[Elecraft] KPA500+KAT500 interfacing

[Andy Durbin]

Some people seem to get quite hostile when I carefully distinguish between "band data" and "frequency data".  For that reason I didn't emphasize that KAT500 needs FREQUENCY not BAND.

The cable for "KPA500 polls Kenwood and KPA500 and KAT500 listen to Kenwood" can be cobbled together for probably under $10 assuming you don't have the connectors and cable in the junk bin.  You can also buy the cable from Elecraft.  It works fine as long as you accept that KAT500 can only follow VFO A (limitation of current firmware).  I was not satisfied with this (and other limitations) so I launched on a long, educational, rewarding, and sometimes frustrating, project to build a controller that made the Kenwood/KPA500/KAT500 interface work the way I though it should (I don't claim it works correctly , only that it works the way I want it to).

I've provided the link before but links a cheap so here it is again - https://tinyurl.com/ycrszzbe

73,
Andy, k3wyc