These days, with switched mode power supplies (SMPS) so commonplace it doesn't make much sense to build a 1kW linear PSU, which would be huge and weigh a ton - quite apart from being very inefficient. I soon discovered that 1kW SMPS are almost as expensive as the RF amplifier module but it turns out that they come up for sale second-hand occasionally at more palatable prices, so off to eBay we go...
In fact I ended up getting the rather more beefy 1500W PSU because there happened to be one for sale at a sensible price. This beast is capable of producing 50V at up to 30A, so I won't be short of oomph! Just look at those 50V output terminals - this power supply means business.
A slight downside of the larger PSU is that it is physically bigger but only in height and that makes little difference to the layout - it's about the same size as the RF module and the two units can conveniently sit side by side. Between them these units largely determine the shape and size of the enclosure, which I will discuss in another post but suffice to say at this stage that I've decided to go for a 3U 19" rack-mount case, which will accommodate everything without being too claustrophobic inside or too large for the shack.
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