Update on KAT500/KPA500 firmware tweaks

[wayne burdick]

We're getting excellent reports from several customers who are testing new KAT500 and KPA500 firmware. (The changes mainly pertain to fault indications and incorrect re-tuning.) We hope to get this code to beta early next week.

We're also working on a new feature that will allow the K3 to retune the KAT500 automatically, in receive mode, each time the VFO is moved. This feature would be turned on/off in a K3 menu entry (default would be off). By "retune," I mean that the KAT500 would select an LC combination that had been previously stored for the applicable band segment--the same thing that happens when the tuner measures the transmit frequency.

Wayne
N6KR

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[alsopb]

Yippie.  Can't wait!  S&P on bands like 160M is problematic.

73 de Brian/K3KO

On 1/31/2014 17:07, Wayne Burdick wrote:

>
> We're also working on a new feature that will allow the K3 to retune
> the KAT500 automatically, in receive mode, each time the VFO is
> moved. This feature would be turned on/off in a K3 menu entry
> (default would be off). By "retune," I mean that the KAT500 would
> select an LC combination that had been previously stored for the
> applicable band segment--the same thing that happens when the tuner
> measures the transmit frequency.
>
> Wayne N6KR

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[Bill-3]

Sure am looking forward to a successful fix for the tuner's problems -
then I will be able to use my tuner and amp. Otherwise, I will return to
a manual tuner and tube based amplifier. This has not been a pleasant
experience. I have to wonder how it is that the internal tuner to the K3
works so well - yet the external 500 Watt tuner does not.

Bill W2BLC K-Line (????)


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[k5oai]

hmmm...let me have a shot at that one
100w vs 500w ....
now I wonder what could be the difference...
hello test

On 1/31/2014 2:41 PM, Bill W2BLC wrote:
> Sure am looking forward to a successful fix for the tuner's problems -
> then I will be able to use my tuner and amp. Otherwise, I will return to
> a manual tuner and tube based amplifier. This has not been a pleasant
> experience. I have to wonder how it is that the internal tuner to the K3
> works so well - yet the external 500 Watt tuner does not.
>
> Bill W2BLC K-Line (????)

--
GB & 73
K5OAI
Sam Morgan
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[KV5J]

We're also working on a new feature that will allow the K3 to retune the KAT500 automatically, in receive mode, each time the VFO is moved. This feature would be turned on/off in a K3 menu entry (default would be off). By "retune," I mean that the KAT500 would select an LC combination that had been previously stored for the applicable band segment--the same thing that happens when the tuner measures the transmit frequency.






Wayne,

So this will only work if you connect to a K3?

Keith

[mcduffie]

On Fri, 31 Jan 2014 09:07:53 -0800, Wayne Burdick wrote:

> We're getting excellent reports from several customers who are testing new KAT500 and KPA500 firmware. (The changes mainly pertain to fault indications and incorrect re-tuning.) We hope to get this code to beta early next week.

Wayne,

My KPA/KAT (1061/1255) combo had performed quite well since installing
the KAT.  I have been quite happy with it.  However it did retune on me
for an unknown reason the other day.  Just to note that fact.

Gary - AG0N
--
http://ag0n.net
3055: http://ag0n.net/irlp/3055
NodeOp Help Page: http://ag0n.net/irlp
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[Bill-3]

"hmmm...let me have a shot at that one
100w vs 500w ....
now I wonder what could be the difference...
hello test"

Of course there are mechanical differences! However, there should be a similarity of firmware approach. That is why I mentioned it.

Bill W2BLC K-Line (???)
 

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[k5oai]

I was trying to place a brief focus on the fact that with more power
comes the added potential problems caused by rf gremlins
I feel that point was/is being ignore by the demand that there be no
glitches and if there are any it absolutely must be the designer fault

the designing fool proof systems is often defeated
by the underestimated ingenuity of fools <g>

On 1/31/2014 3:12 PM, Bill W2BLC wrote:

> "hmmm...let me have a shot at that one
> 100w vs 500w ....
> now I wonder what could be the difference...
> hello test"
>
> Of course there are mechanical differences! However, there should be a
> similarity of firmware approach. That is why I mentioned it.
>
> Bill W2BLC K-Line (???)
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
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--
GB & 73
K5OAI
Sam Morgan
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[k6dgw]

On 1/31/2014 12:59 PM, XE3/K5ENS wrote:

> We're also working on a new feature that will allow the K3 to retune the
> KAT500 automatically, in receive mode, each time the VFO is moved. This
> feature would be turned on/off in a K3 menu entry (default would be off). By
> "retune," I mean that the KAT500 would select an LC combination that had
> been previously stored for the applicable band segment--the same thing that
> happens when the tuner measures the transmit frequency.
>
> *Wayne,
>
> So this will only work if you connect to a K3?
>
> Keith*

Ummm ... I suppose "no," if somebody else's radio will speak properly to
the KAT500 on that multi-conductor interface cable.  The odds of a
non-Elecraft radio doing that are probably lower than the odds I'm
pregnant with twins. :-)  So, practically, I guess the answer is "yes."

73,

Fred K6DGW
- Northern California Contest Club
- CU in the 2014 Cal QSO Party 4-5 Oct 2014
- www.cqp.org


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[k6dgw]

On 1/31/2014 12:41 PM, Bill W2BLC wrote:
> Sure am looking forward to a successful fix for the tuner's problems -
> then I will be able to use my tuner and amp. Otherwise, I will return to
> a manual tuner and tube based amplifier. This has not been a pleasant
> experience. I have to wonder how it is that the internal tuner to the K3
> works so well - yet the external 500 Watt tuner does not.
>
> Bill W2BLC K-Line (????)

I've asked this several times, not gotten an answer, just continuing
complaints:

I'm running KAT500 FW Version 1.32 which came with my KAT500 [there are
no KAT500 FW files in the location the KAT500 Utility looks for them],
so I've never done an FW upload.

I have NEVER experienced this problem with my K3-KPA500-KAT500 combo
once I took the time to train it on all the band segment-antenna
combinations I have [I operate it in MAN mode].  I don't doubt that the
problem is real, and I don't doubt that it is very annoying, and we know
the smart folk at Elecraft are working on it.  But ...

Once more ... has anyone reloaded an earlier version of the FW, such as
for example, 1.32?  If it works for me, it ought to work for everyone,
no?  OK, admittedly, this involves computers so that's not a foregone
conclusion, :-) but it should be worth a try.  I follow the "If it's not
broke, don't fix it" theory.  If new FW implements something that I want
or will affect me, I get it.  For the record, the K3 is FW version 4.58,
I haven't uploaded that in a long time either.

73,

Fred K6DGW
- Northern California Contest Club
- CU in the 2014 Cal QSO Party 4-5 Oct 2014
- www.cqp.org


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