I own a KPA500 and KAT500. Both work very well with my Icom IC-7610 but operation could be improved if they could communicate with the Icom CI-V bus. I do not own a KPA1500 but from my research I see it can communicate directly with the Icom CI-V bus to switch the amp AND the internal tuner/antenna selector when connected to an Icom rig without any RF being transmitted. The KPA500 and KAT500 have no such CI-V capability.
The Icom band data connection on the amp works but does not address the WARC bands. There is no provision at all to communicate with the KAT500 so it must RF sense to switch bands and select the correct antenna. While this works well when transmitting it is of no value when you are just listening or scanning. The KAT500 will remain on the last band and antenna where RF was present. For example, my KAT500 has a 75M dipole on ANT 1 and a 40M-10M fan dipole on ANT 2. If I am listening on 75M and then switch bands to 20M the KPA500 will switch bands using the band data cable I built (but not on the WARC bands...) but the KAT500 remains on ANT 1 and tuned for the 75M frequency. Of course, this seriously attenuates the 20M signals. I would like to see a plug-in product that connects to the IC-7610 (or other Icom), the KPA500, and the KAT500 that reads the Icom CI-V bus commands and sets BOTH the KPA500 and KAT500 to the correct band without transmitting, and in the case of the KAT500, also selects the proper antenna for the frequency. Since the KAT500 antenna is assigned per band in the KAT500 programming I believe the KAT500 would only need to know the frequency then it would select the proper antenna from its internal memory. If such an Icom CI-V plug-in device already exists that addresses BOTH the KPA500 and KAT500 issues outlined above please direct me to the product(s). Thanks & 73, Ken WA2LBI On Thu, Jun 18, 2020 at 12:29 PM Gmail - George <gdanne...@gmail.com> wrote: > Paula Keezer NX1P modified a KPA500 to allow it to be driven to about 500 > watts by a KX3. > She published it - but I can not find it on the web. > The mod increased the gain by less than 3 db (seems I recall 2.something). > You would need the 12 to 15 watts to drive it to about 500 watts. > > The modification involved removing the input pad and modifying the feed > back > loop to the microprocessor. > I thought about doing the mod to be able to run a net with my KX3 if my K3 > quit. > I have a KXPA and decided not to do the modification. > I can just remove my KX3 & KXPA from my truck if I ever need a backup to > drive the KPA500. Probably 10 minutes work and find the bag of portable > cables. > > BTW - Ms. Keezer's modification was very detailed and she had many > cautions > regarding doing the modification. > It defiantly was not a matter of "cutting a jumper" to remove the input > pad. > You need remove the pad parts and change the number of turns in a > transformer. > > Defiantly would void the warranty and make factory repairs iffy depending > on > Elecraft's policies. > Other manufacturers I have worked with would restore the amp to factory > while repairing it. > > As a ham you are not limited to the 15 db gain restriction - the > manufacturer is but not you. > > 73 > George AI4VZ > > -----Original Message----- > From: Charlie T > Sent: Thursday, June 18, 2020 9:06 AM > To: 'Nr4c' > Cc: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Future of KPA500 & KAT500 > > Isn't there some sort of "jumper" or ???, that will increase the gain to > something other than the ridiculous and prohibitive +13 dB figure, for > "international" (wink-wink) sales, sorta like the "MARS" mod in almost all > radios these days? > > 99.9% of the chicken band users today are happy with their 5 watt radios. > However, that restrictive and useless +13 gain law does NOTHING to stop > the > REALLY big guns on 27.025 who typically run amps using tubes that have > HANDLES on them! > (I've personally seen channel 6 mobile set-ups running power in excess of > 25 > kilowatts.) > > 73, Charlie k3ICH > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net <elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net> > On > Behalf Of Nr4c > Sent: Wednesday, June 17, 2020 3:14 PM > To: Paul Gacek <w6...@yahoo.com> > Cc: Don Putnick <donnie...@gmail.com>; Elecraft Reflector > <Elecraft@mailman.qth.net> > Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Future of KPA500 & KAT500 > > The KAT500 has three antenna out ports. It only needs one In so the KPA500 > needs only one out port. > > As for the 10 W in and 500 out idea. That is prohibited by law. They’re > only allowed to sell an amp with max gain of 13dB. > > Sent from my iPhone > ...nr4c. bill > > > > ______________________________________________________________ > 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 gdanne...@gmail.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 wa2...@gmail.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
