OK. Well, for the record, we have a relay in the outbound data line from the KPA500 on the XCVR port. With SERPOLL = OFF, it disconnects the signal so there is no drive on that signal from the KPA. SERPOLL = ON enables it.
73! Jack, W6FB > On Mar 7, 2019, at 1:41 PM, Joe Subich, W4TV <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Do you see anything wrong with this situation as far as the microHAM > > interface is concerned?? > > Not as far as the microHAM interface is concerned from a hardware > standpoint. > > However, lacking *proper documentation* of the "Y" cable, it is a > support nightmare (as I have discovered with other amplifiers and > antenna controllers that claim to be "listen only"). As such, the > policy is now "no support for *any* "Y" cable CAT connection." > > 73, > > ... Joe, W4TV > > > On 2019-03-07 4:25 PM, Jack Brindle wrote: >> Joe; >> The Y connection on the KPA500 in this situation is listen-only. Since the >> microHAM interface is doing all the polling it should not care if the KPA500 >> (for any other device) is just listening, as long as these devices do not >> connect to the same line the microHAM is sending on. When the KPA500 is set >> for SERPOLL = OFF, it is completely disconnected from that line, and is in >> pure listen-only mode. >> Do you see anything wrong with this situation as far as the microHAM >> interface is concerned?? >> 73! >> Jack, W6FB >>> On Mar 7, 2019, at 1:07 PM, Joe Subich, W4TV <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>> >>> On 2019-03-06 10:36 PM, Jack Brindle via Elecraft wrote: >>>> The KPA500 does NOT have a pass-through mode. >>> >>> Jack, thanks for the "official" information (although it is >>> a shame there is no "pass through" mode). >>> >>> As it stands, any Kenwood user will need to use the "basic Cabling >>> Diagram for Any Transceiver" (Figure 2, page 11 or the KPA-500 >>> Owner's Manual) when using a microHAM interface. microHAM will not >>> support any "Y" cable CAT connection. >>> >>> If the microHAM/KPA-500 user has a MK2R+, MK II, MK III, or DK II, >>> the transceiver PTT Out (Amp Key, Key Line, etc.) should be routed >>> to the "PTT In" jack on the microHAM interface and KPA-500 "Key Line" >>> taken from the PA PTT jack of the microHAM interface. If both a >>> KAT500 and KPA-500 are in use, the "Key Line" should be routed to >>> the KAT-500 and then to the KPA-500 as shown in "Cabling Diagram: >>> Elecraft K3, KPA500 and KAT500 Using E850463 Aux Interface Cables >>> with Separate Key Line," Figure 2, page 6 of the KAT-500 Owners >>> Manual. >>> >>> 73, >>> >>> ... Joe, W4TV >>> >>> >>> On 2019-03-06 10:36 PM, Jack Brindle via Elecraft wrote: >>>> The KPA500 does NOT have a pass-through mode. It DOES have a serial port >>>> dedicated to communicating with Kenwood radios to extract the operating >>>> frequency. It can just monitor the serial link or it can also poll for the >>>> needed data. You will need to provide a Y cable that connects the signal >>>> coming from the radio to the computer, connecting the KPA’s XCVR port to >>>> the branch of the cable. The PC port on the KPA500 is only for controlling >>>> the amplifier. The two ports are not related in function. >>>> Use the RS232 X menu setting to select the port data rate to match the >>>> radio’s serial port. If you need for the KPA500 to poll the radio for the >>>> frequency, the set SER POLL to ON. >>>> For other cabling, connect the KEY line coming from the transceiver to one >>>> of the KAT500’s PTT RlY connectors, then connect the other PTT RLY >>>> connector to the KPA500’s PA KEY connector. These connections are shown on >>>> page 12 of the KAT500 manual. >>>> With this configuration the KAP500 will switch bands based on the data it >>>> receives from the transceiver, while the KAT500 will need RF to select the >>>> LC combination needed for tuning (as well as the desired antenna for that >>>> band). The KPA500 and KAT500 do not communicate, so there is no way for >>>> the KPA500 to tell the KAT500 the band. >>>> Note also that the KPA500 and KAT500 will switch bands quite well without >>>> the transceiver data connection as K9YC describes. >>>> Andy, K3WYC has created a pretty cool system with a small controller that >>>> monitors the system and sends control data to both the KAT500 and KPA500 >>>> to set them upper operation. I’lllet Andy describe that. >>>> I am amazed that we do not properly describe KPA500/KAT500 operation with >>>> Kenwood transceivers. I will try to bug the right people to get this fixed. >>>> 73! >>>> Jack, W6FB >>>>> On Mar 6, 2019, at 6:48 PM, Joe Subich, W4TV <[email protected]> wrote: >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Apparently the KPA-500 includes the ability to operate in a CAT >>>>> pass through mode (like the P3) with Elecraft and Kenwood rigs >>>>> (see Menu items RS232 P, RS232 X, RADIO, and SER POLL). >>>>> >>>>> *UNFORTUNATELY* the Kenwood configuration is not documented in the >>>>> KPA-500 Owners Manual (unlike the Icom "band voltage" and Yaesu BCD >>>>> control configurations). >>>>> >>>>> It would greatly assist non-Elecraft owners if the KPA-500 Owners >>>>> Manual included explicit diagrams and configuration settings for >>>>> Icom, Yaesu and Kenwood (RS-232 CAT ONLY) transceivers along the >>>>> lines of Figure 4 on page 13 for the K3 using "KPAK3AUX Cable and >>>>> Separate Key Line". >>>>> >>>>> Without documentation (including information showing if RTS/CTS is >>>>> passed through from the transceiver as expected by Kenwood rigs >>>>> or whether the KPA-500 provides a CTS "pull up" on the RS-232 (XCVR) >>>>> jack) from Elecraft or access to a KPA-500 for "hands on engineering" >>>>> it is not possible for third party suppliers to provide any support >>>>> for (Kenwood) configurations that include KPA-500/KAT500 . >>>>> >>>>> 73, >>>>> >>>>> ... Joe, W4TV >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> On 2019-03-06 8:00 PM, Jim Brown wrote: >>>>>> The KPA500 and KAT500 both detect transmitting frequency with as little >>>>>> as a tap on the mic or a dit at 35 wpm, and switch almost >>>>>> instantaneously. All they need is PTT (Amp Key) from the rig to an RCA >>>>>> jack that loops through the KPA500 to the KAT500 with an RCA-RCA jumper. >>>>>> That "loop-through" allows the KPA500 to prevent auto-tuning while the >>>>>> power amp is active. The KAT500 has three operating modes that can be >>>>>> programmed from Elecraft's control program -- Auto, Manual, and Bypass. >>>>>> In general, the KAT500 remembers the last settings you used the last >>>>>> time you were on that band, and for which of the three outputs. >>>>>> 73, Jim K9YC >>>>>> On 3/6/2019 12:37 PM, Joe Subich, W4TV wrote: >>>>>>> I have >>>>>>> no information about adding the KPA500/KAT500 into the mix as I >>>>>>> do not know if/how the KPA500/KAT500 acquires frequency/band data >>>>>>> from the TS-480. >>>>>> ______________________________________________________________ >>>>>> 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 >>>>> ______________________________________________________________ >>>>> 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 >>>> ______________________________________________________________ >>>> 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 >>> ______________________________________________________________ >>> 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 ______________________________________________________________ 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
