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KAT500 question...

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NK7Z

KAT500 question...

Hi,

I have a quick question regarding operation of my KAT500 tuner. I have
a K3 feeding a KPA500, feeding the KAT500, feeding a 6BTV vertical which
is tuned up well, and can run with the tuner in bypass, and keep SWR
below 1.7:1 on all bands...

If I am using the KAT500 as a tuner, and I watch the SWR indicator on
the KAT500, for an instant, at key-down, I see greater than 3:1 SWR,
then it drops to normal, all in within a few milliseconds, to
microseconds. Every so often this will fault the amp.

If I put the tuner in bypass everything is normal... No issues, the SWR
indicator operates as normal, the amp never faults...

Anyone have a guess as to what is happening?

--
73, and thanks,
Dave (NK7Z)
https://www.nk7z.net
ARRL Volunteer Examiner
ARRL Technical Specialist, RFI
ARRL Asst. Director, NW Division, Technical Resources
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Don Wilhelm

Re: KAT500 question...

Dave,

Are you running with the KAT500 in MAN or TUN?
After you have trained the KAT500 to the antenna (see the manual for the
bin sizes for each band), you should switch it to MANual. That will
keep it from trying to TUNe when you first transmit.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 11/18/2020 2:56 PM, Dave Cole wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I have a quick question regarding operation of my KAT500 tuner. I have
> a K3 feeding a KPA500, feeding the KAT500, feeding a 6BTV vertical which
> is tuned up well, and can run with the tuner in bypass, and keep SWR
> below 1.7:1 on all bands...
>
> If I am using the KAT500 as a tuner, and I watch the SWR indicator on
> the KAT500, for an instant, at key-down, I see greater than 3:1 SWR,
> then it drops to normal, all in within a few milliseconds, to
> microseconds. Every so often this will fault the amp.
>
> If I put the tuner in bypass everything is normal... No issues, the SWR
> indicator operates as normal, the amp never faults...
>
> Anyone have a guess as to what is happening?

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NK7Z

Re: KAT500 question...

Hi,

Thank you for the response... I was running the tuner in MAN mode... I
did the tuner training a while ago... No relay clicks are associated
with the SWR jump.

Interestingly enough, the entire issue seems to have ceased happening...
I am sure it will come back, as I have seen it before...

73, and thanks,
Dave (NK7Z)
https://www.nk7z.net
ARRL Volunteer Examiner
ARRL Technical Specialist, RFI
ARRL Asst. Director, NW Division, Technical Resources

On 11/18/20 1:38 PM, Don Wilhelm wrote:

> Dave,
>
> Are you running with the KAT500 in MAN or TUN?
> After you have trained the KAT500 to the antenna (see the manual for the
> bin sizes for each band), you should switch it to MANual. That will
> keep it from trying to TUNe when you first transmit.
>
> 73,
> Don W3FPR
>
> On 11/18/2020 2:56 PM, Dave Cole wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> I have a quick question regarding operation of my KAT500 tuner. I
>> have a K3 feeding a KPA500, feeding the KAT500, feeding a 6BTV
>> vertical which is tuned up well, and can run with the tuner in bypass,
>> and keep SWR below 1.7:1 on all bands...
>>
>> If I am using the KAT500 as a tuner, and I watch the SWR indicator on
>> the KAT500, for an instant, at key-down, I see greater than 3:1 SWR,
>> then it drops to normal, all in within a few milliseconds, to
>> microseconds. Every so often this will fault the amp.
>>
>> If I put the tuner in bypass everything is normal... No issues, the
>> SWR indicator operates as normal, the amp never faults...
>>
>> Anyone have a guess as to what is happening?

Don Wilhelm

Re: KAT500 question...

Dave,

In that case (no relay clicks), I would examine all connections in the
feedline carefully.
My thinking is that there is something that changes conduction quickly
(slightly bad connection) when power is applied.

If it starts again, see if it continues when running into a dummy load.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 11/18/2020 4:59 PM, Dave Cole wrote:

> Hi,
>
> Thank you for the response... I was running the tuner in MAN mode... I
> did the tuner training a while ago... No relay clicks are associated
> with the SWR jump.
>
> Interestingly enough, the entire issue seems to have ceased happening...
> I am sure it will come back, as I have seen it before...
>
> 73, and thanks,
> Dave (NK7Z)
> https://www.nk7z.net
> ARRL Volunteer Examiner
> ARRL Technical Specialist, RFI
> ARRL Asst. Director, NW Division, Technical Resources
>
> On 11/18/20 1:38 PM, Don Wilhelm wrote:
>> Dave,
>>
>> Are you running with the KAT500 in MAN or TUN?
>> After you have trained the KAT500 to the antenna (see the manual for
>> the bin sizes for each band), you should switch it to MANual. That
>> will keep it from trying to TUNe when you first transmit.
>>
>> 73,
>> Don W3FPR
>>
>> On 11/18/2020 2:56 PM, Dave Cole wrote:
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> I have a quick question regarding operation of my KAT500 tuner. I
>>> have a K3 feeding a KPA500, feeding the KAT500, feeding a 6BTV
>>> vertical which is tuned up well, and can run with the tuner in
>>> bypass, and keep SWR below 1.7:1 on all bands...
>>>
>>> If I am using the KAT500 as a tuner, and I watch the SWR indicator on
>>> the KAT500, for an instant, at key-down, I see greater than 3:1 SWR,
>>> then it drops to normal, all in within a few milliseconds, to
>>> microseconds. Every so often this will fault the amp.
>>>
>>> If I put the tuner in bypass everything is normal... No issues, the
>>> SWR indicator operates as normal, the amp never faults...
>>>
>>> Anyone have a guess as to what is happening?
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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]

NK7Z

Re: KAT500 question...

Hi Don,

Good idea, thanks. I will do just that. My station is due for a total
rebuild in the next month, and I will be implementing a patch panel for
all connections... That should take care if the issue if that is it...

73, and thanks,
Dave (NK7Z)
https://www.nk7z.net
ARRL Volunteer Examiner
ARRL Technical Specialist, RFI
ARRL Asst. Director, NW Division, Technical Resources

On 11/18/20 2:20 PM, Don Wilhelm wrote:

> Dave,
>
> In that case (no relay clicks), I would examine all connections in the
> feedline carefully.
> My thinking is that there is something that changes conduction quickly
> (slightly bad connection) when power is applied.
>
> If it starts again, see if it continues when running into a dummy load.
>
> 73,
> Don W3FPR
>
> On 11/18/2020 4:59 PM, Dave Cole wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> Thank you for the response... I was running the tuner in MAN mode...
>> I did the tuner training a while ago... No relay clicks are
>> associated with the SWR jump.
>>
>> Interestingly enough, the entire issue seems to have ceased
>> happening... I am sure it will come back, as I have seen it before...
>>
>> 73, and thanks,
>> Dave (NK7Z)
>> https://www.nk7z.net
>> ARRL Volunteer Examiner
>> ARRL Technical Specialist, RFI
>> ARRL Asst. Director, NW Division, Technical Resources
>>
>> On 11/18/20 1:38 PM, Don Wilhelm wrote:
>>> Dave,
>>>
>>> Are you running with the KAT500 in MAN or TUN?
>>> After you have trained the KAT500 to the antenna (see the manual for
>>> the bin sizes for each band), you should switch it to MANual. That
>>> will keep it from trying to TUNe when you first transmit.
>>>
>>> 73,
>>> Don W3FPR
>>>
>>> On 11/18/2020 2:56 PM, Dave Cole wrote:
>>>> Hi,
>>>>
>>>> I have a quick question regarding operation of my KAT500 tuner. I
>>>> have a K3 feeding a KPA500, feeding the KAT500, feeding a 6BTV
>>>> vertical which is tuned up well, and can run with the tuner in
>>>> bypass, and keep SWR below 1.7:1 on all bands...
>>>>
>>>> If I am using the KAT500 as a tuner, and I watch the SWR indicator
>>>> on the KAT500, for an instant, at key-down, I see greater than 3:1
>>>> SWR, then it drops to normal, all in within a few milliseconds, to
>>>> microseconds. Every so often this will fault the amp.
>>>>
>>>> If I put the tuner in bypass everything is normal... No issues, the
>>>> SWR indicator operates as normal, the amp never faults...
>>>>
>>>> Anyone have a guess as to what is happening?
>> ______________________________________________________________
>> 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]