[CQ-Contest] So much for the "California Kilowatt"?

[Ron Notarius WN3VAW]

Just got back from Hamvention, and I just had to share this one:

But first, a trick question:  What's the legal maximum output power in Italy
at present?  (It's a rhetorical question, you don't have to answer it right
now)

Friday afternoon, I was sitting in the Ice Arena behind AES talking to
another DX'er/Contester when a gentleman came up to us passing out flyers.
The flyers were advertising an HF amplifier built in Italy by an Italian ham
(I am deliberately not mentioning calls or such, incidently).  The amp is
claimed to be built by someone with "decades of experience" with commercial,
military, and amateur amplifiers.

But let's cut to the chase:
Output power:  For 100 Watts drive, 3.5 kW Out.  Or if you prefer to run
QRO, for 400 Watts drive, 7 kW Out.  (OK, in all fairness, it does say the
ham version is "1.5 kW (limited)" but still...)

I guess all of us who've been concerned about "California Kilowatts" over
the years now know where they come from!




73, ron wn3vaw

"You are a fluke of the Universe
You have no right to be here
And whether you can hear it or not,
The Universe is laughing behind your back"
-- National Lampoon's Deteriorata