So...is it possible that the KPA500 could ever be upgraded or be a KPA500A to be as capable as the KPA1500? I am not comfortable with having a 1500 watt amplifier and probably would have to suffer all that noise and bother just to run a couple or few hundred watts. That is what I love about the KPA500, compact and super quiet.
Chuck Jack Hawley KE9UW Sent from my iPhone, cjack > On Jun 3, 2020, at 5:22 PM, Jack Brindle via Elecraft > <elecraft@mailman.qth.net> wrote: > > 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 c-haw...@illinois.edu ______________________________________________________________ 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
