Re: [Elecraft] KAT500 no PC comms

The KAT500 does not use the same cable as the K3 or K4 or, for that matter, the KPA500. It needs a cable with stereo mini-phone connector. Elecraft has a USB cable that plugs into the KAT500 and works quite well. 73, Jack, W6FB > On Mar 10, 2024, at 12:33 PM, Mike Dodd wrote: > > Elecraft

Re: [Elecraft] KAT 500 Loses Match

That antenna is rated for 250 watts, which is most likely the cause of the problem. This is common, we upgrade from low power to high and don’t realize that we need to upgrade out antenna system as well. For use with the KPA500, you should replace it with an antenna with a higher rating. These

Re: [Elecraft] K3+KPA500+KAT500 RFI Revisited

Please describe the aux cables you have in use between the equipment. It is highly unusual for the BCD lines to change state during transmission, on any other time without actually changing the band on the K3. If you are using very long Aux cables, or have other equipment connected to the cable

Re: [Elecraft] What minimum temperature should the K station be kept at during a hard freeze

Usually the limiting factor for low temperature in modern equipment is the LCD. They have a problem crystalizing much below freezing and thus are not usable in very cold temperatures. I hope thing don’t get too cold in your area - we are forecast to see 19F here in SW LA on Tuesday morning.

Re: [Elecraft] KAT-500 + KPA-500 / SWR Thresholds

KPA inhibit SWR? The KPA500 uses Reflected Power for all of its protections except for one item - if the SWR is above 18:1, it will throw an immediate fault. There is no adjustment for these thresholds. As far as the Auxbus, the KPA does not listen but only talks on it, conveying band, mode and

Re: [Elecraft] K3s power level macro

Is 17mSec not fast enough? When you hit the OP button on the KPA, it tells the K3 to make the adjustment, and the power is very quickly changed. Same is true when you go from OP to STBY, the K3 goes back to 100 watts. I seriously question whether you can do things as fast with a macro and having

Re: [Elecraft] K3s power level macro

We thought about that when we designed the KPA500. Take a look at page 29 of the K3S Rev A manual - "Per-band Power Control”. You need to have the KPA500 communicating with the K3 through the Aux I/O cable. It works amazingly well, no macros needed! 73, Jack, W6FB > On Dec 5, 2023, at 12:35 

Re: [Elecraft] Noise from KAT500?

I remember those days. I still have my Heath SB-303 and SB-401 pair, both of which run from 117VAC. I didn’t have to get a 12V supply until I started upgrading back around 2000. You might want to invest in a small Astron linear supply (or similar). You will slowly start acquiring equipment that

Re: [Elecraft] USB/3.5mm Extension?

Andy’s point that the KXUSB actually has 0 to 5V output on its TxD line is correct. This is most likely the limiter in how long of a cable you can have between the KXUSB and the KAT500. The actual length is probably best derived by trial and error. As K9YC points out, the rise and fall times of

Re: [Elecraft] USB/3.5mm Extension?

So that everyone reading understands, the KAT500 IS RS-232/IEEE-232 compatible in its voltage levels. It is NOT TTL (0,5v) compatible. 73, Jack, W6FB Sent from my iPhone > On Nov 28, 2023, at 10:14 AM, Andy Durbin wrote: > >  > "Indeed, it is NOT true that the KAT500 uses TTL signal levels

Re: [Elecraft] USB/3.5mm Extension?

Andy, you do a great job of keeping me on my toes. But... Indeed, it is NOT true that the KAT500 uses TTL signal levels for the serial port. The KAT500 has voltage translation circuitry that allows for the use of quasi-RS232 signal levels. Quasi? Yes, the transmit data goes to +12 Volts, but it

Re: [Elecraft] USB/3.5mm Extension?

Yes. At the point for the extension, the signals are RS-232, not USB. You should be able to use a much longer cable if need-be. Be sure to read through the manual - it should give you a much better feel for each connection. Enjoy the KAT500! 73, Jack, W6FB > On Nov 25, 2023, at 2:59 PM,

Re: [Elecraft] K3 - Display flashes "thr 4 OFF" intermittently

the behavior I might expect if a macro was being executed. Is it possible that you have one saved, either in the K3 or the computer that is set to trigger at the times you noted? Mostly they execute so fast you don’t see the activity, but if the K3 is busy it might slow down a ways. Band

Re: [Elecraft] K3 and KAT connections without a KPA500

This is pretty simple, Jim. The AuxIO cable goes from the K3 to the KAT500. Then one of the Antenna outputs of the K3 goes to the RF input of the KAT500. Of course the antennas connect to the KAT500 then (as they did before). That is pretty much it. 73, Jack, W6FB > On Nov 4, 2023, at 3:03 PM,

Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 / KAT500 and W2 watt meter question

If you use the key-line interrupter, then you must use the phono-plug cables to connect the K3, KPA and KAT. Otherwise PTT will not get to the amplifier. Of course using both without the key line interrupter is very redundant. You just don’t want to use both if an external device is included.

Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 / KAT500 and W2 watt meter question

Key line interrupt would probably not be a good way since the transceiver is still transmitting, but at a lower level. All key line interrupt does is to disable the amplifier. I would think a better way would be to use the K3’s inhibit input signal if you really need no tx power coming out.

Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 / KAT500 and W2 watt meter question

Glenn; You will want the two Aux cables to connect the K3S to the KAT500, then the KAT500 to the KPA500. The cables are described in the equipment manuals. When the KAT500 is in a tune or finds some error situation, it will negate the key line to the KPA500 until the KAT is able to correct the

Re: [Elecraft] K2 Band Data

As far as I know, the transceivers have Auxbus (K2, K3, K4, but not K1). Not sure if the KX transceivers bring it out to a connector, though. The KPA500 sends data out to the transceiver using Auxbus, but does not listen, the KAT500 only receives data. The KPA1500 does both. I believe you are

Re: [Elecraft] K2 Band Data

I would suggest that the Elecraft KRC2 would provide the information quite well. It was designed for use with the K2, receiving band data and providing the ability to select bands with both high and low drive outputs. It also outputs the BCD data on four terminals. Take a look at the ELecraft

Re: [Elecraft] Interesting observations after installing antenna switch

Ken; I just did an analysis of the circuit you described using the RAAS-4A schematic from the WA4MCM web site, and my local docs for both the K3S and KPA500. This is rather interesting, but with the antenna selector in the circuit, the band voltage will never go above about 0.6 volts. Thus, if

Re: [Elecraft] CM-500 Question

As contesters who wear headphones as much as 48 hours straight on weekends, we find comfort to be one of the most important assets of any headphone. There are LOTS of headphones that sound great, have outstanding performance both in their speakers and microphone. But, they make you feel like

Re: [Elecraft] Yamaha CM500

The CM-500 is indicated as being discontinued by Yamaha. There are some available from a vendor at Amazon for $80. I suspect they bought up Yamaha’s inventory when they were discontinued. 73, Jack, W6FB > On Aug 7, 2023, at 2:57 PM, Henry Pfizenmayer via Elecraft > wrote: > > A few weeks

Re: [Elecraft] W-2 Cable Length

A shorter cable would be no problem. I found the stock cables to be too long as well and fabricated shorter cables for my W2 test setup. Going the other way, very long cables could be a problem since the sample voltages could degrade on the path, and there could be RF pickup to cause issues.

Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 Fan Question

Hi Jim! Hope you are enjoying Idaho. I hear it is a great place to be! The fan in the KPA500 goes to level 3 at 60 degrees. It goes to full-on at 80 degrees. The levels are: level 1 - 50C degrees level 2 - 55C degrees level 3 - 60C degrees level 4 - 65C degrees level 5 - 70C degrees level 6 -

Re: [Elecraft] Where to put the wattmeter

The original poster was using a sensor connected to a P3. For me, the big use for this is to view the modulation pattern of my transmission. I have other devices (like the KPA500 itself) that tells me the power. And if I really want to see the match on the antenna feed (which for my tribander

Re: [Elecraft] KPA 500 Erratic Band Changes

Dave; Do you get the Operate message on the K3 display before the band change? Might the K3 be transmitting when you hit the OPER button on the KPA? Use the KPA Utility to get a fast log file and send it my way. I am very interested in seeing the KPA’s current settings. I’m really puzzled at

Re: [Elecraft] RS232/ U1/ failure

The ‘1406 is a rather ubiquitous chip - we use it many places in several package styles. It started out life as the Motorola MC141406, and was picked up by many other manufacturers. You should be able to find a proper substitute from many manufacturers in the package style you need in the KIO3.

Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 Also faulting for High SWR inappropriately

Amazingly, it is probably not the KPA500. We have been seeing quite a few inquiries about this. Analysis almost always shows an issue in the antenna system caused by high power. There are a few things at play. When measuring SWR (or better, antenna S parameters) at low power, you will get the

Re: [Elecraft] KPA1500 Faulting for High SWR inappropriately

What is the fault? We see a lot of issues with antenna systems not being able to handle the higher power, either 500 or 1500 watts. This can develop over time or show up very quickly after the amp is installed. Be sure to check the cabling and connectors for possible arcing. In this situation,

Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 App

Joel; It’s worth the look. We have most apps for both Windows and Mac. By the way, the KPA500 firmware was developed and is still maintained using a Mac mini, which is a good indication as to how important both Windows and macOS are to us. Welcome to the Elecraft world; we hope you will enjoy

Re: [Elecraft] KAT500 frequency memories question

Rick; While I agree that it is pretty much critical to have the device name in the subject line, it would be a nightmare for the Elecraft support / development folks to follow multiple email lists. This is the reason that just a few lists were set up (I believe just one until the K4 came out).

Re: [Elecraft] KAT500 frequency memories question

There is a KPA500 group? 73, Jack, W6FB > On Oct 1, 2022, at 9:37 PM, Mike Dodd wrote: > > I asked this in the KPA500 group, but it probably was too far off-topic, so > I'll try here. > > I have a K4D/KPA500/KAT500. If I use the KAT utility program to save the > configuration, are the

Re: [Elecraft] [K3] K3 MacOS M1 Mini

The Elecraft radios play very well with Macintoshes. In fact, KPA500 code was developed (and still maintained) on a Mac mini. The various Elecraft Utilities for the K-Line work very well on macOS. For general logging, be sure to check out MacLogger-DX. It is very well maintained with lots of

Re: [Elecraft] KPA-500 timing settings IC-7300

The KPA500 is a QSK amplifier. It switches from RX to TX very rapidly (about 2 mSec) in order to allow QSK operation of the station. The TRTime parameter sets the time the KPA takes to transition from TX to RX - this is specifically for transmitters that may continue to output RF for a short

Re: [Elecraft] Stacking K3-line: variation on recent thread

The K3/K3S does not have the extra support that is but into the KAT500. I would not want to stack the KPA500’s weight on top of it. In my case, I built nice wood racks for each of my K3(s)/KPA500/KAT500s. The units sit, from bottom to top in the order: K3, P3, KPA500, KAT500, and K3S, P3,

Re: [Elecraft] Options for contest logging software under Linux

Kevin; I’m curious, why do you wish to run N1MM Logger? It is a very good contest logger, but for general purpose logging there are better choices. As for running it under virtualization, I ran it using Virtual Box (on the Mac) until I had a really good reason to use VMware Fusion - that was

Re: [Elecraft] Mac Logging Software

Ah, but Kevin, this topic is for Mac logging… I will agree that SkookumLogger is really good for contesting. I don’t think I would use it for general logging, though. I’ll ask my question of Kevin in his topic… ;-) 73, Jack, W6FB > On Jun 12, 2022, at 7:35 PM, kevin wrote: > > My two

Re: [Elecraft] Relocating my KPA-1500 - need cable

Using a network connection would be a very good idea. Auxbus is not meant to go 20 feet, and indeed will probably fail at that distance. Thus using an alternate method to get frequency info to the amplifier would be a good idea. 73, Jack, W6FB > On Jun 2, 2022, at 10:34 AM, David Decoons

Re: [Elecraft] K4D - KPA500 Fault Question + wish

the need to set the fan speed above 0? 73, Jack, W6FB > On Apr 24, 2022, at 2:51 PM, email wrote: > > > > On 4/24/22 15:06, Jack Brindle wrote: >> Steve; >> >> Use the KPA Utility to see the KPA faults. Access is under the Configuration >> tab, then cli

Re: [Elecraft] K4D - KPA500 Fault Question + wish

Steve; Use the KPA Utility to see the KPA faults. Access is under the Configuration tab, then click on “Display Fault Table”. You can also save it to a file for view in a text editor, or if we ask for it, send it to tech support for analysis. The FAN CTL sets the minimum fan speed. It works

Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 Issue

I don’t think your point #1 is valid. The K3 will cause the KPA to change bands when it does a band change and sends out changed bits on the BAND signals. If you don’t change bands on the K3, then the KPA won’t have a reason to change. The problem with this, when RADIO = K3, is that tapping a

Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 Issue

cable. You will probably want to add a switch so that you can select the K3 or Icom radios for the PTT line to the KPA/KAT. Once again, Fred Cady had the answer in his “Elecraft KPA500 Amplifier and KAT500 Tuner” guide. I really miss that guy… 73, Jack W6FB > On Mar 31, 2022, at 11:47 PM, J

Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 Issue

OK, now this is starting to make sense. Jim’s K3 has a KIO3, not the newer KIO3B. On the older board, the BAND and PTT lines have pullup resistors to the Vcc rail. When the K3 is powered off, that Vcc rail is at 0 volts, which means the pull-ups are now pulldowns. Thus the K3 is inadvertently

Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 Issue

The reason I don’t suspect the PIN diodes is that the KPA works properly with the K3. The K3 does not have a magical ability to repair KPA PIN diodes, so it most likely is not a problem there. This is probably a K3 without the new K3S I/O board, which means it has pull-up resistors on the BAND

Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 Issue

The email I sent earlier. You might look in your junk folder, Jim… 73, Jack, W6FB > From: Jack Brindle > Subject: Re: KPA500 Issue > Date: March 31, 2022 at 2:40:26 PM CDT > To: James Bennett > > On the KPA front panel, hold the menu button to go into the menus, t

Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 Issue

m; What happens when you disconnect the AuxIO cable from the K3 to the KPA? The other solution is to switch the RADIO setting of the KPA from K3 to something else, either Serial or Analog. If nothing is connected to the analog band input with RADIO = ANALOG, the KPA should work as usual.

Re: [Elecraft] K4 and Delivery Delays

The space division of Rockwell went to Boeing. The radio / avionics division is still alive and well in Cedar Rapids. There was another group - semiconductor. I believe that has been shrunk and just does internal chips now. When I was at Sun Micro 20 years ago we saw a very interesting Java

Re: [Elecraft] KPA 500

With all the various pieces of information in this discussion, let’s answer things correctly. First, is hardwired cabling needed? The answer is no, it is definitely not. The KPA500 always counts the RF frequency and will switch to the counted band if it does not agree with whatever else it sees.

Re: [Elecraft] SM$ command

Stefan; The KX2, like the KX3 and K3, have S-Meters with 21 bars. These go from S1 (with just one bar showing) to S9 (9 bars) it then has 12 more bars corresponding to S9 + 5 times the number of extra bars showing. So, if you have an S9+20db signal, there will be a total of 13 bars showing. If

Re: [Elecraft] Multi-Device mouse and keyboard

As you noted, you will need two Unifying receivers - one for the K4 and the other for the PC. Be sure to pair both devices (mouse and keyboard) with both receivers - it is probably best to have channel one set to one receiver, and channel two to the other on both keyboard and mouse. After that

Re: [Elecraft] 80-meter Antenna Fun

And it is outside the General Class band limits. If you hold a General ticket, stay above 3800. 73, Jack, W6FB > On Feb 19, 2022, at 5:40 PM, Bill Coleman wrote: > > Yup. That’s the spot. > >> On Feb 17, 2022, at 12:51 PM, Ray > > wrote: >> >> I think the DX window

Re: [Elecraft] KAT500 drops out during voice peaks

It sounds like you may have the KAT500 set for AUTO. Change it to MAN and it should perform much better. The rapid signal changes associated with SSB operation can cause issues with the sampling of the power in the directional coupler, causing readings that make the KAT think it needs to do a

Re: [Elecraft] KRC2 question

There is no “power off” indication sent to the Auxbus from the K3 or K4, so no, there isn’t a direct way for the KRC2 to know if the radio is off. Having said that, my KRC2 is powered through a relay that is controlled by the K3’s +12V out jack. It is powered on with the K3 and likewise powered

Re: [Elecraft] Elecraft KPA500 sn 1910 dead

I would not go by this. Many, if not most, KPA500s do not have noticeable hum when powered. Neither of mine do except for once in a while when the line voltage increases for a short time. If yours does have noticeable him, you may want to check the tightness of mounting nut for the power

Re: [Elecraft] feeding a half-wave dipole with ladder line

Ed; Bob’s advice is still sound. The ladder or open-wire line is quite simply, a transmission line. As all transmission lines, it will transform the impedance it sees at the antenna end to some other value at the tx end. The transformation will be highly dependent on frequency, length and line

Re: [Elecraft] K3S - blank screen - won't start won't shut off

Keith _always_ gives good advice. I would add one thing. Make sure the AUXIO cable is disconnected from the back of the K3 when you do your testing. If it is directly connected to a KPA500 or KPA1500, it just may keep the K3 from shutting down. We don’t remember if the LCD will go blank in this

Re: [Elecraft] KAT500 - does it earth antenna connections

This is not quite correct. It does not connect unused antenna ports to ground. It does have a GDT and 1 meg resistor to ground on each port, however. When power is off to the KAT500, ANT1 is connected directly to the input port. But you are correct in that it has three output antenna ports. 73,

Re: [Elecraft] K3 Display Won't Shut Off

VGA cables are incompatible with the KPA500 and KPA1500. You will need a straight-through cable. BUT, you also need some pins removed. The power pin of the K3 is not compatible with the power pin of the KPA500 or KPA1500, and will result in the problems you have seen. The cable is described in

Re: [Elecraft] Mods required of Elecraft Gear for use on MARS frequencies.

The KPA and KAT do Mars without any changes. There is one Mars frequency that may be problematic on the KPA500, but I understand it is not used all that much. 73, Jack, W6FB > On Aug 11, 2021, at 5:36 PM, Edward Mccann wrote: > > Are modifications required for KPA 500 amp (or its big

Re: [Elecraft] Frequency Tracking Revisited

Richard; There is good reason to train the KAT500, especially if you use SSB. First, you need to always tune the KAT500 with CW. The K3’s TUNE function takes care of this quite well. Simply tune to a frequency, tap the KAT’s TUNE button, then hit the K3’s TUNE button. When the KAT finishes,

Re: [Elecraft] KAT500 ANT1 problem

Andy, my friend, you are forgetting something. The secondary toroid of the directional coupler has a direct path to ground. That means there is no straight-through DC path. Rare that I catch Andy on something… 73, Jack, W6FB > On Jul 11, 2021, at 6:12 PM, Andy Durbin wrote: > > KAT500

Re: [Elecraft] Question about antenna matching

There is another big consideration in modern ATUs which use toroid cores for the inductors. The cores will heat up during transmission, especially for bad mismatches. Remember, the ATU still has to deal with the high reflected power as it provides a good match for the radio. If the heating

Re: [Elecraft] Interconnecting KPA500 to KTA500 and ANAN7000dle

Do you really need the 15-pin AUXIO cable? The ANAN doesn’t speak Auxbus, so unless it outputs the BCD signals that the KPA500 (but not the KAT500) uses, then the AuxIO cable won’t do you any good. Remember, the KPA and KAT do not communicate. Instead you will need a pair of phono to phono

Re: [Elecraft] Temperature or Warmth of KPA500 when "Off" ?

I can answer this. It is normal. The microcontroller is on, but sleeping when the rear-panel power switch is on. It needs to run to be able to respond to serial commands and for the front-panel power-on button to work. It is powered by the 5V linear regulator, which is providing the heat you

Re: [Elecraft] W2

I believe the answer is yes. The schematics for the W2 and couplers are in the manual. 73, Jack, W6FB > On Jun 8, 2021, at 5:00 PM, David Herring wrote: > > Can anyone say if the directional couplers for the W2 will pass a DC bias > voltage along the coax? > > 73, > David - N5DCH > > >

Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 receive loss

This doesn’t really have the signature of pin-diode failure. When the pin diodes fail you generally get major signal loss across all bands. The description simply does not match that diagnosis. I would ask for further information: * Is there any change in 160m transmit operation (change in

Re: [Elecraft] Can the K3 make power without activating Key Out?

James; I think you missed Dick's point. The ATU should have a signal that indicates when it needs to do a tune (or is doing one). Simply use that signal to operate a relay. That relay either passes the Keyout signal to the PA (normal), or opens the relay to unkey the PA (tuning). That is

Re: [Elecraft] K3s Power Selection

Richard; You are looking in the wrong place. We made it much easier than that. Make sure you have the K3 and KPA connected with the AuxIO cable. Now go to a band on the K3 (matched on the KPA500). With the KPA in STBY, set the power setting on your K3 to whatever you want - probably 100 watts.

Re: [Elecraft] W2 Issue

Bill; R22 in the sensors is a sense resistor that tells the controller which sensor is attached. It is a very low stress part that sees at most 5 volts at very low current. R22 is different for each sensor - the values shown in the schematic are not necessarily correct. Also, these are

Re: [Elecraft] Band decoder ala KRC2

The KRC2 is still on the Elecraft web site, available for order. I would have been told if it were discontinued, and have not been so notified. url is: https://elecraft.com/products/krc2-band-decoder-with-relays-k-line-and-k2

Re: [Elecraft] New KPA500 problem.

Nope, this one I remember. It depends on what is plugged into the AUXIO connector. If nothing, then the KPA will see the BAND signals all high and will assume that no K3 is connected. If a K3S is connected (or K3 with KIO3B), but off, then the same situation applies since the K3S will not pull

Re: [Elecraft] New KPA500 problem.

If you try this, be sure to set RADIO = BCD. If it is set to K3 (the default), then tapping a band button results in sending an AuxBus message to the K3, which will then change bands. With no K3 connected, nothing will happen. Andy, you really should get a K3S or K4… 73! Jack, W6FB > On

Re: [Elecraft] New KPA500 problem.

Steve; The KPA is getting info that indicates that the input band is invalid. This is either coming from the radio’s BCD pins or from RF sampled by the KPA500. First thing to make sure is that the pins in the AUX cable are contacting properly, and are not bent and thus not plugging in

Re: [Elecraft] Dummy Load with integral digital wattmeter

Have you looked at the Elecraft W2? https://elecraft.com/products/w2 73! Jack, W6FB > On Apr 30, 2021, at 1:38 PM, ke9uw wrote: > > I have recently built a GRPoMeter which has a 16 Watt dummy load with a > digital SWR/Wattmeter in it. It’s great...but only

Re: [Elecraft] K3/KPA500 question

Actually, no. The KAT500 does not communicate with the KPA500, only the K3. In RADIO=K3 (on the KPA) changing bands on the KPA500 causes the KPA to send a special Auxbus message to the K3. The KAT500 cannot receive this message. The K3 does a band change, then sends data using normal Auxbus

Re: [Elecraft] K3/KPA500 question

Check the AuxIO cables. They carry the band data from the K3 to the KPA500 (BAND0-3 signals). If they are not connected correctly or either cable is damaged, I would expect the behavior you describe. The AuxIO cable goes from the K3 to the KAT500, then another from the KAT500 to the KPA500. Be

Re: [Elecraft] Sudden loss of K3 RX sensitivity

Pete; Always do what the master says. Keith knowns more about the K3 than almost anyone. That 3db figure stands out for me, though. For a component failure or a misadjustment I would expect something else. This sounds more like the antenna is being split, going to another place along with the

Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 TX with second radio SOLVED

e. > > I did not observe a KPA band change to 60M though. > > Thanks Jack for taking the trouble of explaining what is going on. > > > > 73 de Chuck, WS1L > > chandler...@gmail.com <mailto:chandler...@gmail.com> > > On Fri, Feb 5, 2021 at 6:57 PM

Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 TX with second radio SOLVED

uck Chandler <mailto:chandler...@gmail.com>> wrote: > Just tried it out - AUX cable removed, RF Input cable removed, RCA plug with > clip leads inserted in PA Key. Shorting the leads does not put KPA in TX. > > 73 de Chuck, WS1L > > chandler...@gmail.com <mailto

Re: [Elecraft] Occasional second radio use with KPA500

This is where Fred Cady’s book “The Elecraft KPA500 Amplifier and KAT500 Tuner” really helps out. It has an excellent discussion about using the KPA500 with two radios (but not at the same time…). The RF paths need to be switched with a good RF switch, making sure that very little signal from

Re: [Elecraft] Ten Tec Orion II and KPA500

Probably do not need pull-ups on the outputs. The KPA500 has pull-ups on its band inputs, with a series protective diode that isolates it from any external pull-ups. If you use the drivers with other equipment the pull-ups may be needed, but they should don’t be needed with just the KPA500.

Re: [Elecraft] KAT500

Sure. Just select bypass for the antenna on the front panel. When you QSY to that band, the setting will take affect and the ATU will be in bypass mode. I do this with my tribander, which does not need the ATU, just the switch. 73! Jack, W6FB > On Jan 17, 2021, at 12:53 PM, Jack W4GRJ wrote:

Re: [Elecraft] [K3] Elecraft Support?

Give them a bit more time. Last week was a major holiday, and they are already overloaded as is. I am sure they will get back to you in the near future. And yes, the K3 is very much still supported. Jack, W6FB > On Dec 1, 2020, at 10:53 AM, John Reilly wrote: > > I have a problem with my

Re: [Elecraft] KRC2 silkscreen gotcha

> manual. On the PCB R12 and R13 are marked the opposite way round to the > manual. I can send pics if you want them. > >> On 19 Nov 2020, at 21:33, Jack Brindle wrote: >> >> After seeing this report I pulled the Rev C PCB (the only PCB we have >> ship

Re: [Elecraft] KRC2 silkscreen gotcha

After seeing this report I pulled the Rev C PCB (the only PCB we have shipped for this product) and took a good look at it, then looked at the docs and finally the Gerbers for the board. R12 and R13 on the KRC2 PCB are properly labelled. R12, closest to the switches, is a 4.7K ohm resistor

Re: [Elecraft] KPA500+KAT500 interfacing

what does the HD15 cable do from the KAT500 to the KPA500? I thought that > the KAT controlled the amp but perhaps it is just passing the K3 data through. > > John KK9A > > > > Jack Brindle W6FB wrote: > > I received a bit of further information this morning. T

Re: [Elecraft] KPA500+KAT500 interfacing

I received a bit of further information this morning. The KAT500 only uses the band data to validate that the received frequency (from the K3) is on the indicated band. It does not use it for anything else. Further, the KPA500 only uses band data to select the band. In general, the KPA doesn’t

Re: [Elecraft] KPA500+KAT500 interfacing.

I can answer this. I believe the answer to the first question is yes. The KAT500 can follow the BDC band data. The answer to the second is definitely no. The KPA500 does not output (nor does it have the capability) BCD band data. The port has input, but does not have output drive. To go

Re: [Elecraft] Tuner bug

In the software world these days we call them “undocumented features”. Or, the issue is in the documentation… ;-) 73! Jack, W6FB > On Nov 7, 2020, at 11:50 AM, Fred Jensen wrote: > > "Anomaly" is [or at least was during Apollo] NASA's universal term for > anything that was unexpected ...

Re: [Elecraft] [OT] Broken boom mic attachment on a CM-500

I bought a new CM-500 set on Amazon about two years ago. They feel great on my head and work wonderfully. In May I decided to try the Koss SB-45. Price was good (about $30 from Amazon). They feel very similar to my Heil headset, meaning about the same as putting my head in a vise. Simply too

Re: [Elecraft] Response time for tech support??

is a pleasure to use. But then I’m biased… The support guys have been really busy lately, but they will get back to you. You might want to try a phone call to make sure. 73! Jack Brindle, W6FB Elecraft Engineering > On Oct 30, 2020, at 9:23 AM, Stan Mason wrote: > > I received my ne

Re: [Elecraft] KPA1500 / K3 Mystery

Bruce; Did you ever resolve the issue? The KPA500 and KPA1500 send events to the K3, not commands. The distinction is important - an event simply reports a state change in the amplifier. It is up to the K3 to decide what to do in response, if anything. Thus when tapping a and button the KPA

Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 Transformer

Gee Alan, we get told that all the time, specially by coworkers… As for the transformer, the tech support guys give good advice here. Place the rubber disks below the transformer in the appropriate places, and one above as the instructions indicate. Essentially you want to get the transformer

Re: [Elecraft] KPA1500 / K3 Mystery

Might you have set the Normal power for the band to low power? There are two power levels, after all. We tend to pay attention to the low power setting for the KPA usage, but it is also quite possible to set the Normal (KPA on STBY) to a low level as well. That would get the effect you see.

Re: [Elecraft] SVGA Screen save to memory stick

What product is this for? 73, Jack, W6FB > On Sep 25, 2020, at 5:42 PM, w4sc wrote: > > I’ve read the manual, tried at least 10 memory sticks (a very BAD location > for the USB, some don’t fit because of VGA cable. > > What is the secret? > > Ben W4SC > > Sent from Mail for Windows 10 > >

Re: [Elecraft] AUXBUS CABLE Gouge

See below... > On Sep 22, 2020, at 1:10 PM, Eric Norris wrote: > > Dear Gang: > > I have several old auxbus cables, the type that is about 3/8" thick, and > has a bend radius of about 1/4 mile. Several pins are missing. The cable > clamping thumbscrews are not secured, and can float free in

Re: [Elecraft] Tuna Can Kits

Actually, I built the CB Slider in a chopped beef can. The Corned Beef cans we found all had sharp edges and were deemed too dangerous for the project. The Chopped Beef product fit the bill for both space and the project name. It was a fun project oh so long ago with pretty much all electronic

Re: [Elecraft] [KPA500] 270V ERR

to the front panel board. Good luck getting the KPA500 going again. It is a great amplifier! But then I’m a bit biased… 73! Jack Brindle, W6FB Elecraft Engineering > On Aug 7, 2020, at 9:11 AM, LA7NO wrote: > > Hello, > > We are constantly getting the "270V ERR" when swi

Re: [Elecraft] KPA1500 issue

What is the context for this email? What is the issue? 73! Jack, W6FB > On Aug 3, 2020, at 10:22 AM, wa6...@arrl.net wrote: > > I had something like that happen with my KPA1500. The way to fix it is to > unplug the amp, and plug it in. > > This happened to me when we had a SHORT power outage

Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 max heat sink temp?

I can confirm that KPA500 V1.00 firmware, which was the first released, had a max temperature of 90 degrees C. This has not been changed in any subsequent code. As for the input power, the amplifier has improved over time. My original prototype KPA500 requires power in the range described

  1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   >