Elecraft

KAT500 Tune Memory and Power Failure Restart

Classic

List

Threaded

4 messages Options

Phil Hystad-3

KAT500 Tune Memory and Power Failure Restart

So, besides the nice warm weather (64 degrees today) we have a bit of gusty winds in the greater Seattle (Puget Sound) area tonight. I lost power ever so briefly, about 2 seconds maybe, during dinner at 5:45 PM. But, enough to cause restart of all the equipment except for laptop and other battery operated things and battery backup saved iMac-24 from a restart.

I get on a CW Net at 6:30 PM (just a few minutes ago) and realized that my KAT500 tuned memory sections were out of whack. In fact, gone as if they did not exist. Doing a retune took the longest time of clicking relays and SWR racing all over the place as if the match was being searched from minus infinity.

This may be he first time I have had such a situation since I got the KAT500 and I was one of the early adopters.

Questions:

1. Is it normal behavior to lose saved memory values of tuned positions. I checked other spots and nothing is saved on the entire 80-meter band — I mean, I had high-SWR on all of my 20 KHz sections.

2. Or, is there something else happening. I have heard that the K3/KAT500 combo gets messed up if the K3 comes alive before the KAT500. Is that possibly what happened here? I was not in the room when this happened so I am assuming that power on startup was a race and I am thinking that the KAT500 might be first but I don’t know.

3. I am assuming I have to reprogram all my memory locations for all three of my antennas (80/40/30 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
Message delivered to [hidden email]

Phil Hystad-3

Re: KAT500 Tune Memory and Power Failure Restart

Regarding my questions below...

I was reminded that the KAT500 utility has a save feature which I did dutifully use after I set all my memory tune spots.

I have now restored my saved configurations.

But, I would still like to know if this is the normal behavior -- that is, a loss of power means loss of memory meaning that the memory for the KAT500 is totally volatile?? I am pretty sure I have unplugged the equipment at times and have not lost anything so I am still confused of what is normal behavior on a power loss.

73, phil, K7PEH

> On Dec 10, 2014, at 6:46 PM, Phil Hystad <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> So, besides the nice warm weather (64 degrees today) we have a bit of gusty winds in the greater Seattle (Puget Sound) area tonight. I lost power ever so briefly, about 2 seconds maybe, during dinner at 5:45 PM. But, enough to cause restart of all the equipment except for laptop and other battery operated things and battery backup saved iMac-24 from a restart.
>
> I get on a CW Net at 6:30 PM (just a few minutes ago) and realized that my KAT500 tuned memory sections were out of whack. In fact, gone as if they did not exist. Doing a retune took the longest time of clicking relays and SWR racing all over the place as if the match was being searched from minus infinity.
>
> This may be he first time I have had such a situation since I got the KAT500 and I was one of the early adopters.
>
> Questions:
>
> 1. Is it normal behavior to lose saved memory values of tuned positions. I checked other spots and nothing is saved on the entire 80-meter band — I mean, I had high-SWR on all of my 20 KHz sections.
>
> 2. Or, is there something else happening. I have heard that the K3/KAT500 combo gets messed up if the K3 comes alive before the KAT500. Is that possibly what happened here? I was not in the room when this happened so I am assuming that power on startup was a race and I am thinking that the KAT500 might be first but I don’t know.
>
> 3. I am assuming I have to reprogram all my memory locations for all three of my antennas (80/40/30 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
> 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]

k6dgw

Re: KAT500 Tune Memory and Power Failure Restart

In reply to this post by Phil Hystad-3

On 12/10/2014 6:46 PM, Phil Hystad wrote:

> 1. Is it normal behavior to lose saved memory values of tuned
> positions. I checked other spots and nothing is saved on the entire
> 80-meter band — I mean, I had high-SWR on all of my 20 KHz sections.

It doesn't sound like normal behavior, I imagine they're in EEPROM or
something like that.
>
> 2. Or, is there something else happening. I have heard that the
> K3/KAT500 combo gets messed up if the K3 comes alive before the
> KAT500. Is that possibly what happened here? I was not in the room
> when this happened so I am assuming that power on startup was a race
> and I am thinking that the KAT500 might be first but I don’t know.

I once fired up the K3 ahead of the KAT500, and while it didn't lose its
mind, things didn't work right. Removing power [really pulling the
plugs] and restoring it with KAT500 ahead of K3 solved the problem. I'm
pretty sure that the K-Line is like everything else in this house that
runs on electricity, "off" isn't really all the way to "OFF."
>
> 3. I am assuming I have to reprogram all my memory locations for all
> three of my antennas (80/40/30 meter dipoles).

It is human nature to assume the worst when often it's a lot simpler.
I'd try the "real OFF" thing first and re-power in the right order. Our
low impedance/hi-current 21st century gear uses very large capacitors so
give everything a chance to discharge. The KAT500 Utility will let you
look at the current L-C values in the L-network for wherever the tuner
thinks it is tuned, you might try moving through a band and see if they
change as you QSY ... or are perhaps all zero?

The Pineapple Express is moving into NorCal tonite, we're on a 69 KV tie
line that runs through our pasture between two hydroelectric plants and
we don't lose power very often, but just in case I think I'll pull the
plug on everything before I head for bed.

73,

Fred K6DGW
- Northern California Contest Club
- CU in the 50th Running of the Cal QSO Party 3-4 Oct 2015
- www.cqp.org
______________________________________________________________
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]

Phil Hystad-3

Re: KAT500 Tune Memory and Power Failure Restart

Fred,

Thanks for the comments.

I know more than I did before but I still do not know exactly what happened. I am now thinking that it is the antenna's fault as much as the loss of power or more so or at least a party to the crime.

My bypass SWRs are anywhere close to what they were before so the wind has caused a problem with the antenna match I think. Too dark to check tonight so have to wait until tomorrow.

73, phil, K7PEH

> On Dec 10, 2014, at 7:34 PM, Fred Jensen <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> On 12/10/2014 6:46 PM, Phil Hystad wrote:
>
>> 1. Is it normal behavior to lose saved memory values of tuned
>> positions. I checked other spots and nothing is saved on the entire
>> 80-meter band — I mean, I had high-SWR on all of my 20 KHz sections.
>
> It doesn't sound like normal behavior, I imagine they're in EEPROM or something like that.
>>
>> 2. Or, is there something else happening. I have heard that the
>> K3/KAT500 combo gets messed up if the K3 comes alive before the
>> KAT500. Is that possibly what happened here? I was not in the room
>> when this happened so I am assuming that power on startup was a race
>> and I am thinking that the KAT500 might be first but I don’t know.
>
> I once fired up the K3 ahead of the KAT500, and while it didn't lose its mind, things didn't work right. Removing power [really pulling the plugs] and restoring it with KAT500 ahead of K3 solved the problem. I'm pretty sure that the K-Line is like everything else in this house that runs on electricity, "off" isn't really all the way to "OFF."
>>
>> 3. I am assuming I have to reprogram all my memory locations for all
>> three of my antennas (80/40/30 meter dipoles).
>
> It is human nature to assume the worst when often it's a lot simpler. I'd try the "real OFF" thing first and re-power in the right order. Our low impedance/hi-current 21st century gear uses very large capacitors so give everything a chance to discharge. The KAT500 Utility will let you look at the current L-C values in the L-network for wherever the tuner thinks it is tuned, you might try moving through a band and see if they change as you QSY ... or are perhaps all zero?
>
> The Pineapple Express is moving into NorCal tonite, we're on a 69 KV tie line that runs through our pasture between two hydroelectric plants and we don't lose power very often, but just in case I think I'll pull the plug on everything before I head for bed.
>
> 73,
>
> Fred K6DGW
> - Northern California Contest Club
> - CU in the 50th Running of the Cal QSO Party 3-4 Oct 2015
> - www.cqp.org
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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]