KAT500 - Tuning Anomoly
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KAT500 - Tuning Anomoly
 
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Up until last week, my KAT500 has run lawlessly. However, it now has a problem tuning my 160M dipole for no obvious reason. Symptoms are continuous searching for a match. If it finds a match in tune mode, as soon as you hit the key, it begins tuning again in "Auto" mode or faults in "MAN" mode, regardless of power level. What is interesting is that the KAT500 will tune my OCF Windom on 160M with no problem. Initially assuming it was the antenna at fault, I did the follow checks.
- Checked the 160M dipole with an Antenna Analyzer and both it and the coax check out fine. Even where the analyzer suggests a 1:1 match, the KAT500 tries to retune. - Switched input ports on the back of the KAT500. No change. - Used the K3 ATU (with KAT500 in bypass mode and with the dipole directly connected to the K3) and it matches the 160M dipole antenna with no trouble. - Erased all the previous 160M tune memories, no change.- Reset factory defaults, no change.- Reloaded the firmware from the website, no change. I would appreciate insight one my have.Thanks & 73 Bill - W0BBI ______________________________________________________________ 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] |
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Hi,
When you use the antenna analyzer very little power is used. When you tune, much more power is used. I have a 160m antenna and never have an issue if I run below 100W. The minute it gets to 110, I have the same issues as you. I suggest turning down the tune power as a test. You can find this in the menus for the K3 under TUN PWR. 73 Tom va2fsq.com -----Original Message----- From: Bill Wiehe via Elecraft Sent: Sunday, October 30, 2016 3:20 PM To: Elecraft Reflector Subject: [Elecraft] KAT500 - Tuning Anomoly Up until last week, my KAT500 has run lawlessly. However, it now has a problem tuning my 160M dipole for no obvious reason. Symptoms are continuous searching for a match. If it finds a match in tune mode, as soon as you hit the key, it begins tuning again in "Auto" mode or faults in "MAN" mode, regardless of power level. What is interesting is that the KAT500 will tune my OCF Windom on 160M with no problem. Initially assuming it was the antenna at fault, I did the follow checks. - Checked the 160M dipole with an Antenna Analyzer and both it and the coax check out fine. Even where the analyzer suggests a 1:1 match, the KAT500 tries to retune. - Switched input ports on the back of the KAT500. No change. - Used the K3 ATU (with KAT500 in bypass mode and with the dipole directly connected to the K3) and it matches the 160M dipole antenna with no trouble. - Erased all the previous 160M tune memories, no change.- Reset factory defaults, no change.- Reloaded the firmware from the website, no change. I would appreciate insight one my have.Thanks & 73 Bill - W0BBI ______________________________________________________________ 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] --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus ______________________________________________________________ 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] |
Re: KAT500 - Tuning Anomoly
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In reply to this post by Elecraft mailing list
Thanks Tom for your feedback. I did conduct the test and down to 2 watts the KAT500 still searched for a tune.As I indicated when connected direct the K3 ATU finds a reasonable match at the any power level from 2 to 100 watts.Regardless, it still points to the antenna as the problem. Will check it out further.Thanks,Bill - W0BBI
From: Bill Wiehe <[hidden email]> To: Elecraft Reflector <[hidden email]> Sent: Sunday, October 30, 2016 2:20 PM Subject: KAT500 - Tuning Anomoly Up until last week, my KAT500 has run lawlessly. However, it now has a problem tuning my 160M dipole for no obvious reason. Symptoms are continuous searching for a match. If it finds a match in tune mode, as soon as you hit the key, it begins tuning again in "Auto" mode or faults in "MAN" mode, regardless of power level. What is interesting is that the KAT500 will tune my OCF Windom on 160M with no problem. Initially assuming it was the antenna at fault, I did the follow checks. - Checked the 160M dipole with an Antenna Analyzer and both it and the coax check out fine. Even where the analyzer suggests a 1:1 match, the KAT500 tries to retune. - Switched input ports on the back of the KAT500. No change. - Used the K3 ATU (with KAT500 in bypass mode and with the dipole directly connected to the K3) and it matches the 160M dipole antenna with no trouble. - Erased all the previous 160M tune memories, no change.- Reset factory defaults, no change.- Reloaded the firmware from the website, no change. I would appreciate insight one my have.Thanks & 73 Bill - W0BBI ______________________________________________________________ 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] |
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The KAT500 needs at least 20 watts for effective tuning. Apparently
your antenna system is breaking down at some level below that. Inspect all insulators and feedline connections. 73, Don W3FPR On 10/30/2016 6:50 PM, Bill Wiehe via Elecraft wrote: > Thanks Tom for your feedback. I did conduct the test and down to 2 watts the KAT500 still searched for a tune.As I indicated when connected direct the K3 ATU finds a reasonable match at the any power level from 2 to 100 watts.Regardless, it still points to the antenna as the problem. Will check it out further.Thanks,Bill - W0BBI > > From: Bill Wiehe <[hidden email]> > To: Elecraft Reflector <[hidden email]> > Sent: Sunday, October 30, 2016 2:20 PM > Subject: KAT500 - Tuning Anomoly > ______________________________________________________________ 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] |
Fwd: KAT500 - Tuning Anomoly
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In reply to this post by Elecraft mailing list
Dropped the antenna and found the problem. While not a complete open connection, one leg apparently was compromised enough to make the KAT500 unhappy.
Thanks to Tom VA2FSQ and Don W3FPR for input. 73, Bill - W0BBI > > > > > > ______________________________________________________________ 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] |
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