[Elecraft] Interface question.

[John K3TN]

I have the same combination: K3, ALS-600, MFJ-998. I also have a TS-850
interfaced in, and the 850 interface to the 998 is much better: push the
tune button on the 850, 850 goes to tune level, 998 goes to tune mode,
click/whir, done. As you say, with the K3 have to use the 998 auto-tune
mode, which doesn't always want to tune, so I often have to also hit the
manual TUNE button on the 998, especially on bands like 10m where the tuner
and the antenna are more finicky.

So, I'll add my request for the K3 ACC TUNE signal in an attempt to move it
up the list.

73, John K3TN


Phil & Debbie Salas wrote:
> 
> As you've stated, so far the K3 doesn't have an external TUNE-KEY input. 
> This will have to be provided when the KAT500 is available - probably the 
> AUXBUS interface.  I have used a MFJ-998 with my K3 and ALS-600 for a
> couple 
> of years now - and now a KPA500.  I leave the MFJ-998 in the full-auto
> mode 
> and use the K3 TUNE function (TUNE power set for 15 watts) when I need the 
> tuner.  No problems at all.  The MFJ-998 interrupts the amp-key line
> before 
> it tunes.  I've recently modified my MFJ-998 so it uses the amp-disable 
> feature of the KPA500 (info on my website) which is a much better way of 
> taking the KPA500 off-line prior to tuning.
> 
> I WILL go with the KAT500 when it is available though.  I'm sure it will 
> integrate superbly with the K3 - just like the KPA500 does.
> 
> Phil - AD5X
> 
> "I have an MFJ-998. I wish I'd known better when I bought it - I
> wouldn't buy another (for various reasons). I never found a good way
> to integrate it with the K3... so the tune-up procedure involves using
> the K3's "TUNE" function to produce a low-power signal (CONFIG:TUNE
> PWR) and then invoking the "TUNE" function on the MFJ (it's configured
> in "Semi-Automatic" mode). When the MFJ finds a match (or doesn't), I
> tap "XMIT" on the K3 to end the "TUNE". There is a fully-automatic
> mode, where the MFJ will initiate tuning when it detects SWR above a
> configured threshold, but I had bad experiences with that in the past.
> 
> If the K3 had a way to feed a signal into the ACC connector to trigger
> the TUNE function, the MFJ could utilise that. The suggestion has been
> made a few times, but it's probably not a high enough priority on
> "Wayne's list".
> 
> Aside from the KAT-500, it appears (from their website) that PalStar
> are working on a new remote-able autotuner rated for 2500W. I'm sure
> it'll cost a lot more than the MFJ, but... you know what they say ;)
> 
> 73,
> 
>     ~iain / N6ML" 
> 
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