[Elecraft] Running KPA500 and KAT500 Remotely Without K3

[Mitch Wolfson, DJØQN / K7DX]

A friend of mine no longer has a K3, but still uses his KPA500 and 
KAT500 locally. I recently helped him setup a remote station using a 
TS-480 and a pair of RemoteRig RRC's. Now he wishes to remote his KPA500 
and KAT500 as well, so I am trying to figure out how to do this, as I 
have no experience with those two units.

My intention was to use the available serial server COM1 port of the 
RRC's and the available clients from Elecraft. No PC will be running at 
the radio location (don't even suggest it!).

It looks to me as if there will be no problem using the KPA500, which 
has a standard serial port that he can run to the RRC COM1. I assume 
that the Elecraft client will work in that configuration (sanity check 
here, please).

The problem appears to be the KAT500. As far as I can tell, it only has 
a small plug on the back that uses a standard USB cable called KXUSB, 
which of course he can't use to remote. I do see a KXSER available that 
would allow the KAT500 to be controlled via a serial port, but then he 
would need an additional serial port server in addition to the RRC, 
unless he gives-up CAT on COM2. My questions:

- Assuming he gets a KXSER, would that work as I assumed using a serial 
port server and the Elecraft client (again, sanity check)?

- Is if there is a way to daisy chain the KPA500 and KAT500 to allow 
control of both using one serial port? It looks to me as if you can 
daisy chain them using the optional DB15 cable E850463 (no sexy Elecraft 
name for that one), but that would only provide band data and no true 
control using the client. Here I need some input.

The last question is how to turn the KPA500 and KAT500 on and off. Is 
the Elecraft client software able to do that using the serial ports?

He will be returning from Ohio to here in Florida starting from the 
holidays until May, so I need to figure this out real soon to help him 
get it working before he leaves.

Thanks & 73,
Mitch DJ0QN / K7DX

-- 
Mitch Wolfson DJØQN / K7DX
10285 Boca Cir, Naples, FL 34109
Skype: mitchwo
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