The K3 has only one way to communicate with the KPA500 and KPA1500, that being Auxbus. There is no communications on this path that allows setting of specific power levels in the K3 - there is only the OP/STBY that simply selects either the K3 high power (STBY) or low power (OPER) modes. You have to set those levels in the K3. Simply put, the communication paths and protocols do not exist for the KPA1500 to set specific power levels in the K3.
Now, I am happy to say that there is most likely an upgrade coming that will allow the KAP1500 (but not he KPA500) to communicate with the transceiver to set the power level. Of course, that upgrade is known as the K4. The K4 and KPA1500 should work very well together. It is kind of like the car you drive. You may want the car to have an autonomous feature so that it drives itself, but you will have to buy a new car to do that job. Me? I am saving my money and enjoying driving my old car. The K4 is coming. I am sure you will enjoy it when it gets here! 73! Jack, W6FB > On Jun 3, 2020, at 2:38 PM, K8TE <billama...@gmail.com> wrote: > > I am right there with Hank, and probably a lot of others. It's worse when > one has an external antenna switch which the KPA1500 can't sense so it's > necessary to provide low power from the K3 to avoid a fault because of the > different antenna and the tuner can provide the appropriate (already > trained) match. Also, switching between ANT1 and ANT2 with different > conjugate matches often requires different power levels from the K3 (or > other radios). > > So, for operator "convenience" I find it necessary to set the K3 power level > at the lower point to avoid faults. Sadly, there is now way for the KPA1500 > to tell the K3 (or K4) what's going on and therefore what to do. I'm > attempting to become smarter with an Arduino and, hopefully, figure out how > to automate this. It requires a look-up table to determine frequency, > antenna, tuning solution, for setting the exciter drive level. So far, I > can spell Arduino correctly four out of five times. That is progress! > Next, I will plug it in. > > BTW, if one's antennas demonstrate little to no reactance and a 50 Ohm > match, this is not an issue. That only happens in the movies and on TV > (Last Man Standing? who needs a K-Line, obviously). > > 73, Bill, K8TE > > > > -- > Sent from: http://elecraft.365791.n2.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 > Message delivered to jackbrin...@me.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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
