Linear thoughts
Locked
 
|
What buttons are you using besides ON and maybe OPER/STBY?
John KK9A From: Ed Muns ed at w0yk.com Sat Mar 18 14:25:12 EDT 2017 Based on the excellent KPA500 design, augmented by user experience, and the added comments to Eric's question below, I'm confident Elecraft can define another great product if they so choose. My request is that the button colors be more functional than they are on the KPA500. "Black on Black" is aesthetically very cool in a well-lit environment, but functionally very poor in most actual operational environments. Some of us have replaced the KPA500 button caps with gray and other colors like on the K3, so we can find the buttons more readily. Ed W0YK ____________ ______________________________________________________________ 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] |
|
|
All of them. It's not a question of assigning a "value" to each button to
determine which is more important to be visible. Those choices will vary with user anyway. Some users like the band buttons on the KPA500 to change bands on their K-Line. When operating, I can distract myself from DXing or contesting for a few seconds to stare at the front panel of the KPA500 and find the button I'm looking for. I'd rather be able to spot the desired button out of the corner of my eye without losing operation focus. Contrasting button colors support that use case. Ed W0YK ______________________________________________________________ John KK9A asked: What buttons are you using besides ON and maybe OPER/STBY? John KK9A From: Ed Muns ed at w0yk.com Sat Mar 18 14:25:12 EDT 2017 Based on the excellent KPA500 design, augmented by user experience, and the added comments to Eric's question below, I'm confident Elecraft can define another great product if they so choose. My request is that the button colors be more functional than they are on the KPA500. "Black on Black" is aesthetically very cool in a well-lit environment, but functionally very poor in most actual operational environments. Some of us have replaced the KPA500 button caps with gray and other colors like on the K3, so we can find the buttons more readily. ______________________________________________________________ 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] |
|
|
In reply to this post by john@kk9a.com
Brilliant! I have not contested with the amp so I never thought of that.
The K3S band change is sort of a pain. While at WP2AA earlier this month I somehow wound up on 5MHz and it's not one of my programmed contest bands. I have also accidently switched bands while trying to turn the VOX on and off. John KK9A -----Original Message----- From: Ron D'Eau Claire [mailto:[hidden email]] Sent: Saturday, March 18, 2017 3:04 PM To: [hidden email]; [hidden email] Subject: RE: [Elecraft] Linear thoughts Hitting the band switch on the KPA500 is a quick way to avoid cycling through the bands sequentially on the K3. 73, Ron AC7AC -----Original Message----- From: Elecraft [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of [hidden email] Sent: Saturday, March 18, 2017 11:49 AM To: [hidden email] Subject: [Elecraft] Linear thoughts What buttons are you using besides ON and maybe OPER/STBY? John KK9A From: Ed Muns ed at w0yk.com Sat Mar 18 14:25:12 EDT 2017 Based on the excellent KPA500 design, augmented by user experience, and the added comments to Eric's question below, I'm confident Elecraft can define another great product if they so choose. My request is that the button colors be more functional than they are on the KPA500. "Black on Black" is aesthetically very cool in a well-lit environment, but functionally very poor in most actual operational environments. Some of us have replaced the KPA500 button caps with gray and other colors like on the K3, so we can find the buttons more readily. Ed W0YK ____________ ______________________________________________________________ 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] |
|
|
In reply to this post by john@kk9a.com
I just bought one to use as a bandswitch:-)
On 3/18/2017 12:04 PM, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote: > Hitting the band switch on the KPA500 is a quick way to avoid cycling > through the bands sequentially on the K3. > > 73, Ron AC7AC ______________________________________________________________ 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 don't know how to do it with ONE press of a switch, but there is a
cheaper way to change bands on the K3/K3S with two. 73, Scott K9MA On 3/18/2017 22:00, Wes Stewart wrote: > I just bought one to use as a bandswitch:-) > > On 3/18/2017 12:04 PM, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote: >> Hitting the band switch on the KPA500 is a quick way to avoid cycling >> through the bands sequentially on the K3. >> >> 73, Ron AC7AC > -- Scott K9MA [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] |
|
|
In reply to this post by john@kk9a.com
George,
My Harris Platinum-1 (ch. 2 TV) linear runs 1000w output for 11w drive which is 19.6 dB gain. But this is on 6m which I do not believe is restricted to 15-dB gain by the FCC. My understanding that this rule just affected HF amplifiers. In any case it is legally built under FCC rules for television and is modified for use by hams on 6m or higher bands. There is no rule restricting you building a ham amplifier with more than 15-dB (only applies to manufacturers who sell to the public). In fact, I can build such an amplifier and sell it legally to another ham, as long as I am not a business doing multiple sales per year. I built several linear amps for 2m that produced 80w output with as little drive as 50mw. They are biased to draw 8A quiescent current (about 15A at 80w output), so this is near to class-A. I have some 50w linear amps for 3400-MHz that draw full current without drive (obviously class-A) and you do not want to key them long-term in Tx or you risk over heating them. They drive with 5mw. Ed - KL7UW ------------------------------- I believe my Harris analog TV PAs were in the 20 db gain region - apx 10 watts in for a kilowatt out. I believe the digital PAs were lower gain to run as class A (or very close to class A). >From the analog exciter output to IPA to PA to low-pass/filterplexer output it was from 250 mw to 30 kw. That would be over 50 db gain! And that system was type accepted. 73 George - AI4VZ 73, Ed - KL7UW http://www.kl7uw.com Dubus-NA Business mail: [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] |
|
|
In reply to this post by john@kk9a.com
Now I have the KPA500 and KAT500 actually up and running for the first time.
I am very happy with my purchase, and the combo is better integrated than anything else I have used. By integrated, I mean the boxes work together well. The fact that they are separate boxes, that I could purchase at different times, is a big plus for me. However, I have to disagree with those that have said that it all works like having a 500W transceiver. Examples: * Antenna selection now has to be done from the KAT500. I can't do it by the ANT button on the K3, so the labels on the antennas defined there are now useless. * The Power readout is now on the amp, and the Power knob on the K3 just shows the drive power. It is certainly valuable to be able to read the drive power, but in a 500W transceiver that would be a separate readout, and the Power adjustment readout would show the final output power. Again, I am happy, and all is good. But a future Electraft architecture that is to overshadow the competition would use a more global approach to settings that reflect the whole system rather than settings per box, and to achieve this the actual settings in a box (e.g. antenna selection in the tuner) would be controlled through a network rather than local panel controls. The controls would all originate from a controller (or multiple controllers in case of multiple operators operating independently), which could be dedicated devices a la Maestro, or PC's (for cheap users), or hardware transceivers such as the K3. Of course, the K3 would have to get firmware updates that would include more ANT choices, drive power display mode, selection of classic operation mode versus global controller mode, etc. 73, Erik K7TV ______________________________________________________________ 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] |
|
|
In reply to this post by john@kk9a.com
Getting back to Eric's original question, I suggest that the main appeal of the KPA500 is its easy interoperability with the Elecraft product line, and that this should be the baseline feature for a new high powered amp. Yes the KPA500 can be used very easily with other transceivers, but it's probably best with Elecraft transceivers. "Like having a 500 watt transceiver" or 1500 w going forward. I have used the KPA500 with a TS590S on a trip to V4 and it is very nice, but not with all the ease of use I would have had with a K3.
So far as overall architecture i.e. separate power supply, etc, I think this depends on the nature of other future companion products for such an amp. Those of us outside Elecraft have not seen these yet, so our speculations are only in the context of existing products. Many of these decisions are probably already made by those at Elecraft with this knowledge. I suggest that Elecraft has a history of introducing products which do not obsolete their existing products, but rather expand their line into new niches of the market. It is reasonable to assume that they will continue to do this. Based on this assumption, while the K3/KPA500 products are nice on the operating desk at home, they are also easily transported (ideal for DXpeditions), a new line of K products might be a bit larger with primary focus on the operating desk and more advanced built-in displays. With the existing K3 line in place they would not necessarily need to be very portable. A companion higher power linear might have a bit more room inside for larger PS and/or auto tuner. Looking at an autotuner vs. built-in PS, I currently operate a K3S with an SPE 1.3K-FA amp. It comes close to the high power transceiver concept, except due to the unique ALC Elecraft approach, I can't rely on the usual SPE's ability to use the ALC to throttle back transceiver drive levels. Its easy to set drive levels manually with K3 so no big problem. I just have to remember to do it. It would be nice to have this capability just like the KPA500 provides. The SPE is a nice small amp not much larger than a KPA500 and includes an antenna tuner and PS. However, like most built-in tuners, it gives up some capability. It does not like to deal with mis-matches over about 4:1. Considering that this is at about the 1500w level, this limit is understandable in the size of the amp. I try to keep my antenna SWRs within this constraint. I also have the autotune option in my K3S which, unlike most built-in tuners, deals nicely with SWRs of up to 10:1, but of course at the 100w level. G iven the choice of a built-in high power autotuner able to deal with SWRs in say the 6 or 7:1 range vs built-in PS, I would remote the PS. If a 10:1 tuner was offered but in a larger package, I would remote everything except a control head for the amp and tuner. Not a long distance maybe of to 10 ft. Having a separate KAT1500 auto tuner in the line is another possibility, but it would have to have some features over the Palstar HF- Auto or Kessler AT- Auto. 73, Dave, K1KA David Mackey [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] |
|
|
In reply to this post by K7TV
+1. Wish I never had to touch the buttons or look at the displays on my
KPA500 or KAT500 ever. On Sun, Mar 19, 2017 at 1:49 AM, Erik Basilier <[hidden email]> wrote: > Now I have the KPA500 and KAT500 actually up and running for the first > time. > I am very happy with my purchase, and the combo is better integrated than > anything else I have used. > By integrated, I mean the boxes work together well. > The fact that they are separate boxes, that I could purchase at different > times, is a big plus for me. > However, I have to disagree with those that have said that it all works > like > having a 500W transceiver. > Examples: > * Antenna selection now has to be done from the KAT500. I can't do it by > the > ANT button on the K3, so the labels on the antennas defined there are now > useless. > * The Power readout is now on the amp, and the Power knob on the K3 just > shows the drive power. It is certainly valuable to be able to read the > drive > power, but in a 500W transceiver that would be a separate readout, and the > Power adjustment readout would show the final output power. > Again, I am happy, and all is good. > But a future Electraft architecture that is to overshadow the competition > would use a more global approach to settings that reflect the whole system > rather than settings per box, and to achieve this the actual settings in a > box (e.g. antenna selection in the tuner) would be controlled through a > network rather than local panel controls. The controls would all originate > from a controller (or multiple controllers in case of multiple operators > operating independently), which could be dedicated devices a la Maestro, or > PC's (for cheap users), or hardware transceivers such as the K3. Of course, > the K3 would have to get firmware updates that would include more ANT > choices, drive power display mode, selection of classic operation mode > versus global controller mode, etc. > > 73, > Erik K7TV > > ______________________________________________________________ > 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] |
«
Return to Elecraft
|
1 view|%1 views
| Free forum by Nabble | Edit this page |