Re: KPA500 (another view)

Posted by Jim Bennett on Jan 17, 2012; 11:50pm
URL: http://elecraft.85.s1.nabble.com/KPA500-another-view-tp7198413p7198514.html

It's all relative to how to spend what dollars one has. For me, if money was no concern, I might have a mega KW Alpha sitting on my desk. But I don't have that kind of money, nor the additional dollars to run a dedicated 240V line to the shack. With the dollars I don't spend on a 1,500 watt amp, I can wait for the KAT500 Auto Tuner and get a 500 watt station that plays very well with my all-band, 600-ohm ladder line fed doublet. (And still run it off the existing 117V line in the shack.) Folks going from a 1,500 watt station to a 500 watt station probably will see the difference in a negative light. But I, like a lot of others, went from a 100 watt station up to a 500 watt station. BIG improvement. :-) :-)

Jim / W6JHB

On   Tuesday, Jan 17, 2012, at  Tuesday, 3:12 PM, Brian Alsop wrote:

> It's been stated here that the difference between 1500W and 500W is
> mostly unimportant.  Most views are going from about 100 w to 500 W.
>
> Here is another view based up the past 15 days of operation with a
> KPA-500.  The previously 1500 watts was used with identical antennas.
>
> I chase DX and specifically the DX Marathon award where you try to work
> as many countries as possible each year.  Yes I can still work stations
> but the net effect is:
>
> 1) You won't work everything you used to
> 2) It takes longer to work them
> 3) SSB pileup cracking is more difficult
> 4) RTTY pileups are more difficult still.
>
> Frustration.
>
> It hasn't been a complete wash.  I've managed 174 countries/40 zones
> with the KPA-500 BUT GETTING THERE WAS A LOT MORE DIFFICULT than Jan. 2011.
>
> The above isn't unexpected.
>
> Bring on a KPA-1000.
>
> 73 de Brian/K3KO
>
>
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