[Elecraft] KAT500 as a remote-controlled tuner

[Brian Hunt]

I've been looking at this very issue as part of a project to QRO on the 
lower bands.  I currently have an MFJ autotuner at the end of a 130 ft 
coax run out to the garden.  My low band doublet is fed with a balun and 
ladder line from there.  It's really impractical to run the AUX cabling 
out and back as indicated in the KAT500 manual.  But it may be practical 
to run a keying line out and back and a serial line as Wayne indicated.  
Would the key line need buffering with that long a run?  A total of 5 
wires required. A CAT-5 cable could provide a twisted pair for each  
signal line to avoid RFI.  Power for the KAT500 could be provided using 
a bias-T arrangement as I do now.  Any other thoughts/considerations?

73,
Brian, K0DTJ

On 11/3/2018 08:00, Don Wilhelm wrote:
> With a remote KAT500, it is still necessary to connect the AUX cables 
> as indicated in the KAT500 manual for use with the K3/K3S and KPA500. 
> Alternately, if used in the basic mode, the Keying cable must go first 
> to the KAT500 and from the KAT500 on to the amplifier.  That allows 
> the KAT500 to prevent keying the amplifier while tuning.