Re: [Elecraft] Fault on KPA500 after 300w
Good news! I swapped out the 1ft jumper for a 20ft jumper and moved the balun problem solved! Thanks all for you help! On Mon, Mar 12, 2018 at 7:19 AM, Alan Lambert <a...@thelamberts.com> wrote: > I recently acquired a KP500/KAT500 for use with my Kx3/KXPa100. I know > the person I bought it from well and I am 99.% sure it is not an > issue with the amp or tuner. > > I was making some notes (a chart) for input to output power levels, > mostly just to ‘get to know’ the amp a little better. At the time of > these issues, I was on 80m SSB and the Kat500 was showing 1:1 / 1.2:1. > > The output watts I have listed below are not ‘actuals’ I’m just > recalling them from memory so may be off a few watts. > > I set the Kx3 to 8w and called “test test test 1 2 3 kn4bbc” I showed > ~80w out with a 1:1 to 1.2:1 SWR.. GREAT! > > Moved up to 9w and got 100w out… same SWR – more Great! > > 10w I got 175w same SWR – sill looking good! > > 11w I got 250w same SWR – Awesome! > > Now this is where the problem comes in. > > I set to 12w… As I starting calling my “test test test 1 2 3…” At > first things looked great..I was getting 300w same SWR but then > suddenly I get high SWR followed by “High Refl” on the KPA5, fault > light comes on and I get warning tones. > > So I tuned the KAT500 again and tried the whole thing again with the > same results. > > Gear wise: > > KX3/Kxpa100 with ATU disabled > KPA500/KAT500. > > Ant1 on Kat500 > 1ft LMR400 jumper > 1:1 ATU Current Balun > 225 > feet of 450 ladder line > a ½ wave 80m center fed, inverted V dipole. > Center point is ~90 feet off ground. > > The Balun is a Balun Designs Model 1161 > > The shack is on 2nd floor in middle of the house and has no exterior walls. > > The ladder line starts in the shack, there is about 2 feet of in the > shack then enters my attic space thru and opening in a sheetrock wall. > Inside the attic space there is a long slow, wide loop about 50 feet > long. I was careful to keep it away from metals and it does not cross > itself however some of it is lying on top of plywood. From there its > exits the house in the ridge cap at the tip top of the roof at about > (40 feet off ground) The ladder line then hangs from a rope that runs > from the eve to the tree line about 175 feet away which is where the > center point of the dipole is. In short 175 feet outside 50 feet > inside. > > > Ideas of what my problem might be? > __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
[Elecraft] Fault on KPA500 after 300w
I recently acquired a KP500/KAT500 for use with my Kx3/KXPa100. I know the person I bought it from well and I am 99.% sure it is not an issue with the amp or tuner. I was making some notes (a chart) for input to output power levels, mostly just to ‘get to know’ the amp a little better. At the time of these issues, I was on 80m SSB and the Kat500 was showing 1:1 / 1.2:1. The output watts I have listed below are not ‘actuals’ I’m just recalling them from memory so may be off a few watts. I set the Kx3 to 8w and called “test test test 1 2 3 kn4bbc” I showed ~80w out with a 1:1 to 1.2:1 SWR.. GREAT! Moved up to 9w and got 100w out… same SWR – more Great! 10w I got 175w same SWR – sill looking good! 11w I got 250w same SWR – Awesome! Now this is where the problem comes in. I set to 12w… As I starting calling my “test test test 1 2 3…” At first things looked great..I was getting 300w same SWR but then suddenly I get high SWR followed by “High Refl” on the KPA5, fault light comes on and I get warning tones. So I tuned the KAT500 again and tried the whole thing again with the same results. Gear wise: KX3/Kxpa100 with ATU disabled > KPA500/KAT500. Ant1 on Kat500 > 1ft LMR400 jumper > 1:1 ATU Current Balun > 225 feet of 450 ladder line > a ½ wave 80m center fed, inverted V dipole. Center point is ~90 feet off ground. The Balun is a Balun Designs Model 1161 The shack is on 2nd floor in middle of the house and has no exterior walls. The ladder line starts in the shack, there is about 2 feet of in the shack then enters my attic space thru and opening in a sheetrock wall. Inside the attic space there is a long slow, wide loop about 50 feet long. I was careful to keep it away from metals and it does not cross itself however some of it is lying on top of plywood. From there its exits the house in the ridge cap at the tip top of the roof at about (40 feet off ground) The ladder line then hangs from a rope that runs from the eve to the tree line about 175 feet away which is where the center point of the dipole is. In short 175 feet outside 50 feet inside. Ideas of what my problem might be? __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
[Elecraft] KX3 -> KXPA100 -> KPA500 -> KAT500?
A little help / guidance please. I have a Kx3 w/ Kxpa100 and soon I will be adding a Kpa500 / Kat500 to this mix. When you add a Kxpa100 to a Kx3 you set the power on the Kx3 from 0-110w. If you click tune on the Kx3 it tunes the tuner in the kpa100. Full integration How does all this work once you add the 500? Once you add the 500 to the mix does the Kx3 now show 0-500? Does the Kx3 "control" the 500? What is the wiring path for this? Some of its obvious; the tuners in the KX3 and the KXpa100 will need to be disabled, RF out of kpa100 to RF in on the 500. Thanks in advance, Alan Kn4bbc __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] Suggestions needed - antenna to tuner
MORE Info As is I can work 80-10. Some bands are better then others but I can work them all with an SWR in the 1:1 to 1.3:1 range.The fed line is 450 window. The dipole is center fed. On Mon, Feb 12, 2018 at 9:26 AM, Alan Lambert <a...@thelamberts.com> wrote: > I could use a little advice > > My present setup is; > KX3 > KPA100 (w/ ATU) > MFJ Balanced line tuner > ladder line fed > 80m Inv 'V' > > I run this with the ATU disabled and then manually tune. Obviously > this is time consuming and makes band switching a pain so I am > considering removing the MFJ from the chain and start using the ATU. > Also I plan to add a KPA/KAT500 in the near future and my MJF tops out > at 300w so I has to go anway. > > > The questions are... > > 1) Should I do it? or will I see a significant performance decrease? > > 2) If I do - How should I make the ladder to coax conversion? I > think I need a "tuner balun"? > > 73 > Alan > KN4BBC __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
[Elecraft] Suggestions needed - antenna to tuner
I could use a little advice My present setup is; KX3 > KPA100 (w/ ATU) > MFJ Balanced line tuner > ladder line fed 80m Inv 'V' I run this with the ATU disabled and then manually tune. Obviously this is time consuming and makes band switching a pain so I am considering removing the MFJ from the chain and start using the ATU. Also I plan to add a KPA/KAT500 in the near future and my MJF tops out at 300w so I has to go anway. The questions are... 1) Should I do it? or will I see a significant performance decrease? 2) If I do - How should I make the ladder to coax conversion? I think I need a "tuner balun"? 73 Alan KN4BBC __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
