[Elecraft] ATU question

[Tom Hammond NØSS]

Chas:

At 12:10 AM 6/24/02, you wrote:
>Tim, Tom,
>
>My, you are up late, as is Tom.  One other thing,  I have found that if I 
>tune up the Z-11 at low power (I also use it with my QRP stuff other than 
>the K2) the QRP power gets tuning close, but as I increase power, its 
>lights indicate it needs more tuning, so I usually retune it at 20-30 
>watts.  I don't like to tune it at higher powers, so I don't use the mode 
>switch in "Auto" at any power over 30 watts to keep the relays from 
>chattering at high power.  I haven't had the retuning needed situation 
>with the K2AT, and anyway it's impossible to run it at any more power than 
>the K2 will put out.
>
>Congrats on the 1100 CW contacts with the your K2/K2PA on field day, 
>Tom.  John, K2JD used his at our field day.  I don't know how many 
>contacts he got.  My responsibility was the 40 meter Moxon Rectangle beam, 
>which he used some on Sunday.

Thanks for the reply.

I believe the QRP/QRO tuning is probably due to the fact that the LDG 
directional coupler may start to 'lay down' at lower power levels, 
requiring a higher reflected voltage than the KAT2 requires to be able to 
adequately determine the level of reflected power being reflected. So, as 
you QRO, all of a sudden more reflected power is sensed and it appears that 
there's more mismatch to be 'tuned' out than was initially indicated.

I'll bet some of the fellas who operates their K2's at QRP will be turning 
in some truly amazing QSO totals this year.

73,

Tom