[Elecraft] K3/KPA500/RCS-10 antenna switch

[Brian Alsop]

Getting this combo to work here was an interesting challenge.

1) The RCS-10 control box outputs a 3 bit binary signal to control 8 
antennas
2) Several antennas that are multiband.
3) I have a remote A/B switch box with that is DC powered over the coax.
4) I wanted to also have the KPA-500 follow the K3 band switching.

This could all be done in hardware but antenna changes would require 
rewiring.

For me the solution was a PIC, four relays (+ drivers) added to the 
existing control box.  Manual selection is retained.

The PIC used is a PICAXE 18m2+ $5 chip.  It's in-circuit programmable by 
a free software program. BASIC language can be used.  Perhaps others.

Its input is the K3 BCD data which it echos that to KPA-500.  It then 
outputs the proper 3 bit binary code to the RCS-10.  The A/B signal is 
turned on if the band is appropriate.  Antenna/band combos are software 
programmable. The program and data occupies 270 bytes.

It never ceases to amaze me what a little bit of "smarts" in a chip can do.

73 de Brian/K3KO




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