K3/KPA500/KAT500 - Band Decoder for Antenna Switching

[rich kennedy]

Hello, I currently have a K3 & KPA500, and, shortly I hope, a KAT500.  I have 3 antennas that I electronic switch with a DXEngineering RR8HP Remote Antenna Switch by manually selecting them on the DXEngineering Antenna Control Console.

I wish to have some kind of band decoder and electronic switch that can replace my manual Antenna Control Console so switch the K3, the KPA500, and the KAT500 all seamlessly. 

What are Elecraft users recommending?   Thanks, 73, Rich, K3VAT
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[Iain MacDonnell - N6ML-2]

On Sun, Nov 4, 2012 at 11:57 AM, rich kennedy <[hidden email]> wrote:
> Hello, I currently have a K3 & KPA500, and, shortly I hope, a KAT500.  I have 3 antennas that I electronic switch with a DXEngineering RR8HP Remote Antenna Switch by manually selecting them on the DXEngineering Antenna Control Console.
>
> I wish to have some kind of band decoder and electronic switch that can replace my manual Antenna Control Console so switch the K3, the KPA500, and the KAT500 all seamlessly.
>
> What are Elecraft users recommending?

The Elecraft KRC2 is suitable for this purpose, and can get band-data
from the AUXBUS, so you don't need to worry about interactions with
the KAT500 and KPA500, which use the "BCD" lines.

You would use a "Y" cable on the K3's ACC port - one side goes to the
KRC2, the other side to the KAT500/KPA500 chain. Personally, I lopped
one of the DE15 connectors off the Y-cable and replaced it with a DE9,
which plugs straight into the KRC2, which sits onto of the rear-left
corner of the K3.

I'm using an ArraySolutions SixPak, and an Ameritron RCS-8... but it
looks like the KRC2 should be able to drive the DXE switch too...

73,

    ~iain / N6ML
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[Phil Hystad-3]

Rich,

I am curious as to what you are switching.

If you have 3 antennas and the K3, KPA500, and eventually  KAT500, isn't that all you need?

At least that is my plan.  I have an Array Solutions SixPak right now that I use for antenna
switching but since I have three antennas I use for different bands, the KAT500 should work
perfectly as an antenna switch.

Or, are your three antennas for the same band?

Curious...

73, phil, K7PEH


On Nov 4, 2012, at 11:57 AM, rich kennedy <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Hello, I currently have a K3 & KPA500, and, shortly I hope, a KAT500.  I have 3 antennas that I electronic switch with a DXEngineering RR8HP Remote Antenna Switch by manually selecting them on the DXEngineering Antenna Control Console.
>
> I wish to have some kind of band decoder and electronic switch that can replace my manual Antenna Control Console so switch the K3, the KPA500, and the KAT500 all seamlessly.
>
> What are Elecraft users recommending?   Thanks, 73, Rich, K3VAT
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
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>
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[Iain MacDonnell - N6ML-2]

Perhaps the switch is on the tower, so only one feedline is shared
between the antennas.......

73,

    ~iain / N6ML


On Sun, Nov 4, 2012 at 12:52 PM, Phil Hystad <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Rich,
>
> I am curious as to what you are switching.
>
> If you have 3 antennas and the K3, KPA500, and eventually  KAT500, isn't that all you need?
>
> At least that is my plan.  I have an Array Solutions SixPak right now that I use for antenna
> switching but since I have three antennas I use for different bands, the KAT500 should work
> perfectly as an antenna switch.
>
> Or, are your three antennas for the same band?
>
> Curious...
>
> 73, phil, K7PEH
>
>
> On Nov 4, 2012, at 11:57 AM, rich kennedy <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
>> Hello, I currently have a K3 & KPA500, and, shortly I hope, a KAT500.  I have 3 antennas that I electronic switch with a DXEngineering RR8HP Remote Antenna Switch by manually selecting them on the DXEngineering Antenna Control Console.
>>
>> I wish to have some kind of band decoder and electronic switch that can replace my manual Antenna Control Console so switch the K3, the KPA500, and the KAT500 all seamlessly.
>>
>> What are Elecraft users recommending?   Thanks, 73, Rich, K3VAT
>> ______________________________________________________________
>> Elecraft mailing list
>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>>
>> 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
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>
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> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html

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[N5GE-2]

I currently have two HF antennae.  One is an NVIS loop for MARS and
the other is a 4 Element Yagi-Uda 5 bander 20m through 10m.

On the KPA500 I have those two antennae connected as follows:

NVIS Loop; connected to antenna port one, which also allows me to
work 3.52 and 3.8MC.

Yagi-Uda: connected to antenna port two.

When I move to a frequency that is tuned on the loop the tuner
switches to antenna one before it tunes.  Switching to a frequency
covered by antenna two causes the KPA500 to switch to antenna two
before it tunes.

Once the tuner has been tuned once to the frequencies you use on any
band it returns to the setting it has memorized for that frequency,
including the output connector that you used when tuning the first
time.

73,
Amateur Radio Operator N5GE
ARRL Lifetime Member
QCWA Lifetime Member  

On Sun, 4 Nov 2012 11:57:55 -0800 (PST), rich kennedy
<[hidden email]> wrote:

>Hello, I currently have a K3 & KPA500, and, shortly I hope, a KAT500.  I have 3 antennas that I electronic switch with a DXEngineering RR8HP Remote Antenna Switch by manually selecting them on the DXEngineering Antenna Control Console.
>
>I wish to have some kind of band decoder and electronic switch that can replace my manual Antenna Control Console so switch the K3, the KPA500, and the KAT500 all seamlessly. 
>
>What are Elecraft users recommending?   Thanks, 73, Rich, K3VAT
>______________________________________________________________
>Elecraft mailing list
>Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
>Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
>This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html

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