Good Morning Don OK I've found the full cable instructions in the KAT100 manual thank you, I was looking in the K2 manual & didn't find it!
However, there appears to be a USB/RS-232 cable available from Elecraft i.e. the KUSB. You'll find it in the Elecraft price list page on the website under the K2 section described as a USB adaptor for the KIO2 or the KPA100, now with an FTDI chipset. It's also referred to in the K3 section under K3 Utilities & Drivers and I quote "The K3 uses a standard RS232 port implemented via a female DB9 for interfacing to external devices and programs. If your computer has a standard serial port, all you will need is a straight through serial cable with a male DB9 on one end and the proper connector (usually a female DB9 or DB25) on the other end to plug into your computer's serial port and you are all set. Most modern computers no longer have serial ports but instead use USB (Universal Serial Bus) ports for connecting to external devices. Elecraft provides the KUSB - USB to Serial adapter to connect the K3 to these computers" So, thanks for your help once again (!) Don, I think I'll talk to Elecraft later today & see if it will do the trick for me, failing that I'll have to get some shielded cable from them & make up the cable & plugs as they suggest in the KAT100 manual Regards Ray G3XLG -----Original Message----- From: Don Wilhelm [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: 17 May 2011 13:32 To: Ray Spreadbury Cc: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K2 connection to Laptop Ray, Take a look at the cable shown in the KAT100 manual. Yes, you can expand the existing cable to include a serial port connection. Yes, if you do not have a serial port on your computer, you will have to use an RS-232 to serial adapter cable. Try to get an adapter which uses the FTDI chipset. The K2 baud rate is 4800 and many adapters do not like to run that slow. You may have to try several adapters before you find one that works without problems. The only part of that cable that is RS-232 is the part that connects to the computer. Use ONLY the cable connections specified in the manual. You can damage your K2 if you try anything else. Think of the connector on the KPA100 exactly as it is marked - it is labeled AUX I/O - there are only 2 RS-232 level signal lines in it, the rest can be damage your K2 if subjected to RS-232 levels. Unfortunately, the PC world has created a mindset that a DE-9 connector is an RS-232 port, and nothing could be further from the truth - that 9 pin connector is just a connector, and can contain any kind of signals. Build the special cable shown in the KAT100 manual and all will be well. As far as I know, there is no assembled cable available from any source. 73, Don W3FPR On 5/17/2011 4:30 AM, Ray Spreadbury wrote: > Hi Guys > > > > When I recently bought my K2, it came with the KPA100 watt amplifier& the > separate KAT100 watt ATU. I was advised to connect the K2 RS232 interface > (the KIO2) to the antenna tuner using a made up serial cable the vendor gave > me& it all works fine. > > > > I now want to connect the K2 to a laptop to use the N1MM contest logging > program etc. > > > > Does anyone know how do I do this& also connect to the tuner - if that is > necessary? (Sorry to be so dumb folks, but just returned to radio after 25 > year absence!) > > > > Also, I do not have any additional screened serial cable and my laptop > doesn't have a serial port anyway so am I right in thinking Elekraft can > supply additional cable with a USB/serial converter (the KUSB)? > > > ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[email protected] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
