KPA 500 - Normal behavior?

[Lu Romero - W4LT]

All:

I have KPA500 #1170 up and running now for several months.
I wonder if other users see what I see:

The amp turns on with the rig, but does not turn off with
the rig.  You still have to press the power button on the
amp to turn it off.  When the amp is on and the rig is on as
well, the front panel power button on the amp is disabled.

When the rig is on and the amp is off, you cant turn the amp
on via the front panel power button! You have to turn the
rig off, then turn the amp off, then turn the rig on
whereupon the amp turns on with the rig.

Since the rig controls power, shouldnt it turn the amp both
ON *AND* OFF?  Seems like a silly bug, but it could be a
feature (see? the amp will not let you accidentally power it
off when you have the rig on!)

Switching the amp from OPER to STBY creates a momentary hiss
in the audio (headphones) before the beep tells me that the
amp has changed modes. Is this normal?  What's the hiss
from, the TR diodes in the amp?

What is the "latest" software out there for the KPA500?
Mine came with 1.11, Elecraft suggested I move to 1.17.  I
just found 1.18 but without release notes and someone on the
reflector here mentioned that they had 1.23 installed.

I have a separate serial port with a USB to Serial converter
on it for amp software updates.  The Utility used to enable
me to watch what was going on on the amp while it was
operating.  Now, the Utility will only connect to the amp
when the rig is off.  This started with the installation of
1.18 firmware.  Anybody else see this?

Other than those little quibbles, this thing absolutely
rocks!

Thanks!

Lu Romero - W4LT
K-Line and a K1

PS, yes, I have both Pin10 and Pin11 removed in the cable.
The set up here is N1MM/Logger 32 log with microHAM
microKEYER2 for CAT CW and DVK, P3 and K3 daisy chained,
KPA500 on the Y cable with the key interruptor inline,
antenna tuner is MFJ998.  Amp keying via RCA plug
interrupted by MFJ998 at 2:1 SWR.
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[Brett Howard]

You are using a DB-15HD cable that has all of the wires present.  There are
some lines in the DB15HD that should be cut.  If you get the official K3
cable from Elecraft some of the pins in the connector have been cut out.
The KPA500 manual will show you what pins should be present in a cable.
Make sure that your cable only has these pins present.  The KPA500
shouldn't turn on when the K3 turns on.

~Brett


On Mon, Jan 14, 2013 at 6:41 PM, Lu Romero <[hidden email]> wrote:

> 1170 up and running now for several months.
> I wonder if other users see what I see:
>
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[ke9uw]

I don't have any of that behavior. I can turn one on/off or the other.
I think you have more pins connected that Elecraft does not connect with their cable...probably pin #8.

Chuck, KE9UW
Lionel Trains, TCA, LCCA, LRRC
aka Jack, BMW Motorcycles BMWMOA #224

________________________________________
From: [hidden email] [[hidden email]] on behalf of Lu Romero [[hidden email]]
Sent: Monday, January 14, 2013 8:41 PM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: [Elecraft] KPA 500 - Normal behavior?

All:

I have KPA500 #1170 up and running now for several months.
I wonder if other users see what I see:

The amp turns on with the rig, but does not turn off with
the rig.  You still have to press the power button on the
amp to turn it off.  When the amp is on and the rig is on as
well, the front panel power button on the amp is disabled.

When the rig is on and the amp is off, you cant turn the amp
on via the front panel power button! You have to turn the
rig off, then turn the amp off, then turn the rig on
whereupon the amp turns on with the rig.

Since the rig controls power, shouldnt it turn the amp both
ON *AND* OFF?  Seems like a silly bug, but it could be a
feature (see? the amp will not let you accidentally power it
off when you have the rig on!)

Switching the amp from OPER to STBY creates a momentary hiss
in the audio (headphones) before the beep tells me that the
amp has changed modes. Is this normal?  What's the hiss
from, the TR diodes in the amp?

What is the "latest" software out there for the KPA500?
Mine came with 1.11, Elecraft suggested I move to 1.17.  I
just found 1.18 but without release notes and someone on the
reflector here mentioned that they had 1.23 installed.

I have a separate serial port with a USB to Serial converter
on it for amp software updates.  The Utility used to enable
me to watch what was going on on the amp while it was
operating.  Now, the Utility will only connect to the amp
when the rig is off.  This started with the installation of
1.18 firmware.  Anybody else see this?

Other than those little quibbles, this thing absolutely
rocks!

Thanks!

Lu Romero - W4LT
K-Line and a K1

PS, yes, I have both Pin10 and Pin11 removed in the cable.
The set up here is N1MM/Logger 32 log with microHAM
microKEYER2 for CAT CW and DVK, P3 and K3 daisy chained,
KPA500 on the Y cable with the key interruptor inline,
antenna tuner is MFJ998.  Amp keying via RCA plug
interrupted by MFJ998 at 2:1 SWR.
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[Lu Romero - W4LT]

All:

Thanks for all your input.  Big thank you to Richard VE3KI
for his excellent email which should be in the manual
verbatim, frankly!

I have heard from Elecraft Support, and the factory says
that the only pins that are disabled on a standard KPAK3AUX
cable are as follows:

Pins 1, 6, 7, 8 and optionally on some cables, 4

If you need external PTT, you can use the "interruptor" to
disable pin 10.

Pin 11 can be used with a macro to remotely turn the KPA on
and off via DIGOUT1

I disconnected my pin 8 and the power issue I illustrated
went completely away.

Thought you all would want to know in case others walk in my
footsteps in the future.

Best 73

Lu Romero - W4LT
K-Line and a K1



Message: 12
Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2013 14:45:53 +0000
From: "hawley, charles j jr" <[hidden email]>
To: "[hidden email]" <[hidden email]>,
"[hidden email]"
    <[hidden email]>
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KPA 500 - Normal behavior?
Message-ID:
   
<[hidden email]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

I don't have any of that behavior. I can turn one on/off or
the other.
I think you have more pins connected that Elecraft does not
connect with their
cable...probably pin #8.

Chuck, KE9UW
Lionel Trains, TCA, LCCA, LRRC
aka Jack, BMW Motorcycles BMWMOA #224


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[Brett Howard]

The pinout of the cable that should be used is in the manual.  That pinout
illustrates the lines that should be connected and NO other lines other
than that which are displayed in the manual should be connected.

~Brett (N7MG)


On Tue, Jan 15, 2013 at 10:10 AM, Lu Romero <[hidden email]> wrote:

> All:
>
> Thanks for all your input.  Big thank you to Richard VE3KI
> for his excellent email which should be in the manual
> verbatim, frankly!
>
> I have heard from Elecraft Support, and the factory says
> that the only pins that are disabled on a standard KPAK3AUX
> cable are as follows:
>
> Pins 1, 6, 7, 8 and optionally on some cables, 4
>
> If you need external PTT, you can use the "interruptor" to
> disable pin 10.
>
> Pin 11 can be used with a macro to remotely turn the KPA on
> and off via DIGOUT1
>
> I disconnected my pin 8 and the power issue I illustrated
> went completely away.
>
> Thought you all would want to know in case others walk in my
> footsteps in the future.
>
> Best 73
>
> Lu Romero - W4LT
> K-Line and a K1
>
>
>
> Message: 12
> Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2013 14:45:53 +0000
> From: "hawley, charles j jr" <[hidden email]>
> To: "[hidden email]" <[hidden email]>,
> "[hidden email]"
>     <[hidden email]>
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KPA 500 - Normal behavior?
> Message-ID:
>
> <[hidden email]>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> I don't have any of that behavior. I can turn one on/off or
> the other.
> I think you have more pins connected that Elecraft does not
> connect with their
> cable...probably pin #8.
>
> Chuck, KE9UW
> Lionel Trains, TCA, LCCA, LRRC
> aka Jack, BMW Motorcycles BMWMOA #224
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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
>

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