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| Reviews Summary for Elecraft KPA-500 |
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Reviews: 58
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Average rating: 5.0/5
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MSRP: $1999.95 Kit Form
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Description: KPA-500 Solid State Amplifier 160-10M Plus 6M, Auto Band
Switching via RF sense or cable connection.
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Product is in production.
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More info: http://www.elecraft.com/
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write your own review of the Elecraft KPA-500.
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VE7IG
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Rating: 5/5
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Jun 9, 2013 08:26
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Excellent!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Obtained for a remote installation along with the
KAT500 auto tuner, the amplifier and tuner work very well controlled over the internet using either the older control program or the new internet control program currently available as a Beta from Elecraft's site. No need to say much about the operation of the amplifier, it works perfectly with 500w output at about 30 watts drive and band switches automatically with RF detection.
For anyone using the Remoterig RRC boxes, both the KPA500 and the KAT500 auto tuner will work on com1 and com2 simultaneously using serial port setting 4 for both ports. There will be no extra com port for CAT in this case and you will need a serial server (such as the Moxa 5450) for Ham Radio Deluxe, for instance.
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W9DJ
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Rating: 5/5
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Jun 4, 2013 19:26
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Oustanding Product
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I am going to echo V47JA's review of this fine amp. I also bought it (and the matching tuner) at Dayton. I spent 6-7 hours assembling the kit, which is very straightforward. The only issues are dropping small washers on the floor and it does take a bit of finger strength in a couple of places, but there is no soldering and it worked perfectly the first time. I get 500-600 watts out with 30 watts drive from my Omni VII, with great audio reports. The frequency sensing auto band change is great, and the amp appears to be bullet proof. The fan is also very quiet. I will be networking it so I can monitor and control it remotely over the internet and will report back on how that goes.
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V47JA
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Rating: 5/5
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Jun 2, 2013 08:34
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Excellent product
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Purchased at Dayton on Saturday, and was shipped by Elecraft the following Wed. It took about 8 hours to build the KPA-500 kit, the instuctions are clear, detailed and well illustrated. It worked perfect the first time on power-up. Driving it with the TS-590S, with 35 watts, I am getting 580 watts output. Both my PowerMaster SWR/PWR Meter, and the KPA500 internal SWR/PWR meters agree exactly. Every report, on very band has been excellent. Solid product all the way around. I am sure it will enjoy it's vacation life on St. Kitts.
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AA6TJ
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Rating: 5/5
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May 28, 2013 06:40
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The Best
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have been very happy with my KPA500 which I use with Kenwood TS590s. I just changed the KPA 500 firmware to version 1.23 and now the RS232(xcvr)port works with the TS590s to change bands as the bands are changed on the TS590 without transmission. Many contacts have commented on the great audio and strong signal from the KPA500. I highly recommend it.
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K0IMI
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Rating: 5/5
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May 20, 2013 15:04
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Excellent companion for a K3
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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I built the KPA500 and introduced it to my K3 about 3 months ago. It was love at first sight. They are a perfect match. This is like operating a 500 watt transceiver. The K3 and KPA500 read each others' minds (like my wife and I do after nearly 50 years.)
This is my first solid state amp and it is a pleasure not to have to constantly retune. But that is only the beginning. Mated with a K3, the KPA500 changes bands when the K3 changes bands, it tells the K3 to reduce power when the amp is in the operating mode, the LCD display and the LED bars let me know exactly what is happening, and so much more. It doesn't get any better than this.
Like all Elecraft kits, it went together smoothly and worked correctly when first operated. Mine came with the wrong screws for the handle but that was no problem. The correct screws arrived in a couple of days and I then installed the handle.
If you have a K3 and want more than the 100 watts, this is definitely the way to go.
Thank you Elecraft.
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K0JJR
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Rating: 5/5
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May 10, 2013 07:59
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Well Worth It
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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This is a fine piece of gear. Small, quiet, and very informative with the LCD display and the LED bar graphs. I have mine wired for 220V and fed by a Flex 5000A. 33-40 watts in yields 500 watts out. It's very smart and protects itself from operator errors. It's expensive, but it's well worth the price.
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K7LA
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Rating: 5/5
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Apr 18, 2013 12:13
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Worth the Money
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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The old adage is you don't buy a power drill, you buy the hole it makes. If you are in the market for a 500 watt compact amplifier I highly recommend the Elecraft KPA-500. It works seamlessly and is the one piece of gear in the shack that I never have to give a second thought.
The Elecraft KPA-500 amplifier is driven by a Yaesu FT-2000 rig. To integrate rigs and enable automatic band switching I needed a cable to connect the Yaesu 8 pin DIN BAND DATA jack to the KPA-500 15 pin AUX connector. The interface cable was sourced from Phil, W4AIN of On The Air Communications, a firm I highly recommend. Simply connect the interface, make a simple Elecraft menu change and you are on the air. The amp will automatically switch to your TX frequency, simplex or split ops.
Also have the optional Elecraft interface cable to connect to their K3 rig if I encounter one in the field. Please note, firmware upgrades are simple with a connection to your PC and Elecraft's handy free utility software program. A couple of mouse clicks and your amp is updated to the latest and the greatest version.
When you need to put a little more punch into your station, you could do a lot worse than the KPA-500. Yes, there are cheaper amps out there but plan on down time for repairs. The KPA-500 just keeps operating and I get great audio reports. Highly recommended.
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VR2XMC
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Rating: 5/5
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Apr 18, 2013 07:58
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great for QRV
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have been using this amp for more than 2 years. It can not only integrate the elecraft radios but also the others. It has its own internal frequency counter for band switching. I like its size which is small enough for QRV purposes. I used it in the 2011 CQWW for long hours and it was functioning flawlessly. I bought the kit in order to learn its architecture. The kit building experience is interesting and not difficult at all. There have been some hardware changes for the later production. As always, elecraft is happy to provide the required hardwares for my update.
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K7UA
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Rating: 5/5
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Jan 29, 2013 13:32
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Gerat amp!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I ordered mine when they first came out. I built it myself without any trouble. I was one of the very few unlucky ones that got some defective final transistors that promptly blew their tops off. Elecraft quickly made it right with a new RF module. They gave fantastic customer service. I use the KPA500 some on HF and it is my only amp of 6M, replacing an old converted AL80A. I worked JA on 6 M this summer with it. Quite a long haul from here. The way it follows the K3 makes for a 500 watt transceiver. Along with the P3 panadapter the K3/P3/KPA500 make one slick setup!
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KY6R
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 2, 2012 18:35
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Perfect
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I was using an Ameritron AL-811H and love that amp, but when I saw the KPA-500 at Pacificon I was "smitten". I am mainly a DX-er.
Its wonderful to not have to tune the amplifier, and fast band changes when DX-ing is fantastic.
The fit, finish and fault protection so far seem perfect for my needs. My first serious test was working ZL9HR, and it passes with flying colors.
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