KPA500 heavy RTTY observation

[Mike K2MK]

I had the opportunity last week to run some pretty heavy RTTY operation on my KPA500 during the W1AW/2 operation. Generally I used my tube amp but I wanted to see how the KPA500 would perform. Normally I run 600 watts out of the KPA500 but for this operation I cranked it down to 500 watts. We're talking continuous CQs and contacts over 2 hours of straight through operation. The KPA500 worked flawlessly.

Having said that it is important to mention something about temperature and fan speed. It didn't take long for the temperature to get up to 65C. I eventually set the idle fan speed at speed 4 which tended to keep it at 65C or below. For me, speed 4 sounds about the same as the fan on my legal limit amp. The surprise occurs when the temperature creeps up to 70C. The fan jumps to speed 5 (or maybe 6) and it is loud. Luckily it only takes 5 to 10 seconds to bring it down from 70C to 65C.

It looks like Elecraft did a fine job controlling temperature for heavy RTTY operation. I would not hesitate to recommend the KPA500 for RTTY contesting but I would certainly want to mention that the occassional higher fan speeds might annoy some operators.

73,
Mike K2MK

[Jim Brown-10]

On 8/14/2014 5:39 AM, Mike K2MK wrote:
> It looks like Elecraft did a fine job controlling temperature for heavy RTTY
> operation. I would not hesitate to recommend the KPA500 for RTTY contesting

During the KPA500 beta, I was loaned one for a RTTY contest and told to
run it with all the lights lit. No problems then, or with the KPA500
I've owned for several years was delivered. I also run it on 6M WSJT
modes with all the lights lit.

73, Jim K9YC
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