[Elecraft] KAT500 no PC comms

[Dave New, N8SBE]

I had purchased a used KAT500 from someone that it turns out had bought 
it from a 'super station', but had never tried to update the firmware or 
use the KAT500 utility to talk to the KAT500.  After I got it home, I 
tried to check the firmware level, only to find out that I could see the 
prompt from the KAT500, but I couldn't talk to it.  It turned out that 
the FET in the input side of the PC DATA jack was blown, likely from 
static charge at the 'super station' and they had sold the KAT500 to my 
intermediate owner without telling him it had a blown PC DATA port.  I 
asked Elecraft support for the part number for the FET, ordered a few 
from Mouser, and replaced it (it's an SMD device, so not for the faint 
of heart) and that cured the communication issue.

Of course, your mileage may vary.

73,
-- Dave, N8SBE