KAT-500 behavior under firmware 1.58

[N8OQ]

Greetings,

Here is a little "feedback" on the new KAT-500 firmware.  I installed version 1.58 last night and was using my 160m capacitance hat vertical antenna and observed what I think is strange behavior.  First, I admit my 160m cap. hat vertical is not an optimal antenna.  Previous versions of the firmware however, produced acceptable matches.  Version 1.54 was a little better by introducing the finer step search.  The version 1.58 firmware however produces worse results in my case.


The tuning passes, the clickity-clack search, is clearly different on 160m.  The KAT-500 now finds no good match in auto mode.  I place the KAT-500 in "manual" mode and using the utility software set previously used capacitance and inductance values.  Now the KAT-500 goes sometimes into bypass mode (I have no KPA-500), drops setting values with an audible click, and some times when I checked the utility it has gone far away in capacitance and inductance values without a "clickty-clack" tuning cycle.  My K3 used to be able to produce nearly full power with its super ALC method of power control.  According to my Palstar PM2000A power meter, not so much anymore, as it behaves now like traditional power fold back on 160m.  It appears something is interacting.


I have no evidence of RF in the shack.

Jim, N8OQ
______________________________________________________________
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

[k5oai]

I have had just the opposite results with v 1.58

My amp is an AL-811, I run it at about 300-400w on 160m
My 160m antenna is a 7' tall HiQ screwdriver antenna (also with a top
hat) @ 20' with 16 radials each 13' long on my apartment roof.

With no tuner my SWR on 160m ranges from 2.0:1 to 4.5:1

With v1.54 I was unable to run the KAT500 in Auto
it would tune just fine and then while talking
it would randomly fold back and start a search
for an elusive low swr point

With v1.58 I am able to find a stable resonant point
yes at first there was a major 'clackity-clack' search,
which resulted in a point 'close' to resonant.

But if I immediately taped the [TUNE] button again,
there is a much quieter, shorter search,
that resulted in a stable tuning point in AUTO.

I can then enjoy my 2 hr morning ragchew with out any retuning.

The next morning when I tune up there may be a brief quiet retune, but
that is caused by the different overnight moisture changes on the roof.
Once that initial retune takes place it's once again stable.

ymmv

On 2/22/2014 8:10 AM, DeYoung James wrote:

> Greetings, Here is a little "feedback" on the new KAT-500 firmware.
> I installed version 1.58 last night and was using my 160m capacitance
> hat vertical antenna and observed what I think is strange behavior.
> First, I admit my 160m cap. hat vertical is not an optimal antenna.
> Previous versions of the firmware however, produced acceptable
> matches.  Version 1.54 was a little better by introducing the finer
> step search.  The version 1.58 firmware however produces worse
> results in my case.
>
> The tuning passes, the clickity-clack search, is clearly different on
> 160m.  The KAT-500 now finds no good match in auto mode.  I place the
> KAT-500 in "manual" mode and using the utility software set
> previously used capacitance and inductance values.  Now the KAT-500
> goes sometimes into bypass mode (I have no KPA-500), drops setting
> values with an audible click, and some times when I checked the
> utility it has gone far away in capacitance and inductance values
> without a "clickty-clack" tuning cycle.  My K3 used to be able to
> produce nearly full power with its super ALC method of power control.
> According to my Palstar PM2000A power meter, not so much anymore, as
> it behaves now like traditional power fold back on 160m.  It appears
> something is interacting.
>
> I have no evidence of RF in the shack. Jim, N8OQ

--
GB & 73
K5OAI
Sam Morgan
______________________________________________________________
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