ELECRAFT KPA500 User manual

ELECRAFT KPA1500
1500-WATT AMPLIFIER
OWNER’S MANUAL
Revision A1 (Dr ft), August 9, 2017
E740301
Copyright © 2017, Elecr ft, Inc.
All Rights Reserved

WARNING
Dangerous Voltages
Inside the KPA1500
Before opening the KPA1500 RF Deck or Power Suppl
enclosures:
1. Turn off the KPA1500 b tapping the front panel ON
switch and wait until the fan stops. (The fan drains
the power suppl to a safe voltage.)
2. Disconnect the Power Suppl at RF Deck rear panel
before opening the RF Deck enclosure.
3. Disconnect the Power Suppl from the mains before
opening the cover.
Key to Symbols Abbrevi tions nd Text Styles
Important – read carefully
Oper ting tip
TEM P Tap switch function (l beled above switch; press for less th n 1/2 second)
PK HOLD Hold switch function (l beled below switch; press for t le st1/2 sec. to
ctiv te)
LED Light Emitting Diode
LCD Liquid Cryst l Displ y
CAUTION
Follow the instructions under a Caution to a oid damage to the equipment.
WARNING
Follow the instructions under a Warning to a oid serious personal injury.
2

Introduction
On beh lf of our entire design te m, we’d like to th nk you for choosing the Elecr ft KPA1500 mplifier.
The KPA1500 offers unique combin tion of fe tures. It’s one of the sm llest 1500-W mplifiers v il ble. The
power supply is in sep r te enclosure for e se of st tion l yout.
The KPA1500 is c p ble of fully utom tic oper tion, yet h s n lph numeric displ y nd full complement of
front p nel switches for precise m nu l control. A comprehensive remote-control comm nd set is lso included.
The KPA1500 c n be used with ne rly ny tr nsceiver, th nks to its inst nt neous RF-b sed b nd switching,
dv nced protection circuitry, djust ble ALC, nd extensive p r metric monitoring. It lso h s inputs th t
llow direct b nd switching from m ny popul r tr nsceivers. T/R is completely noise-free th nks to the use of
PIN-diode switching.
The KPA1500 comes with built-in Autom tic Antenn Tuner (ATU) th t c n h ndle lo d SWR up to 3:1 t
full 1500 w tt output in ny mode.
Of course the KPA1500 is n ide l comp nion for the Elecr ft K3 tr nsceiver, both physic lly nd electric lly.
The K3 c n sense whether the mp is in st ndby or oper te mode, then select the ppropri te per-b nd power
settings. This llows you to set up the K3 for “b refoot” oper tion t one power level on e ch b nd, nd then
switch the mp to oper te nd set up optim l drive levels for full 1500-W output. The K3/KPA1500
combin tion is lso c p ble of extremely f st bre k-in, especi lly when the K3 is pl ced in QRQ (high-speed
CW) mode. The two re so well-integr ted th t you c n use the per-b nd switches on the mplifier to ch nge
b nds t the tr nsceiver.
If you use the KPA1500 with both the K3 tr nsceiver nd P3 p n d pter – our new “K-Line” – you’ll enjoy
high degree of oper ting convenience, long with world-cl ss perform nce and the power to get the job done.
73,
W yne, N6KR
Eric, WA6HHQ
3

FCC-Mandated Part 15 Notice:
This equipment h s been tested nd found to comply with the limits for Cl ss B digit l device,
pursu nt to p rt 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits re designed to provide re son ble protection
g inst h rmful interference in residenti l inst ll tion. This equipment gener tes, uses nd c n
r di te r dio frequency energy nd, if not inst lled nd used in ccord nce with the instructions, m y
c use h rmful interference to r dio communic tions. However, there is no gu r ntee th t interference
will not occur in p rticul r inst ll tion. If this equipment does c use h rmful interference to r dio or
television reception, which c n be determined by turning the equipment off nd on, the user is
encour ged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following me sures:
- Reorient or reloc te the receiving ntenn .
- Incre se the sep r tion between the equipment nd receiver.
–Connect the equipment into n outlet on circuit different from th t to which the receiver is
connected.
–Consult the de ler or n experienced r dio/TV technici n for help.
Reg rding the computer interf ce: ch nges or modific tions not expressly pproved by Elecr ft could
void the user's uthority to oper te this equipment.
Elecr ft Inc.
125 Westridge Dr.
W tsonville, CA 95076
[phone]
www.elecr ft.com
4

Inst ll tion
Inst ll tion consists of the following:
Positioning the KPA1500 RF Deck nd Power Supply to provide for proper cooling (pg 6).
Connecting the KPA1500 RF Deck nd Power Supply (pg 6)
C bling the KPA1500 RF Deck to your other st tion equipment (pg 6).
The KPA1500 re r p nel is shown in Figure 1. The connectors nd controls re described following the figure.
Figure 1. KPA1500 Re r P nel
nd SO-239 RF connectors to ntenn system or dummy lo d.
SO-239 connector for RF input from the driving tr nsceiver.
Low level KPA1500 tr nsmit sign l output.
St tion ground tt chment.
High volt ge connection to the KPA1500 power supply.
Control circuit connection to the KPA1500 power supply.
Accepts 12V input for remote control pplic tions to power the KPA1500 on or off.
Neg tive-going volt ge for tr nsceivers th t require ALC. (Elecr ft tr nsceivers do not require this
connection.
En bles the KPA1500 by short to ground. 5 Vdc open circuit inhibits the KPA1500 . When grounded the
source must sink 1mA to en ble the KPA1500.
For interconnecting c ble to fully integr te the KPA1500 with n Elecr ft K3 or K3S for enh nce mode
oper tion.
Input sign l to the intern l KPA1500 utom tic ntenn tuner (ATU) th t emul tes n Icom remote ATU
when the KPA1500 is used with Icom tr nsceivers.
RS232 level seri l d t connection for use with the KPA1500 Utility progr m nd other computer-b sed
pplic tions
Ethernet connection for loc l or remote oper tion pplic tions.
USB connection to virtu l COM port for use with the KPA1500 Utility nd other computer-b sed progr ms.
5

Positioning the KPA1500 RF Deck and Power Supply
Provide t le st 4 inches (10 cm) cle r nce behind the f ns nd t le st 1 inch (2.5 cm) cle r nce round the top,
bottom nd sides for norm l cooling ir flow.
The supplied c bles llow the power supply nd RF deck to be pl ced up to 66 inches (167 cm) p rt. The
Power Supply c n be oper ted remotely nd so need not be positioned within re ch of the oper tor. The f ns
oper te whenever the KPA1500 is on, so you c n pl ce the power supply under the oper ting desk or elsewhere
to minimize the sound of the f ns.
Cabling – Power Supply
A m ins power c ble is provided th t plugs into the Power Supply. The other end h s b re wires for you to dd
the 240 VAC connector needed to m tch your m ins outlet.
Connect the Power Supply to the RF deck with the supplied 66-inch (167 cm) c ble th t h s n Anderson
PowerPole® connector nd 12-pin connector t e ch end.
Plug the PowerPole connector tnto the HV Supply connector ( ) on the RF Deck re r p nel (see Figure 1) nd
the corresponding connector on the Power Supply. Observe the pol rity; m tch the colors on the plug with the
connectors
Connect the 15-pin connector to the Power Supply nd the Control connector ( ) on the RF Deck re r p nel.
Cabling – RF Deck
Always turn the KPA1500 off before attaching or remo ing cables.
The KPA1500 m y be used with the Elecr ft K3, K2 or ny HF/6 meter tr nsmitter nd th t h s KEY IN
output meeting the requirements shown under note 4 below. Interconnections with the tr nsceiver re shown in
Figure 2. The driving tr nsceiver must provide up to TBD w tts of RF drive for full output nd the output power
must be djust ble s described under Transmitting on pg 11.
The option l KPAK3AUX c ble provides closer integr tion with the K3 by sh ring b nd inform tion between
the KPA1500 nd the tr nsceiver (see Figure 3). The KPAK3AUX c ble provides ll the oper tion l fe tures
described under Oper tion, including coordin ted b nd-switching (pg 11). The KPAK3AUX c ble includes the
KEY IN line. If you need ccess to this line so th t other equipment c n control the mplifier, you c n inst ll the
Key Line interrupter supplied with your KPAK3AUX c ble set nd use sep r te key line s shown in Figure 4.
You must use the Key Line Interrupter when using a separate key line with the
KPAK3AUX cable set. Otherwise any external equipment inserted into the key line will not
be able to inhibit the amplifier.
You c n m ke c bles for use with Y esu nd Icom tr nsceivers th t lso provide closer integr tion with the
KPA1. For det ils of those c bles nd the KPAK3AUX c ble set see AUX Connector Interf ce on p ge 22.
NOTE
1. Connect your st tion ground to the GND wing-nut . A good st tion ground is import nt for s fety nd
to minimize loc l r dio frequency interference (RFI).
6

2. Att ch the RF INPUT to the output of your driving tr nsceiver or tr nsmitter using 50 ohm co xi l
c ble with PL-259 m le connector on the KPA1500 end.
. Att ch the RF OUTPUT to suit ble lo d with n SWR of less th n 1.5:1. A dummy lo d is strongly
recommended for initi l testing.
4. The driving tr nsmitter must ground the KEY IN line circuit during tr nsmit while sinking up to 1 mA.
If the tr nsmitter Key Output is not cont ct closure or equiv lent, it must be t level between +4 nd
+16 VDC during receive. (Comp tible with ll known tr nsmitters. No key line buffer required.)
Figure 2. B sic C bling Di gr m for Any Tr nsceiver.
7

Figure 3. K3S Enh nced C bling Using KPAK3AUX C ble.
8

Figure 4. K3S Enh nced C bling Using KPAK3AUX C ble nd Sep r te Key Line.
9

Oper tion
IMPORTANT
When the KPA1500 is turned off using the front-p nel switch, p rt of the control circuitry
rem ins on s long s m ins power is pplied to the Power Supply. Keeping the control circuitry
energized llows the KPA1500 to be turned on nd off remotely s well s from the front-p nel
switch.. If you do not need to control the KPA1500 remotely nd would prefer to s ve the sm ll
mount of power required to power the control circuitry, either switch the Power Supply
completely off or provide n extern l m ins power switch.
Power On
1. Ensure suit ble 50 ohm lo d is tt ched to the ANT 1 or ANT 2 connector on the re r p nel .
T p the front p nel ANTENNA switch to select the ntenn connector used. The ssoci ted LED
will be illumin ted. A dummy lo d is recommended for initi l tests.
2. En ble the power supply by pressing the re r p nel rocker switch (Figure 1, ) to the On (I)
position.
Switches with a legend abo e and below the pushbutton ha e two
functions. Tap (press briefly) to acti ate the function labeled abo e a switch.
Hold to acti ate the function labeled below the switch. In the text, tap
functions are shown like this: STATUS. An example of a hold function is
ED I T.
Figure 5. KPA1500 Front P nel.
3. T p the O N switch . The LCD nd STBY LED should light.
If at any time the FAULT LED lights, refer to Fault Conditions, pg 14.
10

Band Switching
Automatic Band Switching: The KPA1500 utom tic lly me sures the frequency of the RF
drive nd selects the proper b nd. The KEY IN input must be connected to the driving tr nsmitter.
Manual Band Switching: T p ny of the front-p nel BAND switches to select th t b nd.
Coordinated K3 and KPA1500 Band Switching: When the option l AUX c ble (pg 6) is
connected between the KPA1500 nd the K3 or K3S:
The KPA1500 will follow the b nd selected on K3 or K3S tr nsceiver.
T pping BAND switch on the KPA1500 will c use the K3 or K3S to ch nge b nds
ccordingly.
B nd switching control in which the KPA1500 follows the tr nsceiver b nd selection without
tr nsmitting is v il ble with other popul r tr nsceivers such s Icom nd Y esu with the
ppropri te interconnection c ble. See AUX Connector Interf ce on pg 22. However, the control
is one-w y. The KPA1500 c nnot comm nd the tr nsceiver to ch nge b nds.
The automatic band selection function is acti e whene er the KEY IN is low (transmit
mode) and the transmitter is deli ering RF dri e to the KPA1500. The automatic band selection
function o errides band selection made by any other means to protect the KPA1500 from
damage by wrong-band operation.
Antenna Selection
T p A N TE N N A to select the desired re r p nel ntenn indic ted by lighted ANT 1 or ANT 2 LED bove
the switch. Do not attempt to change the antenna selection while transmitting.
11

Transmitting
The POWER (W) nd st nding w ve r tio (SWR) b rgr phs re function l when the mplifier is in
st ndby (STBY). Twenty-five w tts from the driving tr nsceiver will illumin te the first POWER LED.
You m y run up to 200 w tts through the KPA1500 in STBY.
1. Be sure you h ve n ntenn or dummy lo d connected to the ctive ntenn output (see Antenna
Selection on p ge 11)
2. T p the MODE switch nd confirm th t the STBY LED goes out nd the OPER LED lights.
3. Apply few w tts of RF drive nd note th t the POWER (W) b rgr ph illumin tes to indic te
the RF output power. Never exceed 100 w tts of drive to the KPA1500 in OPER mode. Norm l
drive levels will be bout 50 w tts. The KPA1500 will not mplify without the KEY IN sign l.
Note th t the TX LED lights when the key sign l is present. If the KEY IN sign l is not
present, INHIBIT will ppe r on the LCD (See the INHIBIT menu entry on p ge 15)
NOTE
If you pply RF drive t frequency below 1.6 MHz, between 26 MHz nd 28
MHz, or bove 54 MHz, INVALID will ppe r on the LCD nd the KPA1500 will
not mplify.
4. Incre se the drive power nd confirm th t the SWR b rgr ph indic tes less th n 1.5 while the
output indic ted by the POWER (W) LEDs incre ses. For e se in re ding the critic l SWR levels,
the SWR LEDs re green from 1 to 1.5. The 1.5 to 2.1 SWR LEDs re yellow nd the LEDs for
SWRs bove 2.1 re red. Up to TBD w tts of drive m y be required to produce the full 1500
w tts output from the KPA1500. During he vy use, you m y he r udible clicking sounds,
p rticul rly s mplifier components cool fter tr nsmitting. This is norm l. It does not indic te
th t the mplifier is being overly stressed.
5. When driving the KPA1500 with n Elecr ft K3 or K3S, use the K3 or K3S per-b nd power
control to set the mplifier output just below the desired pe k output on e ch b nd. Do not rely on
ALC to control the power output (see Using ALC, pg 12). At the K3 or K3S, set
CONFIG:POWER SET to Per Band. See Per-Band Power Control in your K3 or K3S Owner’s
m nu l for further det ils.
If you use the AUX cable interface between the K3 or K3S and KPA1500 (pg 22), the
KPA1500 will send the OPER/STBY status to the K3 or K3S. You can then set two per-
band power le els at the K3 or K3S: one to dri e the KPA1500 when it is in OPER mode
and another for pass-through transmitting when the KPA1500 is in STBY. The K3 or K3S
will automatically furnish your preset power le els as you switch the KPA1500 between
OPER and STBY.
Using ALC
Autom tic Level Control (ALC) is useful s fety mech nism, but never use ALC s the principle power
control. Doing so c uses m ny of the unw nted tr nsmit dyn mics you often he r on the ir including excessive
intermodul tion distortion (IMD) nd clicks. Inste d, set your tr nsmitter power output correctly s described
under Transmitting nd djust the ALC so it does not ffect output power in norm l oper tion. To do this, drive
the KPA5100 to the desired output. Adjust ALC THR in the menu (pg 15) until power just st rts to drop nd then
set ALC THR bove this setting so it does not ffect the output power in norm l oper tion.
The Elecr ft K3 or K3S ALC intention lly h s slow tt ck nd much slower dec y to void dding more
distortion or dyn mics problems th n necess ry. However, not ll of the neg tive effects of ALC ction c n be
voided. It is still best to set the ALC threshold nd then djust the drive to void ALC ction in norm l
oper tion.
12

Automatic Antenna Tuner (ATU)
Hold AT U M O DE to select whether the ATU is ctive (IN) or byp ssed. The corresponding LED bove the
switch will light.
T p AT U T U NE to initi te n ATU tune cycle.
Monitoring
KPA1500 oper tion is monitored by the LEDs , nd nd reported in text on the LCD.
LEDs
The SWR of the lo d nd the output power re displ yed on LED b r gr phs. The b r gr phs re color-coded:
green for norm l oper ting r nge, yellow for m rgin l levels nd red for excessive levels. Excessive levels m y
trigger f ult nd shut the KPA1500 off (see Fault Conditions below). The FAULT LEDlights if f ult
condition occurs. Also two LEDs indic te whether the mplifier is in st ndby (STBY) or oper ting (OPER)
mode.
LCD
Norm lly the LCD displ ys the b nd currently selected. The four switches round the LCD select other
inform tion to be displ yed on the screen nd the beh vior of the LEDs. Note th t these switches h ve both t p
nd hold functions (pg 2). Repe t the t p or hold ction to return the LCD to the b nd displ y.
 HV displ ys the PA volt ge on the LCD. Must be TBD when the KPA1500 is in STBY.
CURRENT displ ys the PA current on the LCD. Must never exceed TBD.
TE M P displ ys the he t sink temper ture on the LCD. Must be less th n 90C.
PW R displ ys the output power numeric lly on the LCD. Must not exceed TBD W.
ME N U displ ys the menu system (see pg. 15).
ED I T en bles editing menu p r meters (see pg. 15).
PK HOLD toggles the pe k power output displ y on the b r gr ph. When en bled, the LED
corresponding to the pe k power output rem ins lighted for one second.
SW R displ ys the lo d SWR numeric lly on the LCD.
Remote Operation
The KPA1500 c n be controlled remotely using person l computer connected to the RJ45 Ethernet port or to
the USB port. A b sic remote oper ting c p bility is built into the KPA1500 Utility progr m (see pg 17). For
those who m y wish to develop their own softw re, Comm nd Reference M nu l is v il ble on the Elecr ft
web site. (www.elecr ft.com).
13

Fault Conditions
The FAULT indic tor lights nd the spe ker sounds to indic te f ult condition h s occurred. To void
unnecess rily interrupting mplific tion bec use of moder tely bnorm l conditions, there re two levels of
f ults th t m y occur, ttenu tor f ults nd h rd f ults.
Attenuator Faults
Rel tively minor f ults such s excessive reflected power c use n intern l 3dB ttenu tor to be switched into
the RF p th th t reduces the output to protect the KPA1500. When n ttenu tor f ult occurs, the FAULT LED
blinks nd the c use is displ yed on the LCD for bout 1 second. The KPA500 tests the condition t interv ls
nd will return to norm l oper tion utom tic lly fter the c use of the f ult is removed. The interv l between
tests is set with the ATTEN REL menu (pg 15). If the f ult persists over time or if it is severe enough, h rd
f ult will occur.
Unauthorized Frequen y (INVALID) Fault
If you try to tr nsmit on n un uthorized frequency the KPA1500 will utom tic lly switch to STBY nd
INVALID will be displ yed on the LCD until RF drive is removed.
Hard Faults
H rd f ults re those th t require switching the KPA1500 to STBY to protect it, such s conditions of extremely
high reflected power or high drive power, or bec use critic l component such s power supply h s f iled.
When H rd F ult occurs, the c use of the f ult is displ yed on the LCD. When the condition h s been
corrected, t p the OP/STBY switch to return the KPA1500 to norm l oper tion, or t p the I NF O switch to return
the KPA1500 to STBY mode.
LCD Displa Fault Fault T pe Fault No.1
GAIN ERR Excessive overall amplifier gain. Hard 15
HI CURR Excessive power amplifier current.2Attenuator→Hard 2
HI TEMP Power amplifier temperature over limit.2Hard 4
PWRIN HI Excessive driving power. Attenuator→Hard 6
PA DISS Power amplifiers are dissipating excessive power. 2 Hard 11
POUT HI Excessive power output. Attenuator→Hard 12
REFL HI Excessive reflected power (high SWR). Attenuator→Hard 9
60V HIGH 50 volt supply over limit Hard 8
60V FAIL 500 volt supply failure. Requires cycling KPA1500 mains power after
it is corrected. TBD Hard 1
270V ERR HV volt supply failure. Requires cycling KPA1500 mains power after
it is corrected. Hard 14
N/A Communication failure between KPA1500 and K or K S. N/A 0
NOTES:
1. When the KPA1500 is used with the Elecr ft K3 or K3S tr nsceiver, nd the option l K3 interf ce
c ble (see Elecr ft KPAK3AUX Interf ce C ble , pg 23) is used to connect the K3 or K3S to the
KPA1500, these numbers will be displ yed on the K3’s LCD briefly if hard f ult occurs.
2. These f ults re commonly c used by excessive power output or excessive reflected power.
14

Menu
Holding ME N U en bles the menu function to llow the following p r meters to be set. With the menu
function en bled, the MENU, EDIT nd switches next to the nd symbols ll respond to simple t p. Use
them to scroll through the menu items. T p E DI T nd then the nd switches to select the p r meter nd t p
ME N U g in to s ve the p r meter. T p M E NU to exit the menu.
To reset ll the p r meters to the def ult v lue, press nd hold the EDI T switch while t pping the ON switch to
turn the KPA1500 on.
Menu Entr De
fa
ult
Description
ALC THR 21
0ALC Threshold Adjustment: 0 to 210. See Using ALC on pg 12.
ATTN REL Attenuator Release Time: 1.4 – 5 seconds.
BAND CHG
N
O
R
NOR: OPER/STBY status the same after band change.
STBY: Switches amp to standby after band change.
DEMO
N
O
R
Factory Use Only.
FAN CTL
N
O
R
Sets minimum fan speed.
NOR: fan is off when not needed.
1 to 6: selects various minimum speeds. Fan speed increases automatically as
needed for cooling.
FW REV Displays firmware revision.
INHIB IN
DI
S
A
BL
E
ENABLE allows the amplifier operation to be inhibited (won’t amplify) when a logic low is
applied to pin 11 of the AUX Connector (see pg 22). When amplification is inhibited,
INHIBIT appears on the LCD display.
LCD ADJ 0 LCD Contrast Adjustment.
LCD BRT 6 LCD Backlight Brightness. Use DAY in bright sunlight and 2 to 8 for indoor lighting.
LED BRT 6 LED Brightness.
PWR ADJ 10
0
Per-Band Wattmeter Calibration, range 80 to 120. These are percentages of the
measured value.See Wattmeter Calibration Procedure on page 18.
PWR ON ST
BY
STBY: Amp is in standby mode when first turned on.
OPER: Amp is in operate mode when first turned on.
RADIO K
Specifies driving transceiver interface:
K3: Allows use of Auxbus interface which allows the KPA1500 band switches to
change bands on the K or K S; sends KPA1500 mode to the K or K S so the K
can automatically select correct drive power when the KPA1500 is in OPER (see
11); reports KPA1500 faults to K .
BCD: Signals provided by Yaesu transceivers.
ANALOG: Signals provided by Icom transceivers. Note that Icom transceivers do not
identify WARC bands, but KPA1500 frequency sensing will switch the KPA1500 to
the correct band upon transmit.
SERIAL: Kenwood/Elecraft compatible interface using TBD? RS2 2X port. If
transceiver is in split mode, the transmit frequency will select proper band at
KPA1500.
RS232 P
8
40
0
PC Serial Port Speed: 4800, 9600, 19200, 38400 bps
RS232 X 48
00
Transceiver Serial Port Speed: 4800, 9600, 19200, 38400 bps. Set RADIO to
SERIAL.
15

Menu Entr De
fa
ult
Description
SER NUM Displays the unit serial number.
SER POLL N/
A
ON: Enables KPA1500 polling of the transceiver for frequency band via RS2 2X port
(e.g. for Kenwood/Elecraft compatible interface). Note: RADIO menu entry must be
set to SERIAL.
OFF: Other device (PC, etc.) polls transceiver for frequency band.
N/A: RADIO menu not set to SERIAL.
SPEAKER O
NSpeaker (fault annunciator) ON or OFF.
TR TIME 0QSK Delay Time: 0 to 50 ms; Slows T/R release time for transceivers with poor
transmit timing characteristics.
16

Firmw re Upd tes
From time to time upd ted nd improved firmw re m y become v il ble for the KPA1500.
To upd te firmw re you will need:
The KPA Utility Progr m v il ble free from Elecr ft t www.elecr ft.com.
Connect the USB A to B interf ce c ble supplied with your KPA1500 between the USB port on the
KPA1500 nd USB port on your person l computer.
Your PC must be connected directly to the USB port. You cannot ‘daisy
chain’ the KPA1500 with the K3 or K3S through the AUX port.
L unch the KPA Utility progr m.
Upd ted firmw re m y be obt ined in two w ys.
1. Click on Firmware t b nd then the Click on Copy Firmware Files from Elecraft to downlo d the l test
production rele sed firmw re or,
2. Downlo d the new file from the Elecr ft web site m nu lly nd pl ce it in loc l folder, then click on
Browse… to loc te the folder on your computer. This is the w y to ccess the l test Bet firmw re
v il ble from Elecr ft.
To inst ll new firmw re in your KPA1500, click on the utility Send Firmware to the KPA1500 button to st rt the
tr nsfer. Follow ny on-screen instructions. During downlo d the LCD will displ y MCU LOAD nd the STBY
LED will fl sh r pidly. The KPA1500 will return to its norm l power on st te when the tr nsfer is completed.
Be sure to check the notes supplied with the new firmw re. They m y include ch nges th t ffect the
instructions in this m nu l.
If you don’t h ve Internet ccess, you c n obt in firmw re upgr de on CD. If you don't h ve computer,
you c n send your KPA1500 to Elecr ft to be upgr ded. See Customer Service, pg.20.
Checking your Firmware Re ision
Use the MENU entry FW Re to determine your firmw re revision.
17

W ttmeter C libr tion Procedure
The KPA1500 w ttmeter is f ctory-c libr ted. However, if you h ve w ttmeter th t you feel is more ccur te,
you c n djust the KPA1500 w ttmeter to m tch its re dings s follows. The c libr tion is done per-b nd so you
c n m ke djustments for individu l b nds without ffecting the others.
In ddition to your w ttmeter, you will need good dummy lo d c p ble of h ndling 1500 w tts.
Connect your w ttmeter to the KPA1500 one of the ANT connectors using short, direct 50 ohm co xi l
c ble.
T p A N TE N N A on the KPA1500 to select the ANT output where you connected the w ttmeter.
Connect your dummy lo d to the w ttmeter.
Select the b nd th t you wish to c libr te.
T p P W R on the KPA1500 to displ y the RF power output on the LCD.
Tr nsmit briefly t 1500 w tts output into the extern l w ttmeter nd dummy lo d
 nd comp re the re ding on the extern l w ttmeter with the KPA1500 w ttmeter.
If you wish the djust the power displ yed on the KPA1500 LCD nd LEDs, hold ME N U nd t p
switches next to the nd symbols until PWR ADJ is displ yed on the LCD.
Hold E D I T . A number between 80 nd 120 will be displ yed on the LCD.
If the power displ yed on the KPA1500 w ttmeter needs to be higher, t p the switch. If the power
displ yed on the KPA1500 needs to be lower, t p the switch. The number displ yed indic tes the
percent ge ch nge in the power re ding. For ex mple, ch nging 100 to 110 will result in 10% incre se
in the power indic ted.
T p M E NU twice to exit the menu. The current b nd will be displ yed on the LCD.
T p P W R on the KPA1500 to displ y the RF power output on the LCD.
Tr nsmit g in nd comp re the re dings on the KPA1500 nd your extern l w ttmeter. Repe t the
procedure s needed until you re s tisfied with the re dings.
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Specific tions
Frequency Range All Am teur B nds from 1.8 to 29.7 MHz nd 50 to 54 MHz
Supply Voltage and
Current
195 to 250 VAC, 50/60 Hz
Weight 26 lbs (12 kilogr ms)
Size Enclosure only, 4.5 x 13.5 x 11.5 in., HWD (11.5 x 34 x 29 cm).
Power Output 1500 w tts PEP CW/SSB/D t
Duty Cycle at 1500 Watts 10 minutes key down / 5 minutes st ndby
Dri e Power 50-70 w tts, typic l, for 1500 w tts output
Input VSWR Less th n 1.5:1
ALC Out Neg tive-going, djust ble
Metering Power Output, SWR (b rgr ph nd on the LCD displ y), supply volt ge nd current,
temper ture, frequency b nd
Heat Sink Temperature 90°C, m ximum
Key In +5V m ximum, open circuit on receive, closed to ground on tr nsmit (1 mA m x.)
Efficiency Approxim tely 50%
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Customer Service nd Support
Te hni al Assistan e
You c n send e-m il to [email protected] nd we will respond quickly – typic lly the s me d y
Mond y through Frid y. If you need repl cement p rts, send n e-m il to [email protected]. Telephone
ssist nce is v il ble from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. P cific time (weekd ys only) t 831-763-4211. Ple se use e-m il
r ther th n c lling when possible since this gives us written record of the det ils of your problem nd llows
us to h ndle l rger number of requests e ch d y.
Repair / Alignment Servi e
If necess ry, you m y return your Elecr ft product to us for rep ir or lignment. (Note: We offer unlimited em il
nd phone support, so ple se try th t route first s we c n usu lly help you find the problem quickly.)
IMPORTANT: You must contact Elecraft before mailing your product to obt in uthoriz tion for the
return, wh t ddress to ship it to nd current inform tion on rep ir fees nd turn round times. (Frequently we
c n determine the c use of your problem nd s ve you the trouble of shipping it b ck to us.) Our rep ir loc tion
is different from our f ctory loc tion. We will give you the ddress to ship your kit to t the time of rep ir
uthoriz tion. Packages shi ed without authorization will incur an additional shi ing charge for reshi ment
to our re air de ot.
Elecraft 1-Year Limited Warranty
This w rr nty is effective s of the d te of first consumer purch se (or if shipped from the f ctory, the d te the
product is shipped to the customer). It covers both our kits nd fully ssembled products. For kits, before
requesting w rr nty service, you should fully complete the ssembly, c refully following ll instructions in the
m nu l.
Who is co ered: This w rr nty covers the origin l owner of the Elecr ft product s disclosed to Elecr ft t the
time of order. Elecr ft products tr nsferred by the purch ser to third p rty, either by s le, gift, or other
method, who is not disclosed to Elecr ft t the time of origin l order, re not covered by this w rr nty. If the
Elecr ft product is being bought indirectly for third p rty, the third p rty’s n me nd ddress must be
provided t time of order to ensure w rr nty cover ge.
What is co ered: During the first ye r fter d te of purch se, Elecr ft will repl ce defective or missing p rts
free of ch rge (post-p id). We will lso correct ny m lfunction to kits or ssembled units c used by defective
p rts nd m teri ls. Purch ser p ys inbound shipping to us for w rr nty rep ir; we p y shipping to return the
rep ired equipment to you by UPS ground service or equiv lent to the continent l USA nd C n d . For
Al sk , H w ii, nd other destin tions outside the U.S. nd C n d , ctu l return shipping cost is p id by the
owner.
What is not co ered: This w rr nty does not cover correction of kit ssembly errors. It lso does not cover
mis lignment; rep ir of d m ge c used by misuse, negligence, or builder modific tions; or ny perform nce
m lfunctions involving non-Elecr ft ccessory equipment. The use of cid-core solder, w ter-soluble flux
solder, or ny corrosive or conductive flux or solvent will void this w rr nty in its entirety. Also not covered is
reimbursement for loss of use, inconvenience, customer ssembly or lignment time, or cost of un uthorized
service.
Limitation of incidental or consequential damages: This w rr nty does not extend to non-Elecr ft equipment
or components used in conjunction with our products. Any such rep ir or repl cement is the customer. Elecr ft
will not be li ble for n speci l indirect, incident l or consequenti l d m ges, including but not limited to ny
loss of business or profits.
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