KPA500 on the other hand was 500 watts ++ on every band, from 10 meters to 160 meters.

For CQWW SSB 2012 we will retire the THP and hopefully have a second KPA500 in the station!

de Andy, KD3RF / VE2DXY