[Elecraft] KAT500 tune on qsy configuration

[Cady, Fred]

Hi KAT500 gurus,
I'm trying to understand the KAT500's Tune on QSY configuration tab.

The way the KAT500 works is if you have "trained" it so that it knows the L-C combinations needed for a particular frequency on a band, when you return to that frequency it can simply recall those values by doing a "quick memory recall tune" without going through the full retuning process. If you have trained the KAT500 for all the frequency segments in a particular band, as you qsy up and down the band it will do the quick memory recall tune instead of a full tune if you have the Memory Recall Tune on QSY (for MAN and AUTO modes) checked in the Tune On QSY configuration tab.

Example: Set the frequency to 3500 and tune the KAT500 for that frequency. Change to 4000 and tune there. Now the L-C values for both frequencies are stored in the tuner's memory. Now as you switch from one frequency to the other, at the first burst of RF the tuner recalls the L-C values from memory and quickly tunes to the new frequency settings. That's if the Memory Recall Tune on QSY is checked.
If Memory Recall Tune on QSY in Mode Auto is not checked, the tuner enters a tune cycle (which actually does a quick memory recall tune and if that doesn't work then enters a full tune cycle).
If Memory Recall Tune on QSY in Mode Man is not checked, the tuner does nothing and shows high SWR.

Whew, long winded introduction, but my question is, "Why would you NOT want Memory Recall Tune on QSY checked?" Seems like having it checked is the fastest way to get to the new tuner settings if it has tuned up on that frequency before. And if it hasn't tuned up on that frequency before, it will if you are in Auto mode.

Cheers all.
73,
Fred KE7X

Fred Cady
fcady at ieee dot org