[Elecraft] KAT500 tuner

[edeveloper_1--- via Elecraft]

Hi Alan,
Like you, I have an MFJ-998 auto tuner, but was never really satisfied with its integration with the Elecraft K3. I suggested to Martin that MFJ produce a cable to integrate with Elecraft radios, but that hasn't yet happened so far as I know.
Based on the superb tuning capability that the internal K3 tuner has, I decided to take the plunge on a KAT500. I can't be happier that I did. The integration with the K3 is seamless and pretty much flawless. The tuner follows my K3 wherever it goes, quickly and silently (silently because I've stored matches for all bands; on the initial tune there's of need a bit of clatter but nothing like the 998's) matching my two low wire dipoles on all bands including 6M, though 160M is a bit tough because of the 52-foot length of the wires. I don't get the "surprise!" tune-ups that I got with the 998. I get many more matches on 160M and 80M than I got with the 998. All I have to do is switch my amp when I change bands now. At some point I know I'll end up with a KPA500 and that switching function will become a thing of the past too. I recently added a third antenna (coil-loaded sloper) for 160M/80M and the KAT500 loads it up beautifully. It's sweet that that particular antenna remains always selected for those two bands.
I suspect that at least in part, the MFJ-998 is designed to evaluate situations where it must expect the user will throw a full 1.5KW at it into a really poor match, and it then must say "My components really aren't designed for that particular extreme, and I can't give you a <2:1 match."There's no way for me to tell it "Hey, I'm never sending you more than 800, I promise!"
One thing I did like about the 998 is I had two sets of tuning settings - one for dry weather, and one for rainy/snowy weather. It was easy to switch between the two on each antenna.
Of course that is possible to do with the KAT500 as well. You can save a "dry weather" configuration file and a "wet weather" file and read the appropriate one into the tuner as needed. I've not yet gotten 'round to creating the wet weather file.
I keep the 998 around thinking one day MFJ will produce a cable for Elecraft radios, and I may decide to go through the hassle of getting a building permit to install 240v to the shack, and go fully QRO. Until then, it's not connected to anything now and the KAT500 is my do-it-all tuner for all occasions.
I went the kit route with the KAT500 and like all the Elecraft kits, it was a barrel of fun to assemble.
I can't speak to how the KAT500 will integrate with your Icom, but as for its integration with the K3, it's the bees knees.
73, Tyler, KC2LST
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Message: 15Date: Wed, 5 Aug 2015 02:47:10 +0100From: "G4GNX" <G4GNX at theatreorgans.co.uk>To: "Elecraft Reflector" <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>Subject: [Elecraft] KAT500 tunerMessage-ID: <D70706FE6C0142C6B7A0CFB5767F3475 at Paramount>Content-Type: text/plain;    charset="Windows-1252"
Hi all.
I am contemplating purchasing a KPA500 amplifier to complement my K3.
I currently have a MFJ 998 tuner which is good for 1.5KW but I think that the KAT500 tuner from Elecraft will be a superior product. Would this be a sensible assumption?
If I also buy the KAT500, will it easily interface with my Icom IC700 and is there a specific setting that would allow me to use the IC7100 ?Tune? button, which allows tuning at reduced power (ISTR it?s set at 10watts)? 
73,
Alan. G4GNX