[Elecraft] K2 w/KAT2 question

Wed Sep 3 11:51:39 EDT 2025

Petr,

Glad to hear you have your father up and running with the K2 and LDG 
tuner. In that configuration, you should not have any issues with the 
K2.

Yes, Don is the ultimate guru when it comes to most Elecraft products. 
He has been a great mentor to me and taught me everything I know about 
Elecarft's legacy products. I still bug him once in awhile on something 
I don't understand or have seen before ;-)

73,
Dave, W8FGU

On 9/2/2025 7:26:30 AM, "Petr Ourednik" <indians at xsmail.com> wrote:

>Dear Don and Dave,
>
>thank you very much for your time and kind help.
>
>During today's phone call I found that father has not appropriate dummy 
>load
>so, I decided to get my dad on the phone to set up KAT2 to CALS and he 
>is going
>to reduce manually power to 3W during external LDG ATU tunning antenna 
>in the attic.
>
>Hope it is safe mode for K2 as it is an amazing rig (I really love it) 
>and we would not like
>damage it somehow.
>
>Again, many thanks both for great help.
>(and call him if you will hear him, Jul, OK1SP...)
>
>73 - Petr, OK1RP
>
>On Mon, Sep 1, 2025, at 11:44 PM, Petr Ourednik wrote:
>>Many thanks Dave!
>>I will call father and we will try to make proper setup and correct 
>>setting. I believe CALS should work ok for him.
>>I will let you know.
>>Hope that K2 survived it.
>>
>>73 - Petr, OK1RP
>>--
>>B: http://ok1rp.blogspot.com
>>YT: https://urlzs.com/UHNH9
>>MeWe: https://bit.ly/2HGPoDx
>>--
>>機能するものを変更しないでください。
>>What could be easier..?  ¯‍∖‍_‍(‍ツ‍)‍_‍/‍¯
>>
>>On Mon, Sep 1, 2025, at 11:04 PM, Dave Van Wallaghen wrote:
>>>Petr,
>>>
>>>Putting the KAT2 in CALS or CALP will place it in bypass mode, 
>>>meaning the L-network is completely out of circuit. Your father's K2 
>>>will display SWR seen by the K2 or power output respectively. You can 
>>>use POUT to TUNE the L-network into a 50Ω load and then using that 
>>>solution, mode will display power output and SWR but with the KAT2 
>>>L-network in circuit looking into the external tuner. .
>>>
>>>73,
>>>Dave, W8FGU
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>On 9/1/2025 4:52:39 PM, "Petr Ourednik via Elecraft" 
>>><elecraft at mailman.qth.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>>Dear Don,
>>>>
>>>>Many thanks.
>>>>Could you be so kind to advise how to set KAT2 to bypass please?
>>>>I did not find Bypass mode so it looks like some CALS or POUT? Will 
>>>>have to explain to father by phone…
>>>>
>>>>73 - Petr, OK1RP
>>>>--
>>>>B: http://ok1rp.blogspot.com
>>>>YT: https://urlzs.com/UHNH9
>>>>MeWe: https://bit.ly/2HGPoDx
>>>>--
>>>>機能するものを変更しないでください。
>>>>What could be easier..? ¯‍∖‍_‍(‍ツ‍)‍_‍/‍¯
>>>>
>>>>On Mon, Sep 1, 2025, at 10:33 PM, W3FPR wrote:
>>>>>Petr,
>>>>>
>>>>>Do not use the lower panel BNC connector if the KAT2 is installed.
>>>>>There will be no power control and the K2 can be damaged due to
>>>>>excessive PA current.
>>>>>Use ANT1 or ANT2 on the KAT2 panel.  The KAT2 can be either set to
>>>>>bypass or do a TUNE into a 50 ohm dummy load using the ATU menu 
>>>>>parameters.
>>>>>
>>>>>73,
>>>>>Don W3FPR
>>>>>
>>>>>On 9/1/2025 12:09 PM, Petr Ourednik via Elecraft wrote:
>>>>>>Hi folks,
>>>>>>
>>>>>>so sorry for stupid question.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>My father (83) is trying to use his K2 with KAT2 ATU installed.
>>>>>>As he is using antenna with LDG tuner in attic at the feed point
>>>>>>he is not sure if he should use main ANT/50Ohm connector or one of
>>>>>>the Ant1/Ant2 on the rear panel. (he does not want to use internal 
>>>>>>KAT2) right now.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>He tried to put antenna to main ANT/50Ohms BNC connector and as it 
>>>>>>is listening,
>>>>>>he tried to key down and hoped that external tuner in attic works.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>I am 200km away so I cannot check it, but I am worrying about the 
>>>>>>K2 finals if the
>>>>>>antenna path is not correct and SWR exceeds limits.
>>>>>>I tried to read K2 manual, but I did not find to me clear info. I 
>>>>>>only found the statement
>>>>>>"Do not use main ANT/50Ohm if ATU is installed" which makes me 
>>>>>>nervous.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Could someone be so kind to let me know or explain what is correct 
>>>>>>please?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Many thanks in advance.
>>>>>>(sorry I acquired K2 for father long time ago and I never used it 
>>>>>>as I am driving K3...)
>>>>>>
>>>>>>73 - Petr, OK1RP
>>>>>>
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>>
>