What power for PSK31

[KC4MOP]

Basically it is keeping the TX levels from being maxed out and very little or no ALC. Most reports I read from digital modes I use are around 10-30 watts. There is no need for QRO.

The bigger part of this is your transceiver. A 100W PEP radio will get very very hot using these digital modes. (Almost like continuous duty) And you can shorten it's life. Many digital programs warn of this. Plus it lets other users in these little slices of radio spectrum share the freq. Being the channel master is not what the digital modes were intended for.

[AD6KA]

The bigger part of this is your transceiver. A 100W PEP radio will get very very hot using these digital modes. (Almost like continuous duty) And you can shorten it's life.

Well, if the radio IS RATED for %100 Duty Cycle
I don't see a problem. I've run %100 Duty Cycle radios
at 100+ watts on FSK or AFSK for 12 hours straight, and
40 out of 48 hours in contests.
That doesn't mean I endorse 100w, on PSK31,
but I have run it occasionally.

Speaking of shortened life......

I recently got an LDG Z-100PLUS ATU
This is the exact quote from the included manual:
SPECIFICATIONS:

"0.1 to 125 watts SSB, CW, and digital modes."

This is the EXACT QUOTE from the LDG Website
for the Z-100PLUS ATU:
Specifications:

"RF Power: 0.1 to 125 watts SSB and CW, 30W on PSK."

Check it out before they change their claims:
http://www.ldgelectronics.com/c/252/products/17/49/2

[KA2UUP]

A good away to adjust for PSK31 is to put your transmitter on CW mode and adjust for 50 Watts on your power meter, then switching to SSB and adjust your PSK31 output so as not to cause your ALC to kick in.  In my IC-746 this equates to about 20 Watts output with no distortion when observed on my SM-220.

Good luck!

Bert @ KA2UUP 

[AA4PB]

The BEST way is to set the radio's power control to FULL CLOCKWISE and then back the audio level down to limit the output power to 30W or whatever you desire. Setting the control for some other power level does nothing except to increase the possiblity of causing distortion.

And yes, if your radio is rated for 100W continuous duty then you can run 100W PSK all day long without overheating the transceiver. That doesn't however, necessarily mean that the IMD will be acceptable.