[Elecraft] KAT500 Attenuator

[Al Lorona]

 Have we, in fact, established that this attenuator is enabled at any point of the tune cycle? Because if not, then we're all spun up for nothing.
Is it reasonable to believe that the attenuator was one of those design elements that might have been deemed necessary at one time but then the designers changed their mind for the finished product?  I think so. The mysterious R7 may have been left off of the final circuit board precisely to cause such a bad mismatch that it would be obvious to operator, software, or both, and so that corrective action could be taken.
Al  W6LX/4