Elecraft KAT500/KPA500 PowerCombo only Partially Compatible with Modern Kenwood Rigs

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Elecraft KAT500/KPA500 PowerCombo only Partially Compatible with Modern Kenwood Rigs

ANDY DURBIN
" I also think that I could build a modified null modem for the KPA500 with a couple of diodes to connect the KAT500 RX input and KPA500 RX input in parallel. Then, when the KPA500 polls for frequency info both the KPA and KAT will get the data. Sounds like a good "shelter in place" project. Bring on the schematics..."

You have to understand that KAT500 is designed to receive FA only.  Making IF and FB available to KAT500 does not help because KAT500 does not decode or use these words.

When a Kenwood rig is connected to KAT500 and KPA500 with the Elecraft serial cable then IF, FA, and FB are available to the KAT500.  As stated above, KAT500 only listens to FA (the frequency of VFO A) and cannot track FB (the frequency of VFO B).

If the design intent is to set KAT500 to the TX frequency before TX starts then IF, FA, and FB need to be decoded just as they are in the KPA500 and KPA1500.  This requires a KAT500 firmware change.

The alternate approach is to design you own decoder to derive the TX frequency from FA, FB, and IF (all three are needed to do it right) and send the result to KAT500 with the "F" command.

73,
Andy, k3wyc




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