ELECRAFT KPA500 Assembly Instructions Manual
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ELECRAFT KPA500 Assembly Instructions Manual

High-performance 160 – 6 meter amplifier
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E
KPA500
LECRAFT
H
-P
160 – 6 M
IGH
ERFORMANCE
ETER
A
MPLIFIER
K
A
I
IT
SSEMBLY
NSTRUCTIONS
Rev F4, August 25, 2013
Copyright © 2013, Elecraft, Inc.
All Rights Reserved

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  • Page 1 KPA500  LECRAFT 160 – 6 M ERFORMANCE ETER MPLIFIER SSEMBLY NSTRUCTIONS Rev F4, August 25, 2013 Copyright © 2013, Elecraft, Inc. All Rights Reserved...

  • Page 2: Table Of Contents

    Mounting the Rear Panel Assembly ........................25  Power Supply Wiring ............................29  Front Panel Assembly ............................38  Top Cover and Side Handle ..........................42  Appendix A Illustrated Parts List........……… …………………………………..A1 Elecraft manuals with color images may be downloaded from www.elecraft.com.
  • Page 3 If you open the KPA500 after installing it and applying mains power: 1. Turn off the KPA500 by tapping the front panel ON switch and wait until the fan stops. (The fan drains the power supply to a safe voltage.) 2.

  • Page 4: Introduction

    Elecraft at the time of original order, are not covered by this warranty. If the Elecraft product is being bought indirectly for a third party, the third party's name and address must be provided to Elecraft at time of order to insure warranty coverage.

  • Page 5: Anti Static Protection Required

    Use a grounded anti-static mat on your work bench.  If you choose to use a soldering iron to work on your KPA500 for any reason, be sure your iron has an ESD-safe grounded tip tied to the same common ground used by your mat or wrist strap.

  • Page 6: Preparing For Assembly

    A number of different types and sizes of screws and washers are used in the assembly. It is very important that you use the screw specified in each location or your finished KPA500 may not fit together properly. In some places, using the wrong size screw may damage components.

  • Page 7: Standoffs

    Lock Washers Two types of lock washers are used in the KPA500 (see Figure 3). It is important that you use only the type specified and put the washers exactly where indicated. Adding washers or placing the washers in the wrong position may cause parts to fail to fit together properly.

  • Page 8: Overview Of The Kit

    Overview of the Kit Figure 4 is a top view of the KPA500 with the top cover removed. The chassis is divided into two major areas by a bracket (called the Z-bracket due to its shape) that runs down the middle from front to back. The RF circuitry is on the right in this view, and the power supply is on the left.

  • Page 9: Assembly

    Assembly IMPORTANT ASSEMBLY INFORMATION A variety of screws and fasteners are used to assemble your KPA500:  Use your rule to check the length of screws and standoffs before installing them. Some components are only 1/16” (1.6 mm) different from others but using the wrong size may result in parts not fitting correctly, possibly damaging electrical and mechanical components.
  • Page 10 Install the two rear feet as shown in Figure 5. Note that no lock washers are used and the screws thread into bushings permanently mounted in the bottom cover. Figure 5. Installing Bottom Cover Feet. Check to ensure the tilt stand lies as shown in Figure 5 when it is retracted. Identify the front edge of the bottom cover.
  • Page 11  Oriented so the widest shoulder is always toward the side of the bottom cover. (Whenever you install a 2D fastener, the widest shoulder goes toward the outside so the fastener will be flush with the edge.) Don’t be too concerned with getting the 2D fasteners precisely straight. You’ll adjust them later. Figure 6.

  • Page 12: Power Supply Module

    Power Supply Module Locate the Power Supply Module shown in Figure 7. Note the three metal-tabbed TO220 size I.C.s mounted at one end. Figure 7. Power Supply Module I.C.s. Remove the paper backing from the thermal insulator and carefully place it on U3 so that it completely covers all the exposed metal as shown in Figure 8.
  • Page 13 I.C.s. The other three holes will be used later to attach the heat spreader to the KPA500’s enclosure side panel. The spreader must be oriented as shown or the larger holes will not line up with the holes in the side panel.
  • Page 14 Use your DMM to verify the tab of U3 is insulated from the heat spreader and the mounting screw. The resistance is typically greater than 5,000 ohms if the tab of U3 is properly insulated. A short would be indicated by a very low resistance, close to what your DMM indicates when the test leads are touched directly together.

  • Page 15: Interlock Switch And Left Side Panel Feet

    Interlock Switch and Left Side Panel Feet Locate the left side panel and remove any masking tape found on the inside (partially painted) surface. Locate the interlock switch and mount it on the inside (not fully painted) side of the side panel as shown in Figure 12.
  • Page 16 Mount the left side panel on the bottom cover as shown in Figure 14. Note that two different screw sizes are used. Loosely start all the screws so the panel can move slightly as needed to align all the holes. Tighten all the screws.

  • Page 17: Rear Panel

    Locate the rear panel and remove any masking tape found on the inside (partially painted) surface. Peel the serial number provided for your KPA500 off of its protective backing and place it on the rear panel as shown in Figure 16. .
  • Page 18 If airflow arrows are visible on the fan housing, they will show t hat air will be blown out of the back of the KPA500.
  • Page 19 Install the connectors as shown in Figure 20. Be sure you put the connectors in RF INPUT RF OUTPUT the correct holes as indicated. Also, note that the connectors have a “flat” on opposite sides of the threaded sections. Recommend you orient the connectors with the flats on the sides for the most pleasing appearance. Figure 20.
  • Page 20 Install the mains power entry module as shown in Figure 22. Figure 22. Installing the Power Entry Module. Connect the ground wire you installed earlier to the power entry module as shown in Figure 23. Figure 23. Connecting the Ground Wire to the Power Entry Module.
  • Page 21 Locate the I/O module, the 10 wire ribbon cable and the 40 wire ribbon cable. Mount the ribbon cables on the I/O module as shown in Figure 24. Be certain that the ribbon cables are oriented as shown in Figure 24 and that the connectors engage both rows of pins.

  • Page 22: Rf Power Amplifier/Low Pass Filter (Pa/Lpf) Module

    RF Power Amplifier/Low Pass Filter (PA/LPF) Module Unwrap the PA/LPF module. This module consists of two boards that have been pre-assembled, tested and aligned. Take care not to disturb or stress any of the inductors. Also, there are two screwdriver-adjusted potentiometers on the lower board.

  • Page 23: Rectifier Board

    Attach the Z-bracket to the heat sink on the PA/LPF as shown in Figure 27. Be sure the bracket is oriented exactly as shown in the figure. Figure 27. Mounting the Z-Bracket on the PA/LPF Module. Rectifier Board Locate the rectifier board and the four thermal insulators. Place one insulator over each rectifier so it covers the entire metal area and lines up with the hole in the rectifier tab as shown in Figure 28.
  • Page 24 Mount the rectifier board on the Z-bracket as shown in Figure 29. The three holes in the pc board mount on the three standoffs on the Z-bracket. Figure 29. Rectifier Board on the Z-Bracket. Use your DMM to check for shorts between the metal tab on each rectifier and the bare metal of the Z- bracket.
  • Page 25 Reposition the bottom cover assembly and attach it to the transformer support plate and Z-bracket as shown in Figure 31. Figure 31. Installing the Z-Bracket and Transformer Support Plate in the Bottom Cover Assembly. Locate the right side panel and remove any masking tape found on the inside (partially painted) surface. Stand the unit on the left side panel and install the right side panel as shown in Figure 32.

  • Page 26: Mounting The Rear Panel Assembly

    Set the KPA500 on its bottom feet and install a 2D fastener in the holes near the top and front and back of the right side panel as shown in Figure 33. Note: When you are finished there should be three open holes in the side panel. One hole is near the top center that will be filled when the top cover is installed, and two larger holes where you will install the handle later.
  • Page 27 Connect the 10-wire ribbon cable to the power supply module as shown in Figure 36. Note the brown wire (pin 1) must go to the end of the connector nearest the KPA500 side panel. To do so it makes a 1/2 turn twist.
  • Page 28 Connect the red/black twisted wire pair from the fan to the power supply module as shown in Figure 37. Note that although this is a three-pin connector, the connector on the pc board is wired so it may be plugged in either way.
  • Page 29 Mount the rear panel assembly on the back of the KPA500 as shown in Figure 39. It may be easier to set the KPA500 on a side panel so you can adjust the fit on the top and bottom at the same time and get it to clear the Z-bracket assembly on the bottom.

  • Page 30: Power Supply Wiring

    Figure 45 on page 31. However, you should install the wiring following the steps below to avoid mistakes that could do serious damage to your KPA500. Connect the four-wire cable from the power supply module to the power entry module as shown in Figure 41.
  • Page 31 There are five wires remaining connected to the power supply module: two red, two black, and one white. One red and one black wire are longer than the others. Route the longer red and black wires around the end of the Z-bracket and connect them to the 60V and GND terminals on the PA/LPF Module as shown in Figure 43.
  • Page 32 Check your wiring against the overview in Figure 45. Note that the TAP spade connector on the rectifier board is not yet used, and there are five spade connectors on the power supply board (four hidden under the large ribbon cable) that are not yet used. They will be filled with leads from the power transformer installed in the following steps.
  • Page 33 Insert the transformer mounting bolt through the bottom cover as shown in Figure 46. If the fit is very tight, temporarily loosen the screws holding the transformer support plate (Figure 31) to better align the holes. Some fender washers have a sharp edge on one side caused by the stamping process that cut the washer out of a larger sheet of steel.
  • Page 34 Place the self-adhesive rubber bumpers on either side of the center PEM nut in the lip of the bottom cover as shown in Figure 48. Be sure the surface is clean and dry before attaching the bumpers. When handling the bumpers, take care not to touch the adhesive surface.
  • Page 35 Move the transformer onto the edge of the bottom cover but do not place it over the bolt (see Figure 49). Lay the transformer flat with the leads exiting on the top and oriented so the orange lead will reach the terminal as shown.
  • Page 36 Orient the transformer as shown in Figure 51, taking care not to dislodge the bumpers. Add the second rubber disk and metal disk as shown. Orient the metal disk so the center depression goes down into the center of the transformer. Add the Belleville washer and secure the assembly with the Nylock nut. Tighten the nut enough to hold the hardware in place (you will tighten the nut further later).
  • Page 37 Stand the KPA500 on the left side and loosen the bolt and Nylock nut slightly so that the weight of the transformer bears on the rubber bumpers. Be sure the wide ribbon cable is not caught between the bumpers and the transformer.
  • Page 38 Two cable ties are provided to dress the long wires that pass over the transformer. These ties are supplied to produce a neat arrangement of the wires. They are not required for any safety or operational reason. If you have not worked with this type of cable tie before, Figure 54 shows the correct way to install them.

  • Page 39: Front Panel Assembly

    Front Panel Assembly Locate the front panel and remove any masking tape found on the inside (partially painted) surface. Install the standoffs in the inside of the front panel as shown in Figure 56. Include the plastic bezel on the front held by the four 2-56 screws.
  • Page 40 Place the front panel sheet metal over the front panel pc board so that all the key caps and LEDs pass through the openings and the pc board rests against all of the standoffs. If you have difficulty, look closely at the LEDs.
  • Page 41 Place the front panel assembly in front of the KPA500 and connect the ribbon cables as shown in Figure 59. The wide cable may be longer than shown here. Figure 59. Connecting the Front Panel Assembly to the KPA500.
  • Page 42 Mount the front panel assembly on the KPA500 as shown in Figure 60. If the wide ribbon cable is longer than necessary loop it back and forth behind the front panel board in the space directly in front of the power transformer as shown in Figure 61.

  • Page 43: Top Cover And Side Handle

    Top Cover and Side Handle Install the handle on the right side of the KPA500 as shown in Figure 62. Be sure the spacer passes through the openings in both layers of the rubber handle and the opening in the spring steel insert. Note that the handle is shown with the ridges facing away from the panel.
  • Page 44 Place the top cover on the KPA500, slipping the tab under the top lip on the rear panel. You may need to loosen some screws on the side, front and rear panels again to adjust the fit. Fasten the top cover as shown in Figure 64.

  • Page 45: Appendix A Illustrated Parts List

    CAUTION In addition to taking ESD precautions, be careful not to damage components on either side of the circuit boards when handling them. Power Cord and Fuses ELECRAFT ILLUSTRATION DESCRIPTION QTY. PART NO.
  • Page 46 KPA500 Core Assembly – E850455 ELECRAFT ILLUSTRATION DESCRIPTION QTY. PART NO. PA Key Cable E100416 Z bracket E100385 KPA500 Front Panel – E850470 ELECRAFT ILLUSTRATION DESCRIPTION QTY. PART NO. Front Panel Metal E100380 KPA500 Rear Panel – E850469 ELECRAFT ILLUSTRATION DESCRIPTION QTY.
  • Page 47 PART NO. Screw, 8-32, 3/8” (9.5 mm), Pan Head, E700223 Black Spacer, 1/4" (6.4mm) Long E700273 Handle with 2 End Caps E980115 KPA500 Front Panel Bezel and Serial Number – E850461 ELECRAFT ILLUSTRATION DESCRIPTION QTY. PART NO. Serial Number Label E850187...
  • Page 48 KPA500 Rear Panel Bag – E850454 ELECRAFT ILLUSTRATION DESCRIPTION QTY. PART NO. Power Entry Module (Corcom) E620184 10 Wire Ribbon Cable E850479 Fan Guard E980177 Fan Assembly E850415 40 Wire Ribbon Cable E850478...
  • Page 49 KPA500 Misc. Bag. – E850452 ELECRAFT ILLUSTRATION DESCRIPTION QTY. PART NO. Heat Spreader E100386 Hex Nut, 4-40, Zinc E700011 Hex Nut, 5/16” (7.9 mm), 18 tpi E700230 Standoff, 4-40, 1/2” (13mm) E700061 Screw, 4-40, 3/8" (9.5 mm) Flat Head, E700131 Black Screw, 2-56 1/2”...
  • Page 50 ELECRAFT ILLUSTRATION DESCRIPTION QTY. PART NO. Nut, 2-56, Zinc E700206 Screw, 4-40, 3/8” (9.5 mm) Pan Head, E700008 Black Screw, 4-40, 1/4" (6.4 mm) Pan Head, E700009 Black Screw, 4-40, 3/16” (4.8 mm) Pan Head, E700015 Black Nut, 4-40, with Captive Star Washer E700169 Grommet Bumper, 7/16”...
  • Page 51 ELECRAFT ILLUSTRATION DESCRIPTION QTY. PART NO. Interlock Switch Assy E850417 KPA500 Front Panel Envelope – E850477 ELECRAFT ILLUSTRATION DESCRIPTION QTY. PART NO. Keycap, Square E980164 Keycap, Rectangular E980000 Standoff, 2-56, 5/16” (7.9 mm) Long E700122 Lock Washer, #2, Split Ring E700123 Screw, 4-40, 3/16”...
  • Page 52 ELECRAFT ILLUSTRATION DESCRIPTION QTY. PART NO. Screw, 4-40, 5/16 (7.9 mm) ”, Black, E700027 Flat Head Wing Nut, 8-32, Stainless Steel E700193 Hex Nut, 8-32, Zinc E700202 Hex Nut, 4-40, Zinc E700011 Lock Washer, #8, Split Ring E700203 Lock Washer, #4, Split Ring E700004 Spacer, 1-1/8”...
  • Page 53 QTY. PART NO. I/O Module E850394 ESD Sensitive Front Panel Module Assembly E850395 ESD Sensitive Rectifier Board E850439 KPA500 Power Supply Assembly – E850465 ELECRAFT ILLUSTRATION DESCRIPTION QTY. PART NO. Power Supply Module E850404 PA/LPF Assembly – E870018 ELECRAFT ILLUSTRATION DESCRIPTION QTY.
  • Page 54 KPA500 Transformer Assembly – E850466 ELECRAFT ILLUSTRATION DESCRIPTION QTY. PART NO. Transformer Assembly w/1 Metal and 2 Rubber Disks E850416 Power Transformer Note: The Rubber Disks may be a different color than shown Rubber Disks Metal Disk...

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