Hello Jack, Elecraft's practice is to offer you different options to choose such as additional ATU, PSU, remote control, band data decoder etc etc. As a result, the initial price tag could be very attractive.
The merit of this arrangement is that you have the absolute freedom to choose you own preferred combination of options such as main linear + matched ATU + matched PSU. I would expect the whole bill acted up together could be quite handsome. On the other hand, with strengthen of JPY, Elecraft's pricing could have more room to play with and could be more attractive when compared with Japanese products. Clearly, if you go for the tube amp option, it could be cheaper. However, I personally prefer solid state linear due to a painful story with the high tension in tube amps. My only reason to go for KPA500 is that I am looking for an amplifier which can be serviceable by myself. None of my ICPW1 and Quadra can fulfill this requirement. Compared with K3, the technology involved in linear amplifier is far more simpler. In other words, a 20 years old amplifier could equally well perform. However, the technology in transceiver has improved a lot in the past two decades. The development of K3 over the K2 is a good example. 73 Johnny VR2XMC ----- 郵件原件 ---- 寄件人﹕ Jack Brabham <k...@att.net> 收件人﹕ elecraft@mailman.qth.net 傳送日期﹕ 2010/9/9 (四) 9:51:51 PM 主題： Re: [Elecraft] KPA-500 Features and Pricing It looks like Elecraft may be abandoning their traditional "most bang for the buck" market position in favor of selling over priced "matching accessories" to stupid yuppies. Unlike the K3, a $2000 500W amp is not going to be in the "best value" position in anyone's analysis, although I'm sure they will sell a few to the "true believers". Currently, used prices for ALS-600's run $800 to $900 and ALS-1300's are showing up for sale at $1800 to $2000. In my case, there is a finite amount of money available for radio station enhancements. When I can buy a solid state MFJ for ~$1.50/watt or an older no-tune ETO Alpha for ~$1.00/watt, a $4.00/watt Amp that's principal virtue seems to be matching my K3, doesn't have a snow balls chance in Hades of ever gracing my desk. But maybe the rumored ridiculous price point is just a smoke screen and the real product will show up with a more palatible price. 73 Jack KZ5A K3 #4165 On 9/8/2010 2:12 PM, K4SC wrote: > After 45 years on the air, I'm finally getting an itch to bump my power over > 100 watts; 500 - 600 watts seems like a reasonable amount of 75 meter power > for me. I'm seriously looking at amplifiers and tuners, but hesitant to > make a purchase decision before getting at least some warm fuzzies about the > KPA-500 pricing and availability. > > Been looking at a lot of new and used tube based amplifiers and 1KW tuners; > getting the sense that I could spend upwards of $1500 for anything decent. > If the KPA-500 is going to sell for close to that figure, or less of course, > I can probably keep my money stashed and wait a few more months. It sure > would look nice next to the K3& P3. > > If, however, the KPA-500 is going to cost much more than $1500, I will > probably go the tube route. > > So, what I'm hoping to get from someone "in the know" is a ballpark figure > on the KPA-500. I assume the antenna tuner is built in, and not an > additional cost. If that isn't the case, then knowing the ATU cost would > also be helpful. ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
