Thoughts on changing from ACOM 1000 to KPA500?

[Bill OMara]

 

 

 

Thoughts on changing from ACOM 1000 to KPA500?

 

Thoughts on changing from K3 With ACOM 1000 to K3 with KPA500?

 

At my home QTH I run four contest stations with three of the stations being
FT-1000MPs and Alpha 99 amps.  My fourth station is a K3 with Acom 1000 for
a KW on 6M.  The W4RM contest team only runs one MM contest per year and all
others are M2 or me running SO.  When we run M2 we use two of the 1000mp and
alpha 99 amp station for this operation and the other two stations for
multiplier and in band QSOs.

 

My primary everyday station is the K3 and Acom1000.  I thinking of selling
the Acom 1000 and moving to the KPA500 and KAT500 tuner.  The first thing I
had to considering is the drop from 1KW to 500W on all HF and 6M and I think
I'm good with this change for contesting and everyday use.

 

The reason for me considering this change is that every time I want to
change bands I have to re-tune the ACOM 1000 amp and the ACOM 1000 is not
good with following a number chart on the tune and load and therefore
requires me to really tune it every time.  So, the no tune aspect of the
KPA500 is very appealing and the driving reason for me considering this
change (everyday use verses contesting use).

 

But, I do operate SO contests mostly PT from the K3 station as well as need
the K3 and KPA500 for a full time CQWW SSB MM effort which would be its
largest duty cycle during the year (48 hours at full power call CQ).

 

So, my question is how will the KPA500 hold up to my contesting Duty Cycle
for this full time MM effort as well as all of my PT SO efforts throughout
the contest year and years? Or should I stay with the ACOM 1000 because to
the higher duty cycle of contesting and the benefit of extra 500w output?

 

All of my contesting is CW and SSB from the K3 and ACOM station.

 

Thanks for your time on this subject.

 

73 Bill  W4RM

 

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[Jim Brown-10]

On 8/2/2013 1:46 PM, Bill OMara wrote:
> Or should I stay with the ACOM 1000 because to
> the higher duty cycle of contesting and the benefit of extra 500w output?

No problem with contesting duty cycle, and you can run the KPA500 at
full power on RTTY. I don't know about the ACOM for RTTY. The KPA is
good for about 650W on HF, and about 550W on 6M. So the question really
boils down to whether the saving of operating time (and brain cycles) is
worth 2dB. Another advantage of the KPA is that it's instant on, so if
you're idling a tube amp to be ready for DX in an instant, you save the
bucks it costs to heat the filaments. That may not be a big deal in W4,
but it is in CA, where our differential cost of power is about $0.35 per
kWh.

My decision is use Ten Tec Titans (1.5kW)  for high power contesting and
to break through a wall of EU or east coast to DX, but use the KPA
during the week. OTOH, the only heat in my shack is a space heater, and
the Titans help out when it gets chilly.

73, Jim K9YC
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