[Elecraft] K2 connection to Laptop

[Ray Spreadbury]

Good Morning Don

OK I've found the full cable instructions in the KAT100 manual thank you, I
was looking in the K2 manual & didn't find it! 

However, there appears to be a USB/RS-232 cable available from Elecraft i.e.
the KUSB. You'll find it in the Elecraft price list page on the website
under the K2 section described as a USB adaptor for the KIO2 or the KPA100,
now with an FTDI chipset. It's also referred to in the K3 section under K3
Utilities & Drivers and I quote "The K3 uses a standard RS232 port
implemented via a female DB9 for interfacing to external devices and
programs. If your computer has a standard serial port, all you will need is
a straight through serial cable with a male DB9 on one end and the proper
connector (usually a female DB9 or DB25) on the other end to plug into your
computer's serial port and you are all set. Most modern computers no longer
have serial ports but instead use USB (Universal Serial Bus) ports for
connecting to external devices. Elecraft provides the KUSB - USB to Serial
adapter to connect the K3 to these computers"

So, thanks for your help once again (!) Don, I think I'll talk to Elecraft
later today & see if it will do the trick for me, failing that I'll have to
get some shielded cable from them & make up the cable & plugs as they
suggest in the KAT100 manual

Regards
Ray G3XLG

-----Original Message-----
From: Don Wilhelm [mailto:w3fpr at embarqmail.com] 
Sent: 17 May 2011 13:32
To: Ray Spreadbury
Cc: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K2 connection to Laptop

  Ray,

Take a look at the cable shown in the KAT100 manual.  Yes, you can 
expand the existing cable to include a serial port connection.  Yes, if 
you do not have a serial port on your computer, you will have to use an 
RS-232 to serial adapter cable.  Try to get an adapter which uses the 
FTDI chipset.  The K2 baud rate is 4800 and many adapters do not like to 
run that slow.  You may have to try several adapters before you find one 
that works without problems.

The only part of that cable that is RS-232 is the part that connects to 
the computer.  Use ONLY the cable connections specified in the manual.  
You can damage your K2 if you try anything else.

Think of the connector on the KPA100 exactly as it is marked - it is 
labeled AUX I/O - there are only 2 RS-232 level signal lines in it, the 
rest can be damage your K2 if subjected to RS-232 levels.
Unfortunately, the PC world has created a mindset that a DE-9 connector 
is an RS-232 port, and nothing could be further from the truth - that 9 
pin connector is just a connector, and can contain any kind of signals.

Build the special cable shown in the KAT100 manual and all will be 
well.  As far as I know, there is no assembled cable available from any 
source.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 5/17/2011 4:30 AM, Ray Spreadbury wrote:
> Hi Guys
>
>
>
> When I recently bought my K2, it came with the KPA100 watt amplifier&  the
> separate KAT100 watt ATU. I was advised to connect the K2 RS232 interface
> (the KIO2) to the antenna tuner using a made up serial cable the vendor
gave
> me&  it all works fine.
>
>
>
> I now want to connect the K2 to a laptop to use the N1MM contest logging
> program etc.
>
>
>
> Does anyone know how do I do this&  also connect to the tuner - if that is
> necessary? (Sorry to be so dumb folks, but just returned to radio after 25
> year absence!)
>
>
>
> Also, I do not have any additional screened serial cable and my laptop
> doesn't have a serial port anyway so am I right in thinking Elekraft can
> supply additional cable with a USB/serial converter (the KUSB)?
>
>
>