KPA500 does not use "EBS", and doesn't have any associated bias noise

[wayne burdick]

Recently there was speculation about the KPA500 using an "Electronic Bias System" (EBS), and whether that might be implicated in a noise issue.

First, we have never heard any reports of a "bias crunch" or "paper crunch" problem with the KPA500. This particular noise is quite distinctive, which easily differentiates itself from other common station integration problems such as overdrive or RFI.

Second, there is no "mod" available, because the KPA500 does not now, nor ever has had an EBS circuit.

Details:

The KPA500 definitely does not suffer from so-called "bias crunch"--a noise at the end of a SSB transmission similar to that made by wrinkling a sheet of paper--because full bias is applied immediately whenever the KPA500 is in OPER mode and is keyed. Full bias is maintained until the KPA500 is unkeyed.

EBS is often used with vacuum tube amplifiers that require large bias currents to meet their linearity requirements. In some cases, the bias current required results in a standing power dissipation between 1/2 and 2/3 of the plate dissipation rating of the tube. Thus, the tube generates more waste heat while idling than under key down conditions. EBS works by sampling the RF drive signal. Until the drive reaches a watt or two, the tube is either cut off or idling with extremely low current. Then, after the input power threshold is reached, the EBS suddenly applies full bias. Just like a receiver's AGC attack and decay times, EBS timing is tricky and critical to proper operation without causing unwanted artifacts. The paper crunch noise occurs when the tube is caught amplifying without bias (temporarily operating in non-linear Class-C mode) due to improper time constants.

When the KPA500 was designed, it was determined that the bias current required for proper linearity was low enough that EBS is not needed. As any KPA500 owner can quickly verify by placing the amplifier in OPER mode and grounding the KEY IN line, the front panel meter reads this standing bias current--even with zero RF drive. Amplifiers that have EBS do not show any standing bias current without drive.

Any KPA500 that generates a paper-crunch artifact is not operating correctly.

(I'd like to thank Bob, K6XX, for researching EBS so we could provide the above information.)

73,
Wayne
N6KR


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[Eric Swartz - WA6HHQ]

One additional note to Wayne's posting:

If an on-air signal sounds bad it is frequently because the user is over-driving
the amplifier, using and adjusting the amplifier to Rig ALC incorrectly (we
strongly recommend not to use ALC) or possibly has gone inside the amp and
manually mis-adjusted the fixed bias to the PAs.

73,
Eric
elecraft.com

On 1/7/2015 3:35 PM, Wayne Burdick wrote:

> Recently there was speculation about the KPA500 using an "Electronic Bias System" (EBS), and whether that might be implicated in a noise issue.
>
> First, we have never heard any reports of a "bias crunch" or "paper crunch" problem with the KPA500. This particular noise is quite distinctive, which easily differentiates itself from other common station integration problems such as overdrive or RFI.
>
> Second, there is no "mod" available, because the KPA500 does not now, nor ever has had an EBS circuit.
>
> Details:
>
> The KPA500 definitely does not suffer from so-called "bias crunch"--a noise at the end of a SSB transmission similar to that made by wrinkling a sheet of paper--because full bias is applied immediately whenever the KPA500 is in OPER mode and is keyed. Full bias is maintained until the KPA500 is unkeyed.
>
> EBS is often used with vacuum tube amplifiers that require large bias currents to meet their linearity requirements. In some cases, the bias current required results in a standing power dissipation between 1/2 and 2/3 of the plate dissipation rating of the tube. Thus, the tube generates more waste heat while idling than under key down conditions. EBS works by sampling the RF drive signal. Until the drive reaches a watt or two, the tube is either cut off or idling with extremely low current. Then, after the input power threshold is reached, the EBS suddenly applies full bias. Just like a receiver's AGC attack and decay times, EBS timing is tricky and critical to proper operation without causing unwanted artifacts. The paper crunch noise occurs when the tube is caught amplifying without bias (temporarily operating in non-linear Class-C mode) due to improper time constants.
>
> When the KPA500 was designed, it was determined that the bias current required for proper linearity was low enough that EBS is not needed. As any KPA500 owner can quickly verify by placing the amplifier in OPER mode and grounding the KEY IN line, the front panel meter reads this standing bias current--even with zero RF drive. Amplifiers that have EBS do not show any standing bias current without drive.
>
> Any KPA500 that generates a paper-crunch artifact is not operating correctly.
>
> (I'd like to thank Bob, K6XX, for researching EBS so we could provide the above information.)
>
> 73,
> Wayne
> N6KR
>
>
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> Elecraft mailing list
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> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
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[Jim Sheldon]

  I'll add to this in that I just tested my KPA500 to see what the noise
floor did with it on or off.  On an antenna, I noticed absolutely no
change in noise floor on any band 160-6, but just to kill the
atmospheric noise, I connected a dummy load to the output of the KPA500.
  Again, absolutely no change in noise floor, either by ear or visually
on the P3 with the KPA500 in operate, standby or power off (normal and
also completely off via back panel switch).

Jim - W0EB

------ Original Message ------
From: "Edward R Cole" <[hidden email]>
To: [hidden email]
Sent: 1/8/2015 10:41:06 AM
Subject: [Elecraft] KPA500 does not use "EBS", and doesn't have any
associated bias noise

>A side note to this topic for RF amplifiers, in general:
>
>I have not heard of this "paper crunch" noise description, before this,
>but it's well known with VHF and up operation that one does want to
>remove bias during receive on many amplifiers due to "white" noise
>being generated. Perhaps this is not detected from HF amplifiers
>because sky noise is much higher and it is not heard.

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