Hi All: I have a question for either the KAT500 beta testers or the Elecraft squad regarding the level of integration between the KAT500 and the rest of the K-Line.
*What I'm wondering is how well integrated the KAT500 is going to be with the K-Line when a tune sequence is engaged?* The reason I'm asking is that I'm evaluating a LDG AT-600 Pro loaned to me by a friend and have found that the tuner causes the amplifier to do a hard fault anytime a */full/* tuning sequence is executed while the amplifier is online. I have my K3 set to a power level of 3 watts in tune mode, which results in approx 30 watts out from the KPA 500 when tuning. The SWR on my antennas varies between a 1:1 at resonance and some pretty high values in excess of 6:1 off resonance, especially on 40/80/160 meters. Through some correspondence with LDG it's been determined that when the AT-600 executes a full tuning sequence the first thing the tuner does is to release all of the relays, creating the appearance of a momentary open circuit, resulting in a high SWR condition that trips the KPA500. This is not a defect in the LDG tuner, but is simply the way LDG has coded the firmware in this model of their tuners. The only work-around I have found to this situation is to put the KPA500 in standby, execute the AT-600 tuning sequence at low power from the K3 and to manually store the setting in the LDG tuner's memory. I have to keep the AT-600 in "semi-automatic" tuning mode so the tuner does not automatically execute a tuning sequence while the KPA500 is online, and when I notice the SWR getting too high to do a repeat of the work-around I described above. Ideally, Elecraft has accounted for these kinds of situations in the KAT500 firmware and tightly integrated communications between the KAT500 and the rest of the K-line that accommodates tprevents this from happening. *WIll you comment on this and share some insights with us about the KAT500 and how it will integrate with the rest of the K-Line? * Thanks much in advance. Andy Vavra, KD3RF / VE2DXY -- View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/How-well-integrated-will-the-KAT-500-be-with-the-K-Line-tp7138334p7138334.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. ______________________________________________________________ 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
