[Elecraft] Using KAT-500 without BAND Information

[Tom KG3V]

Don,

Good to hear from you. You helped me many times with K2 questions in the 
past. Thanks for that! Hope you are enjoying the Holiday Season.

I actually meant the TUNE button on the IC-7600. You must have meant on 
the KAT-500, since there is not a TUNE button on the KPA-500. It does 
not seem to matter which TUNE button I press. I think you confirmed that 
it is working as expected. Still a bit annoying. As soon as the TUNE 
cycle starts, of course there is RF. I guess the KAT-500 is not sensing 
frequency DURING the TUNE event. So, any time I switch Bands, I may go 
through a "complete" Tune cycle with an antenna for the wrong Band. Of 
course, that most likely will not complete with a match. The second TUNE 
cycle always selects the desired antenna.

I think I need to send the Band information from the IC-7600 to the 
KAT-500. My other option will be to use only one antenna with the 
KAT-500 during Contests. Is it safe to assume that if I send the Band 
info, this would not happen and the first TUNE cycle would be with the 
"correct" antenna?

73,

Tom, KG3V



On 12/26/2019 11:15 AM, Don Wilhelm wrote:
> 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.
>>
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