KPA-1500 ATU BYP light always on

[N4ZR]

Just got my KPA-1500, and it seems to work great except that the ATU BYP
light is always illuminated.  The ATU operates normally when I light the
IN light with the ATU Mode switch and apply drive.  I can't find
anything in the manual about this.

Can anyone clarify?

--

73, Pete N4ZR
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[Roy Koeppe]

About:


"Just got my KPA-1500, and it seems to work great except that the ATU BYP
light is always illuminated.  The ATU operates normally when I light the
IN light with the ATU Mode switch and apply drive.  I can't find
anything in the manual about this."

Can anyone clarify?



73, Pete N4ZR


Mine has that defect too Pete; serial number is 160 and I suspect yours is
not brand new? Hope to hear from others here. I understand the factory has
several update mods available for 'older' amps. So far I have simply ignored
the funny behavior of the stuck LED. Mine has this issue ONLY on 40 meters.

73,   Roy    K6XK


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[Mark Musick]

This is not a defect. It is operating as designed.
I had this same question after receiving my KPA1500 serial #112 in April of last year.
My understanding after talking to Eric at Dayton last May is both LEDs light when the ATU is engaged (set to IN) and the ATU determines the bypass SWR is at or below the threshold SWR the ATU goes to bypass. Having both LEDs on tells you the ATU is IN, but is BYPASSED. If you move to another band segment where the SWR is above the threshold SWR the ATU tunes for lowest SWR, the IN LED stays on and the BYPASS LED goes out.
This is exactly how mine works.
I hope all that is clear as mud.
If someone else has a better way of explaining it, I would like to see it.

73,
Mark, WB9CIF

-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email] <[hidden email]> On Behalf Of Roy Koeppe
Sent: Saturday, January 19, 2019 16:33
To: Elecraft List <[hidden email]>
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KPA-1500 ATU BYP light always on

About:


"Just got my KPA-1500, and it seems to work great except that the ATU BYP light is always illuminated.  The ATU operates normally when I light the IN light with the ATU Mode switch and apply drive.  I can't find anything in the manual about this."

Can anyone clarify?



73, Pete N4ZR


Mine has that defect too Pete; serial number is 160 and I suspect yours is not brand new? Hope to hear from others here. I understand the factory has several update mods available for 'older' amps. So far I have simply ignored the funny behavior of the stuck LED. Mine has this issue ONLY on 40 meters.

73,   Roy    K6XK


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[Eric Norris-2]

First, make sure you have the latest firmware, 2.0, loaded in the KPA1500.

Secondly--no offense intended--what is the bypass SWR of the antenna?  If
it is lower than the tuning threshold set in the KPA1500 utility, the
KPA1500 ATU will stay in BYPASS mode even after a tuning cycle when the ATU
is IN.

73 Eric WD6DBM

On Sat, Jan 19, 2019, 8:33 AM Roy Koeppe <[hidden email] wrote:

> About:
>
>
> Just got my KPA-1500, and it seems to work great except that the ATU BYP
> light is always illuminated.  The ATU operates normally when I light the
> IN light with the ATU Mode switch and apply drive.  I can't find
> anything in the manual about this.
>
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[ANDY DURBIN]

"If someone else has a better way of explaining it, I would like to see it."

Don't have a KPA1500 but I do have a KAT500.  For that tuner there is a clear distinction between being in BYPASS mode, and  not being in BYPASS mode but having the ATU relays in the bypassed position.   The bypass relay positions are the same for both but the states are operationally different.

I very seldom select BYPASS mode but I am often bypassed.   For the KAT500 the state difference can be seen with the utility and by inspection of the serial data (MD and BYP) but the front panel only indicates BYPASS mode.  There is no panel indication that the tuner is bypassed when AUTO or MAN modes are active.    It appears the KPA1500 indicates the difference on the panel.

Andy, k3wyc
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[Dick Dievendorff-4]

I initially sent this to just Pete, but found other posts:
The intent is that the ATU IN LED be illuminated when the ATU is switched in with the ATU MODE button, and the ATU BYP LED is illuminated when the ATU MODE is BYPASS and also when the current ATU setting, with ATU IN, is “bypassed”.
Each ATU full search tune checks the bypassed setting first, and if the SWR with the ATU bypassed is good enough, then “bypassed” is stored as the preferred ATU setting for that frequency. “Good enough” defaults to 1.2 to 1, but you can change that with an SWR bypass threshold menu item.
For example, my 20 meter beam is resonant low in the band. Down there both ATU LEDs are lit. Up the band only the IN LED is lit. I don’t have to remember to turn the ATU off at the low end, it remembers the bypassed setting.
Early firmware lit one LED or the other, indicating ATU MODE. Field tester feedback suggested lighting both LEDs when the ATU function was switched in and the current ATU setting is bypassed.
 73 de Dick, K6KR

> On Jan 19, 2019, at 06:46, N4ZR <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> Just got my KPA-1500, and it seems to work great except that the ATU BYP light is always illuminated.  The ATU operates normally when I light the IN light with the ATU Mode switch and apply drive.  I can't find anything in the manual about this.
>
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