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[KAT500] Planning for KAT500

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Phil Hystad-3

[KAT500] Planning for KAT500

I am on the waiting list for my KAT500 -- waiting - waiting - waiting

But, in the mean time I am planning for how I want to arrange the switching of my various antennas. I understand the KAT500 has 3 antenna connections so first a couple of questions:

1. Will the automatic features of the tuner include automatic band switching ? That is, if I am operating on my 80 meter dipole and then I switch my K3 to the 20 meter band will my 20-meter Hexbeam automatically be switched in (assuming I have it also connected to the KAT500)?

2. I have four antennas: 80-meter dipole, 40-meter dipole, and 30-meter dipole, plus my Traffie Hexbeam that handles 20 meter through 10 meters. I would like to hook up permanently my 80 meter and the Traffie hexbeam to two of the KAT500 antenna connections and then also switch in the 40-meter dipole and 30-meter dipole into the third antenna connection on the KAT500. So, let's say I am on 40 meters and I switch to 30 meters but I need to also manually switch my 40-meter and 30-meter since they share the same port. Will the KAT500 know how to handle this? [Note: my 30-meter dipole though is 1.3:1 and better across the entire 30-meter band so maybe I don't even need the KAT500].

3. How do I tell the KAT500 that the five bands (20m thru 10m) are found on one given antenna connection (to my hexbeam)? Or, does the KAT500 learn this or do I manually help it out by some stored assignment.

4. Which brings up my final question: will the KAT500 be a "smart" device with a computer interface like many other Elecraft devices? Is this how I might preset bands to be associated with antenna connections. Note, my 80-meter dipole can actually work well on 40 and 30 but not as well as my 40-meter and 30-meter dipoles.

73, phil, K7PEH

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Dick Dievendorff

Re: [KAT500] Planning for KAT500

1) The KAT500 will follow the K3's band lines on the ACC connector. If you
don't wire the band change lines, the KAT500 will learn of band change and
will switch bands (and antenna) on first transmit.

2) You'll need to tune, but "bypass" is the first setting attempted. You
might consider moving your other 30/40 switch to be before the ATU so that
it chooses between 30 and KAT500.

3) Both. The normal behavior is to return to the last antenna used on the
band. I want to offer a configuration option to set a "preferred" antenna
connector per band, so it switches there on band change rather than the last
used. This might help if you use multiple antenna connectors on any given
band, but always want to start out with a specific antenna on a given band.

4) Yes, there's a microcontroller, an RS-232 port serial command set, and a
KAT500 Utility. There will be a programmer's reference. It's not yet ready
yet. You'll be able to select antennas, view and change all the relay
settings (and see the L and C values chosen and have a way to "tweak" them).

73 de Dick, K6KR

-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Phil Hystad
Sent: Friday, June 22, 2012 1:48 PM
To: <[hidden email]> List
Subject: [Elecraft] [KAT500] Planning for KAT500

I am on the waiting list for my KAT500 -- waiting - waiting - waiting

But, in the mean time I am planning for how I want to arrange the switching
of my various antennas. I understand the KAT500 has 3 antenna connections
so first a couple of questions:

1. Will the automatic features of the tuner include automatic band
switching ? That is, if I am operating on my 80 meter dipole and then I
switch my K3 to the 20 meter band will my 20-meter Hexbeam automatically be
switched in (assuming I have it also connected to the KAT500)?

2. I have four antennas: 80-meter dipole, 40-meter dipole, and 30-meter
dipole, plus my Traffie Hexbeam that handles 20 meter through 10 meters. I
would like to hook up permanently my 80 meter and the Traffie hexbeam to two
of the KAT500 antenna connections and then also switch in the 40-meter
dipole and 30-meter dipole into the third antenna connection on the KAT500.
So, let's say I am on 40 meters and I switch to 30 meters but I need to also
manually switch my 40-meter and 30-meter since they share the same port.
Will the KAT500 know how to handle this? [Note: my 30-meter dipole though
is 1.3:1 and better across the entire 30-meter band so maybe I don't even
need the KAT500].

3. How do I tell the KAT500 that the five bands (20m thru 10m) are found on
one given antenna connection (to my hexbeam)? Or, does the KAT500 learn
this or do I manually help it out by some stored assignment.

4. Which brings up my final question: will the KAT500 be a "smart" device
with a computer interface like many other Elecraft devices? Is this how I
might preset bands to be associated with antenna connections. Note, my
80-meter dipole can actually work well on 40 and 30 but not as well as my
40-meter and 30-meter dipoles.

73, phil, K7PEH

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Phil Hystad-3

Re: [KAT500] Planning for KAT500

Dick,

Thanks for the great answers. Yes, I would choose to run the 30-meter dipole
around the KAT500. I keep forgetting that it has such great low SWR across
the band (of course, it is not that wide).

73, phil, K7PEH

On Jun 22, 2012, at 3:42 PM, Dick Dievendorff wrote:

> 1) The KAT500 will follow the K3's band lines on the ACC connector. If you
> don't wire the band change lines, the KAT500 will learn of band change and
> will switch bands (and antenna) on first transmit.
>
> 2) You'll need to tune, but "bypass" is the first setting attempted. You
> might consider moving your other 30/40 switch to be before the ATU so that
> it chooses between 30 and KAT500.
>
> 3) Both. The normal behavior is to return to the last antenna used on the
> band. I want to offer a configuration option to set a "preferred" antenna
> connector per band, so it switches there on band change rather than the last
> used. This might help if you use multiple antenna connectors on any given
> band, but always want to start out with a specific antenna on a given band.
>
> 4) Yes, there's a microcontroller, an RS-232 port serial command set, and a
> KAT500 Utility. There will be a programmer's reference. It's not yet ready
> yet. You'll be able to select antennas, view and change all the relay
> settings (and see the L and C values chosen and have a way to "tweak" them).
>
> 73 de Dick, K6KR
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [hidden email]
> [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Phil Hystad
> Sent: Friday, June 22, 2012 1:48 PM
> To: <[hidden email]> List
> Subject: [Elecraft] [KAT500] Planning for KAT500
>
> I am on the waiting list for my KAT500 -- waiting - waiting - waiting
>
> But, in the mean time I am planning for how I want to arrange the switching
> of my various antennas. I understand the KAT500 has 3 antenna connections
> so first a couple of questions:
>
> 1. Will the automatic features of the tuner include automatic band
> switching ? That is, if I am operating on my 80 meter dipole and then I
> switch my K3 to the 20 meter band will my 20-meter Hexbeam automatically be
> switched in (assuming I have it also connected to the KAT500)?
>
> 2. I have four antennas: 80-meter dipole, 40-meter dipole, and 30-meter
> dipole, plus my Traffie Hexbeam that handles 20 meter through 10 meters. I
> would like to hook up permanently my 80 meter and the Traffie hexbeam to two
> of the KAT500 antenna connections and then also switch in the 40-meter
> dipole and 30-meter dipole into the third antenna connection on the KAT500.
> So, let's say I am on 40 meters and I switch to 30 meters but I need to also
> manually switch my 40-meter and 30-meter since they share the same port.
> Will the KAT500 know how to handle this? [Note: my 30-meter dipole though
> is 1.3:1 and better across the entire 30-meter band so maybe I don't even
> need the KAT500].
>
> 3. How do I tell the KAT500 that the five bands (20m thru 10m) are found on
> one given antenna connection (to my hexbeam)? Or, does the KAT500 learn
> this or do I manually help it out by some stored assignment.
>
> 4. Which brings up my final question: will the KAT500 be a "smart" device
> with a computer interface like many other Elecraft devices? Is this how I
> might preset bands to be associated with antenna connections. Note, my
> 80-meter dipole can actually work well on 40 and 30 but not as well as my
> 40-meter and 30-meter dipoles.
>
> 73, phil, K7PEH
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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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WM3M

Re: [KAT500] Planning for KAT500

In reply to this post by Phil Hystad-3

I don't know the answers to theses questions but if ok I would like to ask
one of my own.
I was wondering what the power limit on 6 mtrs is/will be for the KAT500.
Using my KPA500 on 6 mtrs I have to take my existing tuner out of the path
to the
antenna since, even powered off the tuner can not handle 500 watts on 6
mtrs. Thanks
Emory WM3M

-----Original Message-----
From: Phil Hystad
Sent: Friday, June 22, 2012 4:47 PM
To: <[hidden email]> List
Subject: [Elecraft] [KAT500] Planning for KAT500

I am on the waiting list for my KAT500 -- waiting - waiting - waiting

But, in the mean time I am planning for how I want to arrange the switching
of my various antennas. I understand the KAT500 has 3 antenna connections
so first a couple of questions:

1. Will the automatic features of the tuner include automatic band
switching ? That is, if I am operating on my 80 meter dipole and then I
switch my K3 to the 20 meter band will my 20-meter Hexbeam automatically be
switched in (assuming I have it also connected to the KAT500)?

2. I have four antennas: 80-meter dipole, 40-meter dipole, and 30-meter
dipole, plus my Traffie Hexbeam that handles 20 meter through 10 meters. I
would like to hook up permanently my 80 meter and the Traffie hexbeam to two
of the KAT500 antenna connections and then also switch in the 40-meter
dipole and 30-meter dipole into the third antenna connection on the KAT500.
So, let's say I am on 40 meters and I switch to 30 meters but I need to also
manually switch my 40-meter and 30-meter since they share the same port.
Will the KAT500 know how to handle this? [Note: my 30-meter dipole though
is 1.3:1 and better across the entire 30-meter band so maybe I don't even
need the KAT500].

3. How do I tell the KAT500 that the five bands (20m thru 10m) are found on
one given antenna connection (to my hexbeam)? Or, does the KAT500 learn
this or do I manually help it out by some stored assignment.

4. Which brings up my final question: will the KAT500 be a "smart" device
with a computer interface like many other Elecraft devices? Is this how I
might preset bands to be associated with antenna connections. Note, my
80-meter dipole can actually work well on 40 and 30 but not as well as my
40-meter and 30-meter dipoles.

73, phil, K7PEH

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Ken Chandler

Re: [KAT500] Planning for KAT500

In reply to this post by Dick Dievendorff

Hi Dick
Sounds really neat, one question,
Will their be a Default setting, should it ever require to be re-set!!

Ken..G0ORH

Sent from my iPhone

On 22 Jun 2012, at 23:42, "Dick Dievendorff" <[hidden email]> wrote: