[Elecraft] KPA500 and KAT500 Ports

[Eric Swartz - WA6HHQ, Elecraft]

Hi Gary,

Having 4-5 RG8 antenna cables, plus the input cable, hanging out the
back of the desktop ATU is both likely to pull the ATU off the desk, and
will easily not fit in the box size we are planning. It also adds a lot
of complexity and cost to the basic ATU in order to accommodate more
connections with the needed isolation etc. We certainly do not want to
price the ATU out of the range of most hams, or make it too large.

Many of us use manual or automatic switches external to the amp / tuner
to provide these functions.

A much better solution for those needing more than two auto-selected
antennas is to use an external relay switch box, controlled by the
radio. This has the advantage of getting the cables, clutter, and
switching network off the desktop and either under the table or outside.
There are certainly a number of external antenna switches out there that
can do this, but if we offered something that was tightly integrated
with the K3 (and KPA500/KAT500) as a product, what features would be
desirable? (Number of antennas, rigs inputs, switching options etc.)

73, Eric WA6HHQ

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