Don,
Good to hear from you. You helped me many times with K2 questions in the
past. Thanks for that! Hope you are enjoying the Holiday Season.
I actually meant the TUNE button on the IC-7600. You must have meant on
the KAT-500, since there is not a TUNE button on the KPA-500. It does
not seem to matter which TUNE button I press. I think you confirmed that
it is working as expected. Still a bit annoying. As soon as the TUNE
cycle starts, of course there is RF. I guess the KAT-500 is not sensing
frequency DURING the TUNE event. So, any time I switch Bands, I may go
through a "complete" Tune cycle with an antenna for the wrong Band. Of
course, that most likely will not complete with a match. The second TUNE
cycle always selects the desired antenna.
I think I need to send the Band information from the IC-7600 to the
KAT-500. My other option will be to use only one antenna with the
KAT-500 during Contests. Is it safe to assume that if I send the Band
info, this would not happen and the first TUNE cycle would be with the
"correct" antenna?
73,
Tom, KG3V
On 12/26/2019 11:15 AM, Don Wilhelm wrote:
Tom,
If by "hit the TUNE button", you are referring to the TUNE button on
the KPA500, those results are completely understandable.
Changing bands on your transceiver is not communicated to the KAT500
yet - (it will only be communicated when you provide RF to the KAT500).
So the KAT500 will not switch bands and will attempt to tune on the
wrong antenna initially. Once the KAT500 senses RF, it will know that
the band is not correct and will switch to the proper antenna for the
band in use.
In your second scenerio, you are providing RF to the KAT500 first and
it will behave properly, so use that sequence.
You should not have any problems with the KPA500 if you have the
keying cable run correctly - from the transceiver to the KAT500 and
then from the KAT500 to the KPA500.
The KAT500 interrupts the keying line to the KPA500 so the tuning is
done only with the exciter power level.
73 and HNY,
Don W3FPR
On 12/26/2019 9:39 AM, Tom KG3V wrote:
I am using a KAT-500 Tuner with an ICOM IC-7600. I am not providing
BAND data, which is in line with recommendations for connecting this
radio in the Elecraft manuals. The documents tell me that RF
Frequency-sensing overrides all other information. I have two
antennas enabled. ANT 1 is a vertical for 10-40 meters. ANT 2 is an
80 meter dipole. I only ENABLE ANT 2 for 80 meters and only ENABLE
ANT 1 for all other Bands, in the KAT Config.
If I change Bands and hit the Tune button, KAT-500 will not change to
the correct antenna Instead, it tries to Tune with the wrong antenna.
The second time I hit TUNE, it will go to the correct antenna. If
instead, I change Bands and hit the Key, the correct antenna is
selected. That is fine on CW, but not great for other Modes. Is this
a bug? I don't see how this could be desirable. I think this would be
especially bad if I have the KPA-500 powered-ON.
--
Get on the Air and make some noise
Ham Blog at WWW.KG3V.COM
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