[Elecraft] digital selection of KAT500 antenna port.

[AD0ES]

Hi,

I am a new K3/KAT500 owner, and new to this list.

My problem:

 I am setting up a pair of dipole antenna farms, one east/west, the other north/south.  Each has a range
of dipoles tuned for each band, switched by a DXE 2x8 remote switch.  The e/w farm feeds ant1 of the KAT500,
and the n/s farm feeds ant2.  Since both farms cover the entire range from 160 thru 6, the KAT500 band ant
selection will not work to choose between the 2 ports.  I am using a microHam StationMaster to control the
dxe switches with info from the band data of the K3.  Using bearing info from 'HRD Rotator', the StationMaster
correctly selects the appropriate ant by band, from the appropriate farm by bearing (e/w or n/s).
It places the chosen ant of the 'bearing selection' on the 'master' port of the switch, and the like ant
of the other farm on the 'slave' port of its switch.  Both 'master' ports are fed to the KAT500 (e/w master
to ant 1, n/s master to ant2).  Both slave ports are likewise sent to ant1 & ant2 of a (to be built) ant
switch to feed a 2nd receiver, allowing use for diversity reception.  The receiver ant switch will be
directly switched as appropriate by the StationMaster.  The problem is how to switch the KAT500 to the proper
ant port?  The only way I have come up with so far is to add an arduino micro to the mix to monitor the
StationMaster bits that control the dxe switches and send a switch command via the KAT500 rs232 port.
It would be much better if I could directly switch the KAT500 via 2/3 digital bits from the StationMaster.

Anyone have any knowledge of a way to directly control the KAT500 ant port via digital IO?  I understand
that I am asking for a solution that involves minor hacking of the KAT500 itself...

Steve AD0ES