KAT500

[Jay Caldis]

Why on some frequencies can the Antenna Tuner in the K3 Tune the frequency perfectly, but the KAT500 can not do the same?
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[wayne burdick]

What is the unmatched SWR? The KAT3 operates at far lower power than the KAT500, and it can safely handle an extremely wide SWR range. We have to be more conservative in what we match at 500 W+ to avoid arcing or component damage.

If the KAT500 isn't finding a good match for a low/medium SWR antenna, you could attempt to adjust the L-C settings manually using KAT500 Utility. This is described in the KAT500 Utility help text. If you find a good match this way, please describe the antenna system and what you needed to adjust in an email to k3support.

73,
Wayne
N6KR


On Sep 24, 2013, at 9:29 PM, Jay Caldis <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Why on some frequencies can the Antenna Tuner in the K3 Tune the frequency perfectly, but the KAT500 can not do the same?
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[ik1bxn]

Hi ! I've a similar issue but in my case it comes from the cabling I feel.
My KAT is directly connected to antenna incoming bur k3 has extra 2,5 meters of RG 58 (1 meter patch from KAT to switch plus 1,5 meters patch from the switch to k3).
In my situation and only in some bands I have differents SWR reading at KAT and k3.
73 - Giorgio IK1BXN

[ke9uw]

The reason is that the KAT500 has more coarse component values... the values of capacitance for example are not as fine as on the K3. So the values on the K3 sometimes cannot be duplicated on the KAT500.

[wayne burdick]

Chuck wrote:

> The reason is that the KAT500 has more coarse component values... the values
> of capacitance for example are not as fine as on the K3. So the values on
> the K3 sometimes cannot be duplicated on the KAT500.

Hi Chuck,

I'm not sure where this idea came from, but I can assure you that the KAT500's capacitors (and inductors) have exactly the same component tolerances as those used in the KAT3.

What is different is the stray L and C. These always vary from one ATU design to the next because of the different PCB layouts and toroid core sizes.

Operationally, the most important difference is that the KAT3 will try to match some extremely high-SWR loads that the KAT500 will not, for safety reasons, given the potential for much higher RF voltage and current.

73,
Wayne
N6KR

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[Klaus Koppendorfer]

i hat the same behavior on my KAT500 - could not tune what K3 and KX3 could tune...
i had a wrong capassitor on wrong place in the L C Network
Dick Divendorf sent me the cap infos and bingo... after build in right cap tuning of KAT500 was same as k3

73
klaus
oe6kyg
________________________________________
Von: [hidden email] [[hidden email]]&quot; im Auftrag von &quot;Wayne Burdick [[hidden email]]
Gesendet: Donnerstag, 26. September 2013 23:58
An: Elecraft Reflector
Betreff: Re: [Elecraft] KAT500

Chuck wrote:

> The reason is that the KAT500 has more coarse component values... the values
> of capacitance for example are not as fine as on the K3. So the values on
> the K3 sometimes cannot be duplicated on the KAT500.

Hi Chuck,

I'm not sure where this idea came from, but I can assure you that the KAT500's capacitors (and inductors) have exactly the same component tolerances as those used in the KAT3.

What is different is the stray L and C. These always vary from one ATU design to the next because of the different PCB layouts and toroid core sizes.

Operationally, the most important difference is that the KAT3 will try to match some extremely high-SWR loads that the KAT500 will not, for safety reasons, given the potential for much higher RF voltage and current.

73,
Wayne
N6KR

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[ke9uw]

I stand corrected. Must have thought that was the answer when I danced around the necessary value on the KAT500 when the KAT3 zeroed right in for a low SWR.
Sorry, and thanks for the correction.