Elecraft

KAT500/KPA500 issue

Classic

List

Threaded

7 messages Options

Jack Satterfield

KAT500/KPA500 issue

After 5 years of perfect operation, now a very strange issue

Bypass SWR 3 or 4:1

KAT500 tunes to 1.3:1

Switch amp to operate, operating SBB on first voice KAT500 goes full scale
swr and amp faults on high swr

Never had a issue before, antenna is g5rv

Any ideas appreciated.

Jack

W4GRJ

______________________________________________________________
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
Message delivered to [hidden email]

Elecraft mailing list

Re: KAT500/KPA500 issue

Jack, I had a similar thing happen and it turned out to be a tree branch had grown into the antenna path and when on high power the antenna was arcing to the tree branch. Might not be a tree branch but look for any signs of possible arching in the antenna, feed line or connectors.

73 - Mike - K9JRI

> On Jan 27, 2019, at 8:10 AM, Jack Satterfield <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> After 5 years of perfect operation, now a very strange issue
>
> Bypass SWR 3 or 4:1
>
> KAT500 tunes to 1.3:1
>
> Switch amp to operate, operating SBB on first voice KAT500 goes full scale
> swr and amp faults on high swr
>
> Never had a issue before, antenna is g5rv
>
> Any ideas appreciated.
>
> Jack
>
> W4GRJ
>
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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
> Message delivered to [hidden email]

______________________________________________________________
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
Message delivered to [hidden email]

Jack Satterfield

Re: KAT500/KPA500 issue

Michael..good suggestion, will do later when the rain stops.

Thanks,

Jack

W4GRJ

From: Michael Blake [mailto:[hidden email]]
Sent: Sunday, January 27, 2019 8:17 AM
To: Jack Satterfield
Cc: Elecraft Reflector
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KAT500/KPA500 issue

Jack, I had a similar thing happen and it turned out to be a tree branch had
grown into the antenna path and when on high power the antenna was arcing to
the tree branch. Might not be a tree branch but look for any signs of
possible arching in the antenna, feed line or connectors.

73 - Mike - K9JRI

On Jan 27, 2019, at 8:10 AM, Jack Satterfield <[hidden email]> wrote:

After 5 years of perfect operation, now a very strange issue

Bypass SWR 3 or 4:1

KAT500 tunes to 1.3:1

Switch amp to operate, operating SBB on first voice KAT500 goes full scale
swr and amp faults on high swr

Never had a issue before, antenna is g5rv

Any ideas appreciated.

Jack

W4GRJ

______________________________________________________________
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
Message delivered to [hidden email]

______________________________________________________________
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
Message delivered to [hidden email]

Dave wo2x

Re: KAT500/KPA500 issue

Also check the ladder line at the ends for possible breaks.

I had one of the “optimized” G5RV antennas sold by W8AMZ which used solid wire in the ladder line. Due to flexing in the wind the wire broke where it entered the epoxyed pvc end cap (SO-239 connector) the plastic jacketing was still in place so the wire would be fine under 20 watts tune but would arc under high power.

The fix was to rebuild the antenna using copper clad stranded ladder line.

Dave wo2x

Sent from my iPad

> On Jan 27, 2019, at 8:28 AM, Jack Satterfield <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> Michael..good suggestion, will do later when the rain stops.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Jack
>
> W4GRJ
>
>
>
> From: Michael Blake [mailto:[hidden email]]
> Sent: Sunday, January 27, 2019 8:17 AM
> To: Jack Satterfield
> Cc: Elecraft Reflector
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KAT500/KPA500 issue
>
>
>
> Jack, I had a similar thing happen and it turned out to be a tree branch had
> grown into the antenna path and when on high power the antenna was arcing to
> the tree branch. Might not be a tree branch but look for any signs of
> possible arching in the antenna, feed line or connectors.
>
>
>
> 73 - Mike - K9JRI
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Jan 27, 2019, at 8:10 AM, Jack Satterfield <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
>
>
> After 5 years of perfect operation, now a very strange issue
>
> Bypass SWR 3 or 4:1
>
> KAT500 tunes to 1.3:1
>
> Switch amp to operate, operating SBB on first voice KAT500 goes full scale
> swr and amp faults on high swr
>
> Never had a issue before, antenna is g5rv
>
> Any ideas appreciated.
>
> Jack
>
> W4GRJ
>
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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
> Message delivered to [hidden email]
>
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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
> Message delivered to [hidden email]

ANDY DURBIN

KAT500/KPA500 issue

In reply to this post by Jack Satterfield

"Any ideas appreciated."

The first thing I would do is see if the problem is seen with a dummy load in circuit instead of the antenna system. No need to wait for the rain to stop.

Andy, k3wyc
______________________________________________________________
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
Message delivered to [hidden email]

Bob McGraw - K4TAX

Re: KAT500/KPA500 issue

In reply to this post by Jack Satterfield

Sure sounds like an antenna problem. Check the system on a dummy load.

73

Bob, K4TAX

On 1/27/2019 7:10 AM, Jack Satterfield wrote:

> After 5 years of perfect operation, now a very strange issue
>
> Bypass SWR 3 or 4:1
>
> KAT500 tunes to 1.3:1
>
> Switch amp to operate, operating SBB on first voice KAT500 goes full scale
> swr and amp faults on high swr
>
> Never had a issue before, antenna is g5rv
>
> Any ideas appreciated.
>
> Jack
>
> W4GRJ
>
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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
> Message delivered to [hidden email]
>

Kidder, George

Re: KAT500/KPA500 issue

In reply to this post by Dave wo2x

I have had the coax connector between the ladder line and the coax arc
over with high power on 75. Might check that.
George, W3HBM

On 1/27/2019 8:49 AM, Dave wrote:

> Also check the ladder line at the ends for possible breaks.
>
> I had one of the “optimized” G5RV antennas sold by W8AMZ which used solid wire in the ladder line. Due to flexing in the wind the wire broke where it entered the epoxyed pvc end cap (SO-239 connector) the plastic jacketing was still in place so the wire would be fine under 20 watts tune but would arc under high power.
>
> The fix was to rebuild the antenna using copper clad stranded ladder line.
>
> Dave wo2x
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
>> On Jan 27, 2019, at 8:28 AM, Jack Satterfield <[hidden email]> wrote:
>>
>> Michael..good suggestion, will do later when the rain stops.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Jack
>>
>> W4GRJ
>>
>>
>>
>> From: Michael Blake [mailto:[hidden email]]
>> Sent: Sunday, January 27, 2019 8:17 AM
>> To: Jack Satterfield
>> Cc: Elecraft Reflector
>> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KAT500/KPA500 issue
>>
>>
>>
>> Jack, I had a similar thing happen and it turned out to be a tree branch had
>> grown into the antenna path and when on high power the antenna was arcing to
>> the tree branch. Might not be a tree branch but look for any signs of
>> possible arching in the antenna, feed line or connectors.
>>
>>
>>
>> 73 - Mike - K9JRI
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Jan 27, 2019, at 8:10 AM, Jack Satterfield <[hidden email]> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>> After 5 years of perfect operation, now a very strange issue
>>
>> Bypass SWR 3 or 4:1
>>
>> KAT500 tunes to 1.3:1
>>
>> Switch amp to operate, operating SBB on first voice KAT500 goes full scale
>> swr and amp faults on high swr
>>
>> Never had a issue before, antenna is g5rv
>>
>> Any ideas appreciated.
>>
>> Jack
>>
>> W4GRJ
>>
>>
>>
>> ______________________________________________________________
>> 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
>> Message delivered to [hidden email]
>>
>>
>>
>> ______________________________________________________________
>> 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
>> Message delivered to [hidden email]
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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
> Message delivered to [hidden email]
>