Hi,

I am preparing a webpage about amplifiers.
I am searching arguments to use a kW amplifier. Here are mine. Have you
others ? (please stay on the subject, the question is not pro or con amps
but finding the "plus" of using a kW amp) .
List an email (ort URL) in the case I need to contact you.
Thanks in advance

Thierry
ON4SKY, LX3SKY
http://www.astrosurf.com/lombry

Introduction :

Imagine that all your hamshack is invaded with rigs and accessories, that
your antenna farm, beam, vertical or long wire vertical is performing,
proved by your hundreds QSLs received from far DX stations. But sometimes,
during pileups or when propagation is closed you have difficulties to work
some remote stations or to get good reports exceeding 53-55. On your side
you hear them all, not always loudly, but at least 53 or with a strong QRK.

In this case the last thing to install beside your 100 W PEP barefoot
transceiver is well a good amplifier, up to your class limit, 400 W, 1 kW or
more, depending your national regulation. Good news, you will tell me !
Indeed, but at the condition to use it properly. What we are going to
discover.

In all other circumstances, if your RTX is not equipped with performing
filters to reduce QRM, if your antenna yield a low gain or is
omnidirectional, it will be more useful to improve their performance that
using a linear amplifier. In all cases adding an amplifier to your current
installation will probably not help you much in working far DX stations that
arrive 53 or not at all to you. Improve first your antenna system, then add
some filters (Collins, etc), change maybe your transceiver for a more
complete model and at last, after one year of experimentation, see if an
amplifier is really necessary. This is wiser advice that using an amplifier
at all costs and be unable to hear your correspondent. You will make QRM
without working any station. This does not respect the ham spirit and is not
very useful, all the more that an amplifier is often expensive.


*1kW amplifiers*
Why god using so much power ? This is a pertinent question. Going up from
100W to 1000 W PEP, the power ratio is 10 and looks high if not huge. But
knowing that you add only 3 dB each time you double your power, 1 kW output
produces only a 10 dB change on the S-meter, what is not really important.
However your QRK will be much improved and your corespondent will have
please to hear you in better conditions, mainly if you work with a
directional antenna, in which your can concentrate all your RF signal in
some direction.

Something else to say (pro) ?

Thierry