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Electronics & Antennas for Ham Radio

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Over the Limit: Because Who Doesn’t Love a Smoldering PA?

Some operators think the answer to bad propagation is more power. Legal limit? Cute suggestion. They crank it up to 10 kW, 20 kW, even 25 kW like they’re trying to microwave the ionosphere into submission.

The Reality Check

  • Propagation doesn’t care: If the band is dead, your 25 kW just makes you the loudest guy shouting into a void.
  • Neighbors do care: Enjoy being the proud new background track on every baby monitor, speaker, and toaster within a mile.
  • Your gear doesn’t: That “just a little over” often ends with molten coax, scorched baluns, and a shack that smells like fried epoxy.
  • And let’s not forget the law: When the regulator comes knocking, try explaining how your “accidental” megawatt signal was really just QRP with attitude.
  • Efficiency is a joke: A sloppy low-slung inverted V radiates about as well at 25 kW as it does at 100 W — only now it cooks worms under your lawn.
  • Safety hazard: That much power doesn’t just light up DX, it lights up you — RF burns, arcing connectors, and the occasional shack BBQ included.
  • DX respect: Real operators hear “kilowatt station only” and roll their eyes — because we all know you can’t buy skill at the amp store.
  • Wallet check: Doubling your power isn’t doubling your reach. It’s doubling your electric bill while your signal still fades into static.

The Sad Truth

Running way above legal limit is like showing up to a chess match with a baseball bat. You don’t look stronger — you just prove you’ve got no strategy, no finesse, and no respect for the game.

So next time you’re tempted to crank that dial past where it should be, remember: a smart operator with 100 watts and a decent antenna will always outshine a power hog with a soggy inverted V and an ego problem.

Because in the end, RF is supposed to radiate — not your wallet, your neighbors, or your smoke alarm.

Interested in more technical content? Subscribe to our updates for deep-dive RF articles and lab notes.

Questions or experiences to share? Feel free to contact RF.Guru.

Written by Joeri Van Dooren, ON6URE — RF engineer, antenna designer, and founder of RF.Guru, specializing in high-performance HF/VHF antennas and RF components.

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