> Let me add my two pesos to this discussion. > > I have my KX3 and K3 sharing the KPA500 and KAT500 per Fred's book. I noticed > the same strange stuff happening as in the original post when I first got my > station set up. One could go through a lot of hoo-ha trying to connect / > disconnect things but for me, there was a fairly simple way to get 'er done - > > If I have been using the K3 with the amp/tuner and I want to use the KX3, the > first step is to power off the amp, then power off the K3. I then power on > the KX3 and flip the two position coax switch over to the KX3. Power on the > amp and press the desired band button on the amp. If you are going to use the > same band as you did on the K3 all is ready. If you are going to a different > band, then one small "shot" of RF (hit the dah side of your keyer paddle) is > all it takes and you are good to go. That shot of RF is so the KAT500 is on > the same page as your KX3! I've been doing this for months and it works fine > for me. > > Jim / W6JHB > > > On Tuesday, Apr 22, 2014, at Tuesday, 10:18 PM, Jack Brindle wrote: > >> There appears to be some misconceptions in this discussion. First, the >> information flow from the K3 to the KPA only occurs on the band lines and >> the key line. Auxbus communications is one-way, from the KPA to the K3. The >> KPA does not listen on the Auxbus. >> >> There is also something else going on that is in play here. When the K3 is >> powered off, the pull-ups on the band lines (and the key line, I believe) >> continue to work. They continue to pull the lines to Vcc. But with the K3 >> off, Vcc is now 0 volts. This means that a short time after the K3 powers >> off the KPA will see all zeros on the band lines, and will switch to 60 >> meters. After this, RF coming into the KPA will cause it to switch to the >> appropriate band, and all band switching will occur with incoming RF as long >> as the band lines do not change. >> >> Of course, there is one other signal in play here. The Key line is important >> since it causes the KPA to switch into transmit. We have seen the K3 pull >> the Key line to ground at times, which just may be what you are seeing. If >> the KEY line is active, the KPA will not switch from STBY to OPER. For this >> to happen the KEY line must be high. >> >> The best way to connect two transceivers to the KPA is to use a physical >> switch to select the transceiver. A five-pole two position switch will do >> for the band and key lines, plus a coax switch of the RF. >> >> In short, you may get things to work with the description from Fred’s book. >> But if the key line becomes driven low by the “off” transceiver for any >> reason, you can expect weird things to happen. >> >> Jack Brindle, W6FB >> Elecraft Engineering >> >> On Apr 22, 2014, at 5:04 PM, Phil Hystad <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> Don, >>> >>> OK, I may be expecting too much. Actually, I am not sure if I was >>> expecting as much as I was a little bit surprised by the behavior. I >>> didn't think that the KPA500 and KX3 communicated with each other other >>> than RF and Key line but maybe that was enough of a difference from the K3. >>> The K3 of course in my case has the AUX cable connections with the KPA500 >>> and KAT500. >>> >>> It is not a big deal as long as this is the way it is expected to work. I >>> was not sure if I had done something wrong or not. >>> >>> But, just picked up W1AW/5 MS QRP power with the KX3. Actually, it was >>> about 6 watts. >>> >>> 73, phil, K7PEH >>> >>> >>> On Apr 22, 2014, at 4:57 PM, Don Wilhelm <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>>> Phil, >>>> >>>> I think you may be expecting too much. >>>> Consider a parallel - a computer communicating with a printer. If you >>>> suddenly switch the printer cable to another computer, would you expect >>>> the printer to continue printing without any intervention? >>>> >>>> The "printer" in this comparison is the KPA500 and the two "computers" are >>>> the K3 and the KX3. >>>> >>>> It is not unreasonable IMHO to expect that a reset of the KPA500 would be >>>> required. >>>> >>>> If the KPA500 were simply an amplifier with no communications capability >>>> with the driving transceiver, switching from one source of RF input to >>>> another should proceed without regard to whatever is the driving device, >>>> but your KPA500 is more than "just an amplifier" because it can >>>> communicate with the K3 or KX3 driving transceiver. Expecting the KPA500 >>>> to switch data streams from two different transceivers with no intervening >>>> reset is not realistic. >>>> >>>> 73, >>>> Don W3FPR >>>> >>>> On 4/22/2014 7:41 PM, Phil Hystad wrote: >>>>> So, is this normal behavior? I wasn't expecting any kind of comms >>>>> between the K3 and the KPA500 that affects the STBY/OPER switching. It >>>>> does seem that a power on/off cycle for the KPA500 is required to enable >>>>> that switch. >>>>> >>>>> Is this designed to work this way or is this a flaw in the design or >>>>> maybe a missing mini-feature of configuring two different transceivers >>>>> with the KPA500. I admit to not scouring all of the documentation yet on >>>>> the expected functionality of the STBY/OPER switch. >>>>> >>>>> 73, phil, K7PEH >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> On Apr 22, 2014, at 4:14 PM, Don Wilhelm <[email protected]> wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> Phil, >>>>>> >>>>>> Let me get this straight - the KPA500 is communicating with the K3, then >>>>>> you switch to the KX3 and the KPA500 does not talk with the KX3. >>>>>> >>>>>> If that is what is happening, I would expect that to be the case. The >>>>>> communications with the K3 is not synchronized with the attempted >>>>>> communications with the KX3, so a reset (power cycle) of the KPA500 may >>>>>> be required. >>>>>> >>>>>> 73, >>>>>> Don W3FPR >>>>>> >>>>>> On 4/22/2014 7:02 PM, Phil Hystad wrote: >>>>>>> Some follow-up questions: >>>>>>> >>>>>>> OK, I have the KX3 and K3 configured with the KPA500 and KAT500. >>>>>>> Everything seems to work with one little exception. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> The exception: >>>>>>> >>>>>>> --- initial conditions, K3 is on and switched to use the KPA500 and >>>>>>> KAT500. KX3 is off. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> --- using K3 and so on works fine with amp on or with amp in standby. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> --- I turn off K3. Leave KPA500 on but in STBY mode. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> --- Switch coax from K3 to KX3 (1x2 switch). >>>>>>> >>>>>>> --- Turn on KX3. KPA500 still in STBY mode. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> --- Attempt to switch KPA500 to OPER from STBY but switch does not >>>>>>> work. If I power off the >>>>>>> KPA500 (front panel switch) and power back on then switch works >>>>>>> fine. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> I have experimented with all kinds of starting initial conditions and >>>>>>> order of events but whenever >>>>>>> the KPA500 is left on after using the K3 and then switching to the KX3, >>>>>>> the switch on the KPA500 >>>>>>> to go from STBY to OPER does not work. I always have to cycle the >>>>>>> power from the front panel on/off >>>>>>> switch. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>> ______________________________________________________________ >>>>> 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 >>>>> Message delivered to [email protected] >>>>> >>>> >>> >>> ______________________________________________________________ >>> 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 >>> Message delivered to [email protected] >> >> ______________________________________________________________ >> 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 >> Message delivered to [email protected] >
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