KPA500 protection

[ANDY DURBIN]

Two post today about KPA500 that seem to have been damaged because the built in protection was inadequate.  What's going on?

In my station the KPA500 is protected against stupid errors that cause high SWR by the KPA500 itself, by my KAT500, by my LP100A, and by my Arduino controller.  I hope one of these will stop the smoke getting out.

73,
Andy, k3wyc
______________________________________________________________
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]

[Michael Walker]

Hi Andy

I blew my 6M Caps one day, but it was 100% my stupidity when I kept
bombarding it with a full 100w carrier when I had the amp to go 'online'
when it was turned on.  This is a firmware setting.  It tripped off the
first time.  I reset it and hit it again (not thinking) and the CAPs blew.
I fixed it myself and all I had to do is replace the caps (and repair the
board).

I ran mine for years on my remote and made many many mistakes and never had
an issue and I tripped it offline a ton of times.

In the emails you saw today, you need to ask about the mechanics of the
failures first.

Mike va3mw


On Thu, Mar 18, 2021 at 3:12 PM Andy Durbin <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Two post today about KPA500 that seem to have been damaged because the
> built in protection was inadequate.  What's going on?
>
> In my station the KPA500 is protected against stupid errors that cause
> high SWR by the KPA500 itself, by my KAT500, by my LP100A, and by my
> Arduino controller.  I hope one of these will stop the smoke getting out.
>
> 73,
> Andy, k3wyc
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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]
>

______________________________________________________________
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]

I am also curious how the KPA500's are failing even with the fault  
protection. I consider the KPA500 to be one of the best solid state  
amps available.

How does a LP100 protect against stupid errors?

John KK9A


Andy Durbin K3WYC wrote:

Two post today about KPA500 that seem to have been damaged because the  
built in protection was inadequate.  What's going on?

In my station the KPA500 is protected against stupid errors that cause  
high SWR by the KPA500 itself, by my KAT500, by my LP100A, and by my  
Arduino controller.  I hope one of these will stop the smoke getting  
out.

73,
Andy, k3wyc


______________________________________________________________
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]

[ANDY DURBIN]

"How does a LP100 protect against stupid errors?"

LP-100A is designed to open the key line when SWR exceeds a user defined threshold.  When I make a mistake it is often the first to trip.

73,
Andy, k3wyc


______________________________________________________________
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]