[Elecraft] KAT500 without KPA500

[Ken K6MR]

In a word, yes. It works fine.



I switch my amplifier between two K3s, but have two KAT500s. Each KAT500 is connected to a K3 all the time. When the K3 without the amp is tuned, the KAT500 follows the frequency changes. I leave mine in manual mode (for those bands that need the tuner) and can hear the relays click as I move into a new segment. AFAIK the frequency data is on the aux bus, so with the stock cable it will work fine. I built my own cables because my amps/tuners are in a closet 25 feet away.



Ken K6MR



From: George Kidder<mailto:gkidder at ilstu.edu>
Sent: Saturday, December 17, 2016 4:44 PM
To: Dick Dievendorff<mailto:dick at elecraft.com>; elecraft at mailman.qth.net<mailto:elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KAT500 without KPA500



I seem not to have made myself very clear.  Let's leave the amp (both
the AL-80A and the KPS500 out of consideration - I can deal with those
later.  My question is - can one use a _E850463 Aux cable_ to transfer
band, frequency etc. information directly from the K3 to the KAT500,
with no amplifier involved?  I know one can make use of the RCA cables
to control the keying, and the amplifier will detect frequency,
presumably from anything down to a Heath AT-1 (if anyone remembers what
that was.)  This is not the question.  When controlled through the Aux
cable, there are a number of useful functions available (along with
keying control) which I would expect might be available if the Aux cable
connected the K3 and the KAT3 directly.

The KAT500 manual pussy-foots around this issue - there are hints that
it might work, but no definitive statement.

Has anyone tried this method?  With what results?  Dick's response seems
to indicate that it won't work.

George, W3HBM



On 12/17/2016) 1:20 PM, Dick Dievendorff wrote:
> Should be fine.
>
> Use a cable with RCA plugs to connect the K3's KEY OUT connector to one of
> the KAT500's PTT RELAY connectors, and another RCA cable the other KAT500
> PTT RELAY connector to the amplifier KEY IN.    This allows the KAT500 to
> interrupt the PA key line during tuning.
>
> When you move to a KPA500, add an additional 15-pin ACC cable from KAT500 to
> amp, and don't use the RCA cables, as the key lines are incorporated in the
> 15-pin cables.
>
> 73 de Dick, K6KR
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Elecraft [mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of George
> Kidder
> Sent: Saturday, December 17, 2016 08:09
> To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: [Elecraft] KAT500 without KPA500
>
> I am considering purchase of the KAT500 to use with my K3 and an old AL-80A,
> with a view to future expansion to the KPA500.  Is there any reason why an
> Auxbus cable direct from the K3 to the KAT500 would not provide the
> necessary band and frequency information?
>
> George, W3HBM
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