Hi all, I received the KAT500 yesterday and immediately installed it in my shack to replace an MFJ switch and an MFJ manual tuner. Three ports is just ideal for my 2 antenna cables and the dummy load. My ultimate goal is to have one of these mounted remotely where my antennas come down to a central point in the back yard where I currently have an MFJ autotuner and a remote switch. The KAT500 is a beauty and seems to be doing every thing we expect of it. It's going to stay where it is so I have a 2nd one on order to go to the remote location next spring. In the meantime I am using the shack installation to investigate the feasibility of that remote operation.
I have had it communicate with the utility on the PC using both the USB cable and the RS232 cable. Currently I have it communicating using the RS232 cable, a B&B serial Ethernet server and 100+ feet of CAT6 cable. So that part of the feasibility study is a resounding "yes, I can have it that far away". I haven't investigated what needs to be done to get the power to it. My current thinking is to run something like 24-30V AC out there with a rectifier/regulator to provide the 12-14V DC needed by the tuner. Initially I might just run a 110V extention cord and a remote power supply. I doubt the current 14V supply over 100' speaker wire will be sufficient (it works for the MFJ tuner). As for weather protection, I can't see why the KAT500 shouldn't survive an environment where an MFJ indoor tuner anjd switch have for more than 4 years. AB2TC - Knut -- View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/Kat500-first-impressions-tp7565811.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
