KAT500 help

[Bob Woodward]

> I just installed a KAT500 and a KPA500 (Merry Christmas to me). I installed the auxiliary cables between K3 and tuner and amp. Coax and power to tuner amp and rig. Now I'm in trouble. The manual and my brain don't connect.
>
> Here's the problem. When I push "tune" on the KAT500 the auto light continues to flash. No indication of SWR. When I push tune on the K3 it tunes - no indication on KAT500. I've put the tuner on the K3 into bypass. No change on KAT500 when I push tune on it.
>
> Help!
>
> I haven't even started to play with the KPA500. At the moment I'm confused as to setting the drive levels for the amp and how to set the power on the K3 so it will work independently when the amp is off.  I guess I need a 16 year old in the house.  (There is no plate and load knobs!)
>
> Thanks for any step-by-step help.
>
> Bob, N6PGQ

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[Iain MacDonnell - N6ML-2]

On Fri, Nov 16, 2012 at 12:24 PM, Bob Woodward <[hidden email]> wrote:
>> I just installed a KAT500 and a KPA500 (Merry Christmas to me). I installed the auxiliary cables between K3 and tuner and amp. Coax and power to tuner amp and rig. Now I'm in trouble. The manual and my brain don't connect.
>>
>> Here's the problem. When I push "tune" on the KAT500 the auto light continues to flash. No indication of SWR. When I push tune on the K3 it tunes - no indication on KAT500. I've put the tuner on the K3 into bypass. No change on KAT500 when I push tune on it.

On the K3, set CONFIG:TUN PWR to 20.. then use the TUNE function (hold
the XMIT button - *not* the ATU TUNE button) to have the K3 make a 20W
key-down tone. If the KAT500 is in AUTO mode, and detects SWR above
the configured threshold, it should automatically start a full tune.
If you want to force a full-tune, tap the KAT500's TUNE button (while
the K3 is making the 20W tone). When the KAT500 finishes tuning, tap
XMIT on the K3 to stop the 20W tone.


>> I haven't even started to play with the KPA500. At the moment I'm confused as to setting the drive levels for the amp and how to set the power on the K3 so it will work independently when the amp is off.  I guess I need a 16 year old in the house.  (There is no plate and load knobs!)

You may want to set CONFIG:PWR SET to "Per Band" on the K3.

If you have the cabling in place, and the KPA500 configured for K3
integration, you should see messages on the K3 display when you change
the KPA500 from standby to operate. If this is working, run through
each band, and set the PWR level on the K3 once with the KPA500 in
standby (perhaps to 100W), and a second time with the KPA500 in
operate (start around 28W, and adjust for desired output). The K3 will
remember each setting (operate/bypass for each band).

73,

    ~iain / N6ML
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[k6dgw]

On your K3, go into CONFIG:TUN PWR and set the tune power to 25 watts.
The KAT500 takes about 20-25 watts to tune.  Most of us had TUN PWR set
at 5W or close for the KAT3, and have forgotten about the setting.

73,

Fred K6DGW
- Northern California Contest Club
- CU in the 2013 Cal QSO Party 5-6 Oct 2013
- www.cqp.org

On 11/16/2012 12:24 PM, Bob Woodward wrote:

>> Here's the problem. When I push "tune" on the KAT500 the auto light
>> continues to flash. No indication of SWR. When I push tune on the
>> K3 it tunes - no indication on KAT500. I've put the tuner on the K3
>> into bypass. No change on KAT500 when I push tune on it.

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[Barry Simpson]

Hi Bob

It sounds as though you have made the same mistake as I did yesterday with
my new KAT500. In my case I got the co-ax cable wrong.

However, from the way you describe it, I think you have misconnected the
control cables. You need to remove the existing cable between the K3 and
KPA500 from the KPA500 and connect it to the Xcvr socket on the KAT500.
Then you connect the new cable from the amp socket on the KAT500 to the
KPA500. You may have got the co-ax cable wrong as well but that will be
apparent if it still doesn't tune when you have corrected the control
cables.

Mine now works great. Please let me know how you go on.

73

Barry  VK2BJ

On 16 November 2012 21:33, Fred Jensen <[hidden email]> wrote:

> On your K3, go into CONFIG:TUN PWR and set the tune power to 25 watts.
> The KAT500 takes about 20-25 watts to tune.  Most of us had TUN PWR set
> at 5W or close for the KAT3, and have forgotten about the setting.
>
> 73,
>
> Fred K6DGW
> - Northern California Contest Club
> - CU in the 2013 Cal QSO Party 5-6 Oct 2013
> - www.cqp.org
>
> On 11/16/2012 12:24 PM, Bob Woodward wrote:
>
> >> Here's the problem. When I push "tune" on the KAT500 the auto light
> >> continues to flash. No indication of SWR. When I push tune on the
> >> K3 it tunes - no indication on KAT500. I've put the tuner on the K3
> >> into bypass. No change on KAT500 when I push tune on it.
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
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>
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> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>

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