KAT500 won't tune the 6 meter antenna

[George Rebong]

My KAT500 doesn't tune my 6 meter antenna. I tried it on AUTO mode and MANUAL mode. The antenna has 13:1 SWR.  The KAT500 relays doesn't make noise when I keyed the K3.  Did I miss something?
73
George KE6TE

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[Jack Brindle-2]

Yes. Check the KAT500 specs on page 2 of the KAT500 manual. The tuner is limited to matching no more than a 10:1 SWR in the HF range, and lower at VHF. Note that this is specified for 500 watts of power, so you may be able to get a little more. 13:1 indicates a very bad match, however. You will be burning up most of your TX power in the coax between the tuner and the antenna.

By far the best thing you can do is to fix the antenna so that is presents a much better impedance to the feed line (and thus the tuner). Doing so will get much more of that precious power into the air.

- Jack B, W6FB
 

> On Jul 5, 2015, at 3:15 PM, George Rebong <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> My KAT500 doesn't tune my 6 meter antenna. I tried it on AUTO mode and MANUAL mode. The antenna has 13:1 SWR.  The KAT500 relays doesn't make noise when I keyed the K3.  Did I miss something?
> 73
> George KE6TE
>
> Sent from my iPad
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
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[John Lemay]

I can't help you with the KAT500 question, but with a 13 to 1 SWR on 6m you
would be strongly advised to improve the match at the aerial.

John G4ZTR

-----Original Message-----
From: Elecraft [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of George
Rebong
Sent: 05 July 2015 23:15
To: [hidden email]
Subject: [Elecraft] KAT500 won't tune the 6 meter antenna

My KAT500 doesn't tune my 6 meter antenna. I tried it on AUTO mode and
MANUAL mode. The antenna has 13:1 SWR.  The KAT500 relays doesn't make noise
when I keyed the K3.  Did I miss something?
73
George KE6TE

Sent from my iPad
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[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Hi George,

A 13:1 SWR is what you might measure on 50 MHz looking into 50 feet of RG8
with NOTHING attached to the far end. From a reasonableness and efficiency
standpoint one should not plan anything more than 3:1 as a normal load for
a coax in coax out tuner. Less than that as frequency goes up.

Particularly 10m and above can have quite a bit of loss if not operated
well-matched (1.5:1 or less) over coax long enough to go from a shack
outside and up to an elevated antenna.

An antenna tuner is not a remote trouble neutralizer. Time to find out what
is busted in the antenna up there, or if the coax is cut or crushed.

Good luck on chasing down the trouble. Been there done that for sure. :>)

73, Guy K2AV

On Monday, July 6, 2015, John Lemay <[hidden email]> wrote:

> I can't help you with the KAT500 question, but with a 13 to 1 SWR on 6m you
> would be strongly advised to improve the match at the aerial.
>
> John G4ZTR
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Elecraft [mailto:[hidden email] <javascript:;>]
> On Behalf Of George
> Rebong
> Sent: 05 July 2015 23:15
> To: [hidden email] <javascript:;>
> Subject: [Elecraft] KAT500 won't tune the 6 meter antenna
>
> My KAT500 doesn't tune my 6 meter antenna. I tried it on AUTO mode and
> MANUAL mode. The antenna has 13:1 SWR.  The KAT500 relays doesn't make
> noise
> when I keyed the K3.  Did I miss something?
> 73
> George KE6TE
>
> Sent from my iPad
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email] <javascript:;>
>
> 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] <javascript:;>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
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>

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