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KPA500 REFL HI Message - With Dummy Load

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KD4NUE

KPA500 REFL HI Message - With Dummy Load

Through tuner (Manual Palstar) to antenna, through tuner to dummy load, dummy load direct to KPA500..... Makes no difference.

Amp tries to make power, SWR LEDS peg out. REFL HI error and amp goes to standby.

Same thing with drive from 10 watts up.

Tuner shows 1:1, rig shows 1:1. Amp sees it as Reflected Power too high.

Suggestions?

David
KD4NUE

Carl Clawson-3

Re: KPA500 REFL HI Message - With Dummy Load

Do I understand right that high power is the key. In other words, you can
run low power through the amp with the amp in bypass? The first thing I
look for when this happens is something arcing under high power. Check your
connectors. Once you arc a connector it will often have a carbon trace on
it that will make it keep arcing even without the stress of trying to run
to a high SWR load through a tuner.

HTH, 73, Carl WS7L

On Tue, Oct 16, 2012 at 1:47 PM, KD4NUE <[hidden email]> wrote:

>
> Through tuner (Manual Palstar) to antenna, through tuner to dummy load,
> dummy load direct to KPA500..... Makes no difference.
>
> Amp tries to make power, SWR LEDS peg out. REFL HI error and amp goes to
> standby.
>
> Same thing with drive from 10 watts up.
>
> Tuner shows 1:1, rig shows 1:1. Amp sees it as Reflected Power too high.
>
> Suggestions?
>
> David
> KD4NUE
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> View this message in context:
> http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/KPA500-REFL-HI-Message-With-Dummy-Load-tp7564209.html
> Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
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N5GE-2

Re: KPA500 REFL HI Message - With Dummy Load

In reply to this post by KD4NUE

It sounds like you have the tuner between the K3 and the amp instead
of between the amp and antenna...

Amateur Radio Operator N5GE
ARRL Lifetime Member
QCWA Lifetime Member

On Tue, 16 Oct 2012 13:47:09 -0700 (PDT), KD4NUE
<[hidden email]> wrote:

KD4NUE

Re: KPA500 REFL HI Message - With Dummy Load

In reply to this post by Carl Clawson-3

Carl,

I have swapped cables, dummy load direct to Amp dummy load through tuner
(in bypass) to amp, dummy load through SWR bridge to amp.

Cables have been checked into a dummy load by SWR analyzer (realize this
doesn't' take into effect power going through them.

Have used accessory cable from K3, and hard keying through a foot switch
with the accessory disconnected.

Worse case SWR through amp to dummy load is 1.5:1 in standby at 50 MHz. In
operate it goes back to 1.1:1. This reads on a SWR analyzer (again, not
dynamic conditions).

I have talked to Howard at Elecraft, and I will be sending it in for a
checkout.

Thanks to all who responded.

David
KD4NUE

-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Carl Clawson
Sent: Tuesday, October 16, 2012 6:22 PM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 REFL HI Message - With Dummy Load

Do I understand right that high power is the key. In other words, you can
run low power through the amp with the amp in bypass? The first thing I look
for when this happens is something arcing under high power. Check your
connectors. Once you arc a connector it will often have a carbon trace on it
that will make it keep arcing even without the stress of trying to run to a
high SWR load through a tuner.

HTH, 73, Carl WS7L

On Tue, Oct 16, 2012 at 1:47 PM, KD4NUE <[hidden email]> wrote:

>
> Through tuner (Manual Palstar) to antenna, through tuner to dummy
> load, dummy load direct to KPA500..... Makes no difference.
>
> Amp tries to make power, SWR LEDS peg out. REFL HI error and amp goes
> to standby.
>
> Same thing with drive from 10 watts up.
>
> Tuner shows 1:1, rig shows 1:1. Amp sees it as Reflected Power too
> high.
>
> Suggestions?
>
> David
> KD4NUE
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> View this message in context:
> http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/KPA500-REFL-HI-Message-With-Dummy
> -Load-tp7564209.html
> Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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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______________________________________________________________
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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