Re: [Elecraft] KAT500 vs KAT3
Due to issues with Expert 2k-fa, I compared many SWR devices. SWR metering in K3 is not very accurate although it is good enough. Without KAT3 turned on, SWR in K3 may indicate 1.0 while LP100 shows 1.5, and vice versa. When if K3 indicates 1.0 it may be from 1.0 to 1.7. Additional problems are cause by bad cables and uncompensated switches. The most accurate measurements IMHO are with antenna analyzers. So perhaps there is no problem. One way of indirectly measuring whether the match is OK is to check the power at the antenna (at 100W) with either KAT3 or KAT500 while monitoring the supply current. Similar output power and supply currents mean no worries. At high real mismatch the current may higher or lower, with real high not too good. Ignacy, NO9E -- View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/KAT500-vs-KAT3-tp7584687p7584704.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
Re: [Elecraft] KAT500 vs KAT3
Sam, I will need to do a bit of guessing because you do not describe your antennas well enough for me to know the answer, but it sounds like you have your vertical tuned for 30 meters with a radiation resistance of about 35 ohms. If you have some door knob capacitors connect one from the antenna to ground. Use the smallest capacity unit you have and see if that does not drop the SWR some. You can also connect an open ended piece of coax to the feed point and the braid to ground and use it as a capacitor. Try increasing lengths until you get the SWR down enough to please you. I would probably say that it was good enough at 1.6. If you get out and nothing arcs it might be OK. The SWR at the transmitter end of the COAX is not very important, it is the SWR at the antenna end that causes the loss. You need to connect your SWR meter at the antenna to know what that is, but a 1.6 SWR will not hurt much unless you are using about 1000 feet of coax to feed it. Willis 'Cookie' Cooke, TDXS DX Chairman K5EWJ & Trustee N5BPS, USS Cavalla, USS Stewart From: Sam Morgan To: "elecraft@mailman.qth.net" Sent: Monday, February 24, 2014 8:50 PM Subject: [Elecraft] KAT500 vs KAT3 Question about the difference between my KAT3 and my KAT500 tuning. Currently running 1.57 firmware (although I have seen this b4 on earlier versions) This happens on numerous bands, but for now lets talk 30m Running 100w out of the K3 and no amp. Vertical antenna KAT500 in AUTO tune best SWR 1.6:1 even after a long tune and then another tap to try to find a lower swr still 1.6:1 best swr (KAT500 set to 1.8:1 to cause a retune) KAT3 with same vertical antenna best swr 1.0:1 I have 2 antennas, one vertical and one horizontal on all bands, so I would prefer to use the KAT500 as it has all my antennas into it but I would also like to run the lower swr but that isn't possible unless I do some multiple button pushes kat500 ant 1 to 2 kat3 to bypass kat500 to auto then reverse kat500 to byp kat3 to ATU kat500 ant2 to 1 to get back to the other antenna using the kat3 or I have to make the kat3 retune everytime I switch vert to horz if I use only the kat3 for both the idea is to have a quick switch from horz to vert and back this should be possible using either tuner with the swr the same on them both the vertical has a 1.5:1 with out the tuner the question is why won't the kat500 tune the vertical to a 1.0:1 if the kat3 will tune the same antenna to 1.0:1 -- GB & 73 K5OAI Sam Morgan __ 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 __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] KAT500 vs KAT3 Matching Range
As Eric recently explained to me, the KAT500 is based on the same design as the ATU for the K3--only bigger! So, yes it should have much the same spec's, which means something like a 10:1 SWR capability. Actually, Eric noted that, provided you a somewhat closer SWR variance, like 3:1 or better, the KAT500 will handle a good bit more than it's 500 watt specificed power rating. How much more he didn't say exactly, but the KAT500 will very probably work just fine on some of those 800 watt amps that are out there, and just as well or better than various other ATU's. Mating the KAT500 with the KPA500 is the primary objective, but they are intentionally aiming at other amps as well--within a reasonable power range. If you think about it, that only makes sense not to limit yourself to just your own matching amp. I don't know how aggressive they will be about the actual spec's when those are formally released, but Eric specifically pointed out that they wanted this ATU to be fairly versatile. Dave W7AQK __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] KAT500 vs KAT3 Matching Range
Hi Bob, The KAT3 tuner has one of the widest matching ranges I have ever seen from an autotuner. Only maybe twice has it not matched what I have connected to it. I suppose I want to know if the KAT500 is a "beefed up" version of the KAT3, using the same value components and firmware algorithms. Andy VK4KY -- View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/KAT500-vs-KAT3-Matching-Range-tp7416153p7416443.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
Re: [Elecraft] KAT500 vs KAT3 Matching Range
According to the K3 manual (page 73): "The KAT3 provides a wide-range, switchable C-in/C-out L-network for matching a variety of antennas with SWR as high as 10:1 (100 W) or 20:1 (10 W)." so the KAT500: "Typical matching range at 500-600W is up to 10:1 on most bands." is comparable to the KAT3 I suppose. Bob NW8L >Will the matching range of the KAT500 be the same as the KAT3? If not, is it >better or worse? > >Andy VK4KY __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] KAT500 vs KAT3 Matching Range
Hi Scott, Thanks for the reply. I did read the information on that page before posting. Unfortunately the information there does not answer my question. Andy VK4KY -- View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/KAT500-vs-KAT3-Matching-Range-tp7416153p7416182.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
Re: [Elecraft] KAT500 vs KAT3 Matching Range
Andy, That exact information is provided at the link Eric posted earlier. You should check it out: http://www.elecraft.com/news.htm 73, Scott, N9AA On 3/28/12 10:33 PM, Andy Wood wrote: > Will the matching range of the KAT500 be the same as the KAT3? If not, is it > better or worse? > > Andy VK4KY > > __ 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
