Elecraft® Hands-On Ham Radio™

KPA500 Compact 160-6 M Solid State Amplifier

Factory Assembled, or Modular No-Soldering Kit

500+ Watts in a compact package the size of the K3.
We are proud to introduce the KPA500: A 500-watt solid-state amp that integrates so well with your station, you’ll think it's reading your mind. Exactly the same size as the K3 transceiver, the KPA500 fills out our K3-P3-KPA500 'K-Line'. The KPA500 features 160-6 m coverage, instant RF-based band switching with any radio, alphanumeric status display, bright LED bar graphs, and a rugged, internal linear supply. The amp’s manual band switches may be used to directly change bands on the K3. Also the K3 can even select per-band amplifier drive levels automatically when the amp is placed into operate mode, so you’ll rarely need to adjust power output. But the KPA500 is not just limited to use with the K3 – it is fully compatible with most radios. (Only amplifier keying (PTT) and RF are required for operation including instant RF frequency sensing, fully automatic band switching.)

KPA500 Features:

500W, Compact, Solid State FET amplifier for 160-6 m
Works and auto band selects with any radio that provides Key-Out and RF signals.
Exactly the same size as the K3
26 lbs, 12 kg
Internal low noise linear power supply: 100-120, 200-240 VAC, 50/60 Hz operation
Instant-on operation
Rugged, conservative design with smart soft and hard fault detection
Intelligently reduces power by 2.5 dB temporarily when presented with input overdrive or a high SWR, allowing you to quickly reduce your drive to compensate without dropping the amplifier off-line. The amp automatically recovers to full power once the soft fault condition is corrected.
Excessive overdrive or SWR events instantly place the amp safely into protective stand-by
Works with any radio that supplies PTT to Ground & RF
Ultra high speed QSK. Silent, diode switched T/R
Super fast RF sensing band selection. Only PTT and RF required for fully automatic band changing operation.
Can receive band data information from most radios that supply it
Fully remote controllable
Six speed temperature sensing fan
Advanced integration with the K3 using the optional KPAK3AUX cable:
- KPA500 band buttons drive the K3 band and drive level
- Band data is sent from K3 to KPA500 before TX
- PTT included in cable, external PTT cable not required
- The K3 senses KPA500 operate/standby state and adjusts drive power between two memorized levels on each band.
Get the Latest Features Directly from the Internet. Upgrading software in the KPA500, like our K3 and P3, takes just one click, thanks to our convenient KPA500 Utility PC application. The program automatically checks our server and lets you know when new versions are available. Downloads are done at high speed (38.4 kb) via the built-in RS232 port. (USB adapter available.)
Available Factory Assembled, or as a Modular No-Soldering Kit
KAT500 Autotuner estimated ship date: See our Shipping Status page

KPA500 Demo Video

ARRL Preview of KPA500 (Review will be in Dec 2011 QST)

KPA500 Manual (pdf)
KPA500 Kit Assembly manual (pdf) (Preliminary)
KPA500 Datasheet (pdf)
Warranty and Repair Information
KPA500 Firmware Update and KPA Utility Page
Balun performance on the input versus the output of tuners

Click pictures to enlarge


KPA500 Top View - Linear Supply and RF Sections	KPA500 Rear View

Last Edited: Wed, August 1, 2012