[Elecraft] Using KAT-500 without BAND Information

[Don Wilhelm]

Tom,

If by "hit the TUNE button", you are referring to the TUNE button on the 
KPA500, those results are completely understandable.

Changing bands on your transceiver is not communicated to the KAT500 yet 
- (it will only be communicated when you provide RF to the KAT500).

So the KAT500 will not switch bands and will attempt to tune on the 
wrong antenna initially.  Once the KAT500 senses RF, it will know that 
the band is not correct and will switch to the proper antenna for the 
band in use.

In your second scenerio, you are providing RF to the KAT500 first and it 
will behave properly, so use that sequence.

You should not have any problems with the KPA500 if you have the keying 
cable run correctly - from the transceiver to the KAT500 and then from 
the KAT500 to the KPA500.
The KAT500 interrupts the keying line to the KPA500 so the tuning is 
done only with the exciter power level.

73 and HNY,
Don W3FPR

On 12/26/2019 9:39 AM, Tom KG3V wrote:
> I am using a KAT-500 Tuner with an ICOM IC-7600. I am not providing BAND 
> data, which is in line with recommendations for connecting this radio in 
> the Elecraft manuals. The documents tell me that RF Frequency-sensing 
> overrides all other information. I have two antennas enabled. ANT 1 is a 
> vertical for 10-40 meters. ANT 2 is an 80 meter dipole. I only ENABLE 
> ANT 2 for 80 meters and only ENABLE ANT 1 for all other Bands, in the 
> KAT Config.
> 
> If I change Bands and hit the Tune button, KAT-500 will not change to 
> the correct antenna Instead, it tries to Tune with the wrong antenna. 
> The second time I hit TUNE, it will go to the correct antenna. If 
> instead, I change Bands and hit the Key, the correct antenna is 
> selected. That is fine on CW, but not great for other Modes. Is this a 
> bug? I don't see how this could be desirable. I think this would be 
> especially bad if I have the KPA-500 powered-ON.
>