Re: [Elecraft] setting K3 drive level to KPA500

[Jack Brindle]

Others have answered the power-per-band issue. If you are seeing power 
overshoot from the K3 then you should do a recalibration of the K3 power. 

JackB, W6FB

Sent from my iPad

 On Mar 23, 2014, at 9:31 AM, Dick Frey k4xu.1...@gmail.com wrote:
 
 I am bringing up a new (to me) K3.
 
 What makes the drive level track between bands without the nasty ALC
 overshoots? The drive from the K3 sometimes also takes a while to settle
 down when coming up on a new band. This drives me crazy in changing bands
 and modes while chasing W1AW/# stations.
 
 What to invoke to make the output of the K3 go back to 100W when the KPA is
 off or stby? It presently stays at the ~30W needed for 500W out. Is this a
 KPA or K3 issue?
 
 -- 
 Dick - K4XU
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Re: [Elecraft] RF into K3 via serial port?

[Jack Brindle]

What kind of cables are you using between the PC and the K3? If shielded, are 
you sure the shields are connected to the DE9 shell at both ends? The RF 
_could_ be getting into the conductors and causing problems in the 
computer/serial card and not actually the K3. The computer could then be 
asserting or negating the handshake lines, killing K3 transmission, or causing 
the software to send a stop data transmission to the K3. We have found the 
usually the RFI problems are outside of the K3.

Be sure to read the RFI info at K9YC’s site. It provides a lot of good details 
about the problems of RS-232 cabling and connections. Also, even though you may 
not detect “hot RF” in the shack, it just might be there. RF likes to ride on 
the outside of the coax going from the antenna to the radio, causing problems. 
Thus good choking is needed to eliminate the problems. Again, K9YC’s document 
has some really good info.

http://www.audiosystemsgroup.com/K9YC/K9YC.htm

73!

Jack B, W6FB



On Apr 5, 2014, at 5:39 PM, Don Wilhelm w3...@embarqmail.com wrote:

 Bill,
 
 It is usually more effective to put the ferrite on the feedline.  A good 
 current choke at the antenna feedpoint, and perhaps another at the shack 
 entry end.
 If the feedline runs away from the radiator at right angles and is not 
 otherwise run in the field of the antenna, the one at the shack end is 
 normally not needed.
 
 Of course, if the shack is in close proximity to the radiator, all bets are 
 off because the shack is being bombarded with RF and ferrites on the various 
 devices in the shack is the only choice.
 
 Yes, my perception is that many electronic devices (notably computer 
 peripherals) are getting more and more susceptible to RF.
 
 73,
 Don W3FPR
 
 On 4/5/2014 8:10 PM, Bill Davis wrote:
   In my transition to Win7, I added a 2 port serial PCI card (NewEgg 
 purchase -- Sunix 5037A) to my Dell PC. I was going to use one of these 2 
 ports to communicate with my K3 Utility terminal program. Very handy CW / 
 RTTY application. Shortly after installation I made a nice contact on 30m 
 RTTY and then moved to 80m RTTY. SURPRISE!!  During TX the K3 hung in TX and 
 only a couple of characters (if that) were ever transmitted. I was 
 attempting to run about 70watts or so. Only by reducing power to a few watts 
 would the RTTY transmission seemingly be successful.
 
   The 80m antenna is resonate and very low SWR even without the KXPA100 
 tuner. (My K3/10 is for VHF/UHF/Microwave IF use mostly, hence the external 
 PA/Tuner).
 
   So RF is getting back into the K3 .. odd ... nothing is hot in the shack 
 at all. My workaround is to use the new serial ports for other 
 hardware/applications and use the one serial port in the Dell Dimension 4700 
 for the K3 / terminal program. Things are happy that way.
 
   I may investigate and try a ferrite core on the serial cable. But I will 
 need to get an HF core since all of mine are for higher freq use. I just 
 thought this was really odd. My serial cable is homebrew minimum conductor 
 cable and I don't recall if it is shielded or not.
 
 
   Anyone else had any similar experiences??
 
 73 Bill  K0AWU
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Re: [Elecraft] KE7X KX3 Book and Configuring: KX3, K3, KPA500, and KAT500

[Jack Brindle]

There appears to be some misconceptions in this discussion. First, the 
information flow from the K3 to the KPA only occurs on the band lines and the 
key line. Auxbus communications is one-way, from the KPA to the K3. The KPA 
does not listen on the Auxbus.

There is also something else going on that is in play here. When the K3 is 
powered off, the pull-ups on the band lines (and the key line, I believe) 
continue to work. They continue to pull the lines to Vcc. But with the K3 off, 
Vcc is now 0 volts. This means that a short time after the K3 powers off the 
KPA will see all zeros on the band lines, and will switch to 60 meters. After 
this, RF coming into the KPA will cause it to switch to the appropriate band, 
and all band switching will occur with incoming RF as long as the band lines do 
not change.

Of course, there is one other signal in play here. The Key line is important 
since it causes the KPA to switch into transmit. We have seen the K3 pull the 
Key line to ground at times, which just may be what you are seeing. If the KEY 
line is active, the KPA will not switch from STBY to OPER. For this to happen 
the KEY line must be high.

The best way to connect two transceivers to the KPA is to use a physical switch 
to select the transceiver. A five-pole two position switch will do for the band 
and key lines, plus a coax switch of the RF.

In short, you may get things to work with the description from Fred’s book. But 
if the key line becomes driven low by the “off” transceiver for any reason, you 
can expect weird things to happen.

Jack Brindle, W6FB
Elecraft Engineering

On Apr 22, 2014, at 5:04 PM, Phil Hystad phys...@mac.com wrote:

 Don,
 
 OK, I may be expecting too much.  Actually, I am not sure if I was expecting 
 as much as I was a little bit surprised by the behavior.  I didn't think that 
 the KPA500 and KX3 communicated with each other other than RF and Key line 
 but maybe that was enough of a difference from the K3.  The K3 of course in 
 my case has the AUX cable connections with the KPA500 and KAT500.
 
 It is not a big deal as long as this is the way it is expected to work.  I 
 was not sure if I had done something wrong or not.
 
 But, just picked up W1AW/5 MS QRP power with the KX3.  Actually, it was about 
 6 watts.  
 
 73, phil, K7PEH
 
 
 On Apr 22, 2014, at 4:57 PM, Don Wilhelm w3...@embarqmail.com wrote:
 
 Phil,
 
 I think you may be expecting too much.
 Consider a parallel - a computer communicating with a printer.  If you 
 suddenly switch the printer cable to another computer, would you expect the 
 printer to continue printing without any intervention?
 
 The printer in this comparison is the KPA500 and the two computers are 
 the K3 and the KX3.
 
 It is not unreasonable IMHO to expect that a reset of the KPA500 would be 
 required.
 
 If the KPA500 were simply an amplifier with no communications capability 
 with the driving transceiver, switching from one source of RF input to 
 another should proceed without regard to whatever is the driving device, but 
 your KPA500 is more than just an amplifier because it can communicate with 
 the K3 or KX3 driving transceiver. Expecting the KPA500 to switch data 
 streams from two different transceivers with no intervening reset is not 
 realistic.
 
 73,
 Don W3FPR
 
 On 4/22/2014 7:41 PM, Phil Hystad wrote:
 So, is this normal behavior?  I wasn't expecting any kind of comms between 
 the K3 and the KPA500 that affects the STBY/OPER switching.  It does seem 
 that a power on/off cycle for the KPA500 is required to enable that switch.
 
 Is this designed to work this way or is this a flaw in the design or maybe 
 a missing mini-feature of configuring two different transceivers with the 
 KPA500.  I admit to not scouring all of the documentation yet on the 
 expected functionality of the STBY/OPER switch.
 
 73, phil, K7PEH
 
 
 On Apr 22, 2014, at 4:14 PM, Don Wilhelm w3...@embarqmail.com wrote:
 
 Phil,
 
 Let me get this straight - the KPA500 is communicating with the K3, then 
 you switch to the KX3 and the KPA500 does not talk with the KX3.
 
 If that is what is happening, I would expect that to be the case. The 
 communications with the K3 is not synchronized with the attempted 
 communications with the KX3, so a reset (power cycle) of the KPA500 may be 
 required.
 
 73,
 Don W3FPR
 
 On 4/22/2014 7:02 PM, Phil Hystad wrote:
 Some follow-up questions:
 
 OK, I have the KX3 and K3 configured with the KPA500 and KAT500.  
 Everything seems to work with one little exception.
 
 The exception:
 
--- initial conditions, K3 is on and switched to use the KPA500 and 
 KAT500.  KX3 is off.
 
--- using K3 and so on works fine with amp on or with amp in standby.
 
--- I turn off K3.  Leave KPA500 on but in STBY mode.
 
--- Switch coax from K3 to KX3 (1x2 switch).
 
--- Turn on KX3.  KPA500 still in STBY mode.
 
--- Attempt to switch KPA500 to OPER from STBY but switch does not 
 work.  If I power off

Re: [Elecraft] Power variation

[Jack Brindle]

Check the transceiver. The KPA has constant gain, and nothing that allows it to 
change power as you describe. 
If you use a K3, then reconsider your choice to use ALC. It is not recommended, 
nor is it needed with the KPA500. You also might consider recalibrating the 
transceiver to eliminate that as a culprit in this situation.

If the problem persists, contact customer support.

73,

Jack B, W6FB

Sent from my iPad

 On Apr 27, 2014, at 4:04 PM, Dr. William J. Schmidt, II 
 b...@wjschmidt.com wrote:
 
 Well I have something odd going on. I was trying some new antenna tunings
 today and noticed that the power out on the KPA500 would start at about 100
 watts.ramp up to 500+ watts over about 10 seconds, and then drop back to 100
 watts again.  It kept repeating this cycle as I was talking to someone on
 SSB.  The SWR was perfect to the antenna the whole time (external
 measurement).  It almost looked like the ALC was oscillating at a very slow
 rate (10 seconds or more).  I have not dug into this yet but wonder if
 anyone else has seen this?  Checked all the coax connectors already.
 
 
 
 
 
 Dr. William J. Schmidt - K9HZ / J68HZ/ 8P6HK/ ZF2HZ/ PJ4HZ
 
 Owner - Operator
 
 Big Signal Ranch
 
 Staunton, Illinois
 
 email:   mailto:b...@wjschmidt.com b...@wjschmidt.com
 
 
 
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Re: [Elecraft] Are filters bought from Inrad the same as filters bought from Elecraft ?

[Jack Brindle]

Larry has it right. The 8-pole filters are from our good friends at Inrad, 
while the last time I checked the 5-pole filters are in-house. from my own 
experience, both are excellent. But then I could be accused of being a wee bit 
biased... :-)

JackB, W6FB

Sent from my iPad

 On Apr 27, 2014, at 5:41 PM, Jim Lowman jmlow...@sbcglobal.net wrote:
 
 Larry, I recently sold a 6 kHz AM filter after I realized that I have two of 
 them.
 
 It was clearly printed on the body of the filter that it was made by Inrad.
 
 Not sure if this is true for all of the filters for the K3 that Elecraft 
 sells, but I would doubt that Elecraft makes their own filters.
 
 73 de Jim - AD6CW
 
 On 4/27/2014 4:33 PM, Larry Lopez wrote:
 This is for pure information purposes.
 I don't even have a K3 yet.
 
 I am under the impression that all of the
 crystal filters that Elecraft sells except
 for the 5 pole filters are made by Inrad.
 
 I am also under the impression that all of the
 5 pole filters are made by Elecraft in house.
 
 Do I have that right ?
 
 Does Elecraft test the incoming Inrad crystals ?
 
 The only reason is last week I ordered a filter from Inrad
 because they took Paypal and I realized that I didn't
 know if there was a difference between an Inrad or an
 Elecraft filter.
 
 Larry
 
 
 
 
 --
 View this message in context: 
 http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/Are-filters-bought-from-Inrad-the-same-as-filters-bought-from-Elecraft-tp7588017.html
 Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
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Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 not responding to K3

[Jack Brindle]

Ben;

First thing - connect a serial port from the computer to the KPA500, download 
the latest _released_ KPA500 firmware and install it into the amplifier. It 
contains several things that make the system work together much better, 
especially the KPA and KAT500. The current firmware is V1.38. This is not the 
source of the problem you see, but it will resolve other problems you will 
encounter after you get the cable situation resolved and should be considered 
mandatory for KPA-KAT operations.

You are correct in that serial ports are not relevant to the KPA-K3 
communications. The K3 communicates to the KPA using just the BAND signals and 
PTT line that are in the AUX cable. The KPA communicates to the K3 using the 
AuxBus signal (this is one-way). You will want the K3 to be set to control 
power on a per-band basis. That way it will use an alternate power setting 
whenever the KPA is in OPER mode. In other words, you can set the K3 for 100 
watts out when the KPA is in STBY, or something like 30 watts when the KPA is 
in OPER. This makes operation _much_ nicer.

The problem does sound like the AUX signals aren't getting through the KAT, or 
there may be signals getting through that should not be. Make sure the cable 
agrees with what is described in the KPA manual. The two cables should be 
identical. The KAT is designed to simply pass through the proper signals on the 
bus, make sure that is happening.

Remember, tech support is here if you just can't get it working. Give them a 
shout if need be. As you already know, thee are a lot of cool features to the 
K-system, we want you to enjoy them. Just have to get things going first...

Jack Brindle, W6FB
Elecraft Engineering

Sent from my iPad

 On May 1, 2014, at 9:43 PM, Ben Collins-Sussman suss...@red-bean.com wrote:
 
 On Thu, May 1, 2014 at 11:32 PM, W0MU Mike Fatchett w...@w0mu.com wrote:
 
 Go download the latest beta versions of the firmware and the associated
 utility programs.
 
 The K3 is new and has the latest official 4.38 firmware.  The KPA500 is
 about a year old and running firmware 1.23.
 I don't have a usb-serial cable yet, though I can grab one tomorrow at the
 store;  is there a specific bug fixed in some beta firmware release?
 
 
 
 Have you set the baud rate in the K3 to that of the amp?
 
 I see nothing in either manual about the K3 or amp having configurable baud
 rates to communicate with each other.  Do you have details?
 
 
 
 When the amp is moved from standby to Operate you should see a message in
 the K3 that says KPA500.
 
 I see nothing at all.  This is a 3rd example, I suppose, of the total lack
 of communication between K3 and KPA500.
 Again, keep in mind that the K3 isn't *directly* connected to the KPA500.
 They're actually both connected to the KAT500 tuner, as the diagrams
 specify.
 
 
 
 
 I would check the firmware.  I know there is a special button you push on
 the KAT500 that optimizes operation with the KPA500.
 
 I see nothing about this in the KAT500 manual, but will look again.
 The connection between tuner and amp has always worked; I haven't touched
 that special DB15 cable at all.  However, perhaps the new DB15 cable that
 arrived with the K3 is physically defective?  I'm digging for hypotheses.
 :-)
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Re: [Elecraft] [OT] K3 Shack Pictures and iMacs

[Jack Brindle]

That iMac is a wonderful system, with one of the best monitors available. In 
fact, there is a way to adjust the height of the monitor - you just need a 
different stand. I believe the iMacs are designed to accept a VESA monitor 
adapter, which would allow you to set the computer at pretty much any height or 
angle. Gamers use these stands extensively since they tend to spend a LOT of 
time staring at several monitors at all sorts of angles. Get a good one that 
bolts onto the back of your desk, and is configurable in pretty much every 
direction. These things can be pricey, especially for the good ones, but your 
neck is worth evert penny.

And enjoy that iMac. great system!

Jack B, W6FB

Sent from my iPad

 On May 2, 2014, at 7:08 AM, d...@lightstream.net d...@lightstream.net 
 wrote:
 
 I strongly concur w/ Bill's advice about getting a special pair of
 glasses. In my case, as a programmer, I spend all day in front of the
 computer. I have three monitors arranged in front of me, and I found that
 bi-focals definitely had a 'sweet spot' and I was always turning my head
 or looking up/down to see the screens within that sweet spot. I asked the
 eye doc to give me a prescription for single focal length glasses
 optimized for viewing a monitor 27 away. There is no 'sweet spot' and
 while looking at the center (primary) monitor directly in front of me, I
 can shift my eyes to the left or right to see the other two monitors
 without turning my head. I've had these glasses for about 5 years now, and
 they work perfectly.
 
 Also, in my case, the K-Line is arrayed on the desktop immediately below
 the three monitors, and the central monitor (Samsung) has a front-panel
 switch that allows me to toggle it between the computer and the P3SVGA
 output.
 
 Side comment: I seem to be in the minority w/ regard to positioning of a
 radio, in that it *must* be on the desktop and not tilted or elevated
 (with the exception of the P3). I like having my arm and hand resting on
 the table top as I tune the radio. Having to tilt my hand upward to tune a
 knob that is up in the air, or worse yet, rest my arm on my elbow while
 trying to tune a radio on a shelf is just plain wrong  ;-)
 
 I bought a KX3 a few weeks ago and love the radio, but am struggling with
 the operating angle. It'll be fine for the field, but I need to cobble
 together some kind of stand for using it on the desktop.
 
 73, Dale
 WA8SRA
 
 ...
 Do NOT look up at monitors - it will
 screw your neck up after a while. Also, I have specially cut glasses for
 my radio desk. Bifocal for reading and seeing the keyboard - and the
 upper is set to about 28 or 30 inches - the distance from your eyes to
 the monitor and radios. Any good glasses shop can do this - it is a
 common request.
 
 ...
 
 Bill K-Line
 
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Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 not responding to K3

[Jack Brindle]

Interesting.

I have a slightly different take. The two cables should be identical, with the 
same pins missing. If the cable is broken, as Don suggests, you would see very 
strange operation, but unless all the pins were broken, you would see 
something. the fact that you are seeing nothing tells me that there is an 
incompatible signal connected, probably the power-on signal. 

So, my suggestion. Use the cable with all pins intact between the KPA and K3. 
Use the other cable from the K3 to the KPA. That should work just fine.

Jack Brindle, W6FB

Sent from my iPad

 On May 2, 2014, at 8:08 AM, Don Wilhelm w3...@embarqmail.com wrote:
 
 I would suspect that there is some pin/wire in that KPA/KAT cable which is 
 broken.  When used for your purposes between the K3 and the KAT500, it is not 
 used, but is used for the KAT500 to KPA500 connection.  It may be wise to 
 replace that cable at some point.  I would at least put a tag on it as a 
 reminder that it is flakey.
 
 73,
 Don W3FPR
 
 On 5/2/2014 9:49 AM, Ben Collins-Sussman wrote:
 OK, new test results, followed by an inexplicable resolution to the problem!
 
 I'm comparing the two elecraft-specific DB15 cables here, with the
 suspicion that one of them is broken or defective.
 
 1.  *Physical observation*
 
 The K3/KPA cable has all pins present.
 The KPA/KAT cable has pins 1, 6, 7 missing.  But it looks deliberate, and
 those pins are not used anyway (according to documentation.)
 I do not see any bent pins on either cable.
 
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Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 not responding to K3

[Jack Brindle]

Oh buy the fingers got ahead of the brain. The intact cable goes from the KPA 
to the KAT, while the other cable goes from the K3 to the KAT. 

I seem to recall that we sent out a few bad cables a while back. This sounds 
like one of them. Contact tech support to get a replacement cable.

Jack Brindle, W6FB
Elecraft Engineering

Sent from my iPad

 On May 2, 2014, at 9:28 AM, Jack Brindle jackbrin...@me.com wrote:
 
 Interesting.
 
 I have a slightly different take. The two cables should be identical, with 
 the same pins missing. If the cable is broken, as Don suggests, you would see 
 very strange operation, but unless all the pins were broken, you would see 
 something. the fact that you are seeing nothing tells me that there is an 
 incompatible signal connected, probably the power-on signal. 
 
 So, my suggestion. Use the cable with all pins intact between the KPA and K3. 
 Use the other cable from the K3 to the KPA. That should work just fine.
 
 Jack Brindle, W6FB
 
 Sent from my iPad
 
 On May 2, 2014, at 8:08 AM, Don Wilhelm w3...@embarqmail.com wrote:
 
 I would suspect that there is some pin/wire in that KPA/KAT cable which is 
 broken.  When used for your purposes between the K3 and the KAT500, it is 
 not used, but is used for the KAT500 to KPA500 connection.  It may be wise 
 to replace that cable at some point.  I would at least put a tag on it as a 
 reminder that it is flakey.
 
 73,
 Don W3FPR
 
 On 5/2/2014 9:49 AM, Ben Collins-Sussman wrote:
 OK, new test results, followed by an inexplicable resolution to the problem!
 
 I'm comparing the two elecraft-specific DB15 cables here, with the
 suspicion that one of them is broken or defective.
 
 1.  *Physical observation*
 
 The K3/KPA cable has all pins present.
 The KPA/KAT cable has pins 1, 6, 7 missing.  But it looks deliberate, and
 those pins are not used anyway (according to documentation.)
 I do not see any bent pins on either cable.
 
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Re: [Elecraft] [K3] Roofing filters are misunderstood

[Jack Brindle]

I would take issue with your answer to #1. It really depends on your situation. 
For most of the folks on this list your answer very well may be correct. In 
areas where there is very high station density, it probably is not. Here in 
Silicon Valley there are a LOT of very strong near-by signals. The 1.8 KHz 
filter keeps close-in LOUD signals out of my passband so that the DSP filters 
have a chance to do their job. This is the whole purpose of the filter, to keep 
other strong signals out of the passband so that the DSP can do the real work.

By the way, for contesting (actually my main operating mode), I normally listen 
to SSB signals with low cut at 500 and high cut in the 1500-1800 range, well 
inside the 1.8KHz filter’s purview. Interestingly, I use matched 500 Hz 5-pole 
filters for CW contesting, where I can get within just a few hundred hertz of 
the local big signals without problem. My normal DSP bandwidth is something 
less that 500 Hz. It’s sideband contesting where I need the narrow filters. 
Since most of the local big guns also use K3s, phase noise and other similar 
problems are not a factor here. I really can get close to these folks and work 
lots of stations without either one of us being disturbed. I credit all this to 
the great RF system my friends have created.

When I’m not in one of the big contests, or just casual QSOs where the big guns 
aren’t a factor, the 2.7 KHz filter does an outstanding job on whatever mode I 
use.

I guess there is an exception to everything, and indeed there are times when 
the narrow filters are needed. Some of us actually do fall in that category. Oh 
to live back in the south where I definitely didn't have the problem…

Jack B, W6FB (ex-WA4FIB)


On May 11, 2014, at 2:03 PM, Al Lorona alor...@sbcglobal.net wrote:

 What determines the bandwidth you hear at the loudspeaker? It's not your 
 roofing filter, despite a continuing notion that it is.
  
 Dave Hachadorian's point in a post a few weeks ago was that you don't need a 
 1.8 kHz filter to get a 1.8 kHz bandwidth. You're free to set whatever 
 bandwidth you want with any filter.
 
 Before rigs had DSP we got used to the idea that your crystal filter sets 
 your bandwidth. That's not true any more. It sets your *maximum* bandwidth. 
 You then have the freedom to narrow and position a bandwidth arbitrarily 
 using the DSP controls [SHIFT and WIDTH or HI and LO].
 
 
 Here's a true-false quiz:
 
  
 1. I'm a contester, so I need a 1.8 kHz roofing filter in the K3.
  
 2. I should purchase the 400 Hz filter if I like to operate CW with 
 bandwidths of 300 - 400 Hz.
  
 3. For SSB, the 2.7 and 2.8 kHz filters are 'too wide'.
  
 4. I have the 2.7 kHz filter installed, so for best results I should set my 
 WIDTH control for a passband of 2.7 kHz.
  
 5. I can use my 2.7 kHz filter in CW mode with my LO=0.30 and HI=0.50 (that 
 is, BW=0.20).
  
  
 The answers are:
  
 1. False. You do not need a 1.8 kHz filter just to set the BW=1.80. A 2.7 kHz 
 filter can serve well during a contest with a much narrower DSP bandwidth. 
 Refer to Dave's original post.
 2. False. You can set the CW bandwidth to 400 using any filter whose 
 bandwidth is equal to or greater than 400.
 3. False. This was Dave's point. You're free to have a 2.7 or 2.8 installed, 
 yet set the WIDTH to 1.8, 1.5 or anything else you wish.
 4. False. You don't need to restrict yourself to only that bandwidth. You can 
 set it to a narrower value if you wish.
 5. True. And you'll probably suffer no ill effects under most conditions.
  
 Furthermore, the but extremely strong signals will pump my hardware AGC 
 arguments are probably a bit overrated. Most folks, even before a strong 
 station gets close enough to do that, will give up and leave the frequency 
 because of the QRM, especially in the presence of transmitted phase noise or 
 key clicks as has come up in more recent posts. 
 
 So then why have narrow roofing filters to choose from? To maximize the 
 close-in dynamic range, which is important if you have large antennas in 
 high-RF environments.
  
 The vast majority of hams does not absolutely need really narrow roofing 
 filters. It's wonderful that the K3 allows this, but it's certainly not 
 mandatory, especially for casual operating.
  
 Finally, note that if you received good training as a Novice with a poor, 
 unselective receiver, you'll be able to copy right through any AGC pumping! 
 It's the operator, more than the filters.
 
  
 Al  W6LX
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Re: [Elecraft] [K3] Roofing filters are misunderstood

[Jack Brindle]

Jerry,

Why do you say it has been corrupted? This is exactly the purpose for the 
Roofing Filters in the K3.

Jack B, W6FB


On May 12, 2014, at 9:33 AM, Jerome Sodus jso...@comcast.net wrote:

 Hello Bill,
 The term roofing-filter made sense back in the 1980's when I designed
 roofing-filters at 70 MHz.
 Bandwidths would be in tens of KHz.
 The purpose then was to protect downstream circuitry by rejecting very
 strong out-of-band signals that could cause overload; selectivity was not
 the purpose. 
 Selectivity was done further downstream.
 So the term has become corrupted over the years.
 73 Jerry KM3K
 
 
 -Original Message-
 From: Elecraft [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Bill
 Turner
 Sent: Monday, May 12, 2014 1:07 AM
 To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
 Subject: Re: [Elecraft] [K3] Roofing filters are misunderstood
 
 ORIGINAL MESSAGE:  (may be snipped)
 
 On 5/11/2014 7:25 PM, Fred Jensen wrote:
 I too think roofing filters are really not well understood. 
 
 REPLY:
 
 A large part of the misunderstanding is due to the name. Whoever chose 
 the name roofing did a great disservice. A better name would simply be 
 it's function:  1st I.F. filter.
 
 That's what it is and that's what it does.
 
 I have always thought that roofing was a marketing ploy to imbue it 
 with some kind of magical powers.
 
 73, Bill W6WRT
 
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Re: [Elecraft] Interfacing TS480 to KPA500

[Jack Brindle]

Mike;

First, the KPA serial ports are _not_ pass-through. Each has a specific purpose 
and don’t actually work together.

How you set up the XCVR serial port connection depends entirely on whether 
there is a computer in the 
situation or not, and whether that computer polls the radio for information. 
Since this is a remote base, can we
assume that a computer is involved and it is getting info from the radio? If 
so, then you need to set up the 
KPA500 so that it simply eavesdrops on the conversation. You will need to 
fabricate a Y adapter for this. In 
the case of the KPA all signals can go through, but realistically you only need 
pins 2, 3, 5 and (I believe) 8 
connected. Pin 8 is the handshake pin for the TS480, and is needed to allow the 
radio to send data on the
RS-232 port. It does not need to be connected to the KPA500 port, but if it is 
the KPA will simply ignore it.
Note that the KPA does not make a connection to that pin, so if you set the 
station up without a computer,
you will need to provide +12V for that signal to allow the TS480 to talk.

As the manual indicates on page 12, there are three menu items involved with 
this situation. You will
need to set the RADIO item to SERIAL, then set the RS232 X item to the 
appropriate data rate. Finally,
since the computer is polling the radio for data, set SER POLL to OFF. If there 
is nothing doing the polling,
you will need to set this item to ON to allow the KPA to do this task.

With this setup, things should work just fine. But we aren’t finished, you did 
mention a KRC2, so let’s discuss that.

I would suggest inserting the KRC2 in between the TS-480 and the KPA500. Make 
sure that only pins 2, 3 and 5
go to the KRC2 ports. That pesky TS480 handshake signal should not go through 
the KRC2 without making
changes inside the KRC2. What changes? Disconnect the W jumpers for the 
handshake pins and then jumper
across the connector side of the pins so that the signal gets passed from one 
DE9 to the other. Then set the
serial port data rate jumpers for the appropriate rate. The KRC2 can do 4800, 
9600 and 19200 bps with the V1.6
firmware. You probably want to run as fast as you can on the serial port, which 
means 19200 bps.
You can then plug the serial port cables into their appropriate connectors and 
try things out.

Be sure to check to make sure that pin 8 is the handshake pin needed for the 
TS480. I think it is that pin, but
will need to check it. Also look at the KRC2 manual for the proper W jumpers. 
I’ll also take a look and privately
email you what I come up with.

Your station should work quite well in this configuration. Good luck!

73,

Jack Brindle, W6FB
Elecraft Engineering


On May 22, 2014, at 7:38 AM, Michael Walker va...@portcredit.net wrote:

 All
 
 My remote base runs on a TS480 and I will be adding a KPA500 to the mix.
 
 In going over the documentation, I find that there is very little detail on
 actually interfacing on the RS232 port.  From what little I can read, I see
 it is as simple as plug it in and go, or am I missing something in the
 configuration.
 
 Can I pass RS232 signal through the Amp or is it a passive listener and
 handles band changes.
 
 I will also be using a KRC2 to change filters and antennas in the same
 solution.
 
 Mike va3mw
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Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 question 2 - remote power control

[Jack Brindle]

Mike;

I guess you didn’t get the email I sent yesterday asking for more information 
from you about this topic. You might want to recheck for that email, there was 
a lot of good information in it.
Please send me detailed info about your setup, with specifics on the ACC 
connections and the data you are sending the KPA to try to turn in on.

Using the rear-panel switch on the KPA is the same as simply pulling the AC 
plug. When it is turned on, the low voltage power supply is enabled, placing 
the microcontroller into bootstrap mode. In this situation, sending a ‘P’ 
character to the KPA will cause it to come to life. This information is 
described in the KPA500 Programming Reference.

Now, if you would like to respond to my email, we will work with you to see if 
you can get your setup closer to the way you really want it.

Jack Brindle, W6FB
Elecraft Engineering


On May 26, 2014, at 1:26 PM, Michael Walker va...@portcredit.net wrote:

 I wish I could say it works for me.  It isn't a com port issue as those are
 solid (I know what I am doing with RS232 and windows).
 
 If I power off the AC power of the amp and then turn it on remotely it
 doesn't work.  It 'will' work after about 10-15 tries to wake it up.
 
 So, to summarize:
 
 KPA500 with the KPA500 utility
 Hardware RS232 port
 The ability to turn all AC power off to the amp remotel
 
 You power off the amp without turning off the AC and you can't just turn it
 back on again without actually power cycling the AC a few times.
 
 This shouldn't be that hard.  I'll have to talk to Elecraft tomorrow when
 they get in.  I'd hate to post a poor review on eHam.
 
 mike va3mw
 
 
 
 
 
 
 On Sun, May 25, 2014 at 7:57 PM, KE8G k...@cox.net wrote:
 
 Hi Michael,
 I, too, use the KPA500 remotely, and have no problem turning the power on
  off.
 
 I take it you have the KPA500 connected to a computer?  Did you download
 the KPA500 software from the Elecraft web site?  This allows complete
 monitoring and on/off operation.
 
 73 de Jim - KE8G
 
 Sent from my iPad
 
 On May 25, 2014, at 4:37 PM, Michael Walker va...@portcredit.net
 wrote:
 
 I have just installed my KPA500 on my remote base and I noticed that it
 is
 possible to turn it off via the computer or via just dropping the AC
 power
 and not getting it to come back on.
 
 This makes is sort of a challenge for remote operating.
 
 Is this normal operation or did I miss something obvious.
 
 73 all
 
 Mike va3mw
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Re: [Elecraft] Computers in the Stone Age

[Jack Brindle]

Gates and Allen actually did write that software. After seeing what the pair 
had written in their dorm room,  Dr Roberts invited them down to the MITS 
facility in New Mexico to improve the software for his product. They did so, 
then eventually moved back up to home - Bellevue, WA to continue the effort. 
This same software was ported to the favorite processors (mainly Z80, 8080 and 
6502, although there may have been a 6800 version) and showed up in many 
systems, including the Apple, TRS-80, OSI C1P (still have mine) and many 
others. My first recollection of the Microsoft name comes from a Dr Dobbs 
article back in 1975 or 76. 

Microsoft purchased the beginnings of MS-DOS from Seattle Softworks for the IBM 
effort.

My first computer? A home-brew 6502 system started in late 1976, proposed as an 
article for QST, but not accepted. We had to sneak computer product reviews 
into QST at that time since the prevailing attitude was that they had little to 
do with ham radio (reference my review of the Processor Technology VDM-1 in 
March 1977 QST, among others). That attitude changed within a year. My 6502 
system saw its first attempt at contest logging in ARRL November SS 1977, but a 
severe RFI problem caused the effort to be abandoned. Boy have things come a 
long way since.

Jack Brindle, W6FB (ex-WA4FIB)

On May 28, 2014, at 6:19 PM, Daniel Allen dl...@bellsouth.net wrote:

 And Radio Shack started selling the TRS-80 on August 3, 1977.  I bought one 
 on that date, and was told to expect delivery in two weeks.  It arrived at 
 the store on Christmas Eve!  It had a Z-80 and an entire 4K of memory.  And 
 Microsoft (or what was to become Microsoft) sold the OS and BASIC to Radio 
 Shack.  Microsoft likes to say that Gates and Allen wrote it, but they bought 
 it from someone for a song, and resold it to Radio Shack for a small fortune. 
  That is what got them started.
 
 It booted in BASIC from ROM.  It included an instruction book on how to 
 program in BASIC.  I knew nothing about any of this and wanted to learn.  
 Boy, did I learn quickly.  It was so engrossing that I would often wonder 
 what that strange light coming through the window was.  I would go to the 
 window, pull back the shade, and realize that it was dawn!
 
 I still have all of this!  Including the boxes!  And it still works!
 
 Dan Allen
 KB4ZVM  
 
 On Wed, 5/28/14, Lewis Phelps l...@n6lew.us wrote:
 
 Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Computers in the Stone Age
 To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net List elecraft@mailman.qth.net
 Date: Wednesday, May 28, 2014, 4:59 PM
 
 Someone wrote:
 Desktop computers did not come into being until the
 advent of the IBM PC in the 1980s.
 
 Nah.  Heathkit H89 came out in 1979. 
 “All-in-One” desktop computer. Z-80 processor. CP/M OS
 addressed 64 KB and used 39 kb of that total. two 5”
 floppy drives (dual sided 800k) as an option. Later,
 somebody came up with a card that plugged into the 5”
 drive slot and gave 128K of silicon hard drive. Now THAT was
 advanced for its era. Booting from that was faster than
 lightning, for its time. 
 
 And do not forget the Ohio Scientific Instruments OSI
 Challenger 4P….
 
 Lew
 
 
 
 
 Lew Phelps N6LEW
 Pasadena, CA DM04wd
 Elecraft K3-10 
 Yaesu FT-7800 
 l...@n6lew.us
 www.n6lew.us
 
 Sent from my Mac Pro 256-Array Supercomputer (9.42
 teraflops)
 
 
 
 
 On May 28, 2014, at 11:19 AM, Kevin Cozens ke...@ve3syb.ca
 wrote:
 
 
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Re: [Elecraft] K2 with KPA500 and KAT500 setup

[Jack Brindle]

I believe you have it right. You could also leave the AUX cable connected from 
the KAT to the KPA so that the KAT can interrupt the KPA’s PTT signal. You need 
either that or the RCA-plug cable that you described.

You might want to connect the K2’s serial port to the KPA’s XCVR serial port, 
select RADIO=SERIAL in the KPA’s menu, and get things going that way. This is 
tested (by me, among others), and is known to work. If you are using the K2 and 
KPA/KAT with a computer, be sure to use a Y-adapter (you will have to make one) 
so that the KPA simply eavesdrops on the computer - K2 communication. If there 
is no computer, connect the two directly, then set the KPA’s SER POLL menu item 
to ON so that it will send serial commands to the K2 to get the band.

Enjoy the setup!

Jack Brindle, W6FB
Elecraft Engineering

On Jun 7, 2014, at 4:24 PM, Robert G Strickland rc...@verizon.net wrote:

 I'm  going to use my K2 for Field Day. In prep, I'm putting the K3 aside and 
 putting the K2 back in the station lineup in order to  re-acquaint myself 
 with the its operation. Looking at the cabling diagrams in the KPA500/KAT500 
 manuals, an RCA jack line from the K2 to the tuner and another RCA jack line 
 from the tuner to the amp looks pretty straight forward. With this setup, do 
 I disconnect the keying/integration cables that normally connect the K3, 
 KPA500 and KAT500? Assuming so, are there any other aspects of using the K2 
 with the other K-Line units to which I should pay attention? Thanks.
 
 ...robert
 -- 
 Robert G Strickland, PhD ABPH - KE2WY
 rc...@verizon.net.usa
 Syracuse, New York, USA
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Re: [Elecraft] KPA 500 failure

[Jack Brindle]

Jorge;

Check the ribbon cable connections going to the front panel. This sounds like 
one of those cables is not connected properly. The chief candidate is the 
40-pin cable on the left side that goes from the Front panel board to the IO 
board.

You should deb able to get the KPA going. If we can’t get you going with it 
today, then be sure to contact tech support tomorrow.

Jack Brindle, W6FB
Elecraft Engineering

On Jun 8, 2014, at 6:40 AM, Jorge Mejia lauss...@me.com wrote:

 Hello list members
 
 I just finished putting together a KPA 500 which seems to be having problems. 
 When I turn  on and try to run the voltage test,  the “HV” button does not 
 respond ….  the led’s bar graph indicate 100 W and I can’t turn it off from 
 the front panel switch,  I have to use the one on the back, neither can I 
 hear the fan discharging the caps. when switched off from the back. Has any 
 of the list members experienced this situation? 
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Re: [Elecraft] RemoteRig and KPA-500

[Jack Brindle]

It is not a good idea to connect pin 8 of the K3’s AUX IO connector to pin 8 of 
the KPA500’s AuxBus connector. The two aren’t compatible. While both need to be 
pulled low to power on the device, the K3’s pin stays low, while the KPA needs 
for its pin to go high since it is in parallel with the front panel power-on 
button. They both can be used for power-on, but different logic is needed for 
each.

I believe the K3 KPA AUX cable has this pin cut for this very reason. We 
recumbent use of the serial power-on ‘P’ command for remote operation.

Jack B, W6FB
Elecraft Engineering


On Jun 10, 2014, at 12:50 PM, Rick Tavan N6XI rta...@gmail.com wrote:

 I use a 15 pin D-sub Y connector off the back of the K3 ACC connector to
 connect both the RemoteRig RRC and the KPA500. Be careful to use a
 connector that passes through all 15 pins - many do not. (And I use another
 Y to feed band data from ACC to my antenna and filter switching network. It
 gets crowded back there in the rats' nest but it all works.)
 
 If you have Pin 8 of KPA500 AUX working for remote turn-on when the K3
 comes on, it should continue to work when the RRC turns on the K3 but I
 can't confirm that because I don't use it here. Instead, I use KPA500
 Remote client-server apps (available on the Elecraft Web site) to turn the
 KPA500 on and off manually.
 
 I highly recommend using KPA500 Remote with a server computer at the Remote
 site, rather than simply trusting that KPA500 operation will be
 satisfactory! I bought a surplus, commercial-grade, Win XP machine for
 $200. In its limited roles, it has run flawlessly.  If a Remote site server
 is out of the question, consider a remote serial port there so you can run
 KPA500 Remote software at the Control site only. IMHO, it's not prudent to
 run high power in the dark.
 
 GL with your integration project. It requires some patience but is well
 worth the effort.
 
 73,
 
 /Rick N6XI
 
 
 On Tue, Jun 10, 2014 at 11:00 AM, Charles Stampf via Elecraft 
 elecraft@mailman.qth.net wrote:
 
 I'm having some fundamental issues understanding the cabling of the
 KPA-500 and the RemoteRig system.  Can anyone give me some pointers to get
 me started?  I cant figure out where to cable the amplifier as the ACC
 connector on the radio is occupied by the RemoteRig box. Is the additional
 wire to pin 8 on the KPA500 AUX connector still required when using the
 K3/0-Mini?
 
 Thanks for any help...
 
 Charlie, W4FI
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Re: [Elecraft] KAT500 Band Data Input Question

[Jack Brindle]

Randy;

I fully agree with Dick’s analysis and comments, and I also question some of 
your assertions. The KPA does have a command set that allows it to be 
controlled from the computer. See the KPA500 Command Reference for details. I 
know of only one contest computer program that makes use of this - 
SkookumLogger on the Mac. But you should be able to code some of the commands 
into WriteLog or perhaps N1MM Logger to also perform the function.

The KPA takes band data from one of several methods - BCD (from K3 or other 
radios), analog (Icom), serial (Elecraft and Kenwood), computer control over 
the serial interface and RF from the radio itself. All of these work properly 
and have been verified in many stations. Interestingly, it cannot take band 
information over the Auxbus. As Dick mentioned, in the KPA, Auxbus is transmit 
only, and used specifically to send commands to the K3. In K3 mode, it receives 
band data through the BCD lines.

So how can we help you to get your station going properly. After all, we 
NCCCers do want your QSOs… ;-)

Jack Brindle, W6FB

On Jun 19, 2014, at 9:52 PM, Dick Dievendorff d...@elecraft.com wrote:

 Randy:
 
 The KAT500 has four ways to learn the frequency.
 
 First, at Tx, it counts the frequency.  If you change bands and transmit, 
 that's enough. That freq count is used to locate the appropriate memorized 
 tuning solution.
 
 Second are the four band lines.  This is how the KAT500 and KPA50o can detect 
 the K3 band before Tx.  I don't know FT1000, but it might have four band 
 lines that work similarly. This is sufficient to choose and Chang bands 
 without Tx, but not the actual frequency within the band. The ATU loads the 
 solution for the last known freq on the new band. When you Tx, it might need 
 to load another solution.
 
 Third is an RS232 port and a serial command set.  Kenwood radios  send an FA 
 command with frequency, and the ATU can use that to select a specific 
 memorized solution.  Some customers have used Arduinos and the like to 
 translate between what they have and the KAT500 serial command set.  The 
 command reference is on our manual page.
 
 Finally the K3 can send an AUXBUS message on QSY and the ATU listens to that.
 
 It will work with just the Tx freq count.  If you want band change without 
 Tx, you'll need one of the other three techniques.  And if you want a 
 specific memory selected without Tx, you'll need either the serial port 
 command or the K3 AUXBUS message.
 
 The KPA500 similarly will change bands with the four band lines or a Tx freq 
 count. The KPA500 transmits on the AUXBUS but cannot not listen to AUXBUS. 
 The KPA500 also has a serial command set, and the band can be changed using 
 the KPA Utility or any other program that can send the band change command.
 
 I don't understand your comment that the KPA500 won't follow the band lines, 
 mine certainly does.
 
 73 de Dick, K6KR
 
 On Jun 19, 2014, at 19:17, Randy Farmer w...@tx.rr.com wrote:
 
 I have a brand new KAT500 coming, to be delivered tomorrow. I'm now trying 
 to figure how to integrate it into my SO2R contest station. I've looked at 
 the manual and done research in the reflector archives, but I'm still unsure 
 what it takes to make the tuner change bands. I have a simple question:
 
 Will the KAT500 respond to BCD band data alone at its control input or is it 
 also necessary for it to be connected to the Aux Bus (like the KPA500) for 
 it to change bands under positive hardware control?
 
 I need to rig a way to share the tuner control between two dissimilar 
 radios. The primary radio is a K3, so there's no problem there. The 
 secondary radio is an old Yaesu FT-1000D, which obviously can't communicate 
 on the Aux Bus. My station setup will allow me to create and select TTL band 
 data for the appropriate radio, but it's not clear to me that this is enough 
 to control the tuner. I was quite surprised to find out that the KPA500 
 wouldn't support control using band data commands alone, and I'm afraid the 
 KAT500 may share the same feature. This limitation really impedes the 
 amp's usability in an automated station using other than Elecraft radios, 
 probably for sound technical reasons that I don't quite understand. Can 
 anyone tell me for sure how the KAT500 is controlled?
 
 73...
 Randy, W8FN
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Re: [Elecraft] K3 and KRC2 for controlling 12VDC

[Jack Brindle]

Rich;

Since you are talking about the K3, I believe your conclusion to be correct, 
but I would not (yet) rule it out. I don’t believe that the K3 outputs the 
RxAnt status on the Auxbus. Interestingly, the K2 _does_ output the Rxant 
status, and the KRC2 can respond to that inout, although it may require a bit 
of extra work on my part.

I will do some additional research on the code (it has been quite a while…) and 
let you know if what you want is doable with the K3. 

Jack B, W6FB
Elecraft Engineering

On Jul 6, 2014, at 8:46 PM, Rich rwnewbo...@comcast.net wrote:

 I have pretty much done an thorough search on this topic and have concluded 
 it cannot be done, but I thought I would throw it out here anyway.
 
 I believe that the outputs on the KRC2 on strictly controlled by band 
 information which it receives.  I was wondering if there was a way to send RX 
 antenna status to the KRC2 which would close an output to send 12VDC to my 
 active RX antenna and another to activate 12VDC to the preamp for the RX ant 
 when I chose.
 
 My thought was along the lines of the DVK messages which can be activated via 
 the keyboard when using Writelog or other contest programs.  I was hoping to 
 send a command via the keyboard to activate the RX ant on the K3 and at the 
 same time send the required 12vdc to the RX antenna via an output on the KRC2 
 and the same for the preamp if I want it on/off.
 
 I hope this is clearer than mud.
 
 Rich
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Re: [Elecraft] Update on a Question About the P3 SVGA and Mac Computers

[Jack Brindle]

sigh This is not a difficult problem to solve. First off, the MacBook Air is 
_not_ a netbook. Netbooks are defined by their low-power processors (typically 
Intel Atoms). The MacBook Air has a full multi-core Intel I5 processor, which 
means it can do real work.

The best way to approach this is to look for a USB video input device, such as 
those from El Gato, which can input video to the Mac. From there, just use the 
El Gato application to display the video, or save it to disk.
I don’t know if El Gato has a VGA-capable converter, but I do know they have 
devices that can input other video formats such as those common to current TVs 
and DVRs. I believe their URL is www.elgato.com or something similar. You may 
have to search for a suitable device that does VGA, and I suspect it won’t be 
inexpensive. Still, worth the effort.

I would expect the conversion task to take a notable amount of processor 
horsepower since much of the conversion occurs inside the Mac. This means that 
that extra horsepower you get because the MacBook Air is _not_ a netbook will 
be very useful.

You might also want to look at an alternate solution - an external monitor that 
the P3 and the MacBook Air can feed. While this solution means that you can 
only see one or the other video sources at a time, it might actually be less 
expensive.

Jack B, W6FB


On Jul 10, 2014, at 1:15 PM, Dauer, Edward eda...@law.du.edu wrote:

 A week or two ago I posted this question:  Would it be possible to have
 the P3's SVGA output displayed on the screen of a MacAir computer, and
 have a logging program resident on the same computer, and be able to
 toggle between the two with a simple computer keyboard stroke?  Neat trick
 for contesting if there's no room for dual monitors, eh?
 
 The simple answer (but see below) turns out to be no - with some dongling
 older Macs could operate as dumb monitors but newer ones (like my
 MacAir) cannot, a fact I had confirmed by a tech at the local Apple store.
 I was told that only the 27 monitor (too big for my space) might be able
 to do that, and maybe it couldn't either.
 
 I was referred by a member of this reflector (thank you) to a
 computer-consultant friend of his, from whom I learned that there was no
 direct way to do it but that it could be done if the P3's SVGA output
 could be made into the electronic equivalent of an Internet web site.
 Moreover, he said, that should be possible using something called
 Raspberry Pi.
 
 Right.  For an EE or computer expert, maybe; but not for a Liberal Arts
 sort of guy.  Even my Internet research about Raspberry Pi was
 entertaining but incomprehensible.  But that aside, does anyone know of a
 way to feed the P3 output into a server sort of thing and have it come out
 as something that will fool the MacAir into thinking it's a web site,
 hence toggleable vis-a-vis the resident logging program?
 
 If it turns out to be patentable I'm willing to share the royalties . . .
 
 Ted, KN1CBR
 
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Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 fan shut down problem

[Jack Brindle]

Todd;

You may need to get back to CS about this. When the KPA is powered off from the 
front panel,it first shuts off the 60V supply, does some other things, then one 
of the last things done is to turn on the fans. This is an important safety 
feature to discharge the big power supply capacitors. The fans will run full 
blast for a short time, slowing to a stop as the capacitors bleed off. Note 
that even though the 60V source if off, those capacitors will still be charged 
(and at least some part of the 60V output will remain) until this process 
completes. 

If your fans keep going, it sounds like something is causing the 60V power 
supply to stay on. Just to make sure, is this what you are saying?
Did you recently open up the KPA, move cables, or anything like this?

Jack Brindle, W6FB
Elecraft Engineering

On Jul 20, 2014, at 7:40 AM, T Gahagan wa7...@gmail.com wrote:

 I’m wondering if anyone else has had this problem?  When I shut down the 
 KPA500 from the front panel the cooling fan turns on and instead of shutting 
 down it continues to run until I turn the power off on the rear panel.  When 
 I turn the  back panel power switch on again the fan immediately comes on and 
 never stops until the back panel switch is turned off.  I originally had this 
 problem 3 years ago and Elecraft had me install a SMT bypass capacitor on the 
 back of the front panel board that I thought had taken care of the problem 
 (It did for several years).  I have reloaded firmware, done a full reset, 
 etc. but the problem persists.  The amp work perfectly other than this 
 glitch.  Any help is appreciated.
 
 Thanks, Todd
 
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Re: [Elecraft] KAT500 power question

[Jack Brindle]

Godo questions. The power sequencing key is that the KAT500 must be powered 
before the K3 initializes the Auxbus. You actually have a little bit of time 
after the K3 powers on before this happens, and the KAT500 powers up quickly to 
wait for this activity, so if you were able to power the KAT500 from the K3’s 
power jack, it will work just fine. I do this in my own station by powering a 
relay from the K3. The relay then switches power to the remaining peripherals, 
including my KAT500, K3  and  KRC2. I can’t answer the question as to whether 
the upgraded K3 can directly power a KAT500 - my own has not been upgraded and 
with the power setup I have I don’t need it.

As for the KRC2, we have not seen any problem of this sort so far (and it has 
been a long time…). The KRC2’s Auxbus circuitry is slightly different from the 
KAT500, which seems to allow it. Before anyone asks, the KPA500 does not have 
this problem at all. It only transmits on the Auxbus, and the isolation driver 
transistor it uses very effectively prevents any problem.

As for the interconnect, I highly recommend using the Auxbus connection, 
especially if a KPA500 is in use. When properly configured, the three devices 
work very well together to provide an excellent user experience. To borrow a 
phrase, they just work.

73!

Jack B, W6FB

 On Oct 4, 2014, at 6:59 PM, Wes (N7WS) w...@triconet.org wrote:
 
 Let me clarify some issues before leaving this subject.
 
 1) There are apparently multiple versions of the manual that show different 
 KAT500 power requirements.  The current one, Rev C, states on page 2 that the 
 voltage should be 11 to 15 VDC at a current of 1.0 A max (200 mA typical).
 
 2)  A modified K3 will output 1.0 A. See *K312MDKT.
 
 3) *After further digging I see the warning that if the K3 and KAT500 are 
 interconnected via the AUX bus, the KAT500 must be power before the K3 is or 
 *the K3* won't initialize properly. (p 14)  So there is my integration/timing 
 issue.  Imagine having to have your printer powered up before booting your 
 computer to avoid latch-up. Does this mean that other peripherals (KRC-2) 
 hanging on the AUX Bus will have the same effect?
 
 4) On a positive note, it went together nicely (not too pleased with the 
 paint on the top cover) and seems to work fine using just the K3 without 
 interconnects, just r-f sensing.  The clattering relays are a little 
 frightening though when my only prior experience with autotuners was the 
 quiet whirring of the motors in my TS-870SAT.
 
 Wes, N7WS
 
 
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Re: [Elecraft] KAT500 power question

[Jack Brindle]

Wes;

We do realize the situation as far as Auxbus is concerned with an unpowered 
KAT500. I believe that Wayne has stated that he has an active task to allow the 
K3 to detect the situation and recover from it.
I don’t know the time frame of this fix. I’ll let him comment further when he 
gets a chance.

Jack B, W6FB


 
 On Oct 4, 2014, at 10:27 PM, Wes (N7WS) w...@triconet.org wrote:
 
 Jack,
 
 Thanks for your remarks.
 
 I will be using AUX Bus interconnects, however, the KPA500 has yet to be 
 assembled and frankly the Elecraft cables are too spendy so they are coming 
 from elsewhere.
 
 I don't use a P3 (an SDR-IQ is my preference) so the 12V spigot is available. 
 However, using that port to power a relay is going in the wrong direction for 
 me. I'd like to reduce the mess of cables and needing one more from the 
 desktop to the supply underneath was what I wanted to avoid. I've just had to 
 add a Rigrunner to power more devices in my wireless station.
 
 'Tis a pity that the KAT500 can't treat the bus like the KRC-2 and KPA500.
 
 Wes N7WS
 
 
 On 10/4/2014 7:20 PM, Jack Brindle wrote:
 Godo questions. The power sequencing key is that the KAT500 must be powered 
 before the K3 initializes the Auxbus. You actually have a little bit of time 
 after the K3 powers on before this happens, and the KAT500 powers up quickly 
 to wait for this activity, so if you were able to power the KAT500 from the 
 K3’s power jack, it will work just fine. I do this in my own station by 
 powering a relay from the K3. The relay then switches power to the remaining 
 peripherals, including my KAT500, K3  and  KRC2. I can’t answer the question 
 as to whether the upgraded K3 can directly power a KAT500 - my own has not 
 been upgraded and with the power setup I have I don’t need it.
 
 As for the KRC2, we have not seen any problem of this sort so far (and it 
 has been a long time…). The KRC2’s Auxbus circuitry is slightly different 
 from the KAT500, which seems to allow it. Before anyone asks, the KPA500 
 does not have this problem at all. It only transmits on the Auxbus, and the 
 isolation driver transistor it uses very effectively prevents any problem.
 
 As for the interconnect, I highly recommend using the Auxbus connection, 
 especially if a KPA500 is in use. When properly configured, the three 
 devices work very well together to provide an excellent user experience. To 
 borrow a phrase, they just work.
 
 73!
 
 Jack B, W6FB
 
 
 
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Re: [Elecraft] KPA500

[Jack Brindle]

There should be a blocking adapter in the cable kit that should be attached on 
the K3 side of the AUX cable. This is used to block the INHIBIT# and other 
signals that should not actually go to the KPA from the K3. Some signals are 
already cut in the cable, but there are some that actually might be of use. 
INHIBIT# is one of them, but is very rarely used.
Also, make sure that the INHIB IN entry in the KPA’s menu is set to DISABLE.

While you are at it, make sure all the cables go where they are supposed to go. 
When in STBY, the KPA will show power out and SWR when power is above 25 watts. 
If you are not seeing this then make sure that you have the K3 output going 
into the KPA’s input. AND, make sure that you have that antenna output selected 
on the K3.

- Jack B, W6FB


 On Nov 1, 2014, at 11:33 AM, Wes (N7WS) w...@triconet.org wrote:
 
 Curiously, I just yesterday fired up my new KPA500 (kit) and had a similar 
 issue.  I reached out to Elecraft but was away when the return call came 
 through.  I was sent a procedure for tuning the KAT500, which is hard to do 
 when the K3 refuses to transmit.  As it turns out, for reasons that escape 
 me, TX INH was set Hi in my K3, despite me never (knowingly) have set it, 
 since I have no transceivers.  Go into the Config menu and dial up TX INH and 
 make sure it's OFF.
 
 Wes  N7WS
 
 On 11/1/2014 9:03 AM, Steve Lett wrote:
 I just purchased the entire K line. I have the K3, P3 and KAT500 working
 just fine. I cannot get any power through the KPA500. It switches bands and
 it appears to be okay. But when I push the foot switch on my K3, the K3
 transmits but the KPA500 is not producing any power or SWR. I must be
 missing something. Do I need to change any of the default settings on the
 KPA500 menu? On the back of the amplifier, I have the antenna in and out
 connected as well as the 9 pin cable from the AUX on the amp to the AVP on
 the KAT500. Thank for your help.
 
  
 Steve, KB3TAW
 
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Re: [Elecraft] KX3 bricked by F/W upgrade attempt

[Jack Brindle]

Hey Randy. Ready for a surprise?

The FTDI driver is actually built in to Yosemite. Mavericks, too. That
means you don’t need to download the driver from FTDI. Why is this important?
In Yosemite, drivers must be signed. The ones on the FTDI site are not.

I didn’t believe this when I first heard it, so I tried an FTDI USB device with 
a
fresh install (not upgrade) of Yosemite. It worked! The devices were recognized
and worked properly. As a developer, I was surprised since I had seen no
notification about this previously.

73, and glad you have things going.

Jack B, W6FB


 On Nov 16, 2014, at 11:08 AM, Randy Diddel k5...@arrl.net wrote:
 
 Don,
 
 You are correct.  I tried it on a Mac with a brand new cable (I have many
 extras as I have bought a lot of Elecraft toys).  See my notes on the post
 that just went to the reflector.  Good ideas and I got to a solution just
 before reading this.  Thanks for the help.
 
 On a side note, I wish I could use a Mac in the shack for everything
 natively (not in a VM like Parallels or VMWare, etc).
 
 Thanks for the input and 73,
 
 K5RHD
 
 /randy
 
 On Sun, Nov 16, 2014 at 11:58 AM, Don Wilhelm w3...@embarqmail.com wrote:
 
 Randy,
 
 MCU LD is a normal display by the KX3 when waiting for firmware to be
 loaded.
 It may be that the KX3 is just sitting there waiting for the computer to
 feed it some data.
 
 Because this all started during a firmware update that stopped midstream
 for some unknown reason, I would suggest you be suspicious of the computer,
 the adapter cable and anything else associated with the serial connection.
 You may even want to try reloading the driver for the USB to serial adapter.
 
 It would be a shame to send the KX3 back to Elecraft only to discover that
 there was a problem at the computer end.  If you have another computer (or
 can borrow one) try loading the USB cable adapter driver and KX3 Utility on
 that computer.  If you have an XG3 signal generator, try using the same
 cable and the XG3 Utility - the cable for the XG3 and the KX3 are the same.
 
 73,
 Don W3FPR
 
 
 On 11/16/2014 12:32 PM, Randy Diddel wrote:
 
 As I stated. I have read the manua (RTFM)l and tried the EEINT proceedure
 stated there. It will NOT respond to a Parameter INIT.  It still says MCU
 LD. I have tried all documented solutions to get it back right.  I
 realize
 that I would have to recalibrate or load original config file after but I
 cannot even get there
 
 
 
 
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Re: [Elecraft] OT: Contesting / DXing practices

[Jack Brindle]

But can he hear you? It is quite common for stations on the same frequency not 
to be able to hear each other. It could be due to power differential, 
propagation conditions, or other similar situations.
If you are running very low power, but with a received (such as the K3) that 
matches very well with a high power transmitter, you may be able to hear 
someone who simply cannot hear your low-power signal.
To then blame them for the situation you face doesn’t make sense. 

Come join us in contesting and you will encounter this on a regular basis, 
where shifts in propagation over time will turn a completely clear frequency 
shared by two stations into a complete mess where the stations QRM each other. 
Eventually one (or both) will have to QSY to get their rate going again. This 
is just one of the situations that makes things both fun and challenging.

73!

Jack B, W6FB


 On Dec 2, 2014, at 6:02 AM, Thorpe, Jeffrey jtho...@liberty.edu wrote:
 
 The band plans work better when operators actually abide by using only the 
 power required to make contact. In fact, the band plans might much less 
 important if operators would bother to follow the power rule.
 Friends and I, who do happen to live fairly close, can (and do) actually talk 
 using .1-.2W (yes, those are decimal points) on 40m, NVIS. It is really 
 irritating to get stomped on by some jerk(s) running several hundred watts to 
 talk when they're less than 200 miles away, as happens here in southern AZ.
 
 Jeff - kg7hdz
 
 
 
 On Dec 1, 2014, at 6:05 PM, Harry Yingst via Elecraft 
 elecraft@mailman.qth.net wrote:
 
 I would say to use the Bandplan of the country that you are licensed in 
 it is a simple matter of courtesy to be considerate of those who do not care 
 to contest 
 
 
 From: brian als...@nc.rr.com
 To: Harry Yingst hlyin...@yahoo.com 
 Sent: Monday, December 1, 2014 4:45 PM
 Subject: Re: [Elecraft] OT: Contesting / DXing practices
 
 Harry,
 
 Which bandplan?  There are many.  EU bandplans are different from Asian 
 band plans for example.There are also many groups/modes/nets etc who 
 plop themselves down anywhere and declare that frequency theirs.  Then 
 they bemoan interference?
 
 If you really look at the band plans, it would take a superhuman to 
 avoid all the little niches.
 
 Also what you see is a reflection of too little space available. RTTY 
 contests are a good example.  Do you really think it can be constrained 
 to be within 14080 and 14090?
 
 73 de Brian/K3KO
 
 On 12/1/2014 21:15 PM, Harry Yingst via Elecraft wrote:
 I would also like to add pay attention to the bandplan
 Many are NOT contesting and it spoils there enjoyment when contesters 
 encroach on them while they are operating.
 Examples: CW or RTTy being run on top of the JT65 Guys or SSB Voice on top 
 of the SSTV guys.
 
 
 
 
From: Ken G Kopp kengk...@gmail.com
  To: j...@audiosystemsgroup.com; elecraft@mailman.qth.net
  Sent: Monday, December 1, 2014 3:01 PM
  Subject: [Elecraft] OT: Contesting / DXing practices
 
 Jim is speaks the truth.
 
 While the premise of beginning a transmission with DE ... or the called
 station's call ... may be correct, in practice it assures one first place
 in the lid line.
 
 5NN is the only cut number that's acceptable to me, too.
 
 In the contesting arena time is all-important!  Seconds saved count.  FD,
 especially, brings out every lid-ism.  It's actually easy to have one ...
 or more ... contest QSO's while waiting for a please copy my number.  Add
 another QSO in the log for good luck in the contest babble.
 
 73
 
 Ken Kopp - K0PP
 On Dec 1, 2014 11:30 AM, Jim Brown j...@audiosystemsgroup.com wrote:
 
 On Mon,12/1/2014 5:52 AM, d...@lightstream.net wrote:
 
 But PLEASE DO develop the habit of using the characters DE to preface
 the sending of your callsign, whether calling CQ or in exchange with
 another station.
 NO, NO, NO! (CAPS added for emphasis). When a contester (or DXpedition) is
 running (calling CQ), we EXPECT to hear YOUR callsign, and we start typing
 that call in the entry window. Lots of calls begin with D, so when someone
 sends DE, we must backspace. DON'T send his call first -- he knows his call
 -- only send yours. Same problem with typing. Further, sending the old CW
 elements like DE, K, KN, and QSL during a contest are time-wasters
 equivalent to please copy on SSB. Most good contesters use TU or R
 and end a QSO by sending TU followed by their callsign.
 
 Another rule -- NEVER resend anything that the other station has copied
 correctly. If the other station sent your call correctly when he responded
 to you, don't send it again. Send it again ONLY if you think he got it
 wrong.
 
 Count me among those who HATE cut numbers other than for 5NN.
 
 73, Jim K9YC
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Re: [Elecraft] KXPA100 Intermittent VSWR Issues

[Jack Brindle]

Check for something arcing in the antenna system at higher power. This would be 
something that heats
up before the arcing starts, like maybe a grounding RF choke on a vertical or 
something similar. The
worst feedline component for this is the cheap right-angle UHF adapter. The 
center conductors are not
well made, and will bend and arc to the shell over time. This usually is a 
problem at powers higher than
the KXPA puts out, but it can still happen.

We see a lot of these, and it is rarely something in the ATU, although that is 
a possibility. This is also
_very_ difficult to track down since it is usually inside something in the 
antenna system and thus well
hidden. You would be looking for the tell-tale signs of slightly charred or 
smoked markings.

What are the antennas in use for both bands?

- Jack B, W6FB


 On Dec 7, 2014, at 7:07 PM, Jim Stahl via Elecraft elecraft@mailman.qth.net 
 wrote:
 
 I've run into several occasions where in mid-CW transmission my KXPA100  
 (with internal tuner) SWR takes a momentary jump from matched to maybe  3:1. 
 I 
 see the SWR jump on both the KXPA front panel LEDs and on  the KX3 VSWR 
 display.  It lasts for maybe half a second, I hear  several clicks of the 
 relays in the tuner, and them it's back to normal. When  normal the SWR is 
 pretty 
 much 1:1 on the KX3, and the second green LED lit on  the KX3. I've not 
 seen it happen at the start of a transmission, but  rather several characters 
 into a CQ or exchange..
 
 In the ARRL 160 contest Saturday night this was happening perhaps once  
 every 2-3 minutes. I'm using a fairly well matched antenna - not random 
 wires. 
 I  also encountered this problem on 15 meters when operating from W1AW/8 in 
 WV  in October. In both cases I was running a pretty high CW duty cycle 
 while  running at a pretty good clip. The amp was warm, but the heat sink air 
  
 flow is not blocked.
 
 Any thoughts?
 
 
 73  -  Jim  K8MR
 
 
 
 
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Re: [Elecraft] kpa1500?

[Jack Brindle]

Hey Vic;

Hope you are enjoying life in Israel. Someday I'd love to visit the country. 
Strange not having you over here, though.

As for the original KPAs, I can assure you that at this time there are no 
functional units. There are a lot of wild rumors on the list in this topic, 
most very much untrue. But, I will also say that the KPA500 contains a close 
derivative of the firmware from the earlier effort.

And yes, the older units were beasts! Carrying them took a bit of effort!

73!

JackB, W6FB

Sent from my iPad

 On Dec 13, 2014, at 3:37 AM, Vic Rosenthal k2vco@gmail.com wrote:
 
 There was a KPA1500 and KPA800 shown at Visalia one year. I saw the 1500 in 
 action, connected to a keyer sending an endless loop into a dummy load at 
 full power. I was told later that there was no problem with performance or 
 FCC specs. They simply wanted to concentrate their resources into the K3, 
 which had just come out. The projected price, though, was WAY above $5000.
 
 When they came up for air after selling a gazillion K3's, they apparently 
 decided that an amplifier the same size as the K3 that could run on 120V and 
 sell for less than a king's ransom was a better product. I have heard that a 
 prototype KPA1500 is in the shack of a loud ham in California.
 
 Vic K2VCO/4X6GP 
 
 On Dec 13, 2014, at 12:58 PM, Pete Smith N4ZR n...@contesting.com wrote:
 
 One existed, in prototype form, and one of the testers told me that a few 
 were in the field for testing.  It was shown at Dayton at least one year, 
 maybe 10 years ago now. I suspect it used many of the transistors then 
 available.
 
 Did you guys notice that the amp in the latest QST cost $4500 for parts - of 
 course, it was two 1.25 KW RF decks in one box, so the cost for a 160-6M 
 legal limit amp might be similar.  Still, when you're cranking out KX3s and 
 K3s and P3s and KPA500s the way they are, does it make sense to build up 
 production facilities for a couple of hundred amps a year?
 
 73, Pete N4ZR
 Check out the Reverse Beacon Network at
 http://reversebeacon.net,
 blog at reversebeacon.blogspot.com.
 For spots, please go to your favorite
 ARC V6 or VE7CC DX cluster node.
 
 On 12/12/2014 7:58 PM, Richard Thorne wrote:
 I'd be a buyer.
 
 Rich - N5ZC
 
 On 12/12/2014 6:17 PM, CenturyLink Customer wrote:
 
 As a 6 month Elecrafter (k3+p3) I have never seen any discussion nor 
 requests for a legal limit compatible Elecraft amplifier with the seamless 
 attributes of the kpa500 . It would seem that the now extablished 1000 w 
 devices could form the basis for a commercially viable amplifier. Perhaps 
 no one else is interested, but I wanted to ask if such a product is even 
 on the consideration list?
 
 
 
 Myron
 
 W7LXN
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Re: [Elecraft] kpa1500?

[Jack Brindle]

No, they still exist. Just not functional at this time. I have no idea what it 
would take to make them functional...

That project allowed the development of some very interesting technology that 
is in use in the KPA500 and maybe a few other places. A lot of the protection 
mechanisms first saw the light off day there. Because of all the things we 
learned in that project, the KPA 500 is a far better amp than the predecessors. 
That was a fun project, oh so long ago. So was developing the KPA500 for that 
matter.

And, as many will attest, the KPA500 is a whole lot of fun to use, especially 
for this contester.

- JackB, W6FB

 On Dec 13, 2014, at 12:54 PM, Scott Manthe scott.man...@gmail.com wrote:
 
 Jack,
 Did Elecraft destroy the two functional units they had at Dayton? I literally 
 spent hours looking at them at Dayton, and the KPA1500 was running at legal 
 limit output for three days. It was a beauty!
 
 http://www.n6ie.com/Elecraft.html
 
 73,
 Scott, N9AA
 
 On 12/13/14, 3:10 PM, Jack Brindle wrote:
 Hey Vic;
 
 Hope you are enjoying life in Israel. Someday I'd love to visit the country. 
 Strange not having you over here, though.
 
 As for the original KPAs, I can assure you that at this time there are no 
 functional units. There are a lot of wild rumors on the list in this topic, 
 most very much untrue. But, I will also say that the KPA500 contains a close 
 derivative of the firmware from the earlier effort.
 
 And yes, the older units were beasts! Carrying them took a bit of effort!
 
 73!
 
 JackB, W6FB
 
 Sent from my iPad
 
 
 
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Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 aux 12V power for KAT500

[Jack Brindle]

No. I doubt if the internal 12V regulator in the KPA has enough spare capacity 
to run the KAT500. I certainly wouldn’t want to try it, and strongly suggest 
others not to.

Jack B, W6FB

 On Dec 17, 2014, at 11:09 AM, Tom Warren mtn...@hartcom.net wrote:
 
 Is there a way to get 12v from the KPA500 to run the KAT500 without going 
 into the power supply?
 
 Tom
 W4TMW
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Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 aux 12V power for KAT500

[Jack Brindle]

Let me rephrase my answer. There is no 12V output form the KPA500. The internal 
12V regulator is pretty well loaded, taking most of the capacity of the 
regulator. The KAT500 needs upwards of 1 amp when the relays are switching, and 
there is not enough capacity in the KPA’s regulator to handle that and maintain 
its own circuits (some of which are critical to the KPA’s operation).

So, no, power to run the KAT500 really cannot be derived from the KPA500. 
Current K3’s _do_ have capacity on their 12V output, and older ones can be 
upgraded to handle the current. Or, you can go the route I traveled - build a 
small relay-switched power distribution box. I use the 12V output form the K3 
to power the relay, which simply switches my main 12V shack supply to the 
peripherals needed when the K3 is on. In my case this includes a W2, KRC2 and 
KPA500 among other devices.

Hope this helps.

73!

Jack B, W6FB

 On Dec 17, 2014, at 11:09 AM, Tom Warren mtn...@hartcom.net wrote:
 
 Is there a way to get 12v from the KPA500 to run the KAT500 without going 
 into the power supply?
 
 Tom
 W4TMW
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Re: [Elecraft] Little brown truck arrived w/ my K3!

[Jack Brindle]

I’ll go beyond this. CocoaModem allows for decoding two streams simultaneously. 
I feed the main receiver to the left channel, and the K3’s sub receiver to the 
right. Of course only one channel can be used for transmit since Wayne hasn’t 
developer a sub transmitter yet. ;-)

Other digital apps provide similar services that take advantage of separate 
audio feeds from the radio.


There are other uses - during a contest I will also feed the output of each 
receiver to be recorded on the computer. This allows me to replay some of the 
contest if I really get bored (makes good CW practice as well), and makes the 
disk vendors happier when I need more storage for all the audio files…

Note that if you want to play with CW Skimmer having high bandwidth is a huge 
advantage. The SLUSB has a relatively narrow bandwidth coded which means narrow 
band of frequencies will be decoded. Wide band interfaces will allow a much 
wider swath of frequencies to be decoded with Skimmer and similar software. 
This will be limited by the platform hardware and USB Audio drivers in play. 
The Mac audio, for example limits bandwidth to relatively narrow widths (96KHz 
as I recall), while Windows allows double that. I do not know if Windows 
running on VMware Fusion on the Mac will allow wider bandwidths from the audio 
interface, but my suspicion is that it will since Fusion provides its own USB 
drivers.

- Jack B, W6FB

 On Dec 19, 2014, at 8:12 AM, Don Wilhelm w3...@embarqmail.com wrote:
 
 David,
 
 For data mode operation, most applications use only the left channel, but 
 there are a few that can swap channels.  I would stick with a stereo device 
 for the most flexibility.
 And, if you want to use the soundcard for some other purpose (such as for SDR 
 purposes - like the KX3 I/Q RX output), you will need both channels.
 
 In other words, more flexibility, wider bandwidth and better audio noise 
 characteristics than the SLUSB provides.  The bandwidth is not important for 
 data mode operation, but is a real asset for SDR use.
 
 73,
 Don W3FPR
 
 On 12/19/2014 10:59 AM, David Christ wrote:
 Memory loss here.  Remind me what the second audio channel is used for.
 
 
 
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Re: [Elecraft] K3/KPA500/KAT500 SWR problem

[Jack Brindle]

From the discussion that you referred to, I would recommend the use of thick 
copper braid to bond the grounds of your equipment together in order to
reduce grounding problems. This is far better than using a copper bar or a 
single point ground in a star pattern.

Now just what problem are you trying to resolve? There were several discussed.

- Jack B, W6FB

 On Dec 19, 2014, at 7:31 PM, Va3ied scottshepp...@videotron.ca wrote:
 
 I just bought the tuner and am having the exact same issues on 80 mwhat
 veh of firmware works best?
 
 
 
 --
 View this message in context: 
 http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/K3-KPA500-KAT500-SWR-problem-tp7582232p7596173.html
 Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
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Re: [Elecraft] KPA500-KAT500-K3 problem

[Jack Brindle]

Sam;

It sounds like the Auxbus is no longer connected from the KPA to the KAT/ K3. 
Make sure the 15 pin connector is solidly connected on both sides at both the 
KPA and the KAT. Also, make sure no pins in that cable are bent.

- JackB, W6FB

Sent from my iPad

 On Dec 22, 2014, at 6:26 AM, Sam Morgan k5oai@gmail.com wrote:
 
  I unseated and reseated the KAT500 to KAT500 Cable.
 make that:
 
 I unseated and reseated the KAT500 to KPA500 Cable.
 
 On 12/22/2014 8:24 AM, Sam Morgan wrote:
 My K3-KAT500-KPA500 has been working fine for 5 weeks now. (added the
 KPA500 Nov. 10, 2014)
 
 
 Last night I had to move some cables around with in the rats nest behind
 my K3. Unrelated cables, so I thought, they were for the VGA output for
 the P3 to add a data switch before the external monitor. After the move
 everything was still working just as it should. I shut down for the night.
 
 When I turned everything on this morning the K-Line has started acting
 strange.
 
 The K3 no longer flashes the KPA500 line across the VFO B window.
 
 I have CONFIG: PWR SET = Per Band, *BUT* the K3 no longer has 2 power
 settings (one for KPA500 in op and one for KPA500 in stby)
 However the KPA500 *does* change bands with the K3's change of Bands.
 
 
 The K3 does flash the KAT500 line in the VFO B window.
 The KAT500 does change antennas as related to the band it is on.
 The KAT500 no longer knows I have moved the K3's frequency within a
 band, so no longer (pretunes) to that new frequency.
 and Yes CONFIG: KAT3 shows KAT500y
 The KAT500 tunes fine when it is in AUTO and sees rf.
 
 I even went back to a previously saved K3 configuration.
 I unseated and reseated the KAT500 to KAT500 Cable.
 
 To summarize, I have lose the safety feature of the K3 knowing it has a
 KPA500 so it doesn't have 2 drive levels, and the KAT500 no longer
 pretunes to a new frequency when the K3 is moved to the new frequency
 within the same band.
 
 Yet it seems some parts of the K-Line are still communicating with each
 other.
 
 Any suggestions appreciated.
 
 -- 
 GB  73
 K5OAI
 Sam Morgan
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Re: [Elecraft] KPA500-KAT500-K3 problem

[Jack Brindle]

The KPA is still set for RADIO= K3, right? Shortly after power up, the KPA will 
send its on state to the K3 using the Auxbus, but only if it is told the radio 
is a K3. The symptom is that this is not being received by the K3. The logical 
conclusion is that something is blocking it. Nothing messed up on pin 2 of the 
AUX cable, right?

I don't remember if the K3 must be told about the KPA (don't think so, but that 
would have been long ago...), but if so make sure of that setting.

I'll research this a bit more when I get back to my info system, maybe an 
hour...

73,
JackB, W6FB

Sent from my iPhone

 On Dec 22, 2014, at 7:16 AM, Sam Morgan k5oai@gmail.com wrote:
 
 That was my thought Jack. I just re re checked, no bent pins, and both ends 
 firmly reseated. no joy :-(
 
 On 12/22/2014 8:43 AM, Jack Brindle wrote:
 Sam;
 
 It sounds like the Auxbus is no longer connected from the KPA to the
 KAT/ K3. Make sure the 15 pin connector is solidly connected on both
 sides at both the KPA and the KAT. Also, make sure no pins in that
 cable are bent.
 
 - JackB, W6FB
 
 
 
 -- 
 GB  73
 K5OAI
 Sam Morgan
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Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 Strange Operation

[Jack Brindle]

The KPA500 is my work, so I’ll try to answer…
See discussion below.

 On Dec 24, 2014, at 9:22 PM, James Bennett w6...@me.com wrote:
 
 First, let me wish all a very Merry Christmas!

And from the W6FB family as well!

 OK, now the problem. I have a KX3 and the full K-line: K3, P3, KPA500, and 
 KAT500. I have a two position coax switch that I use to drive the amp with 
 either the K3 or the KX3. When using the K3 (P3 powered off) all works 
 perfectly. I can change bands by pressing the appropriate band button on the 
 amp or changing bands on the K3. Doing either results in the amp display 
 changing to the associated band.

When the KPA500 is set for RADIO = K3 and the K3 is on, this is the correct 
behavior. Pressing a band button sends the button info to the K3 using the 
Auxbus serial communications. The K3 responds by changing bands, then the KPA 
responds to the BAND lines change by changing bands itself. Note that the 
button push on the KPA only causes a command to be sent to the radio, it does 
not directly cause a band change in the KPA500. The behavior is different for 
all other RADIO settings. In those cases pushing a band button causes the KPA 
to change bands. The next thing to realize is that when RF is sensed by the 
KPA, it will change to the frequency counted band, even if other methods have 
told it to go to a different band. Of course if the counted band is the same as 
the previous band change, there will be no further change. Hopefully this is a 
lot clearer than mud…

Also note that powering on or off the P3 has no effect on the KPA500. The K3 
must be powered on for the KPA500 integration to work, and must be powered off 
completely for the KPA500 to mostly ignore it (see BAND discussion below).

 But If I have the KX3 turned on and the K3 off, pressing a band button on 
 the amp has no effect.

This behaves exactly as described above. The KX3 does not have Auxbus, so it 
will not receive the button command from the KPA500 and thus nothing will 
result.

 The only way to change bands on the amp is to set the KX3 to the desired band 
 and then tickle the amp with a little shot of RF.

As expected. Note that the K3 better be completely off when this happens, or 
_it_ will respond to the button press, change bands, and cause the KPA to do 
something. Also note that the K3 has pull-up resistors on its BAND lines, 
causing the signals to be pulled to the +5V rail when they are not being driven 
low. A short time after the K3 is powered off, the +5V rail will drop to 0V. 
The pull-ups will continue to do their job, pulling the lines to 0, which tells 
the KPA to change to 60 meters.

 Now, the bad news. It does not do this all the time. Not 100% certain, but it 
 seems to act like this if the amp has been powered off for a few hours. Just 
 a couple minutes ago I was doing some sleuthing on this issue. After having 
 the K3 online and sending RF, I tested this out and the amp subsequently 
 behaved as it should after a K3 shutdown and KX3 startup. The amp changed 
 bands with its own buttons or via RF from the KX3. Hmmm…

Exactly how do you have the K3 and KX3 connected to the KPA500? The K3 loads 
the BAND lines at all times (and some other AUX signals), even when it is 
powered off. A change in the BAND lines is required to cause the KPA500 to 
change bands - if they remain stable then no band change will result. This 
means that after the K3 powers off and the +5V rail goes to zero, there should 
be just one band change (when the lines drop). After that any band changes will 
be due to RF. Do you have some other connection to the BAND lines besides those 
from the K3? By far, the best way to connect two radios to the KPA500 is to use 
a switch that disconnects the AUX cable from the K3 before attaching AUX 
signals to the other radio. Many have noted that you can generally get away 
with keeping the K3 connected to the KPA500, but results cannot be guaranteed.

You might want to change the RADIO settings to something else (try SERIAL) when 
using the KX3 - with no band change reports coming in the KPA will rely solely 
on the RF sensing. But, give me a complete description of the setup and I’ll be 
able to better analyze the situation. Also, what version firmware is in the 
KPA500? The latest is V1.38, which is very highly recommended. The K3/KPA500 
integration code did see several changes in the 1.30 - 1.38 time frame.

 Very strange. Anyone (K6KR?) able to shed light on this unusual behavior? Not 
 a gigantic big deal, but it does make me wonder what's going on.

Dick did a great job with the KXPA and KAT500, while the KPA500 is mine. So 
many developers, so little time...

73!

Jack B, W6FB

 
 73, Jim
 
 Jim Bennett / W6JHB
 Folsom, CA
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Re: [Elecraft] PR6 Preamp - control connection

[Jack Brindle]

It is also very important to use the small disconnect adapter that came with 
the cable kit to make sure the pin 11 connection is not made at the KPA500. Pin 
11 of the KPA500 is not compatible with the PR6's control pin, and must not be 
connected to it.

- Jack Brindle, W6FB

Sent from my iPad

 On Dec 26, 2014, at 8:30 PM, Cady, Fred fc...@ece.montana.edu wrote:
 
 Hi Joe,
 If you purchased the KPAK3AUX cable set with your KPA500 you should have a 
 15-pin Y-cable adapter.  If not you can get one from Elecraft or another 
 vendor.  Be sure to NOT use a VGA y-cable.
 Simply put the y-cable on the back of the K3 and plug the control cable for 
 the PR6 into one leg and the KPA into the other.
 
 Cheers and 73,
 Fred KE7X
 Author of:
 The Elecraft K3: Design, Configuration and Operation 2nd ed
 The Elecraft KX3 - Going for the summit
 The Elecraft KPA500 and KAT500 - the K-Line Dream Station
 Printed, coil bound copies of these are all available at www.elecraft.com
 KPA500 and KAT500 Quick Set Up Guide
 http://www.ke7x.com/home/k-line-introduction-and-set-up-guide
 KAT500 and KXPA500 Tuner Operation
 http://www.ke7x.com/home/kat500-and-kxpa100-tuners
 
 KE7X
 
 
 
 -Original Message-
 From: Elecraft [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Joseph 
 Carter
 Sent: Friday, December 26, 2014 6:35 PM
 To: Elecraft
 Subject: [Elecraft] PR6 Preamp - control connection
 
 My wonderful XYL gave me the PR6 for Christmas - trying to figure out how to 
 connect the control wire as I have the cable to the KAT500 / KPA500 already 
 in the ACC socket - the instructions say if the ACC is in use to just connect 
 the control wire to pin 11.
 Anyone have an easy way to do this?
 I have the Elecraft cables which are all molded so no access to the back of 
 the connectors.
 I can't seem to find a VGA breakout box.
 Thanks es 73.
 de Joe, w9jc
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Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 clicking

[Jack Brindle]

Make sure the big toroid power transformer is tightened down properly. The 
tendency is to avoid tightening it too much, fearing some damage will occur. 
The transformer needs a bit more than that. I'm sure you will get a better feel 
for it shortly.

- JackB, W6FB

Sent from my iPad

 On Dec 31, 2014, at 7:45 PM, Wes (N7WS) w...@triconet.org wrote:
 
 Bob,
 
 Thanks for your answer.
 
 Hopefully, it lays to rest the idea that I didn't know what I was talking 
 about when I described it as the sound of a reed relay following the key.
 (Hmm, mechanical motion initiated by electromotive forcesort of describes 
 a relay doesn't it?)
 
 That said, I'm not sure the phenomenon is totally due to magnetostriction. 
 Coil Noise may be a better explanation. 
 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coil_noise)
 
 In the case at hand, I'm a bit concerned about having this happen.  Perhaps 
 it's from spending too many years around a failure analysis lab or doing 
 vibration testing on assemblies, where with a strobe light we could watch 
 things move to the point of failure.
 
 What is Elecraft's fix?
 
 Wes
 
 
 On 12/30/2014 12:29 AM, Robert Friess wrote:
 What you are hearing is due to magnetostrictive force causing the windings
 of the inductors in the TR switch to bang against their cores as the TR
 switch bias is applied.  There are no relays.
 
 73
 Bob, N6CM, KPA500 design engineer.
 
 On Mon, Dec 29, 2014 at 10:23 PM,mcduf...@ag0n.net  wrote:
 
 RF may be switched with PIN diodes, but there are some relays in there
 someplace.
 
 No TR relay.  Amp is quiet as a mouse when keying/unkeying, even in QSK.
 There
 IS a STBY/OPER relay, I assume, as I can hear it when I go in and out of
 OPER.
 Also, band switching, of course.
 
 There are ticks due to heating in the heat sink, but not in time with
 keying.
 Random, and varying rate.  Documented on this group previously.
 
 Have you asked Elecraft (not this list) for a diagram?
 
 Gary
 
 
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Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 Will Not Start When Pushing the On Button

[Jack Brindle]

Unplug the AUX IO cable from the KPA500 and try powering it on. If the Power 
ON/OFF signal
is held low it will prevent the KPA from powering on. It might be that you have 
connected the
KPA to the new K3 with a straight-through cable, which will cause this problem.

The KPA _will_ power on if the interlock actuator switch is loose, but it will 
not go into OP mode.

- Jack B, W6FB


 On Feb 17, 2015, at 5:11 AM, Amateur Radio Operator N5GE n...@n5ge.com 
 wrote:
 
 This is a 240V Amp.
 
 When pushing the on button on my KPA500 the power will not come on.
 
 It worked very well until I moved it to another place on the OP Table.
 and connected it to K3 #1055 after having #1055 brought up to the
 latest version at Elecraft.
 
 I have checked the fuses and verified that the power cord is supplying
 the proper voltage to the amp internally and externally .
 
 What is the most likely cause of failure to get power to the amp?
 
 Which components should be checked next?
 
 Thanks in advance,
 
 Amateur Radio Operator 
 N5GE
 
 I have been up to see the
 Congress and they do not
 seem to be able to do
 anything except to eat
 peanuts and chew tobacco,
 while my army is starving.
 
 Robert E. Lee
 
 
 
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Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 powercycling at higher wattages into KPA500

[Jack Brindle]

First thing, unplug the antenna and plug in a dummy load, then retest. If there 
is no problem, then you have a partial answer. 
Try running the KAT500 from the same 13.8 supply as the transceiver. You could 
have RF getting in to the power supply feeding the KAT500. Make sure the output 
of that supply does not go above 15V, or you could experience other problems 
with the KAT500, such as component failure or regulator shutdown from high 
power supply voltage. 

If things work right with the dummy load, you are probably experiencing 
problems with unbalanced currents on the feedline to the Hex Beam. In fact I 
would bet on this in any case. A good Choke “balun” on the feedline will work 
wonders. I use several, starting with about a dozen toroids at the antenna 
feedline (in my case an old A3 tribander) with additional toroids at the 
feedline entry. In fact all coax coming my shack now gets this same treatment, 
which has quieted things immensely as far as RF is concerned. See the excellent 
paper by K9YC at his web site for details on how to handle this stuff. The url: 
http://audiosystemsgroup.com/RFI-Ham.pdf

- Jack Brindle, W6FB


 On Jan 28, 2015, at 11:15 AM, Jeff Hall w...@ymail.com wrote:
 
 My KAT500 is getting power-cycled in CW and RTTY modes at various drive 
 levels from the K3 on different bands.  I can run SSB full power with no 
 problems at all, and receive superb audio reports (no hint of RF in my 
 transmissions).  I am thinking I have either an excessive voltage drop on the 
 AC circuit or perhaps there is enough RF getting into the shack to trip up 
 the KAT500 power when using the higher duty cycle modes.
 Everything is running on the same 120v house circuit.  I experimented with 
 moving both the amp and the KAT500 to a different circuit in the same room, 
 but this did not solve the problem.  Let me first describe the equipment, and 
 then I'll list the frequencies and power thresholds that tripped the KAT500 
 into a power cycle:
 Antenna: Traffie Hex Beam.  Very low SWR, typically 1.2 or less, sometimes 
 1.5 on 10 and 12 meters.  The antenna is over a portion of the house, and 
 about 20 feet away from the shack.  The coax is grounded at the base of the 
 antenna (two ground rods, through a lightning arrestor).
 KAT500: I have this in BYPASS mode.  I don't really need the tuner for the 
 hex beam, but I plan on using it with a future vertical for 40m.  I am 
 powering the KAT500 with its own AC power adapter.  For good measure, I 
 wrapped about 4 turns of the power cord through a ferrite bead at the 
 transformer end of the cable.  This is a 15V 1000mAh power adapter from Radio 
 Shack.
 KPA500 is plugged into the same circuit on its own outlet at the wall.  HV 
 reads 78.5 at rest.  The unit is sitting on top of the KAT500 with the 
 foldout legs extended.
 K3 is powered with an Astron RS-35M, on the same house circuit.
 P3 is powered by the K3 VDC out
 On 15 meters CW, the KAT500 begins to experience power cycles driving 20-22 
 watts.  The amp, when it crosses about 450 watts, the KAT500 power cycles.  I 
 ran 30 watts into it for about 620+ out with no problems on SSB,  SWR never 
 exceeded 1.2 on the KAT500's indicator lamps.
 On 12 meters CW, the KAT500 begins to experience power cycles driving just 9 
 watts (about 180w out).  SWR on this band is a steady 1.5.   I did have some 
 success by moving the KAT500's power adapter to the other circuit in the room 
 and was able to push the K3 to 22 watts (480 out) before the powercycling 
 returned.  This lead me to believe I had a voltage drop issue, perhaps from 
 running the amp on the same 110 circuit.  But on 10 meters I still had 
 problems even using the other circuit to power the KAT500.  That makes me 
 think noise is getting into the KAT500, or perhaps RF from the antenna is 
 putting noise on my AC house circuits.  I was able to run the amp to full 
 power on SSB with no power cycling of the KAT500.
 On 10 meters the KAT500 power cycles with just 6 watts drive (170 out).  On 
 phone I can run full power with no issues.  SWR is 1.2 on this band.
 
 I have a Morgan AC line filter arriving tomorrow and I'll see if the problem 
 persists with it filtering the house circuit feeding the shack equipment.
 
 Do these symptoms smell more like a noise issue (RF in the shack) or a line 
 voltage deficiency with the house circuit?  I'm think probably taxing the 
 line in the higher duty cycles, and it just manifests at different thresholds 
 on different frequencies.
 When transmitting a long string of CW or RTTY, if the KAT500 gets into 
 repeated power cycles the KPA500 eventually throws a fault.
 Some other observations: If I turn on my desk lamps, at the higher outputs 
 the lamps will modulate slightly with my voice.  I think I'm sucking too much 
 juice from the circuit, but this is just a guess on my part.  Generally the 
 only other piece of equipment in the house that seems to be affected by RF is 
 our DirectTV

Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 powercycling at higher wattages into KPA500

[Jack Brindle]

That would not cause the KAT500 to shut down, though. In the situation you 
describe the KPA500 would continue to output power unless the HV supply drops 
below 40V. What I am saying is that if the 117V power supply on the KPA500 
sags, the amplifier will just keep going, using what it gets. The output will 
show a corresponding sag, but no failures should result.

The KPA should use the beefiest power cable you can find. Use of a small cable 
will also cause the power to sag, again with the output sagging, but that is 
all. A good feel of the power cable will show it to be somewhat warm, which 
means you are losing power through I squared losses in the cable. A heavier 
cable (like the one supplied) should not show this nearly as much. Again, I 
don’t believe this is the problem that W6UX is seeing in the KAT500, though.

- Jack B, W6FB
Elecraft Engineering

 On Jan 28, 2015, at 11:50 AM, Craig Buck via Elecraft 
 elecraft@mailman.qth.net wrote:
 
 I suspect voltage sag off the 120v line.  Lights flickering is a symptom.  
 The specs call for 1000VA in and that translates to about 8 amps at 120v.  
 The specified fuse is 12 amps so peaks may be higher.   Add everything else 
 in and consider you may have a 15 amp line with a long way back to the 
 fusebox and it is possible your voltage is dropping.  Measure the AC voltage 
 with the key down by plugging a voltmeter into the outlet.  Also check the HV 
 in the Amp.
 
 From the manual:
 
 The KPA500 operates to full specifications when the HV under full load is
 between 60V and 85V as shown on the LCD (Tap HV to display the voltage
 under CW “key down” conditions at full power). The maximum voltage is set
 using transformer taps as described on pg. 9.
 The KPA500 will operate with reduced performance at voltages as low as 40V.
 When the voltage is less than 60V the maximum output power may be less than
 500W and distortion products will increase.
 
 K4ia   Buck
 Fredericksburg, VA
 
 On 1/28/2015 2:15 PM, Jeff Hall wrote:
 My KAT500 is getting power-cycled in CW and RTTY modes at various drive 
 levels from the K3 on different bands.  I can run SSB full power with no 
 problems at all, and receive superb audio reports (no hint of RF in my 
 transmissions).  I am thinking I have either an excessive voltage drop on 
 the AC circuit or perhaps there is enough RF getting into the shack to trip 
 up the KAT500 power when using the higher duty cycle modes.
 Everything is running on the same 120v house circuit.  I experimented with 
 moving both the amp and the KAT500 to a different circuit in the same room, 
 but this did not solve the problem.  Let me first describe the equipment, 
 and then I'll list the frequencies and power thresholds that tripped the 
 KAT500 into a power cycle:
 Antenna: Traffie Hex Beam.  Very low SWR, typically 1.2 or less, sometimes 
 1.5 on 10 and 12 meters.  The antenna is over a portion of the house, and 
 about 20 feet away from the shack.  The coax is grounded at the base of the 
 antenna (two ground rods, through a lightning arrestor).
 KAT500: I have this in BYPASS mode.  I don't really need the tuner for the 
 hex beam, but I plan on using it with a future vertical for 40m.  I am 
 powering the KAT500 with its own AC power adapter.  For good measure, I 
 wrapped about 4 turns of the power cord through a ferrite bead at the 
 transformer end of the cable.  This is a 15V 1000mAh power adapter from 
 Radio Shack.
 KPA500 is plugged into the same circuit on its own outlet at the wall.  HV 
 reads 78.5 at rest.  The unit is sitting on top of the KAT500 with the 
 foldout legs extended.
 K3 is powered with an Astron RS-35M, on the same house circuit.
 P3 is powered by the K3 VDC out
 On 15 meters CW, the KAT500 begins to experience power cycles driving 20-22 
 watts.  The amp, when it crosses about 450 watts, the KAT500 power cycles.  
 I ran 30 watts into it for about 620+ out with no problems on SSB,  SWR 
 never exceeded 1.2 on the KAT500's indicator lamps.
 On 12 meters CW, the KAT500 begins to experience power cycles driving just 9 
 watts (about 180w out).  SWR on this band is a steady 1.5.   I did have some 
 success by moving the KAT500's power adapter to the other circuit in the 
 room and was able to push the K3 to 22 watts (480 out) before the 
 powercycling returned.  This lead me to believe I had a voltage drop issue, 
 perhaps from running the amp on the same 110 circuit.  But on 10 meters I 
 still had problems even using the other circuit to power the KAT500.  That 
 makes me think noise is getting into the KAT500, or perhaps RF from the 
 antenna is putting noise on my AC house circuits.  I was able to run the amp 
 to full power on SSB with no power cycling of the KAT500.
 On 10 meters the KAT500 power cycles with just 6 watts drive (170 out).  On 
 phone I can run full power with no issues.  SWR is 1.2 on this band.
 
 I have a Morgan AC line filter arriving tomorrow and I'll see if the problem 
 persists with it 

Re: [Elecraft] PR6-10/KXV3A Failure

[Jack Brindle]

Do you have the Auxbus adapter in place on the KPA500 end of the cable on the 
second system? Pin 11 on the KPA side should not be connected to the preamp. 
This might be causing problems if it is connected.


- Jack B, W6FB

Sent from my iPad

 On Jan 5, 2015, at 7:10 PM, zumbruns w...@comcast.net wrote:
 
 I have the DIGOUT turned on for the bands that use the preamplifier (i.e. 6, 
 10 and 12 meter bands) so the preamplifier is on.  I hear it switch on when I 
 push RX ANT switch.  I am only using the preamplifier on one radio at a time. 
  It works great in my old K3 but I can't get it to work on the other K3.  The 
 'other' K3 otherwise works fine with the P3, KAT500 and KPA500.  
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Re: [Elecraft] My KAT500 seems very sensitive to common mode RFI

[Jack Brindle]

The W8AMZ is a 1/4 wave vertical with two radials. This means that all of the 
return currents are expected to go through those two wires. Except there is a 
third that is very appealing to the antenna - the coax shield. You might try 
adding more radials. That will distribute the return current among more 
radials, which will also reduce the return current on the outside of the coax. 
In addition, choking at the feed point is very important, as is choking at the 
shack entry point.

Quarter-wave verticals are very difficult to tame when it comes to return 
currents and coax. It is doable, but patience and lots of experimenting are 
required. The reason you see it with high power is quite simply that there is 
more power and the currents are much higher. Remember, the power is the square 
of the current, so the problem goes up exponentially with power. The KAT500 is 
actually no more sensitive than any other ATU to shield current problems, but 
we ask so much more of it than a 150 watt ATU. Getting rid of the shield 
currents before they get to the KAT500 and making sure the SWR on the antenna 
coax going to the KAT is within proper range is vital to keeping everyone happy.

73,

JackB, W6FB


 On Feb 14, 2015, at 6:46 PM, Jeff Hall w...@ymail.com wrote:
 
 I have several turns of the AC adapter cord through two snap on beads.   I 
 don't have anything on the AUX cables at this time, but that is something I 
 should probably check.   I ordered 6 of the Mix 31 Big Clamp toroids from 
 KF7P.  For the 40m vertical I'll place one choke at the feedpoint and see if 
 the problem is resolved.  If not, I'll place another choke at the KAT500.  If 
 I still have a problem, another choke will be placed at the output of the 
 KPA500.  If that still doesn't work, another choke will be placed at the 
 output of the K3.  Once I have suppressed the common mode RF on the vertical, 
 I'll try replacing the string of ferrite beads on my hex beam's coax with a 
 Big Clamp choke at the KAT500.
 -Jeff W6UX 
 
 On Saturday, February 14, 2015 6:25 PM, Harry Yingst hlyin...@yahoo.com 
 wrote:
 
 
 Do you have chokes on the power, AUX, and Serial Cables to the KAT500?
 
 
 
 
 
  From: Jeff Hall w...@ymail.com
 To: Michael Walker va...@portcredit.net; Harry Yingst hlyin...@yahoo.com 
 Cc: Elecraft Reflector elecraft@mailman.qth.net 
 Sent: Saturday, February 14, 2015 9:22 PM
 Subject: Re: [Elecraft] My KAT500 seems very sensitive to common mode RFI
 
 Thanks everyone for their replies to my problem.  I read Jim Brown's paper 
 this afternoon and have ordered some mix 31 Big Clamps.  I'll try putting one 
 at each end of the 40m coax feedline (RG8X) with the prescribed number of 
 turns.
 -Jeff 
 
 On Saturday, February 14, 2015 4:22 PM, Michael Walker 
 va...@portcredit.net wrote:
 
 
 There are some great articles on common mode chokes
 http://www.yccc.org/Articles/W1HIS/CommonModeChokesW1HIS2006Apr06.pdf
 
 The other is K9YC's cookbook.
 Since I bought a VNA, I have been able to play with the choking value of some 
 random chokes.  Very interesting.
 Mike va3mw
 
 On Sat, Feb 14, 2015 at 6:57 PM, Harry Yingst via Elecraft 
 elecraft@mailman.qth.net wrote:
 
 There must be something special about 40 meters and micro-controllers.
 My Aquarium Controller used to do a Reset when I transmitted on 40.The cure 
 for me was to wrap the control cable leads through Some Snap on chokes
 I just installed my KAT500 today and considered taking thepower lead and 
 wrapping it around a snap on choke a few times.
 
 
   From: Jeff Hall, W6UX w...@ymail.com
  To: Elecraft Reflector elecraft@mailman.qth.net
  Sent: Saturday, February 14, 2015 12:48 PM
  Subject: [Elecraft] My KAT500 seems very sensitive to common mode RFI
 
 I have a Hex Beam and a 40m wire vertical w/ two elevated radials.  I have 
 been fighting what appears to be a common mode RFI problem which causes the 
 KAT500 to continuously power cycle as long as the K3 is transmitting.  
 Generally this only occurs when driving my KPA500 amp beyond a certain output 
 level which differs for a given band and frequency.  I am powering the KAT500 
 with its own AC adapter.  The problem can occur in both bypass and auto mode.
 
 7-10 ferrite beads on the coax attached to the KAT500 solved the power 
 cycling problem for my hex beam antenna and I successfully operate QRO in 
 bypass mode on all bands and modes.  However the beads did not help with the 
 wire vertical.  I can drive 300w into my dummy load with no ferrite beads on 
 the coax and the KAT500 is fine.
 
 The SWR is low enough I should be able to use these antennas to run the 
 KAT500 in bypass mode.  If I put it in Auto mode the problem is exacerbated.  
 I can tune the wire vertical just fine with the KAT500 in Auto mode at a 
 tuning level of 25w from the K3.  However, if I try to transmit at 5w or more 
 (SSB for example), the KAT500 starts to power cycle.
 
 I have no problem using the wire vertical if it is 

Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 Proper Transformer Tap setting

[Jack Brindle]

The one that keeps the no-load HV in spec and gives you the best performance.
If that is the Red tap, then use that one.

The two sentences are not in conflict. You should expect a major drop in HV on
key-down due to losses in the power supply. This includes the components in
the KPA500 (transformer, etc), the power cord, plug, wall outlet and wiring all
the way to the main pole transformer. You can’t do much about most of this,
but making sure the power cord can handle the current without overheating is
a great idea. Of course this problem is worse with a 120V supply than 240V
since the current is proportionately higher.

So, again, if the red tap gives you better output and keeps the HV within the 
85V
spec under no-load conditions, use it. Make sure it meets both conditions, 
though.

73,

Jack B, W6FB
Elecraft Engineering



 On Mar 22, 2015, at 1:10 PM, Harry Yingst hlyin...@yahoo.com wrote:
 
 My line voltage is 239 (which calls for the yellow tap)  but on Key down it 
 sags to 59v
 
 With the Red Tap it only sags to about 66v (80.7 no key)
 
 
 So The proper tap would be?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 From: Jack Brindle jackbrin...@me.com
 To: Harry Yingst hlyin...@yahoo.com 
 Cc: Elecraft Reflector elecraft@mailman.qth.net 
 Sent: Sunday, March 22, 2015 3:58 PM
 Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 Proper Transformer Tap setting
 
 Both. The HV is directly proportional to the line voltage. This makes sense, 
 since the HV is derived through a linear transformer.
 If your line voltage rises so that it causes the HV to go too high (spec is 
 85, the KPA faults at 90V), then you have set the tap incorrectly.
 Set the tap according to your line voltage as described on page 9 so that it 
 gives you nominal HV in the range as described on page 17.
 
 - Jack Brindle, W6FB
 Elecraft Engineering
 
 
 
 
  On Mar 22, 2015, at 11:49 AM, Harry Yingst via Elecraft 
  elecraft@mailman.qth.net mailto:elecraft@mailman.qth.net wrote:
  
  In the manual on page 9 it shows to set the tap for the line voltage, but 
  on Page 17 under Note it states
  The KPA500 operates to full specifications when the HV under full load 
  isbetween 60V and 85V as shown on the LCD (Tap HV to display the 
  voltageunder CW “key down” conditions at full power). The maximum voltage 
  is setusing transformer taps as described on pg. 9.
  Which is correct?
 
  
  
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Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 Proper Transformer Tap setting

[Jack Brindle]

Both. The HV is directly proportional to the line voltage. This makes sense, 
since the HV is derived through a linear transformer.
If your line voltage rises so that it causes the HV to go too high (spec is 85, 
the KPA faults at 90V), then you have set the tap incorrectly.
Set the tap according to your line voltage as described on page 9 so that it 
gives you nominal HV in the range as described on page 17.

- Jack Brindle, W6FB
Elecraft Engineering


 On Mar 22, 2015, at 11:49 AM, Harry Yingst via Elecraft 
 elecraft@mailman.qth.net wrote:
 
 In the manual on page 9 it shows to set the tap for the line voltage, but on 
 Page 17 under Note it states
 The KPA500 operates to full specifications when the HV under full load 
 isbetween 60V and 85V as shown on the LCD (Tap HV to display the voltageunder 
 CW “key down” conditions at full power). The maximum voltage is setusing 
 transformer taps as described on pg. 9.
 Which is correct?
 
 
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Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 Proper Transformer Tap setting

[Jack Brindle]

One thing to remember is that the 240 volt power line is not constant voltage. 
Line voltage varies
through the day depending on the overall power load seen by the electric 
company in your area.
So while you may measure 239v now, it may droop or go higher as the overall 
load varies during
the day. That makes it difficult for us to give an absolute value for the tap 
setting, and also makes
it difficult for you to say that any one is always the best. Try one for now, 
and if it works out in the
long run, then keep it! If you start seeing HV high voltage faults, then drop 
back to a lower voltage
tap. As K9YC says, you can help by using the biggest wires you can find, 
especially for the power
cable from the wall to the KPA500. This is especially important at 110V, but 
applies to 220V as well.

And, for the record, the KPA500 HV fault is at 90 volts. But you don’t really 
want to get there…

Jack Brindle, W6FB
Elecraft Engineering

 On Mar 22, 2015, at 2:33 PM, Harry Yingst hlyin...@yahoo.com wrote:
 
 
 Thank you, That was how it seemed I just wanted to double check.
 
 That amp seems a bit happier on 240 than 120.
 
 
 
 
 
 From: Jack Brindle jackbrin...@me.com
 To: Harry Yingst hlyin...@yahoo.com 
 Cc: Elecraft Reflector elecraft@mailman.qth.net 
 Sent: Sunday, March 22, 2015 4:20 PM
 Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 Proper Transformer Tap setting
 
 The one that keeps the no-load HV in spec and gives you the best performance.
 If that is the Red tap, then use that one.
 
 The two sentences are not in conflict. You should expect a major drop in HV on
 key-down due to losses in the power supply. This includes the components in
 the KPA500 (transformer, etc), the power cord, plug, wall outlet and wiring 
 all
 the way to the main pole transformer. You can’t do much about most of this,
 but making sure the power cord can handle the current without overheating is
 a great idea. Of course this problem is worse with a 120V supply than 240V
 since the current is proportionately higher.
 
 So, again, if the red tap gives you better output and keeps the HV within the 
 85V
 spec under no-load conditions, use it. Make sure it meets both conditions, 
 though.
 
 73,
 
 Jack B, W6FB
 Elecraft Engineering
 
 
 
 
 
 On Mar 22, 2015, at 1:10 PM, Harry Yingst hlyin...@yahoo.com 
 mailto:hlyin...@yahoo.com wrote:
 
 My line voltage is 239 (which calls for the yellow tap)  but on Key down it 
 sags to 59v
 
 With the Red Tap it only sags to about 66v (80.7 no key)
 
 
 So The proper tap would be?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 From: Jack Brindle jackbrin...@me.com mailto:jackbrin...@me.com
 To: Harry Yingst hlyin...@yahoo.com mailto:hlyin...@yahoo.com 
 Cc: Elecraft Reflector elecraft@mailman.qth.net 
 mailto:elecraft@mailman.qth.net 
 Sent: Sunday, March 22, 2015 3:58 PM
 Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 Proper Transformer Tap setting
 
 Both. The HV is directly proportional to the line voltage. This makes sense, 
 since the HV is derived through a linear transformer.
 If your line voltage rises so that it causes the HV to go too high (spec is 
 85, the KPA faults at 90V), then you have set the tap incorrectly.
 Set the tap according to your line voltage as described on page 9 so that it 
 gives you nominal HV in the range as described on page 17.
 
 - Jack Brindle, W6FB
 Elecraft Engineering
 
 
 
 
  On Mar 22, 2015, at 11:49 AM, Harry Yingst via Elecraft 
  elecraft@mailman.qth.net mailto:elecraft@mailman.qth.net wrote:
  
  In the manual on page 9 it shows to set the tap for the line voltage, but 
  on Page 17 under Note it states
  The KPA500 operates to full specifications when the HV under full load 
  isbetween 60V and 85V as shown on the LCD (Tap HV to display the 
  voltageunder CW “key down” conditions at full power). The maximum voltage 
  is setusing transformer taps as described on pg. 9.
  Which is correct?
 
  
  
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Re: [Elecraft] [KPA500] Front panel AUX button?

[Jack Brindle]

The K3 makes the determination. With RADIO set to K3, the BAND buttons simply 
send a command to the K3 that says which button was pressed.
The K3 then does something. In the case of the AUX button, the K3’s decision is 
based on what features are installed. If a 2 meter module
is installed, the K3 goes to 2 meters. Otherwise it will go to 10 meters. In 
all cases what the KPA does is determined by the state of the K3’s
BAND outputs.

Then there is the other answer - it has provided many, many questions about its 
use. ;-)

- Jack Brindle, W6FB

 On Mar 15, 2015, at 11:27 AM, Jim Miller j...@jtmiller.com wrote:
 
 What purpose does the front panel AUX button serve on the KPA500? Reserved
 for future use?
 
 Not mentioned in the user manual.
 
 73
 
 jim ab3cv
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Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 suddenly low output - only 30 watts

[Jack Brindle]

Mike;

It is definitely a cable problem. If the asterisk is not being displayed on 
key-down, then the
amplifier is not going to go into transmit. recheck the cables all the way from 
the K3 to the KPA
to see what came undone. Find and fix that and the KPA will come back to life.

You might want to ohm out the AUX cable going to the KPA to make sure 
everything is OK,
also, look for bent pins. The PTT signal is on pin 10 of the AUX cable, as 
described on page 18
of the KPA500 Operating manual.

Let us know what you find!

73,

- Jack B, W6FB


 On Mar 15, 2015, at 3:46 PM, mike ai...@comcast.net wrote:
 
 No, the asterisk on the KPA is missing. Nothing appears on the left of the
 KPA LCD. I understand that to mean the KPA is not receiving a valid PA KEY
 signal. I am using Elecrfat supplied AUX cables from the K3 to the KAT500
 and another one from the KAT500 to the KPA.
 
 I did recently change my antennas to the KAT500, removing the one that I had
 going to terminal 3. So in case there was a problem with the KAT500,  I just
 tested going from the KPA RF output directly to an antenna (removing the
 KAT500 from the circuit.) I also changed the AUX cable to go from the K3
 directly to the KPA instead of going from the K3 to the KAT500 to the KPA as
 it is normally wired here. No change noted.  73 ..mike AI6II
 
 
 
 --
 View this message in context: 
 http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/KPA500-suddenly-low-output-only-30-watts-tp7600292p7600312.html
 Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
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Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 suddenly low output - only 30 watts

[Jack Brindle]

When you key the K3, does an asterisk show up on the left side of the KPA’s 
LCD? If not, check the AUX or PTT connections to the KPA500.
Otherwise, let me know so I can follow up with you to get you going.

- Jack Brindle, W6FB
Elecraft Engineering

 On Mar 15, 2015, at 10:02 AM, mike ai...@comcast.net wrote:
 
 I was on a net this morning thinking I had my amp on (it did show OPER),
 however I found it was only putting out 30 watts. Moving to STBY I was
 putting out 95 watts with the K3 alone, but in OPER the KPA500 only put out
 30. My per band setting showed the normal 24 watts (with the asterisk) but
 instead of 500w I was only getting 30 watts. I increased the K3 output to
 70w and the KPA500 output increased to 50 watts. 
 
 I recently upgraded to 5.14 FW on the K3 and forgot to do the 50 watt
 calibration. I did go ahead on run the calibration just now, but the low
 KPA500 output remains the same. 
 
 Nothing else has changed.
 
 Any suggestions? 73  ..mike  AI6II
 
 
 
 
 
 --
 View this message in context: 
 http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/KPA500-suddenly-low-output-only-30-watts-tp7600292.html
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Re: [Elecraft] [KPA500] Front panel AUX button?

[Jack Brindle]

When the K3 is set to a transverter band, its BAND outputs on the AUX cable go 
to all zeros.
This is described on page 19 of the K3 manual. The KPA will see this as a 
switch to the
60m band, and thus will go to that band, displaying 5.3. Thus the behavior you 
guys
describe is the correct one for both devices.

You can actually fool the KPA into changing to a different band (although 
you’ll have a
very difficult time getting it to go to 2 meters…) by setting the CONFIG:KIO3 
to TRN, and
then assigning the TRN settings in the menu. Again this is described on page 19 
of the K3
user manual. Note, however, that if you do this, the K3 will not output the 
BAND signals
for HF band operation, instead setting them to all zeros. This doesn’t make the 
KPA500
unusable, though, since it will automatically select the proper HF band when it 
does see
HF energy on its input. Still, this might not provide the desired user 
interface for most
ops.

Since the K144XV (or any other transverter) does not output power through the
standard K3 SO-239 connectors, there should be no problems with the KPA seeing
RF on its input. Still, setting the KPA to STBY would be a good idea when you 
are
using the 2 meter transverter. 

- Jack Brindle, W6FB
Elecraft Engineering

 
 On Mar 15, 2015, at 6:21 PM, Harry Yingst via Elecraft 
 elecraft@mailman.qth.net wrote:
 
 
 Mine does the same
 Maybe a feature request to have the display in the KPA500 to show AUX?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  From: k...@arrl.net k...@arrl.net
 To: 'Jim Miller' j...@jtmiller.com; 'Elecraft Reflector' 
 elecraft@mailman.qth.net 
 Sent: Sunday, March 15, 2015 3:29 PM
 Subject: Re: [Elecraft] [KPA500] Front panel AUX button?
 
 The AUX button on my KPA500 switched my K3 to 144.200 mHz, and itself to 5.3
 MHZ. Whatever that's good for...
 
 73 Jeff kb2m
 
 
 
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Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 Inhibit Line

[Jack Brindle]

This actually should work. The #INHIBIT signal will disable transmission rather 
quickly, at least as fast as the key line.
The catch is that most tuners don’t detect high SWR and output their tune 
signal all that fast. In fact most use a relay,
adding 7-10 mSec of time to the overall time. You will probably end up with 
something like 15 to 20 mSec of
delay between key down and disabling of amplification. Cutting that down as 
much as possible is generally a good thing.

Now having said all this, this is exactly the problem that #INHIBIT is meant to 
solve. #INHIBIT is the fastest way to
disable amplification, causing the proper TR switching sequence along the way, 
exactly the same way the negating the
KEY line does. The general discussion above of reducing the ATU’s HI SWR / 
fault detection is important in that you
want to reduce the time the amplifier is subject to the bad conditions. We took 
great lengths to reduce this time using
the KEY line using the KAT500, unfortunately most ATU manufacturers don’t take 
quite as much care in this area.

So, the answer to your question is yes, you will get sever mSec of high power, 
something like 10 to 20 mSec.

Let us know how your experiments come out.

- Jack Brindle, W6FB
Elecraft Engineering


 On Mar 20, 2015, at 6:14 AM, j-meis...@comcast.net wrote:
 
 Setup is Yaesu FTDX3000 xcvr -- Elecraft KPA500 amp -- LDG AT1000ProII 
 tuner. I am using a cable 
 between the FTDX3000 and KPA500 to transfer band data and the key line 
 (KPA500 Aux Pin 10). I would 
 like to use the open-collector interface on the AT1000 (which is pulled low 
 during tuning) to pull 
 the KPA500 Inhibit (Aux Pin 11) line low so that I am not running high power 
 into the tuner during 
 tuning. (Note: I will also at the same time use the open-collector output to 
 pull the correct line of the 
 FTDX3000 low to enter the low power CW key-down mode.) 
 
 Any gotchas with this scheme? The KPA500 will be keyed up via Aux pin 10 at 
 the same time it will 
 be inhibited via Aux pin 11. Is there a delay I have to be worried about? Is 
 there an order of the 
 pull-downs that matters? Am I going to get a few msec bump of high power? 
 
 I realize that one normally interrupts the amp via the key line, but it seems 
 a little more straightforward 
 in my particular case to do it via the inhibit line. 
 
 Jim, K2WU 
 
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Re: [Elecraft] 15 pin cable question?

[Jack Brindle]

That is the right cable. You can use it between the K3 and KPA, the KPA and KAT
or the KAT and K3. Remember, the correct cable configuration for using all three
together is the AUX cable from the K3 to the KAT500, then another from the
KAT500 to the KPA500.

Enjoy your K-Line!

- Jack Brindle, W6FB
Elecraft Engineering

 On Mar 20, 2015, at 10:55 AM, Tim Cook n...@woh.rr.com wrote:
 
 I received some cables with a recent K3 purchase that I have a question
 about. They appear to be part of a cable package listed on the Elecraft
 site, but I'm not 100% certain.  What I have consists of a Male/Female 6 ft.
 15 pin cable,  a Y 15 pin cable, a Y rca cable and the TX interrupt 15
 pin adapter.  I am getting a KAT500 and would like to connect the K3 and
 KAT500 using the 6 ft. 15 pin cable I got.  I checked the pins, none are
 shorted to each other, but pins 1,4,6,7, and 8 are not connected.  Looking
 at the ACC pinout, I think this cable should still work, just wonder if
 anyone knows for sure. The cable is a smaller diameter black cable without
 any ferrite adapters on it than the one pictured on the Elecraft site. The
 number on the cable is E318309, AWM 20276,  VW-1 Linfeng.
 
 
 
 I just don't want to damage either the K3 or tuner, I'd rather ask what may
 be a foolish question than regret it later..
 
 
 
 Thanks
 
 
 
 73
 
 Tim
 
 NZ8J
 
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Re: [Elecraft] Power cord for KPA500

[Jack Brindle]

Standard 18-gauge computer cords can get pretty hot with the KPA500. They carry 
a lot of current (over 10 amps at 117V), and six feet of 18-gauge has 
surprisingly substantial resistance.

What you really want is a heavy-duty power cord such as is used with servers. 
The heavy duty cords that come with the Dell servers are 14 gauge and work 
quite well. 


- Jack B, W6FB


 On Mar 7, 2015, at 11:34 AM, W0MU Mike Fatchett w...@w0mu.com wrote:
 
 The one that comes with the KPA500 is a very nice heavy duty cord. I would 
 not trust some of those super cheap computer cords.  Why not remove the 220 
 end and put a decent 110v plug on the cord?
 
 Mike W0MU
 
 On 3/7/2015 12:24 PM, Ian - Ham wrote:
 My father-in-law (KC4YBO) just bought a KPA500 off an estate sale. It is
 currently wired for 220 VAC.  He will convert it to 115 VAC for use in our
 shack.  Is there any reason he can't use an old computer power cord we have
 lying around for the KPA500, if it will fit the amp's power block?
 
  
 Thanks and 73,
 
  
 --Ian
 
 Ian Kahn, KM4IK
 Roswell, GA  EM74ua
 km4ik@gmail.com mailto:km4ik@gmail.com
 10-10 #74624, North Georgia Chapter #2038
 
 PODXS 070 #1962
 K3# 281, P3 #688, KAT500 #860, KPA500 #1468
 
  
 
 
 ---
 This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
 http://www.avast.com
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Re: [Elecraft] Looking for an ASCII Elmer

[Jack Brindle]

ASCII? That is a character set that is a subset of Unicode, which is now used 
on all modern computers. It isn’t something you program with, it simply 
represents characters. On the Mac we do not use ASCII coded characters, but 
rather Unicode characters, usually coded in UTF-8.

What is it that you are really trying to do? If that is to program the Mac, I 
highly recommend a tutorial on Objective-C and Cocoa, along with Aaron 
Hillegas’ excellent Mac programming tutorial “Cocoa Programming for Mac OS X” 
which is now in its fourth edition. I see that Aaron also has a book on 
Objective-C programming, which might be a good place to start. Both are 
produced by Big Nerd Ranch over in Atlanta, and are available from Barnes and 
Noble, amazon and other booksellers. Yu might also want to take a good look at 
programming the Mac in Swift. There are several good books available at the 
iBooks store, some free, others cost a bit. You might find Swift a bit easier 
than Cocoa to learn and get up to speed.

You can get the Mac tools directly from Apple for free at 
http://developer.apple.com. In particular, the Xcode development environment is 
what you want. It allows development in many languages for the Mac and iOS 
devices. For UI development, you will need to use either Objective-C or Swift

Good luck on you new journey. Programming the Mac is a fun and very enjoyable 
exercise, with lots to learn no matter how good you become at it.

73,

Jack B, W6FB

 
 On Feb 21, 2015, at 6:12 PM, Dauer, Edward eda...@law.du.edu wrote:
 
 Sometime soon I mean to program my K3's Pig Knob to do what I'd like, rather 
 than the factory defaults.  If someone who is adept with using ASCII on the 
 K3 is willing to help, I would appreciate meeting you off-list.
 
 Requirements - the patience to put up with someone (me) who knows niente 
 about computer programming, ASCII, computer rig control, and any other topic 
 that might be germane.  Time frame would be any time in March that suits both 
 our calendars; probably by e-mail.  In case it matters, I use Mac OS X 
 (10.10).
 
 Thanks in advance to whomever cares to take this project on . . . .
 
 Ted, KN1CBR
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Re: [Elecraft] Looking for an ASCII Elmer

[Jack Brindle]

Excellent suggestions. For the K3, we have an even easier solution to start 
playing with rig commands and their effects.
We use the  Elecraft K3 Utility all the time for updating the K3, but clicking 
on the Command Tester / K3 Macros tab will
give most of us an excellent platform for playing with the K3 commands. Just 
grab the K3 and KX3 Programmer’s Reference,
pick out some commands to test, type them in using the appropriate information 
and see the results both on the radio and
in the serial response. Of course this same solution applies to the KPA500, 
KAT500 and the other remotely controllable
devices from Elecraft.

Sometimes we first think of a way-cool engineering solution that we can create 
(I’m certainly guilty), then we realize the simple
one that provides a better answer. Learning to program and control our rigs in 
Python, Swift, Objective-C or some other
programming language is a great experience and worth doing. It just may not be 
the most expedient for some things.

Now if someone wants to do just that - learn how to programmatically control 
the radio, Walt’s Phil’s or my suggestions are
an excellent starting point. There are more, I’m sure, with lots of help around 
to get you going rather quickly.

73!

Jack B, W6FB


 On Feb 22, 2015, at 12:10 PM, Walter Underwood wun...@wunderwood.org wrote:
 
 Sorry to be negative, everyone. I need to take my own advice and be helpful.
 
 I recommend starting with the rigcontrol package, written in Python. It is OK 
 if you don’t know Python. This code is very straightforward, so you don’t 
 need use any fancy Python features.
 
 It comes with a number of command line scripts that use the package. For 
 example, here is main part of the “qrg” script, which reports the current 
 frequency.
 
 if len(sys.argv) == 1:
rig = riglib.K3()
print(rig.qsyq())
rig.close()
 else:
print usage: qrg
 
 I have some some unfinished additions to the library to add KX3 support and 
 build an SWR sweeper (poor man’s antenna analyzer). It works most of the 
 time, but the SWR can only be read off the display, so it occasionally 
 reports “bypass” as the SWR, because the ATU needs to be in bypass mode to 
 measure the SWR.
 
 I sure wish there were commands to read the SWR directly from the KX3.
 
 rigcontrol is here:
 
 https://pypi.python.org/pypi/rigcontrol
 
 You will also need the K3 programming reference. When I was working on the 
 code, I had the reference open in Adobe Reader all the time, because I kept 
 searching it for details. On top of that, I printed out key pages.
 
 http://www.elecraft.com/manual/K3KX3%20Pgmrs%20Ref,%20E11.pdf
 
 Since my code doesn’t entirely work, I’m not sure how much help I can be, but 
 I’ll give it a shot.
 
 wunder
 K6WRU
 CM87wj
 http://observer.wunderwood.org/
 
 On Feb 21, 2015, at 11:23 PM, Walter Underwood wun...@wunderwood.org wrote:
 
 I am pretty sure that the question about ASCII programming was about the 
 ASCII protocol to Elecraft rigs. That truly is ASCII, complete with control 
 characters.
 
 And yes, I know about Unicode and UTF-8. I was doing multibyte character set 
 programming before Unicode. 
 
 I’ve done some Elecraft control programming and it isn’t easy. Yeah, you can 
 fart out ASCII, but the radio takes time to respond, and some of the codes 
 read the display rather than the data, so it is a highly stateful, ugly 
 experience.
 
 Instead of explaining how smart you are about UTF-8, be an Elmer.
 
 wunder
 K6WRU
 CM87wj
 http://observer.wunderwood.org/
 
 On Feb 21, 2015, at 9:44 PM, Phil Hystad phys...@mac.com wrote:
 
 ASCII...
 
 Well, the UTF-8 character set is indeed designed to be backward compatible 
 with ASCII but it is far more than that -- and even these days many 
 programmers do have trouble with UTF-8.  Why?  Because UTF-8 is a 
 multi-byte, variable length character encoding system.  Sure, the backward 
 compatible ASCII codes are single byte but you can literally encode any 
 character defined by UNICODE via UTF-8.  Chinese characters defined in 
 UNICODE take more than a single byte to define so they require the 
 multi-byte features of UTF.8.
 
 Now, I do agree that the programming for radio control is not likely to run 
 into multi-byte characters but UTF-8 will include them if they are found 
 elsewhere -- say a text file that has mixed English as other multi-byte 
 characters.
 
 I agree with the need to download Xcode and learn Objective-C but the new 
 Swift language might be easier for someone who is just starting out to 
 learn.  I am not sure which would be easier to learn, Objective-C or Swift 
 but I think Swift, being more modern and also supporting scripting is 
 easier.
 
 73, phil, K7PEH
 
 On Feb 21, 2015, at 9:30 PM, Jack Brindle jackbrin...@me.com wrote:
 
 ASCII? That is a character set that is a subset of Unicode, which is now 
 used on all modern computers. It isn’t something you program with, it 
 simply represents characters. On the Mac we do

Re: [Elecraft] Considering a KPA-500

[Jack Brindle]

Sound like my cue, Fred. David, I think you will enjoy using the KPA500, 
although I’m a bit biased.
The KPA will run just fine from 1.6 to 54 MHz, with the exception of the CB 
Lockout area from 26 to 28 MHz, which is FCC-mandated for amplifiers in the US.
I can’t answer your question about going from 1500 to 500 watts (Like Fred, I 
run mine at 600). I can tell you that with the amplifier I am definitely heard 
in contests, which is where I do most of my operating. It makes a huge 
difference. My station is on a city lot in San Jose, which means small 
antennas. As I
said the difference between 100 and 600 watts is that at 600 I feel like I am 
heard.

I am sure you will hear from others on the power comparison and the KPA500 
operation as well.

- Jack Brindle, W6FB
Elecraft Engineering (like I said, I’m a bit biased…)

 On Apr 23, 2015, at 9:42 PM, Fred Jensen k6...@foothill.net wrote:
 
 On 4/23/2015 7:34 PM, David Cole wrote:
 
 My only real issue with the KPA-500 is the output power of only 500
 watts.  Just how much of a hit will I take by going from 1500 watts to
 500 watts...  I chase DX, via RTTY and CW mostly, and some SSB.
 
 90+% CW, some RTTY in contests, a few % SSB in NAQP's and SS.  I ran a 1200 W 
 amp at 500 W for almost a year before springing for the KPA500. From my end 
 [obviously not the same as the other end], I couldn't really tell any 
 difference.  Clearly, I don't know about the ones I couldn't get, but I 
 really don't think working him or not working him depends on one S-Unit.  I 
 think it depends a whole lot more on conditions, size of the antenna, size of 
 the pile, and especially operator skills.  Mine are mediocre.
 
 I have no idea how many dB the P3 is worth, but it wouldn't surprise me if it 
 was in double digits. :-))
 
 Will the KPA-500 take key down for 10 or more minutes at full power??
 
 On CW, I run mine at around 600W continuously.  I stick to 500W on RTTY in 
 contests, although that isn't going to make any difference.  The power LED's 
 top out at 700, I've been told by more than one field tester that they were 
 told to run full bars all the time.
 
 The integration with the K3 is perfect, I truly love the no-tune, and I use 
 the KPA500 to switch bands with one push.
 
 Is there anyone on here that has gone from 1500 to 500 watts, and if so,
 can you tell me a bit about it?  How does the LPA-500 operate on MARS
 frequencies?  They are all over the place, not in ham bands...
 
 Don't know about MARS and other out-of-ham band performance.  Ask Jack, W6FB.
 
 73,
 
 Fred K6DGW
 - Northern California Contest Club
 - CU in the 50th Running of the Cal QSO Party 3-4 Oct 2015
 - www.cqp.org
 
 K3/KPA500/KAT500
 Triband+Wires
 
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Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 problem

[Jack Brindle]

When you switch to OPER, is there an asterisk on the left side of the LCD? This 
would indicate that the PTT line is engaged or shorted. fix that connection and 
things should return to normal.
There are several things that could be causing the trouble you see. Work 
through them with Elecraft customer support and you may avoid shipping the amp 
back.

- Jack Brindle, W6FB

Sent from my iPad

 On Jun 21, 2015, at 8:16 AM, Ray W2RS via Elecraft elecraft@mailman.qth.net 
 wrote:
 
 My KPA500 amplifi_es_ (file://\\es)  normally but seems to  have a 
 switching problem on receive.  The receiver (I've tried several)  works fine 
 when 
 the amp is turned off or when it is switched to STBY, but  when I switch the 
 KPA500 to OPER the receiver goes nearly dead as if there is no  antenna 
 connected to it.  I tried resetting the KPA500 to factory menu  settings but 
 no 
 change.  There is full output on transmit.
 
 The KPA500 is still under warranty.  Is this a settings problem or  should 
 I send it back?
 
 73 Ray W2RS
 
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Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 problem

[Jack Brindle]

Call Customer Support tomorrow morning. They may have more suggestions for you. 
Worst case, you will need an RMA from them, but I really hope they can have you 
try something that I’m not thinking of at the moment to make it work.

- Jack B, W6FB


 On Jun 21, 2015, at 10:04 AM, Ray W2RS via Elecraft 
 elecraft@mailman.qth.net wrote:
 
 
 Hi Jack,
 
 No asterisk.
 
 Tnx, Ray W2RS
 
 
 In a message dated 6/21/2015 9:37:57 A.M. US Mountain Standard Time,  
 jackbrin...@me.com writes:
 
 When you  switch to OPER, is there an asterisk on the left side of the LCD? 
 This would  indicate that the PTT line is engaged or shorted. fix that 
 connection and  things should return to normal.
 There are several things that could be  causing the trouble you see. Work 
 through them with Elecraft customer support  and you may avoid shipping the 
 amp back.
 
 - Jack Brindle,  W6FB
 
 Sent from my iPad
 
 On Jun 21, 2015, at 8:16 AM, Ray  W2RS via Elecraft 
 elecraft@mailman.qth.net wrote:
 
 My  KPA500 amplifi_es_ (file://\\es)  normally but seems to  have a  
 switching problem on receive.  The receiver (I've tried  several)  works 
 fine when 
 the amp is turned off or when it is  switched to STBY, but  when I switch 
 the 
 KPA500 to OPER the  receiver goes nearly dead as if there is no  antenna 
 connected  to it.  I tried resetting the KPA500 to factory menu  settings 
 but  no 
 change.  There is full output on transmit.
 
 The KPA500 is still under warranty.  Is this a settings problem or   
 should 
 I send it back?
 
 73 Ray W2RS
 
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Re: [Elecraft] KRC2

[Jack Brindle]

Mike, just how are you wanting to control the switch? If it is band-based, then 
just wire up the RCS-10 to the appropriate terminals in the KRC2, connect the 
KRC2 to the K3, and thing should start working. Are your needs more than this?

The best way to use the KRC2 with the K3 is using the Auxbus connection. Just 
two wires, Auxbus and ground, from the KRC2 to the K3. The KRC2 needs power, of 
course, and then the connections to the relay box.

Now, as for the ACC connectors, the K3 has entries in the KRC2 menu for 
Accessory switching. They directly control the ACC pins based on your menu 
selection.what can this be used for? Perhaps alternate antennas for a band, or 
other things.

It really is pretty simple. The large majority of users don’t even need to use 
the KRC2 utility to remap the output pins. Just hook things up and operate.

73!

- Jack B, W6FB

 On Jun 11, 2015, at 10:41 AM, Mike Reublin NF4L n...@comcast.net wrote:
 
 My Ameritron RCS-12 automagic antenna switch is sulking, and not switching 
 the remote RCS-10.
 
 I'm thinking of replacing it with a KRC2 pre-built. Is anyone using it with a 
 K3 and the Ameritron remote box? How difficult to configure it to work from 
 the K3 ACC with the RCS-10?
 
 The manual has the line The ACC menu entry can be used to directly control 
 the KRC2's accessory outputs.. I don't find any other reference. Whatsit 
 mean?
 
 73, Mike NF4L
 
 
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Re: [Elecraft] Paper Logs (was Audio mixers)

[Jack Brindle]

Lyle, I seriously doubt that, given the task of having to dupe and cross-check 
500 or a thousand QSOs in a contest, that even you would be so nostalgic as to 
do it with the paper dupe sheets we used to have to use. These days if you are 
logging on paper you have already lost the contest…

73,

Jack, W6FB (who likewise is remembering all the folks, some close relations, 
who sacrificed for our freedom).
(and enjoys ribbing my good friend and co-worker...)


 On Jul 3, 2015, at 8:24 PM, Lyle Johnson kk7p4...@gmail.com wrote:
 
 Or, some guys just prefer to do it with paper and pencil.  I have lots of 
 ebooks, but I often prefer to grab a physical, printed-on-paper book and curl 
 up on the sofa and read.
 
 Heck, I've even heard some guys are so stuck in the past they actually use CW 
 on HF
 
 73,
 
 Lyle KK7P (who is enjoying our independence and not forgetting the price paid 
 for it)
 
 Not singling you out or anything but I've often wondered why you need 
 separate operator and logger?  This seems to be a practice peculiar to FD
 
 Yes, this is a practice that goes back to #2 pencil logging and paper dupe 
 sheets. The first FD I was on, probably 1955 (a few months before I was 
 licensed) was done that way. Once computer logging came into existence, 
 there was no good reason for it, but some guys are stuck in the past.
 
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Re: [Elecraft] KRC2 relay control

[Jack Brindle]

Byron is on the right track here. The best way to control the KRC2’s ACx pins 
is to do it through the K3’s menu. The KRC2 is listening to the K3 to get band 
and status information, and not necessarily to a computer. So setting the state 
in the K3 will cause it to be changed in the KRC2.

Take a good look at the K3’s MN command, specifically MN049. I suspect that 
testing with the K3 Utility’s command pane will quickly show you the correct 
command to do what you want. From there is is a pretty simple matter to plug 
the command into N1MM+.

By the way, the K3S/K3//KX3 Programmer’s Reference has been seeing a lot of 
update activity recently. If you haven’t downloaded the latest, you may be 
missing out on some interesting stuff. 

Jack Brindle, W6FB



 On Jul 4, 2015, at 11:57 AM, Byron Servies by...@n6nul.org wrote:
 
 Hi,
 
 See the KRC2 manual and search for AC1.  On Page 15 of the rev.C
 manual, the KRC2 test procedure includes using F4 for accessory
 drivers, and page 19 has the default behavior of F4.
 
 I am not in front of my ham pc right now, but I believe there is a way
 to trigger those from the utility. Perhaps someone else knows if there
 is a command in the K2 programmers manual for triggering these
 outputs.
 
 73, Byron N6NUL
 
 On Sat, Jul 4, 2015 at 10:24 AM, Rich rwnewbo...@comcast.net 
 mailto:rwnewbo...@comcast.net wrote:
 I have research this idea on my own and do not see a way to do what I want.
 I know there are really smart folks on this list so I am looking for some
 help.
 
 I was hoping to control the 12vdc (ON/OFF) for my RX ant preamp via the K3
 keyboard commands (Writelog, N1MM).  I was thinking this could possibly be
 done via the sink/source relays in the KRC2.   I already use the KRC2 for
 band decoding,  but it appears to me that the relays only react to band
 changes.  Are there  computer controllable commands for the A B C D relays
 in the KRC2 or any other ideas?
 
 I hope this is clearer than mud.
 
 Rich
 K3RWN
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 -- 
 - Northern California Contest Club
 - CU in the Cal QSO Party 3-4 Oct 2015
 - www.cqp.org http://www.cqp.org/
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Re: [Elecraft] KRC2 relay control

[Jack Brindle]

A bit more on this. Sending MN049; to the K3 puts the K3 into the Menu mode 
with the KRC2 item selected. The VFOA display will show the status of the KRC2 
ACC pins, read directly from the KRC2. You can then issue UP; or DN; commands 
to change the KRC2 ACx pin setting. It will advance (or decrement) by one for 
each UP (or DN) issued, rolling over when it gets to the end of the sequence. 
You can read the LCD with the DS; command to tell what the AC state is. Issuing 
MN255; will get you back to normal operations.

Be sure to refer to the K3S/K3/KX3 Programmer’s Reference to get the details as 
to how to issues these commands, they can be a bit convoluted, especially when 
playing in the menus.

If you are adding the commands to N1MM, you probably want to use 2, the first 
to turn on ACC1: MN049;UP;MN255;
the second to turn it off: MN049:DN;MN255;

This can be a lot more involved if you use the AC2 or AC3 pins as well, and 
using the KRC2 with AC binary coding (jumper W4 installed) makes things far 
more complex.

Note that external control of the ACx pins requires use of the AUX I/O 
connection to the K3/K3S. The KRC2 does not have any commands to change the ACx 
pins using the serial port, nor does the transceiver have the ability to make 
that request using the serial port instead of Aux I/O.

- Jack Brindle, W6FB


 On Jul 5, 2015, at 10:47 AM, Jack Brindle jackbrin...@me.com wrote:
 
 Byron is on the right track here. The best way to control the KRC2’s ACx pins 
 is to do it through the K3’s menu. The KRC2 is listening to the K3 to get 
 band and status information, and not necessarily to a computer. So setting 
 the state in the K3 will cause it to be changed in the KRC2.
 
 Take a good look at the K3’s MN command, specifically MN049. I suspect that 
 testing with the K3 Utility’s command pane will quickly show you the correct 
 command to do what you want. From there is is a pretty simple matter to plug 
 the command into N1MM+.
 
 By the way, the K3S/K3//KX3 Programmer’s Reference has been seeing a lot of 
 update activity recently. If you haven’t downloaded the latest, you may be 
 missing out on some interesting stuff. 
 
 Jack Brindle, W6FB
 
 
 
 On Jul 4, 2015, at 11:57 AM, Byron Servies by...@n6nul.org wrote:
 
 Hi,
 
 See the KRC2 manual and search for AC1.  On Page 15 of the rev.C
 manual, the KRC2 test procedure includes using F4 for accessory
 drivers, and page 19 has the default behavior of F4.
 
 I am not in front of my ham pc right now, but I believe there is a way
 to trigger those from the utility. Perhaps someone else knows if there
 is a command in the K2 programmers manual for triggering these
 outputs.
 
 73, Byron N6NUL
 
 On Sat, Jul 4, 2015 at 10:24 AM, Rich rwnewbo...@comcast.net 
 mailto:rwnewbo...@comcast.net wrote:
 I have research this idea on my own and do not see a way to do what I want.
 I know there are really smart folks on this list so I am looking for some
 help.
 
 I was hoping to control the 12vdc (ON/OFF) for my RX ant preamp via the K3
 keyboard commands (Writelog, N1MM).  I was thinking this could possibly be
 done via the sink/source relays in the KRC2.   I already use the KRC2 for
 band decoding,  but it appears to me that the relays only react to band
 changes.  Are there  computer controllable commands for the A B C D relays
 in the KRC2 or any other ideas?
 
 I hope this is clearer than mud.
 
 Rich
 K3RWN
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Re: [Elecraft] KAT500 won't tune the 6 meter antenna

[Jack Brindle]

Yes. Check the KAT500 specs on page 2 of the KAT500 manual. The tuner is 
limited to matching no more than a 10:1 SWR in the HF range, and lower at VHF. 
Note that this is specified for 500 watts of power, so you may be able to get a 
little more. 13:1 indicates a very bad match, however. You will be burning up 
most of your TX power in the coax between the tuner and the antenna.

By far the best thing you can do is to fix the antenna so that is presents a 
much better impedance to the feed line (and thus the tuner). Doing so will get 
much more of that precious power into the air.

- Jack B, W6FB
 
 On Jul 5, 2015, at 3:15 PM, George Rebong ke6t...@gmail.com wrote:
 
 My KAT500 doesn't tune my 6 meter antenna. I tried it on AUTO mode and MANUAL 
 mode. The antenna has 13:1 SWR.  The KAT500 relays doesn't make noise when I 
 keyed the K3.  Did I miss something?
 73
 George KE6TE
 
 Sent from my iPad
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Re: [Elecraft] Windows 8.1 tablet power

[Jack Brindle]

You should be looking for a USB-C docking adapter. It supplies power for 
charging and extends the USB for devices to connect.
They are relatively new - there aren’t that many USB-C systems out so far, so 
you should expect them to be somewhat expensive.
But, the adapters are available. I know that Apple sells one for their MacBook, 
which uses USB-C. Might be a good starting point,
but keep looking to find what you really want.

A standard USB hub will not provide what you need...

73,

Jack, W6FB

 On Jul 7, 2015, at 8:57 AM, Mark N2QT via Elecraft elecraft@mailman.qth.net 
 wrote:
 
 Actually the issue is the tablet is able to supply power to external devices, 
 which must be
 disabled when the unit is being charged from an external source.  Best I can 
 tell in some
 devices The direction of power is either negotiated by a digital message upon 
 connection 
 of an external device or by shorting or opening the data lines when the unit 
 is to be 
 charged.  It looks like Dell tablets can operate with specific adapters but 
 there is no 
 guarantee this would work on another brand (and lots of review comments 
 saying it doesn't).
 
 This was all a surprise to me, I just figured I could hook things up and go. 
 
 Mark. N2QT
 
 On Jul 7, 2015, at 11:50 AM, Tom tom...@videotron.ca wrote:
 
 Hmm, that's interesting. Have you tried a powered USB hub? I would think 
 that should work. 
 73 Tom 
 va2fsq.com
 
 Sent from BlueMail
 
 On Jul 7, 2015, at 10:57 AM, Mark N2QT via Elecraft 
 elecraft@mailman.qth.net wrote:
 I bought a win 8.1 (not RT) tablet from Cowboom for $59, hoping to 
 interface it using its
 micro USB port.  However the USB port is the only way to provide power to 
 the thing,
 and battery life is such I'd like to leave it on charge while operating, 
 while not losing the
 USB port data functionality. 
 
 The unit is sold by Best Buy under the Unbranded name. 
 
 Anyone have luck powering such a tablet without losing the USB data 
 capability?  
 
 Mark. N2QT
 
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Re: [Elecraft] [K3] KIO3B and Unsigned Device Drivers in OS X 10.11

[Jack Brindle]

Drivers for the FTDI devices have been built into OS X since at least 10.9 
(might be 10.8). You won’t even need to download drivers from FTDI to make them 
work.
I have had no problems at all with testing of El Capitan and these devices.
The expected experience will continue to be, just plug it in and it will work.

- Jack Brindle, W6FB


 On Jul 22, 2015, at 2:58 AM, Joel Black joel.b.bl...@gmail.com wrote:
 
 Not sure if this is worth the email or not (my last question about the NF of 
 the KIO3B did nothing but raise the NF of the list, got hi-jacked, and then 
 lost in the ether).
 
 I was reading on the linuxham group where the developer mode for unsigned 
 drivers in OS X 10.11 may be no more once OS X 10.11 is release (and possibly 
 before). There is an article on the Mac Ham Radio blog and it may have been 
 posted here and I missed it.
 
 My question is (if it’s been answered, I apologize), will the KIO3B use 
 signed drivers for OS X 10.11?
 
 I don’t want to hear from Windows users to move to Windows (been there, done 
 that, got the T-shirt). I use it in a VM for only one application and that is 
 it.
 
 I don’t want to hear about “not upgrading.” In this world, that’s not viable. 
 Besides, I have four Macs to maintain at home and they will all be getting 
 the upgrade.
 
 If you don’t know the answer and want to hi-jack my message, please give me 
 the courtesy of changing the subject line so I don’t spend time reading. 
 Yeah, I’m still a little ticked about the last one.
 
 73,
 Joel - W4JBB
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Re: [Elecraft] K3/K3s Ethernet Interface

[Jack Brindle]

Cool! Please publish the specs. How secure it it? SSL? TLS 1.2 (or better)? 
Will there be accommodations for upgrades as security problems are found?
Does it do ipv6 (which is rapidly becoming a requirement)?

My concern is this - we are putting a rather powerful transceiver on the 
internet. With Telnet or any other non-secure format/protocol there is a lot of 
potential
for someone to take over the data stream and use the transceiver for their use. 
Even with secure protocols there has been a very poor record of vulnerabilities
and other problems taking over computers, breaking in for information or other 
problems. Exposing a ham transceiver to this endangers your license and
our spectrum. Anything that is not secure should not come close to a radio. 
Today that means TLS 1.2 and full security. And updates to fix bugs as they are
exposed.

We are at the beginning of the age of IOT, the Internet Of Things. There are 
many very good manufacturers working on chips and interfaces
for embedded devices - refrigerators, lights, cars, and even ham transceivers. 
These will be secure and will accommodate the requirements
I describe above and many more in a way that allows us to simply expand the 
radios we have now with new cards. This stuff is starting to
come to market now - I would suggest we are a year to two off from adding them 
to our devices.

Then we need to convince the ham software developers to start adding support 
for them in all the flavors that already exist. I suspect that won’t
be very difficult when they find a willing market.

Good luck with your venture. I’d love to see it when it becomes available. We 
need to see things like this to interest hams, show them (and us)
what is possible, advance the state of the art and even to expose 
vulnerabilities with current schemes so we can all do (and demand) better. 

- Jack, W6FB

p.s. Yeah, security is THAT important.

 On Jul 19, 2015, at 2:40 PM, Dr. William J. Schmidt, II b...@wjschmidt.com 
 wrote:
 
 I have a prototype Ethernet interface running inside my K3 right now...
 simple replacement for the KIO3 board.  I posted a couple of times
 suggesting it but was completely ignored so I build my own.  It's just a pic
 with Ethernet capabilities and replaces the functions of the KIO3 completely
 and more.  It will be available commercially soon...
 
 
 Dr. William J. Schmidt - K9HZ J68HZ 8P6HK ZF2HZ PJ4/K9HZ VP5/K9HZ PJ2/K9HZ 
 
 Owner - Operator
 Big Signal Ranch - K9ZC
 Staunton, Illinois
 
 Owner - Operator
 Villa Grand Piton - J68HZ
 Soufriere, St. Lucia W.I.
 Rent it: www.VillaGrandPiton.com
 
 email:  b...@wjschmidt.com
 
 -Original Message-
 From: Elecraft [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Paul
 Christensen
 Sent: Sunday, July 19, 2015 2:24 PM
 To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
 Subject: [Elecraft] K3/K3s Ethernet Interface
 
 This inquiry is directed to both the Elecraft leadership team as well as
 K3/K3s owners who may have an interest in native Ethernet connectivity.   In
 searching through the list archives, I noted that some K3 owners had
 previously expressed an interest in an Ethernet option - and some owners
 have been disappointed that the new K3s and KIO3B board does not include
 Ethernet connectivity.
 
 
 
 A bit of background: for the past few months, N4CC and I have been operating
 a remote Internet station that's located near the FL/GA state line.  Our
 setup includes a K3 and RemoteRig at the remote site and either a K3 or
 K3-mini at the control locations.  Since the installation, we've experienced
 almost no operating trouble and any issues that have developed are managed
 remotely though direct and back-door network access points. 
 
 
 
 Last week, I made some internal changes to the K3  and also added an
 external USB data interface device for RTTY.  What's apparent is that cable
 management is getting way out of control.  To gain inside access to the K3
 almost requires a meditation exercise before going in.  Consider that a PR6
 is mounted to the back of the K3.  The rear of the K3 is an absolute rat's
 nest of cabling.  With the RemoteRig and PR6, It was bad enough before the
 inclusion of the external USB sound car/interface, but now it's bordering on
 ridiculous.   Moreover, RemoteRig does not allow clean access to the K3's
 ACC DB-15 connector for other purposes such as FSK keying.  Sure, the
 connector can be opened to access pins, but it requires a wiring break-out,
 leading to yet a further rat's nest of cabling.
 
 
 
 To help deal with the cabling issues, I am replacing the external PR6 with
 the new KXVB3 board.  Next, a KIO3B board will be added when it's available
 to existing K3 owners.  That should eliminate the external sound card
 interface and clear up much of the cabling mess, but not all of it.  
 
 
 
 The Holy Grail is an Ethernet interface that includes (optional) integrated
 RemoteRig hardware - just one interface board [e.g., KIO3E(thernet) board]
 that manages K3 

Re: [Elecraft] K3/K3s Ethernet Interface

[Jack Brindle]

Paul;

What is your proposal for the host-side interface? Pretty much all host 
programs these days use a serial interface. We usually use this through a 
USB-Serial adapter or through built-in serial ports, which are rapidly 
disappearing. To make this viable we would need drivers for all major platforms 
that implement a serial port  driver interface to ethernet. Or, the host 
programs will need to be modified. 

There is a lot of work needed to make this suggestion viable, both on the host 
and radio sides. This is the fact same reason we still use serial interfaces 
for our rigs instead of true USB interface.
Put forth a good proposal and let it be considered. Without that work (whoever 
does it), ethernet hardware isn’t very useful.

- Jack, W6FB

p.s., no, this isn’t a flame, but a challenge. Let’s get the whole thing 
viable, then we will take a good look at implementing it on all sides.


 On Jul 19, 2015, at 12:24 PM, Paul Christensen w...@arrl.net wrote:
 
 This inquiry is directed to both the Elecraft leadership team as well as
 K3/K3s owners who may have an interest in native Ethernet connectivity.   In
 searching through the list archives, I noted that some K3 owners had
 previously expressed an interest in an Ethernet option - and some owners
 have been disappointed that the new K3s and KIO3B board does not include
 Ethernet connectivity.
 
 
 
 A bit of background: for the past few months, N4CC and I have been operating
 a remote Internet station that's located near the FL/GA state line.  Our
 setup includes a K3 and RemoteRig at the remote site and either a K3 or
 K3-mini at the control locations.  Since the installation, we've experienced
 almost no operating trouble and any issues that have developed are managed
 remotely though direct and back-door network access points. 
 
 
 
 Last week, I made some internal changes to the K3  and also added an
 external USB data interface device for RTTY.  What's apparent is that cable
 management is getting way out of control.  To gain inside access to the K3
 almost requires a meditation exercise before going in.  Consider that a PR6
 is mounted to the back of the K3.  The rear of the K3 is an absolute rat's
 nest of cabling.  With the RemoteRig and PR6, It was bad enough before the
 inclusion of the external USB sound car/interface, but now it's bordering on
 ridiculous.   Moreover, RemoteRig does not allow clean access to the K3's
 ACC DB-15 connector for other purposes such as FSK keying.  Sure, the
 connector can be opened to access pins, but it requires a wiring break-out,
 leading to yet a further rat's nest of cabling.
 
 
 
 To help deal with the cabling issues, I am replacing the external PR6 with
 the new KXVB3 board.  Next, a KIO3B board will be added when it's available
 to existing K3 owners.  That should eliminate the external sound card
 interface and clear up much of the cabling mess, but not all of it.  
 
 
 
 The Holy Grail is an Ethernet interface that includes (optional) integrated
 RemoteRig hardware - just one interface board [e.g., KIO3E(thernet) board]
 that manages K3 Ethernet connectivity with or without RemoteRig attributes.
 Don't need Ethernet? Then don't get the board.  Since the RemoteRig hardware
 is mature and consumes little circuit board space and DC current, perhaps it
 would be worth opening up a discussion with RemoteRig's designer since
 Elecraft already has a close relationship with Microbit.I know rear
 panel real estate is a concern, so it won't be easy to add yet another
 connector without adversely affecting other connectivity.  Thoughts? 
 
 
 
 Paul, W9AC
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Re: [Elecraft] KRC-2 and 6m

[Jack Brindle]

You probably need to set the K3 to output the right selection to the KRC2. 
Check the K3 manual for the KRC2 menu entry - in the rev D10 manual it was on 
page 57.

Essentially, select the KRC2 entry in the K3 configuration menu, then tap the 1 
button on the K3. You want it to show BAND6=B6 for it to work properly.

Your next question will be which KRC2 terminal is selected when this is set 
properly. For the standard (factory default) bandmap it will be the XV1 
terminal. Of course you can remap it as you desire with the KRC2 Utility.

73,

Jack Brindle, W6FB


> On Oct 20, 2015, at 7:00 PM, Jim Miller <j...@jtmiller.com> wrote:
> 
> How do you get an output for 6m from the KRC-2?
> 
> 73
> 
> jim ab3cv
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Re: [Elecraft] K3 Attenuator Turning Itself On

[Jack Brindle]

What else do you have connected to the K3, specifically the serial port.

Overly strong signals will general kick in a relay to protect the front end of 
the receiver and not
enable the attenuator. Is it possible that something else is enabling the 
attenuator, like maybe a command
from a computer program?

- Jack, W6FB

> On Nov 15, 2015, at 12:17 PM, Dennis  wrote:
> 
> Don
> 
> I know that the preamp and attenuator settings are remembered per band.
> 
> However, if I am on 160M and turn the attenuator off,  it turns itself back on
> within 2 seconds.  If I am on 80M and I turn the preamp on, it will
> turn itself off within a couple of seconds.
> 
> I'm trying to find an explanation for this other than an excessive strong 
> signal.
> 
> Dennis W1UE
> 
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Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 RX Attenuation and TX Without Amp Key

[Jack Brindle]

Mark;

Recheck the ribbon cable connections in the amplifier. This sounds like a 
connector
is off, either to a side or more likely one complete row of pins is off. My 
suspicion
is the 14-pin cable going to the front panel, but it could be the larger cable 
going
to the IO board. You also might try reseating these cables to make sure they are
connected properly.

- Jack Brindle, W6FB
Elecraft Engineering

> On Nov 15, 2015, at 12:24 PM, Mark Goldberg <marklgoldb...@gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> I will contact Elecraft tomorrow, but posting in case someone
> recognizes the symptoms.
> 
> I just put together a new KPA500 kit. When I select Operate, the RX
> through the amplifier is significantly attenuated, many 10s of dBs.
> The amp will also amplify even with nothing connected to the PA Key
> RCA jack. It seems to amplify OK, 35W in gives 400W out. In Standby
> the RX and TX pass through the amp as expected.
> 
> It seems to me that it thinks PA Key is enabled all of the time, so
> when I switch to operate it is in TX mode immediately. I do not see a
> short at the RCA jack.
> 
> Any idea of what is going on?
> 
> Mark
> W7MLG
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Re: [Elecraft] kpa500 doesnt follow k3

[Jack Brindle]

Let’s make sure the K3 and KPA are communicating. When you power on the KPA, 
does the K3 indicate that something changed? It should display
the KPA power event on the display. If not:
* what cable are you using between the K3 and the KPA?
* Check the RADIO setting in the KPA. It should be set to K3.

Is there anything else connected to the AUX IO ports on either the K3 or KPA?

- Jack Brindle, W6FB
Elecraft Engineering

> 
> On Oct 30, 2015, at 10:23 PM, NE9U - Jasper <skjas...@att.net> wrote:
> 
> Just hooked  a new kpa500 to a k3.  
> 
> when switching bands on the k3, the kpa500 doesnt follow.  it does follow 
> when i apply power.
> 
> the reverse does workif i switch bands on the kpa500, the k3 follows.
> 
> tried 2 different auxillary cables...same result with both.
> 
> am i missing some setting i need to change?  
> 
> scott  ne9u
> 
> 
> Sent from Republic Wireless Cray-1
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Re: [Elecraft] kpa500 doesnt follow k3

[Jack Brindle]

Did you build this from a kit or purchase it built?
Is there anything else that seems off?
Does the KAT500 change bands when the K3 changes bands?

When RADIO=K3, the KPA observes the band lines from the K3 to determine the 
band it should be on. When it sees the band lines change, it will change bands.
When it senses RF it does a double-check, and will switch bands again if the 
mefrequency-counted RF does not agree with what the band lines indicate.

So at this point we need to determine that the K3 BAND signals are indeed 
switching, and if the cables inside the KP500 are properly seated. This would 
be the cable on the far left when viewing the KPA from the front. If it is off, 
either at the front panel or at the IO board, you might see this sort of 
problem. But I would expect you to see other problems as well.

The answers to these questions should provide some light.

- Jack, W6FB

> On Oct 30, 2015, at 10:44 PM, NE9U - Jasper <skjas...@att.net> wrote:
> 
> yes, the k3 recognizes when the kpa500 is turned on.
> 
> the cables are e850463.  ( i also have a new kat500i get same result 
> whether i have it or out of line)
> 
> radio setting in kpa500 is set to k3
> 
> i also updated all firmware yesterday thinking that might helpno change.
> 
> scott
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from Republic Wireless Cray-1
> 
>> On Oct 31, 2015, at 12:28 AM, Jack Brindle <jackbrin...@me.com> wrote:
>> 
>> Let’s make sure the K3 and KPA are communicating. When you power on the KPA, 
>> does the K3 indicate that something changed? It should display
>> the KPA power event on the display. If not:
>> * what cable are you using between the K3 and the KPA?
>> * Check the RADIO setting in the KPA. It should be set to K3.
>> 
>> Is there anything else connected to the AUX IO ports on either the K3 or KPA?
>> 
>> - Jack Brindle, W6FB
>> Elecraft Engineering
>> 
>>> 
>>> On Oct 30, 2015, at 10:23 PM, NE9U - Jasper <skjas...@att.net> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Just hooked  a new kpa500 to a k3.  
>>> 
>>> when switching bands on the k3, the kpa500 doesnt follow.  it does follow 
>>> when i apply power.
>>> 
>>> the reverse does workif i switch bands on the kpa500, the k3 follows.
>>> 
>>> tried 2 different auxillary cables...same result with both.
>>> 
>>> am i missing some setting i need to change?  
>>> 
>>> scott  ne9u
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Sent from Republic Wireless Cray-1
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Re: [Elecraft] ACC jack

[Jack Brindle]

As Eric notes, it is perfectly permissible to daisy-chain the Y adapters. I 
would suggest using the ACC signals with the KAT500/KPA500 combination. This is 
needed for the KAT500 to follow the K3S’s frequency during receive, something I 
think you will find to be very valuable in use. Having the KPA500 connected 
through the ACC interface is also very valuable, allowing the KPA to also 
switch bands along with the K3S instead of waiting for RF. The ACC cables that 
came with the KPA500 and KAT500 should be used to interconnect those devices - 
they have a few signals removed as described in the KPA500 manual.

So, go ahead and use the Y adapters as needed. Be sure they are 
straight-through signals - that is don’t use VGA-style adapters and cables. 
These do not connect each pin straight-through end to end and will not function 
satisfactorily. Besides Elecraft, there are sources that sell these cables, 
just make sure they are not VGA cables when you purchase and use them.

73!

Jack Brindle, W6FB

> On Oct 12, 2015, at 8:40 AM, j...@kk9a.com wrote:
> 
> I am setting up my newly purchased K3S and I have three devices that use
> the same ACC jack on the transceiver. I use a Top Ten Band Decoder for
> switching antennas and filters, a MicroHAM DigiKeyer II for CW and RTTY
> and an Elecraft KAP500/KAT500 linear amplifier and tuner. The Band Decoder
> and DigiKeyer II interface well individually with the K3S, I have yet to
> try the amplifier ACC cable. How can I run all three devices
> simultaneously though the single K3S ACC jack?  Elecraft supplied a Y
> adapter with the amplifier cable.  Do I need another Y, is is safe to
> connect all of these together with Y's?  Is there a better solution?
> 
> 73,
> John KK9A
> 
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Re: [Elecraft] TX3X K3/KPA500 DXpedition to Chesterfield Islands onthe air

[Jack Brindle]

They are on. The Elecraft rigs sound great (of course, I’m a bit biased)…
I worked them on 21285 SSB a short time ago. They are presently very readable 
here in Northern California.
Propagation conditions are much better today than yesterday with much lower QRN 
caused by solar
conditions (geomagnetic storming).

Keep trying. They are weak but workable. The K6TU propagation charts accessible 
from the TX3X web site
are definitely a help. Stu has done a great job with his propagation site, 
worth checking out.

73!

Jack, W6FB


> On Oct 10, 2015, at 12:16 PM, ae...@carolinaheli.com wrote:
> 
> Not hearing them at all 
> 
> 
> -Original Message-
> From: Elecraft [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Gary
> Sent: Saturday, October 10, 2015 2:43 PM
> To: Wayne Burdick; Wes (N7WS)
> Cc: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] TX3X K3/KPA500 DXpedition to Chesterfield Islands 
> onthe air
> 
> My kinda lifestyle:-)
> 
> -Original Message-
> From: "Wayne Burdick" 
> Sent: ‎7/‎10/‎2015 4:16 AM
> To: "Wes (N7WS)" 
> Cc: "elecraft@mailman.qth.net" 
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] TX3X K3/KPA500 DXpedition to Chesterfield Islands 
> onthe air
> 
> Maybe the TX3X team actually has a life? (Snorkeling, beer, group 
> sing-a-longs, sleeping, leisurely brunch, more beer)
> 
> Wayne
> 
> 
> On Oct 6, 2015, at 11:08 AM, "Wes (N7WS)"  wrote:
> 
>> Rolling along?  Twelve ops, seven complete 500W stations and ton of antennas 
>> and 21K Q's in 6 days.
>> 
>> E6GG with seven ops and four radios made ~ 49k Q's in 12 days.
>> 
>> Just sayin'
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> On 10/6/2015 10:22 AM, Eric Swartz - WA6HHQ, Elecraft wrote:
>>> TX3X on the the Chesterfield Islands is rolling along with their K3s and 
>>> KPA500s.
>>> 
>>> See:  www.tx3x.com
>>> and
>>> http://www.dxsummit.fi/#/?dx_calls=TX3X
>>> 
>>> 73,
>>> 
>>> Eric
>>> /elecraft.com/
> 
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Re: [Elecraft] [KAT500] PC Data to Amp Control?

[Jack Brindle]

See below for a better understanding of how the KPA500 works when set for RADIO 
= SERIAL mode.

> On Oct 10, 2015, at 3:03 PM, Cliff Frescura <c...@cfcorp.com> wrote:
> 
> Update:
> 
> Bottom line is that the sniffer approach works.
> 
> Details:
> 1.  Ideally, the sniffer should *not* be attached to the radio (Kenwood) 
> RS-232 line, but to the secondary RS-232 line (Configured by DXLabs 
> software).  It appears that KPA500 only responds to commands from DXLabs and 
> not the radio (I suspect this is because polling is being used by DXLabs and 
> not the Kenwood Auto Info command) - yes, I did try a pin 2/3 swap on the 
> sniffer tap point.  This also has implications when the KPA500 is turned on 
> after frequency changes because it will know the current frequency (not fatal 
> since it can RF Sense switch anyway).

The KPA is designed to either connect directly to the Kenwood radio or with a 
“Y” adapter it can eavesdrop on the computer-radio conversation. When 
eavesdropping, it is the computer (or other controlling device) that determines 
the polling rate. When that devices issues a frequency request the radio 
responds and the KPA500 will receive the data and respond accordingly.

When the KPA is set for RADIO=SERIAL, the SER POLL setting becomes important. 
When OFF, the KPA does exactly as described above - it only listens for data 
from the radio. If you directly connect the KPA to the radio (no Y cable into 
the KPA), then set the SER POLL item to ON. This will cause the KPA to 
periodically poll the radio for frequency. The poll rate is once per second, 
and the KPA issues the following commands for each poll: “FA;FB;FT;”. Again, 
note that this _only_ works when the KPA is allowed to talk to the radio 
directly.
 
> 2. The KPA500 seems to "look for" radio RS-232 data about every 5 seconds 
> because that is the lag from the Kenwood changing frequency to the KPA 
> changing bands.  A bit too long for me but tolerable.

The KPA500 is constantly available for data coming into its serial ports, and 
reacts to that data within 1 millisecond of the receipt of the terminating 
semicolon. If you are seeing it react every five seconds, that means the radio 
is only sending the information every 5 seconds. You should determine why that 
is happening, most likely because the commanding device is only polling with 
that period.

> Next Steps:
> 1. Move the sniffer to the KAT500 RS-232 line where DXLabs will send data via 
> the Secondary COM Port (K3 native format) to the KAT500 when clicking on a 
> spot or moving the Kenwood VFO.  Alas, I have the USB cable for the KAT500, 
> so I need to get the RS-232 cable.

If the DXLabs can send the proper format for the KAT500, then this might work. 
There are very few devices that do send native KAT500 or KPA500 commands, so 
you might want to look at another method unless that device happens to be on 
the short list. I have no info about the DXLabs device, but tend to doubt it 
handles the format. Also realize that the KPA500 will change bands immediately 
on detecting transmitted RF at its input on a band other than the one it last 
used, so this should not be as critical as you might think.

The KAT500 does not listen to the K3’s serial port for its frequency 
information, but rather to the K3’s Auxbus channel. It also does not understand 
the K3 responses, so piping K3 - formatted serial data into the KAT500 (or the 
KPA500 for that matter) will pretty much do nothing.

If no computer is involved in the station setup, it is quite possible that the 
you may want to have the DXLabs device eavesdrop on the KPA-computer 
communications. In either case, also realize that nothing is actually sending 
the BCD data for the KAT500 or KPA500 to respond to. Neither of these devices 
will drive the BCD signals, they only listen to them. That means that both must 
respond to RF data to determine band changes, unless you find some way to tell 
both (independently) the new band. Perhaps the DXLabs box can perform that 
function. It is possible for a KRC-2 to do this function, although I have never 
tried it.

Good luck and 73!

Jack Brindle, W6FB
Elecraft Engineering

> 
> 73,
> 
> Cliff K3LL/6
> 
> 
> 
> -Original Message-
> From: Cliff Frescura [mailto:c...@cfcorp.com] 
> Sent: Friday, October 09, 2015 2:10 PM
> To: 'Jack Brindle'
> Cc: 'Elecraft Reflector'
> Subject: RE: [Elecraft] [KAT500] PC Data to Amp Control?
> 
> Thanks Jack and others that replied off list.
> 
> I'm going to go with the y cable sniffer approach.  Since I don't use the amp 
> all the time, I'd rather not have to power it up just so the KAT500 can 
> receive commands from the Kenwood.
> 
> 73,
> 
> Cliff K3ll
> 
> -Original Message-
> From: Jack Brindle [mailto:jackbrin...@me.com]
> Sent: Friday, October 09, 2015 12:

Re: [Elecraft] [KAT500] PC Data to Amp Control?

[Jack Brindle]

Or connect the Kenwood’s serial port to the KPA500’s Radio port, then set the 
RADIO = SERIAL in the KPA.
Follow the directions in the KPA manual. This is exactly what that serial port 
is designed to do. Make sure you
use the RADIO port, not the PC port for this.

If you connect the serial port from the TS-940 to a computer, just make a Y 
cable to allow the KPA to see the data
going from the Radio to the computer. And make sure the TX line is not 
connected to the KPA.

Also note that the KPA will not interpret the data destined for the KAT500. It 
is specifically look for transceiver
data on the Radio port, or KPA-specific commands on the PC port.

- Jack, W6FB


> On Oct 9, 2015, at 11:54 AM, Cliff Frescura  wrote:
> 
> Thanks Dick,
> 
> Looks like I could either have the KPA500 sniff the RS-232 line into the
> KAT500 (use RXD pin only at the KPA500), or implement BAND0-3 and make it
> minimally emulate a K3S into the KPA500.
> 
> 73,
> 
> Cliff K3LL
> 
> -Original Message-
> From: Dick Dievendorff [mailto:d...@elecraft.com] 
> Sent: Friday, October 09, 2015 10:55 AM
> To: Cliff Frescura
> Cc: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] [KAT500] PC Data to Amp Control?
> 
> The KAT500 can read, but not pull down the 4 band change lines. 
> 
> Dick, K6KR
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
>> On Oct 8, 2015, at 21:07, Cliff Frescura  wrote:
>> 
>> Hi,
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> If I change bands on the KAT500 via the PC Data port, it appears that 
>> the new band data is not sent to the Amp Control connector.  Is this 
>> expected behavior? (hoping no).
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> For reference, my setup is:
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Kenwood TS-940
>> 
>> DXLabs Logging program
>> 
>> KAT500
>> 
>> KPA500
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> The 940 is connected to the computer and controlled by DXLabs.  DXLabs 
>> is configured to send commands to the KAT500 (follow the 940).  This 
>> all works fine.  I'm now trying to have the KPA500 follow the KAT500 
>> via the Amp Control connector on the KAT500 (with E850463 cable).
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 73,
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Cliff K3LL
>> 
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> 
> 
> 
> 
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Re: [Elecraft] new K3S (10195) and audio level drop when KPA500 in Oper mode

[Jack Brindle]

Jim;

Dick’s advice is sound. When in OPER mode, the KPA will display an asterisk on 
the left side of the display when PTT is applied. If you are seeing that
indicator, check the PTT connections to see if there is a short to ground. When 
using the KPA with your K3S, you should only use the AUX I/O cable,
nothing should be plugged into the PTT jack on the KPA500. If this is the case, 
then check the AUX I/O cable to make sure that no pins are bent. If you
see one bent over, try to straighten it without breaking it (might be 
difficult) and try the cable again.

There were no firmware changes for the KPA500 for the K3S. The interface and 
use is identical to that with the K3. The latest shipping firmware is V1.38,
which is what you should be using in your KPA.

- Jack, W6FB
Elecraft Engineering

 On Aug 29, 2015, at 9:06 AM, jim rogers jd...@bellsouth.net wrote:
 
 Good morning,
 
 I have a new K3S, serial # 10195.  All was going well until I hooked up my 
 KPA500 to the K3S using the Elecraft supplied aux cable (E850463).
 
 In standby mode (on the KPA500) the audio level on the K3S is nice and loud, 
 BUT when I press the OPER button on the KPA500 the audio level on the K3S all 
 but disappears!
 
 If I then press STBY on the KPA500, the audio level on the K3S returns to 
 loud. Only the E850463 cable connects between the two Elecraft components.
 
 The KPA500 is about 1 year old and has performed flawlessly to date.  Do I 
 have a Firmware issue with the older KPA500 and the brand new K3S?
 
 Thank you for any suggestion on how to resolve this issue.
 
 Jim N4DU
 
 
 
 
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Re: [Elecraft] Multiple KUSB Connects

[Jack Brindle]

Works just fine for me. I use a powered USB hub. A standard USB port can 
deliver a maximum of 500 mA for USB2 ports, or 750mA for USB ports. That should 
power a lot of USB-Serial ports, but as they say, your mileage may vary. 

I use an FTDI four-port USB adapter (it’s a development device from Mouser). OS 
X nicely identifies each port as the serial number followed by A, B, C or D. I 
also use several single-port FTDI devices and note their id numbers so that I 
can associate them with what they are connected to. All work pretty well. They 
are connected as follows to my 2009-vintage Mac mini: The four-port device 
plugs directly into the mini, while the other ports plug into a 7-port powered 
USB hub. I need at least five to communicate with various Elecraft devices, and 
actually can run multiple device Utility programs simultaneously. We don’t 
recommend that folks do that, but it works for me.

By the way, my worst-case test used a total of nine FTDI USB-Serial adapters 
with the mini. All worked quite well, used with several different applications 
running concurrently. So, it will work.

73!

Jack, W6FB

 On Aug 24, 2015, at 8:20 PM, David Ahrendts davidahren...@me.com wrote:
 
 Yes, Phil, you’re probably right. Probably over-think here. But there are 
 KAT500 parameters that can be more easily managed in real time with the 
 KAT500 Utility, so I thought I’d give it a try. Dunno, in the bigger picture, 
 might this be he precursor to the idea of software control or software 
 monitoring of Elecraft devices? Maybe. My problem is when I connect five 
 KUSBs they all have 10-or-12-digit names that I have to go through manually 
 to find my device that I want to control (I know, I know, poor me!!!). AND 
 they are power hogs. Mac OS X shuts ‘em down: too much power suck combined. 
 So, you need a powered USB hub to connect a few.  
 
 On Aug 24, 2015, at 7:11 PM, Phil Wheeler w...@socal.rr.com wrote:
 
 Hmm .. I've not tried that. I'd be cautious trying it. Really no need, after 
 all.
 
 73, Phil W7OX
 
 On 8/24/15 6:57 PM, David Ahrendts wrote:
 In a multiple Elecraft device station, I’m curious if anyone connects all 
 KUSBs to a USB hub semi-permanently so that when you need a connection you 
 already have that hardware access? Realizing you cannot run two Utility 
 programs simultaneously (at least I haven’t had success with that), what is 
 your setup? I have attempted with a USB hub into a Mac Mini with marginal 
 success. Please opine.
 
 David A., KC0XT
 
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Re: [Elecraft] Multiple KUSB Connects

[Jack Brindle]

Welcome to the world of high power. You will find a lot of things in your shack 
may not be designed to handle the higher power you now can run.
For example, take a good look at the specs for your MA5B. It is rated at 350 
watts key down for any length of time, further rated at 600 watts CW,
with a low duty cycle. Make sure that all cables and connectors in the antenna 
path are rated for the higher power you now run. You might want
to add a good RF Choke to the MA5B to eliminate problems with RF on the outside 
of the coax shield. K9YC has a very good tutorial for this.
See:  http://audiosystemsgroup.com/RFI-Ham.pdf 
http://audiosystemsgroup.com/RFI-Ham.pdf
Take a good look at some of the other things in your shack that also might 
benefit from good choking. The USB cables will be included in this,
especially the one from the computer to the KPA500.

The problem you are seeing isn’t too hard to resolve, but it will take some 
patience and experimenting to take care of them. There are a lot of us
on the reflector who have been through this who can help with suggestions. And 
realize that what you saw was not normal, but is actually not
a problem in the amplifier or radio. It’s just a result of using them. Once you 
get them licked, things become a lot more fun!

Jack, W6FB


 On Aug 26, 2015, at 3:44 PM, David Ahrendts davidahren...@me.com wrote:
 
 Interesting, Jack. K3S to KPA500 to KAT500 and a W2 to MA5B typically 1:1.2. 
 Perfecto!
 Connected the just received KUSB-KPA500 cable to the amp and to a USB port on 
 my Apple Thunderbolt 27.5 display running with the MacMini.  
 Downloaded KAT500 Utility and checked to see I have current firmware. I did. 
 Saved the config. Left the cable in place.
 Did a low power (amp in stand-by/amp in stand-by) 20M tune just to check if 
 the KAT500 needed to adjust. Every red light lit up on the amp. Did not dare 
 engage high power. No red lights on the KAT500 or the W2.
 Removed the KUSB cable and all was back to normal.
 Has to be RF traveling back through the new cable to the KPA500. Let me 
 duplicate the situation again taking great care to separate the KUSB cable 
 from any coax, and I’ll report back.
 
 David A., KC0XT
 
  
 
 On Aug 26, 2015, at 2:46 PM, Jack Brindle jackbrin...@me.com 
 mailto:jackbrin...@me.com wrote:
 
 I do. No problems here from development through current use, and I put it 
 through worse conditions that just about anyone when testing.
 It sound like you are having problems with RFI getting into the KUSB or 
 rather the KUSB-KPA500 cable. Tell me more about how you have things
 connected in your shack, being specific for the computer to KPA connection.
 
 Jack Brindle, W6FB
 Elecraft Engineering
 
 On Aug 26, 2015, at 1:09 PM, David Ahrendts davidahren...@me.com 
 mailto:davidahren...@me.com wrote:
 
 Just took delivery of the KUSB for the KPA500. Discovered I am up to speed 
 on FW and saved the config. Left the KUSB connected. Did a 30W K3S tune up 
 and EVERY RED LIGHT on the KPA500 came on. Awesome experience. Sorta like 
 LA’s notorious 405 most nights! Checked everything. Did a quick 30W tune 
 transmission again. KAT500 says 1:1.2 or less. W2, the same. RED LIGHT city 
 again on the KPA500. Removed the cable and we return to sweet green all 
 around. 
 So: ya don’t operate the KPA500 with the KUSB attached, right?  
 
 David Ahrendts   davidahren...@me.com mailto:davidahren...@me.com   
 
 
 
 
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Re: [Elecraft] K3 Keyout?

[Jack Brindle]

If it were _my_ K3 (or K3S), I would add the very inexpensive 1N5400 or 1N5407 
diode across the relays and eliminate the worry. Even reed relays can produce 
quite a kick, and the low cost of the diode would do wonders for peace of mind.

This same advice goes for antenna (and other) relays switched by the KRC2.

Jack Brindle, W6FB

 
> On Sep 7, 2015, at 5:40 PM, Jim Miller <j...@jtmiller.com> wrote:
> 
> Thanks all. The 200v tolerance will handle the minimal energy produced by
> the reed relay field collapsing.
> 
> 73
> 
> jim ab3cv
> 
> 
> 
> On Mon, Sep 7, 2015 at 8:32 PM, Don Wilhelm <w3...@embarqmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> Why do you need to look at the schematic.  The K3S specification says it
>> will handle +200 volts at 5 Amps, so those are the limits at the box level.
>> No matter what the device data sheet for a device might indicate, there
>> can be other considerations in the K3S design (or other 'boxes') that say
>> you should observe the specifications for the entire unit rather than
>> trying to re-engineer from the device specifications.
>> 
>> 73,
>> Don W3FPR
>> 
>> 
>> On 9/7/2015 7:59 PM, Jim Miller wrote:
>> 
>>> I don't have schematics for my K3S but going by those for the K3. The
>>> KeyOut line (RCA Jack) is driven by a IRF1630 which appears to be out of
>>> production. Either than or it is a misprint and is actually a IRF630.
>>> 
>>> If the latter it appears pretty burly. Can I assume it can drive a pair of
>>> reed relays without suffering an inductive kick failure?
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>> 
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Re: [Elecraft] Elecraft Mac People: KUSB Issue

[Jack Brindle]

Current requirements for the USB-Serial adapter can be seen by running a system 
report (About This Mac, then click on then System Report button). Then, select 
the USB entry under Hardware. If you have a lot of devices, figuring out which 
it is could be a challenge, but it will most likely be one of the FTDI 
interfaces. My KUSB shows a current requirement of 90 mA.

The Mac will try to put all devices on the USB to sleep when it goes to sleep, 
whether they are connected to a hub or not. When the Mac is awakened, it will 
try to reinitialize the ports as they were before the sleep condition, but if 
it is not doing this, then the software program should catch the wakeup 
notification and re-initialize the port. If it does not, you should file a bug 
report with the software package’s author to let them know they have something 
to fix. MacLogger DX is pretty good; it would surprise me if this isn’t already 
being done, but dropping an email to them is still a good idea.

Note that the USB stack is being reworked for El Capitan, so until the final 
release, you may see major changes in the way things work. Things have become 
much better since the first developer release, but there are still tweaks 
occurring with each subsequent release as problems are uncovered. 

Jack Brindle, W6FB


> On Sep 7, 2015, at 3:40 PM, David Ahrendts <davidahren...@me.com> wrote:
> 
> Many thanks for the half-dozen direct responses off list. Most of you run a 
> powered USB hub for the KUSB (or several). May I ask what type/brand powered 
> hub are you successfully using with your Mac device for the KUSB or multiple 
> KUSBs?
> 
> It appears the chip in the KUSB can be interpreted as a real power hog, and 
> the Mac Mini, MacBook Pro, iMac will protect against unusual drain. It just 
> shuts off the USB port after a little warning. A powered hub would certainly 
> remove that load from the Mac.
> I will also admit to being one of the million or so Mac beta testers and 
> we’re currently on OS X El Capitan beta Version 10.11 (15A278b). And believe 
> me, there have been/are plentiful Mac sleep-wake issues before they finalize. 
> 
> David A., KC0XT, LA
> 
> 
>> On Sep 7, 2015, at 2:39 PM, David Ahrendts <davidahren...@me.com> wrote:
>> 
>> What can ya do to keep your fabulous Mac OS X device (in my case a Mac Mini) 
>> from kicking off the KUSB when it goes to sleep? Trying to keep MacLogger 
>> connected to the K3S via it’s KUSB for several days at a time (like Labor 
>> Day weekend). It appears to get kicked off for inactivity as a power drain 
>> which requires (I know, poor me!) re-starting the Mac Mini to re-initialize 
>> the USB port with the KUSB. Not a big thing, but maybe there is a way to 
>> refresh the USB devices connected (a Mac issue). Anyone?
>> 
>> 
>> David Ahrendts   davidahren...@me.com <mailto:davidahren...@me.com>   
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> David Ahrendts   davidahren...@me.com   
> 
> 
> 
> 
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Re: [Elecraft] Maximum SWR for KPA-500 Amplifier without Tuner

[Jack Brindle]

Byron;

The KPA500 uses reflected power for its fault determination. It will protect 
itself at
60 watts reflected. As explained in the manual, the protection inserts a 3db 
pad in
the RF circuit, effectively dropping the input power in half. If the amplifier 
continues
to see 60 watts reflected it will go into the fault condition. Also, if it sees 
100 watts
or more of reflected power for a short time, it will immediately go into the 
fault mode.
The only hard SWR limit is 18:1, which is purely a protective scenario for 
extremely
bad loads (short- or open-connections).

What all this means is that the protections depend on the transmit power. If 
you are
running 540 watts, an SWR of 2:1 will give you 60 watts reflected, which is the
threshold to cause the KPA to start to protect itself. At 240 watts the 
threshold will be
seen at 3:1 SWR, at 135 watts it is 5:1. You can calculate them for yourself 
with
the SWR / power formulas available in the ARRL handbook.

So the short answer is that the SWR value for fault depends entirely on how much
power you are getting from the amplifier.

Jack Brindle, W6FB



> On Sep 13, 2015, at 11:44 AM, Byron Peebles <n...@arrl.net> wrote:
> 
> The external amplifier that I am planning to replace handles an SWR of 3:1 
> without a tuner.
> What is the recommended SWR maximum without tuner for the Elecraft KPA-500?
> 
> The only mentions of SWR in the manual are "connect to load of 1.5SWR or 
> less" and the hard fault 9.
> Does this imply the amp will fault at an SWR of 2.0-3.0 without an external 
> tuner?
> 
> 73, Byron
> 
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Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 Connection to K3S

[Jack Brindle]

No. The KPA500 never used RS-232 to connect to the K3 or K3S. It uses the AUX 
I/O connection.

- Jack, W6FB


> On Sep 16, 2015, at 9:54 AM, ae...@carolinaheli.com wrote:
> 
> Accessory plug?
> 
> -Original Message-
> From: Elecraft [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of
> Amateur Radio Operator N5GE
> Sent: Wednesday, September 16, 2015 12:10 PM
> To: Elecraft Reflector
> Subject: [Elecraft] KPA500 Connection to K3S
> 
> Now that the K3S has no RS232 connectors, is there any change in the way the
> KPA500 connects to the K3S?
> 
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Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 Problems

[Jack Brindle]

This is the right place to ask questions like this, since this is where we are 
listening. It is one of the major reasons the lists exists.

I see from your second email that the asterisk is not being shown when the K3 
keys. This indicates that the KPA500 is not getting the PTT signal.

The KAT500 does not listen to the PTT signal, it only disconnects it when it is 
doing a tune cycle. So you really cannot rule out a bad cable. Take a good look 
at the AUXI/O cable to make sure none of the pins are bent.also, ohm out the 
cable to make sure all the pins that are supposed to be connected actually are. 
If the PTT pin is not touching, then that would be the problem. The fact that 
using a Phono-Phono cable from the K3 to the KPA is a bit troubling, make sure 
that cable is good also.  Next check the KPA500’s menu settings to make sure 
that the INHIBIT signal is disabled. Shorting that input with the signal 
enabled in the KPA would also cause the KPA to not go into amplify mode.

While you are investigating, make sure the K3 is actually asserting the PTT 
signal.

If you don’t find the problem up to here, open the KPA’s top and check the 40  
pin ribbon cable on the left side to make sure it is properly seated on both 
ends (IO board and Front Panel board. It could have worked its way loose during 
shipment, but if it had you would be seeing lots of other problems.

If you don’t find anything with all of these checks, give me a shout back and 
we will look at more diagnosis.

73,

Jack Brindle, W6FB
Elecraft Engineering


> On Sep 19, 2015, at 10:04 AM, Mike VE3YF <m...@ve3yf.com> wrote:
> 
> Hi:
> 
> I hope nobody gets offended as I have also posted a message on the Elecraft 
> K3 Group, but I need some help in resolving this issue. I have searched thru 
> the 2 groups both
> here and also on Yahoo and can eliminate a few things.
> 
> - Digout1 is off.
> - The top cover interlock for the KPA500 is in place and working.
> - KPAK3AUX cable is working with the KPA500 and KAT500 as far as tuning the 
> KAT500 and communications between the KPA500 and the K3.
> - I have recycled the KPA500 off and on as well numerous band changes and 
> still nothing.
> - I have re-seated all the DB15 cables as still nothing
> 
> I am having problems to key the KPA500 from the K3. The KAT500 keys 
> (Completes the tune cycle if required) but can't key the KPA500.
> 
> I have taken the KPAK3AUX cable from the K3 and placed it directly to the 
> KPA500 and still won't key. I have moved it back to the KAT500 and the KAT500 
> keys up fine. I
> have placed the KPA500 - KAT500 cable back back on the KAT500 and KPA500 and 
> still nothing.
> 
> On the KPA500 display, the HV is at 75.1 and when I key the K3, that voltage 
> doesn't change as well when I attempt to key the amp, I get a current reading 
> of 0.
> 
> At no time during my testing did I ever get a fault.
> 
> The K3 and the KPA500 are talking to each other, I can do band changes from 
> the KPA500, and the K3 displays the KPA500 Status ie Operate or Standby
> 
> All my tests have been done into a dummy load and when I have the K3 set at 
> 25 watts output, I get the far left green led on the KPA500 power and swr bar 
> graphs being
> illuminated
> 
> I have even taken the KPAK3AUX cable off the KPA500 and tried putting a phono 
> cable on the PA Key jack and shorting out the connector still doesn't key the 
> KPA500.
> 
> I am quite sure others have had this problem before. But I'm at a loss. The 
> K3 can talk to both the KAT and KPA and the KPA can talk to the K3.
> 
> I think (???) I can rule out the KPAK3AUX Cable at this point as it seems to 
> work just fine. I am thinking something inside the KPA500 like a bad relay 
> since the AUX Cable
> and a Phono cable hooked up to the PA Key jack both have no effect. This is 
> the same for all the bands.
> 
> The amp was just at Elecraft and was given a clean bill of health, it had TR 
> Circuit updates, ALC and QSK Mods completed.
> 
> Any help would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 73 De Mike
> VE3YF
> 
> http://www.ve3yf.com
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Re: [Elecraft] Elecraft K3 Utility problem

[Jack Brindle]

Dick is an early riser - even more amazing since it is still dark where he 
lives, and will be for a bit longer.

He already has a new version in limited testing this morning, literally minutes 
after the problem was reported.
If all goes well, it will see wide testing followed by release within a few 
days.

Not to toot our own horn, but outstanding job, sir!

Jack, W6FB


> On Dec 7, 2015, at 7:33 AM, Mike Reublin NF4L  wrote:
> 
> OK, it's way too early to be at work.
> 
> 73, Mike NF4L
> 
> 
>> On Dec 7, 2015, at 10:11 AM, Dick Dievendorff  wrote:
>> 
>> I'm looking into it now.
>> 
>> Dick, K6KR
>> 
>> 
>> -Original Message-
>> From: Elecraft [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Mike
>> Reublin NF4L
>> Sent: Monday, December 7, 2015 07:06
>> To: Kenneth A. Christiansen 
>> Cc: Elecraft List 
>> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Elecraft K3 Utility problem
>> 
>> Ken -
>> 
>> I can duplicate your problem on my Win10 Pro setup. Elecraft support is
>> supp...@elecraft.com. 
>> 
>> 73, Mike NF4L
>> 
>> 
>>> On Dec 7, 2015, at 9:05 AM, Kenneth Christiansen  wrote:
>>> 
>>> Hi to the group
>>> 
>>> I was helping a friend get on PSK31 and discovered I have a problem with
>> the Elecraft K3 Utility program revision 1.15.8.18, my K3s sn 10329 and my
>> HP 64 bit laptop running the latest updates of Windows 10 Home.
>>> 
>>> Everything works OK until I click PSK 31 or RTTY and Options. If i put a
>> number in "Idle timeout milliseconds:" and hit ENTER or click Close I get
>> the following error and the programs quits. 
>>> 
>>> " Elecraft K3 Utility
>>> Elecraft K3 Utility has stopped working A problem caused the program 
>>> to stop working correctly.
>>> Windows will close the program and notify you if a solution is available.
>>> Close the program"
>>> 
>>> The above results also happen with my ASUS laptop with all the same
>> software.
>>> 
>>> Is anyone else having the same trouble? Can anyone else recommend how I
>> should report this to Elecraft.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Thanks
>>> 
>>> The K3s did a great job for me when I played in the 160 meter contest this
>> week end. I was impressed at how well the receiver worked under bad local
>> conditions.
>>> 
>>> 73
>>> 
>>> KenW0CZ   w0cz at i29 dot net
>>> 
>>> Sent from my iPad
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>>> n...@comcast.net
>> 
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> 
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Re: [Elecraft] Does K3 remember KPA500 settings?

[Jack Brindle]

The K3 has no way to command the KPA500 into any state. Aux IO communications 
is one-way, from the KPA500 to the K3. The KPA simply reads the BAND lines to 
determine the K3’s band.

Your description sounds like you have the KPA500 menu setting BAND CHG set to 
STBY. If this isn’t the case, let me know.

Jack Brindle, W6FB


> On Dec 1, 2015, at 1:00 PM, Jerry <w...@jetbroadband.com> wrote:
> 
> Good afternoon,
> 
> 
> 
> This past weekend when working the CW contest, I noticed something that may
> have a solution to it, but I don't know where to find it.
> 
> 
> 
> I noticed that when I switched from one band using the KPA in Operate
> position to another band and then back to the original band again, the
> KPA500 reverts back to StandBy condition. 
> 
> 
> 
> It would be nice if the K3 would remember the state of the amplifier per
> band much like it does with the KAT500. 
> 
> 
> 
> Is there a parameter in the config/main menus that would allow me to set so
> that it would force the K3 to store the status of the KPA500 .
> 
> 
> 
> If not, I have a suggestion for Wayne & Co.
> 
> 
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> 
> 
> Jerry Knowlton, W1IE
> 
> 
> 
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Re: [Elecraft] Remote KAT500

[Jack Brindle]

At one time the RS-232 spec did have a distance rating (probably in the RS232A 
time frame, it was at least 100 feet as I recall). By the C revision, this was 
replaced by cable capacitance that the driver could feed. In practice RS-232 
can regularly drive several hundred feet of cable, depending on the data rate. 
The problem in all this is the driver in use. If the driver meets the EI-232 
spec, then there should be no problem. However, equipment that takes shortcuts 
(0-5V swings for example) are probably meant to just connect to something next 
to it.

Thus the real answer is, “try it.” If communications is flakey you may need to 
lower the data rate, but most likely you will be able to find a setting that 
works.
Let us know what you find!

- Jack, W6FB


> On Dec 30, 2015, at 11:57 AM, Cliff Frescura  wrote:
> 
> 8 ft is not true for rs-232.  Depends on type of cable and baud rate.  50ft 
> is generally fine and can go up to hundreds of feet.  Maybe you are thinking 
> about usb.
> 
> 73,
> 
> Cliff K3LL
> 
>  Original message From: Mike va3mw 
>  Date:12/30/2015  11:32 AM  (GMT-08:00) 
> To: Va3ied  Cc: 
> elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Remote KAT500 
> 
> While the spec for serial is about 8ft, I run it much further in 
> professional sports timing. 
> 
> Give it a try and see if it works. If you can keep the baud rate down, that 
> will help. 
> 
> To really do it correctly, you will want to run rs232 to rs485 converters and 
> that will certainly solve your problem.  Www.rs485.com has the bits you need. 
>  You can send serial like this thousands of meters.  We do this all the time. 
> 
> It isn't as complicated as it sounds. 
> 
> Mike va3mw
> 
> 
> 
>> On Dec 30, 2015, at 9:47 AM, Va3ied  wrote:
>> 
>> My tower and garden shed are about 150 feet away. I have LMR400 buried inside
>> some PEX pipe. Would like to use the KAT500 inside the shed...not sure how
>> well a serial connection that distance would work!
>> scott va3ied
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> --
>> View this message in context: 
>> http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/Remote-KAT500-tp7604849p7612014.html
>> Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
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Re: [Elecraft] Elecraft web site

[Jack Brindle]

You might try configuring your computers with an alternate DNS entry. Either 
4.4.4.4 or 8.8.8.8 should work. 

The site is up and functional, which means that something is going on that is 
close to your setup. Probably other sites
are not available to you at present either. Usually that means DNS issues, thus 
trying a different Domain Name
Server will solve things until your regular service provider fixes the problem.

- Jack, W6FB


> On Dec 30, 2015, at 12:59 PM, Reed Bumgarner  wrote:
> 
> I don't think it's just me. I've seen other comments.
> On Dec 30, 2015 3:57 PM, "Walter Underwood"  wrote:
> 
>> According to downforeveryoneorjustme.com, the site is working.
>> 
>> http://downforeveryoneorjustme.com/elecraft.com
>> 
>> wunder
>> K6WRU
>> Walter Underwood
>> CM87wj
>> http://observer.wunderwood.org/ (my blog)
>> 
>> On Dec 30, 2015, at 12:49 PM, Reed Bumgarner  wrote:
>> 
>> I'm unable to get to it after trying on several devices since sometime
>> yesterday.
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Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 RESET??

[Jack Brindle]

I’ll echo Cliff’s questions, and ask a few more. My reading of DDUtil says it 
extracts frequency information from the SDR and presents it to external
devices. Unless it has been expanded with further functionality, I don’t see
how it would key the amplifier.

With this in mind, please describe exactly how you have the KPA500 connected
to the FLEX, including the connected ports and signals.

Also, the answers to Cliff’s questions are important. If the asterisk does not
appear, then the amplifier is not seeing the PTT signal activated.

And, from what you have already said, the processor appears to be running just 
fine.
The CPU does a self check on power-up, which says that the program is just fine.
The fact that any information is being displayed also says that it is working. I
strongly suspect that the answer is elsewhere, most likely in the interfacing
to your rig and computer. With some more info, we should be able to help
you solve this riddle.

73,

Jack Brindle, W6FB
Elecraft Engineering

> On Dec 26, 2015, at 8:33 AM, joeduerbusch <k...@arrl.net> wrote:
> 
> I got a new KPA500 for Christmas.  It worked fine.
> But I tried to interface it with my FLEX-6300 using a program Called DDUTIL.
> DDUTIL connected to both the Flex and KPA500 but now I have NO KPA500
> keying.  Yes I have the PA Key hooked up.  Without the DDUTIL the KPA500
> worked
> and changed bands by RF.  That doesn't work either.
> 
> Is there a HARD RESET for the KPA500 as I think its computer is locked up
> 
> Joe K0BX
> 
> #1 Honor Roll Mixed
> Honor Roll RTTY
> 5BDXCC Plus 30,17,12
> 5BWAS
> 
> 
> Stop the insanity!
> Please do not add me to any distribution lists (Joke, Stories or Junk)
> without my permission.
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Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 RESET??

[Jack Brindle]

Bother? Look at it this way, you are doing me a favor. We are in the 
just-after-Christmas time when I have the following choices:
1) Eat more left-over ham.
2) Go to the mall.
3) Watch yet another rerun of NCIS (I love NCIS, but…).
4) Help folks have fun with their new toys.

One guess what my preference is.

If you need anything with regards to the KPA500, just ask.

73,

Jack, W6FB

> On Dec 26, 2015, at 12:12 PM, joeduerbusch <k...@arrl.net> wrote:
> 
> Hi Jack sorry to bother you on the weekend.  I did get  the KPA500 working.  
> Don't know what I did but I played around with the DDUtil a bit and it 
> started working.
> The DDUtil acts as a bridge between the Flex and the KPA500.   The DDUtil 
> reads information from the Flex and send it to the KPA500.
> It makes the KPA500 follow the Flex during band changes.  It also had a 
> features called AutoDrive that lets the user set the Amp drive and the 
> Barefoot drive.
> It knows when the KPA500 is offline or off and sets the drive accordingly.
> 
> I do think it was inhibiting the PTT as even with the KPA500 in OPER there 
> was NO *.  
> Turning off the computer and turning off the KPA500 did not seem to reset the 
> problem.
> 
> I don't think it is an issue with the KPA500.
> 
> Joe K0BX
>  
> 
> #1 Honor Roll Mixed
> Honor Roll RTTY
> 5BDXCC Plus 30,17,12
> 5BWAS
> 
> 
> Stop the insanity!
> Please do not add me to any distribution lists (Joke, Stories or Junk) 
> without my permission.
> 
> 
> On Sat, Dec 26, 2015 at 7:50 PM, Jack Brindle <jackbrin...@me.com 
> <mailto:jackbrin...@me.com>> wrote:
> I’ll echo Cliff’s questions, and ask a few more. My reading of DDUtil says it
> extracts frequency information from the SDR and presents it to external
> devices. Unless it has been expanded with further functionality, I don’t see
> how it would key the amplifier.
> 
> With this in mind, please describe exactly how you have the KPA500 connected
> to the FLEX, including the connected ports and signals.
> 
> Also, the answers to Cliff’s questions are important. If the asterisk does not
> appear, then the amplifier is not seeing the PTT signal activated.
> 
> And, from what you have already said, the processor appears to be running 
> just fine.
> The CPU does a self check on power-up, which says that the program is just 
> fine.
> The fact that any information is being displayed also says that it is 
> working. I
> strongly suspect that the answer is elsewhere, most likely in the interfacing
> to your rig and computer. With some more info, we should be able to help
> you solve this riddle.
> 
> 73,
> 
> Jack Brindle, W6FB
> Elecraft Engineering
> 
> > On Dec 26, 2015, at 8:33 AM, joeduerbusch <k...@arrl.net 
> > <mailto:k...@arrl.net>> wrote:
> >
> > I got a new KPA500 for Christmas.  It worked fine.
> > But I tried to interface it with my FLEX-6300 using a program Called DDUTIL.
> > DDUTIL connected to both the Flex and KPA500 but now I have NO KPA500
> > keying.  Yes I have the PA Key hooked up.  Without the DDUTIL the KPA500
> > worked
> > and changed bands by RF.  That doesn't work either.
> >
> > Is there a HARD RESET for the KPA500 as I think its computer is locked up
> >
> > Joe K0BX
> >
> > #1 Honor Roll Mixed
> > Honor Roll RTTY
> > 5BDXCC Plus 30,17,12
> > 5BWAS
> >
> >
> > Stop the insanity!
> > Please do not add me to any distribution lists (Joke, Stories or Junk)
> > without my permission.
> > __
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> > <http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft>
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> >
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> 
> 

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Re: [Elecraft] P3 Showing Transmit Signal

[Jack Brindle]

That would be from me… Amazingly, this was on 80 meters, and was heard all over 
the bay area up into central CA. At times the “echo” was louder than the direct 
signal!
There are at least two recordings from that event. Very strange, and extremely 
interesting. While it was ongoing, both 40 and 80 were open across NA. When it 
stopped,
40 collapsed to the point where the only signal heard was VY1AAA, and 80 became 
only local. In 40+ years of hamming, this is the first time I have experienced 
anything like that.
I have to say, it was also very cool to experience.

73,
Jack, W6FB

> On Nov 25, 2015, at 11:38 PM, Bill Frantz  wrote:
> 
> We had a report at the November West Valley Amateur Radio Association meeting 
> of one member who experienced "echos" from his own CW transmissions during 
> Sweepstakes on November 7-8. He verified by listening to another nearby 
> station that the echo was 1/7 second later, the time for a radio signal to go 
> around the world. The K3's full break in allowed him to hear himself between 
> the morse code units.
> 
> 73 Bill AE6JV
> 
> On 11/26/15 at 10:25 PM, arato.and...@wigner.mta.hu (Andras ARATO) wrote:
> 
>> I could see this these days, but it was my signal coming back from around 
>> the Earth when transmitting on 21 MHz. It was a good propagation with K=1 
>> and SFI=121. I could hear it too.
>> 
>> 73! de HA4AA Andras
> 
> ---
> Bill Frantz| Truth and love must prevail  | Periwinkle
> (408)356-8506  | over lies and hate.  | 16345 Englewood Ave
> www.pwpconsult.com |   - Vaclav Havel | Los Gatos, CA 95032
> 
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Re: [Elecraft] Rescaling the W2?

[Jack Brindle]

The inductors in a directional coupler are not linear. The response to the 
turns count is actually a squaring function, so it would be difficult to remove 
turns and have the effect you want. The other problem is that the W2 firmware 
has a lot of data tables that depend on the values that are set in the sensor - 
changing the sensors means changing the tables. I believe that using the 
scaling factor that is already built in to the W2 would be the best way to 
achieve what Scott wants. It does have a down side, though. If someone else 
were to look at the scaled W2 and see the 10 LED light up, we would naturally 
think it was indicating 10 (or 1 or 100 or 1000) watts instead of whatever 
value Scott has scaled for.

- Jack, W6FB


> On Nov 20, 2015, at 10:08 AM, Michael Blake  wrote:
> 
> Alan, while I do not own a W2 it would seem that the pickup coils in the 
> sensor could be reduced in turns by the correct amount to lower the coupling 
> loss loss by 3 dB.  Would not the rest of the W2 work correctly at the 3 dB 
> (or whatever you choose) lower power level?
> 
> Michael Blake - K9JRI
> 
> 
> 
>> On Nov 20, 2015, at 12:07 PM, Alan  wrote:
>> 
>> I just tested it.  The maximum you can set the W2 calibration value to is 
>> 650.  (Using the ">" and "+" RS-232 commands)  That causes the wattmeter to 
>> read about 60% high on my W2.  So with the W2 set to read 2000W full scale, 
>> the actual full scale would be about 1250W.
>> 
>> Or you could go in the other direction.  The minimum calibration value is 
>> 350, which causes the power to read about 47% (on my unit).  With the W2 set 
>> to read 200W full scale it would actually be about 425W full scale.
>> 
>> Alan N1AL
>> 
>> 
>> On 11/20/2015 07:15 AM, Cliff Frescura wrote:
>>> I find the scaling awkward as well.  My W2 is placed on the input side of my
>>> KPA500 and it seems that dividing the scale by two might do the trick.  I've
>>> not looked at the schematic, but wonder if it could be tricked by a resistor
>>> divider in the sensor line.
>>> 
>>> 73,
>>> 
>>> Cliff K3LL
>>> 
>>> -Original Message-
>>> From: Elecraft [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Don
>>> Wilhelm
>>> Sent: Friday, November 20, 2015 5:55 AM
>>> To: Scott Townley; elecraft@mailman.qth.net
>>> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Rescaling the W2?
>>> 
>>> Scott,
>>> 
>>> I believe that would require a new sensor and firmware to support it.
>>> Popular scales on wattmeters are 200 watts and 2000 watts full scale, so you
>>> are not going to get much better with another brand product.
>>> The W2 used with its utility program can give you more resolution, but then
>>> using the Utility when mobile would not be advisable.
>>> 
>>> 73,
>>> Don W3FPR
>>> 
>>> On 11/20/2015 8:32 AM, Scott Townley wrote:
 I know the W2 can be "dialed in" to match one's personal standard,
 but...can it be completely rescaled?
 I use the K3/KPA500/W2 mobile, and the KPA500 is mounted in my pickup
 bed so the W2 is the only system meter available at the operating
 position.  However, the 2's scaling doesn't give me much display
 dynamic range...the KPA500 will only light 5 of the 17 LEDs at full
 power.
 It would be far more useful for me to have the meter scaled to 600W
 say...then the 15th LED would be 450W.  Even scaling it to 1000W would
 give me more than half the display range.
 
 
>>> 
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>>> delivered to c...@cfcorp.com
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>>> 
>>> 
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Re: [Elecraft] KPA 500 voltage drop on key down

[Jack Brindle]

I agree with Cliff. You want to use the largest power cabling possible when 
feeding the KPA500 (or any amplifier). The KPA500 goes from very little current 
to 10 amps or more very quickly. Resistance in the power wiring gets translated 
into heat loss and voltage drop, which you see as the lights dimming. This is 
one of the reasons many amp owners run their amps on 230V instead of 115V. It’s 
also the reason we ship a very beefy power cable with the KPA500. Unfortunately 
we can’t do anything about the wiring in your wall. You might want to have it 
checked or use a non-loaded outlet for the KPA500.

I don’t believe that the manual actually states the lower limit for the 60V 
supply. For the record, the KPA500 will fault if that supply drops below 40 
volts. This is really an overall power supply check - I don’t think I have ever 
seen the supply drop that low except in testing. The upper hard limit is 90 
volts, which is where the transformer taps come in to play. You don’t want the 
supply to go above 90V when idle, so we have you set the tap according to your 
line voltage to make sure this is handled properly. If you do see a high 
voltage fault, then you should actually change the tap for a lower voltage to 
make sure we stay within limits.

73,

Jack Brindle, W6FB
Elecraft Engineering


> On Nov 20, 2015, at 8:13 AM, Cliff Frescura <c...@cfcorp.com> wrote:
> 
> Sounds like the amp is plugged into an outlet that is potentially overloaded
> or underrated.
> 
> Changing the tap won't solve the problem and may damage the amp.
> 
> 73,
> 
> Cliff K3LL
> 
> -Original Message-
> From: Elecraft [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Matt
> Murphy
> Sent: Friday, November 20, 2015 7:46 AM
> To: Elecraft Reflector
> Subject: [Elecraft] KPA 500 voltage drop on key down
> 
> I just set up my KPA 500 and the HV on standby is 72.5 volts.  On key down,
> however, it drops to 48 volts and the lights in the shack noticeably flicker
> a bit.
> 
> Would changing a the tap on the transformer potentially help things? Or is
> the real issue the voltage drop between the pole and the wall socket?
> 
> Suggestions/ideas would be much appreciated, as well as tips for debugging
> any issues with the household wiring.
> 
> Per the KPA 500 manual, the amp may fault if the voltage under load gets
> below 60VDC, so running in it with reduced drive may be necessary. While
> doing that wouldn't be the end of the world, I'd like to address the root
> cause if possible.
> 
> 73,
> Matt NQ6N
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> 
> 
> 
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Re: [Elecraft] Rescaling the W2?

[Jack Brindle]

Note that this affects all Power measurements in the W2 (but not SWR). This 
means that the serial data will be scaled by the same amount.
It will have affects on the auto-switching in the unit, as well as the alarm 
function. This means that if you set the alarm for 1000 watts and set the 
scaling so that 1000 watts is read as 500 watts, you won’t get an alarm. 
Conversely, if you scale so that 500 watts is indicated as 1000, you will see 
an alarm.

I would not recommend modifying the connections into the pickup unit - you 
would have to modify all of the sensor connections, and it would have adverse 
affects on our ability to detect characteristics of the unit.

Changing the scaling might be interesting for your use, though. If you try it, 
let us know how it works out for you.

73,

- Jack Brindle, W6FB


> On Nov 20, 2015, at 9:07 AM, Alan <n...@sonic.net> wrote:
> 
> I just tested it.  The maximum you can set the W2 calibration value to is 
> 650.  (Using the ">" and "+" RS-232 commands)  That causes the wattmeter to 
> read about 60% high on my W2.  So with the W2 set to read 2000W full scale, 
> the actual full scale would be about 1250W.
> 
> Or you could go in the other direction.  The minimum calibration value is 
> 350, which causes the power to read about 47% (on my unit).  With the W2 set 
> to read 200W full scale it would actually be about 425W full scale.
> 
> Alan N1AL
> 
> 
> On 11/20/2015 07:15 AM, Cliff Frescura wrote:
>> I find the scaling awkward as well.  My W2 is placed on the input side of my
>> KPA500 and it seems that dividing the scale by two might do the trick.  I've
>> not looked at the schematic, but wonder if it could be tricked by a resistor
>> divider in the sensor line.
>> 
>> 73,
>> 
>> Cliff K3LL
>> 
>> -Original Message-
>> From: Elecraft [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Don
>> Wilhelm
>> Sent: Friday, November 20, 2015 5:55 AM
>> To: Scott Townley; elecraft@mailman.qth.net
>> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Rescaling the W2?
>> 
>> Scott,
>> 
>> I believe that would require a new sensor and firmware to support it.
>> Popular scales on wattmeters are 200 watts and 2000 watts full scale, so you
>> are not going to get much better with another brand product.
>> The W2 used with its utility program can give you more resolution, but then
>> using the Utility when mobile would not be advisable.
>> 
>> 73,
>> Don W3FPR
>> 
>> On 11/20/2015 8:32 AM, Scott Townley wrote:
>>> I know the W2 can be "dialed in" to match one's personal standard,
>>> but...can it be completely rescaled?
>>> I use the K3/KPA500/W2 mobile, and the KPA500 is mounted in my pickup
>>> bed so the W2 is the only system meter available at the operating
>>> position.  However, the 2's scaling doesn't give me much display
>>> dynamic range...the KPA500 will only light 5 of the 17 LEDs at full
>>> power.
>>> It would be far more useful for me to have the meter scaled to 600W
>>> say...then the 15th LED would be 450W.  Even scaling it to 1000W would
>>> give me more than half the display range.
>>> 
>>> 
>> 
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Re: [Elecraft] Bands are more open than usual today

[Jack Brindle]

It’s not just Wayne. You would be amazed at how many Elecraft employees are 
active on the bands. I would bet that you have talked with many of us on the 
air without realizing it.

SSB Sweepstakes this weekend will be another opportunity. At least three or 
four of us will be on the air participating in the contest. I’m sure Wayne will 
be there if he can figure out a way to send the Sweepstakes voice exchange 
using his paddle… 

73,
Jack, W6FB

> On Nov 20, 2015, at 10:01 AM, John Kramer  wrote:
> 
> Wayne
> 
> So good to see a radio manufacturing boss that is so active and involved in 
> our hobby.
> 
> I think it is very beneficial to Elecraft as a company, and also to us the 
> customers, as
> you are in touch with what goes on in our hobby and what is required in our 
> transceivers.
> 
> Call it market research :) it’s all good !
> 
> 73
> John, ZS5J   C91J   A25J
> 
> 
> 
> On 20 Nov 2015, at 6:49 PM, Wayne Burdick  wrote:
> 
> At least here in N. CA, I'm hearing a lot more 10-meter beacons than usual, 
> and lots of activity on the higher bands. Maybe we should all pile on?
> 
> I've been making a lot of Q's on 20 m with the the KX3's built-in RTTY and 
> PSK31 modes at 10 W, thanks to the new PX3 keyboard firmware. Given the 
> better band conditions, I'll be doing more on 17 and 15 m today. (On my lunch 
> break :)
> 
> 73,
> Wayne
> N6KR
> 
> 
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Re: [Elecraft] Solar Charge Controllers (was Field Day)

[Jack Brindle]

Thee is an issue with the cheaper solar controllers - they tend to place the 
switching transistor in the ground leg, making connections difficult. For 
example the Sunforce controller that Jim mentions uses an N-channel FET as its 
pass transistor, in the ground lead. If you then connect the radio or other 
load to the battery while it is being charged, you can end up with a floating 
ground. One local solar expert discovered that his setup of this kind caused 
massive current flow on the shield connection of a USB cable - it was 
essentially carrying all the ground current!

The better controllers use P-channel FETs in the positive leg of the charger, 
as shown in Mike Bryce (WB8VGE)’s design in the ARRL publication “Emergency 
Power For Radio Communications” and also in the CirKits design that Bill 
mentions. I have a pair of each of these and will be using them this Field Day 
to keep a pair of Marine deep-cycle batteries charged from a 100 watt solar 
array and also a 45 watt backup array. I like the WB8VGE design better, but it 
won’t handle the 100 watt array without modification, which caused me to pick 
up the CCS3 boards. Unfortunately the WB8VGE kits appear to no longer be 
available, but the CirKits boards (also designed and sold by a ham, forgot his 
call) are very much available and a fun build.

- Jack, W6FB

P.S. Listen for both Bill, myself and many others from the WVARA operation at 
Mora Hill, CA using the call K6EI in FD. It is an all-K3/QRP operation with 
outstanding antennas in a location you have to see to believe. And, if you are 
in the area and searching for a place to play, look us up!


> On Jun 8, 2016, at 10:36 AM, Jim Brown  wrote:
> 
> Yes on all counts. This unit would be described as a simple hysteresis 
> controller -- it doesn't pulse the charge current, it simply turns charging 
> on if the battery voltage is less than full charge, turns charging off when 
> that voltage is reached, and turns charging back on when battery voltage has 
> dropped some pre-set amount. Chargers like this are, by their nature, free of 
> RFI, because there's no square wave to generate RF trash. Several years ago, 
> a local ham pointed me to this product, which does the same thing, but is 
> rated for a lot less current.
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/Sunforce-7-Amp-Charge-Controller/dp/B0006JO0XI/ref=sr_1_1?srs=2601531011=UTF8=1465406526=8-1=solar+charge+controller
> 
> The more efficient charge controllers of which Bill speaks are MPPT 
> controllers; they have a DC-DC converter that converts the relatively high 
> panel voltage at low current to lower voltage at the higher current that the 
> battery can accept. This allows a large battery to accept more charge in a 
> shorter period of time. By their nature, they use square waves, so they can 
> be noisy, and most MPPT charge controllers ARE noisy. The Genesun MPPT 
> controllers create very little RF noise, and won't be heard in most 
> installations. My solar panels are next to my 160M antenna, so I need a choke 
> on panel side of the controller to prevent noise pickup on that antenna. 
> That's a pretty extreme condition. :) So I'd call the Genasun controllers RF 
> quiet.
> 
> 73, Jim K9YC
> 
> On Tue,6/7/2016 6:12 PM, Bill Frantz wrote:
>> I have been using a solar charge controller from CIrKits 
>> . The kit comes in a 20A version and there are 
>> modification instructions for 40A, 60A, and 80A. I have the 20A version and 
>> have noticed no RFI in my suburban QTH. The higher current modifications 
>> change some of the circuit resistors to keep the RFI low, so low RFI was one 
>> of the design goals.
>> 
>> This controller feeds full panel current to the battery until the voltage 
>> reaches the float voltage and then floats the battery at that voltage. This 
>> techniqueis a good for lead-acid batteries but is probably not appropriate 
>> for lithium family chemistries.
>> 
>> It is also not the most efficient way to charge a lead-acid battery. Higher 
>> efficiency can be achieved by charging at a slightly higher voltage and only 
>> reducing the voltage to the float voltage when the charge current becomes 
>> low. With my 7.5A rated panels, I can recover the batteries charge in a day 
>> after spending a weekend contesting at 100W, so the additional efficiency is 
>> not a major concern. The charge system also works well on field day at QRP 
>> power levels.
> 
> 
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Re: [Elecraft] KPA500 Minimum Drive?

[Jack Brindle]

Fred’s assessment is correct - the output power resolution below 25 watts is 
pretty low. But it is still putting out power, at least to a point. There _is_ 
a lower limit to input power - it involves the ability of the frequency counter 
to do its job. If the counter cannot get an accurate count, it won’t be able to 
corroborate the frequency for the correct band selection. This level is in the 
neighborhood of 1 watt, giving you some range to play with.

Enjoy playing with your KPA500!

Jack, W6FB


> On Jun 15, 2016, at 7:15 PM, Fred Jensen  wrote:
> 
> Hmmm ... I guess first question is, what's the problem?  25 W to 20W is 
> slightly less than 1 dB, 0.16 S-unit.  Just run barefoot?
> 
> The LED Power display on the KPA500 is digital.  It "measures the power," and 
> puts it into one of a number of bins.  If something is in the bin, it lights 
> the LED.  If the measured power isn't high enough for the lowest bin, all the 
> bins are empty, no LED's light up, although there is still RF being made.
> 
> Measuring power with simple instruments is hard ... well, sort of impossible. 
>  You can measure the voltage, but then you need to know the impedance, a 
> complex number, not easily measured with a DVM.  You can measure the current 
> -- same problem.  KPA500 is designed to emit 500W with 25-30W input.  I think 
> you're pushing the envelope here and nothing is wrong.
> 
> 73,
> 
> Fred K6DGW
> - Northern California Contest Club
> - CU in the Cal QSO Party 1-2 Oct 2016
> - www.cqp.org
> 
> On 6/15/2016 4:54 PM, James Bennett wrote:
>> I share my KPA500 with a K3 and a KX3. When I want to operate JT65 or
>> JT9 I normally run about 25 watts out, using the KX3 to drive the
>> amp. With the KX3 set to 1.8 watts out, the amp gives me 25; with 2.2
>> watts from the KX3, I get 30 watts out from the amp.
>> 
>> But, what if I want to run 20 watts? Or 15? When I back the KX3 power
>> level below 1.8, the KPA500 shows zero on the LED power display. Does
>> this mean it is no longer amplifying, or is it actually amplifying
>> but not enough for the circuitry to determine how much?
>> 
>> Jim Bennett / W6JHB Folsom, CA
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Re: [Elecraft] K3 band data lines

[Jack Brindle]

This can work. But it can cause problems as well. You should add isolation in 
the form of either small diodes (cathode towards K3) or small resistors (maybe 
100 ohms).
The problem is that if the Arduino is left powered on when the K3 is off, the 
Arduino can actually leak power into the K3 through these connections and can 
actually power parts of the K3 (as in parts, but not all, of the cpu). This 
false power can lead to other problems, which is why we suggest the isolation 
diodes.

The second thing is to remember that 60 meters is coded as all zeros. The K3 
has pullup resistors on the band lines, which will pull the band lines to 
whatever Vcc happens to be at that time. When the K3 is off, Vcc is zero, which 
will be the value of the band lines (i.e. not high-impedance). Thus when the K3 
is off, you will see a band selection of 60 meters. KPA500 users see this as 
the KPA500 switches to 60 meters if it is left powered up after the K3 is 
switched off.

Good luck with the project!

- Jack, W6FB

> On Feb 7, 2016, at 9:47 AM, Bill Frantz  wrote:
> 
> I have built a similar switch controller. If anyone wants a copy of the 
> details, please ask.
> 
> Specifically: 
> 
> - Just connect te band lines directly to the Arduino inputs. It works fine.
> 
> - Don't know about cross band split. However K 3 power off and 60M look the 
> same.
> 
> - I don't bother. I don't change bands while transmitting. I'm not sure if 
> the K3 even supports it.
> 
> 73 Bill AE6JV
> 
> 
> On 2/7/16 at 3:38 AM, p...@tippete.net (Pierfrancesco Caci) wrote:
> 
>> Hello,
>> I'm trying to make my own interface between the band data lines on the
>> accessory connector of the K3 and the remote antenna switch. 
>> I have a few questions that I hope you can help me with:
>> 
>> - is it safe to just poll the band lines with the arduino digital input
>>  pins? I understand that my K3 is new enough to have the internal pull
>>  up resistor. Should I put an isolation device inbetween? 
>> 
>> - does the band data as provided by the K3 always track the TX VFO?
>>  Should I expect some weird situation if I ever try to do cross-band
>>  split? 
>> 
>> - should I bother with asserting TX Inhibit and keep it set for a few
>>  milliseconds when I detect a band switch?
> 
> ---
> Bill Frantz| I don't have high-speed  | Periwinkle
> (408)356-8506  | internet. I have DSL.| 16345 Englewood Ave
> www.pwpconsult.com |  | Los Gatos, CA 95032
> 
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Re: [Elecraft] K3 band data lines

[Jack Brindle]

The opto isn’t needed. Just a low-voltage-drop diode (1N5711 should work) with 
cathode towards the K3, pullup resistor (47K to 100K) to +5V (or whatever the 
Arduino runs on, might be 3.3V), then the Arduino input pin. This will protect 
the Arduino from being falsely powered from the K3.

This is standard design for devices that are separately powered (think hot swap 
systems) in order to keep the unpowered one from being falsely powered by the 
one that is turned on. In other words it will keep the K3 from falsely powering 
the Arduino through the IO pin. The real problem with this is that if the 
device is powered in this fashion it can actually latch up part (or all) of the 
chip, damaging it. Adding a diode and pullup resistor (or even using the 
internal pullup in the Arduino if it has one) is very cheap protection for this 
scenario.

This is something that surprises everyone the first time they see it. It is 
easily handled once you know what is going on.

The pullup resistors were added sometime after the K3 shipped in order to help 
external devices that don’t have their own pullup resistors. It is not 
surprising that they do not appear on early schematics, but they are on current 
schematics. The circuit shows a 2.2K ohm pullup to +5V followed by a 220 ohm 
series resistor. This will deliver about 2.2mA of current to the IO pin, enough 
to power some micro controllers. Thus the need for the protection circuit.

- Jack, W6FB

> On Feb 8, 2016, at 12:48 PM, Pierfrancesco Caci <p...@tippete.net> wrote:
> 
> 
> I've done an experiment. 
> I got a 7805 and powered it from a separate power supply. 
> The negative of the 7805 is connected to the GND of the arduino.
> If I connect the 5V from the 7805 to one of the digital inputs, the
> arduino powers up and executes my program, lighting up the leds as
> expected. If I add the diodes as suggested by Jack, this doesn't happen
> anymore. But I can't read the 5V from those lines anymore, either. 
> 
> I'm now trying to figure out how to replicate the BAND line driver
> circuit that is mentioned on Cady's book on my breadboard. Not sure if I
> can simulate the mosfet by just shorting that line to ground between the
> 2.2k and the 220 ohm resistors. In any case, in this configuration I
> have to use the arduino internal pullups, and if I disconnect the
> external 5V power, I still measure around 1.3 V in the place where there
> would be the K3's 5V, if I have the arduino still powered up. 
> Also, the logic signal of the lines seems to be reversed. 
> 
> I'm seriously thinking that the safest way for me to proceed at this
> point would be an optoisolator. 
> 
> Pf
> 
> 
>>>>>> "Bill" == Bill Frantz <fra...@pwpconsult.com> writes:
> 
> 
>Bill> The band input line pins are set up as input on the Arduino. As such,
>Bill> they are high impedance, so I don't think there is any way to drive
>Bill> them from the Arduino (short of changing the program/sketch). I
>Bill> normally leave my switch controller powered on with the K3 powered
>Bill> off, and have not experienced any problems.
> 
>Bill> If there were other things in the shack driving the lines, there 
> might
>Bill> be a over voltage issue for the Arduino, but I think there would also
>Bill> be issues with the K3 driver circuitry. (One drives high, one drives
>Bill> low and lots of current flows.)
> 
>Bill> 73 Bill AE6JV
> 
>Bill> On 2/7/16 at 10:52 AM, jackbrin...@me.com (Jack Brindle) wrote:
> 
>>> This can work. But it can cause problems as well. You should add
>>> isolation in the form of either small diodes (cathode towards K3) or
>>> small resistors (maybe 100 ohms).
>>> The problem is that if the Arduino is left powered on when the K3 is
>>> off, the Arduino can actually leak power into the K3 through these
>>> connections and can actually power parts of the K3 (as in parts, but
>>> not all, of the cpu). This false power can lead to other problems,
>>> which is why we suggest the isolation diodes.
>>> 
>>> The second thing is to remember that 60 meters is coded as all
>>> zeros. The K3 has pullup resistors on the band lines, which will
>>> pull the band lines to whatever Vcc happens to be at that time. When
>>> the K3 is off, Vcc is zero, which will be the value of the band
>>> lines (i.e. not high-impedance). Thus when the K3 is off, you will
>>> see a band selection of 60 meters. KPA500 users see this as the
>>> KPA500 switches to 60 meters if it is left powered up after the K3
>>> is switched off.
>>> 
>>> Good luck with the project!
>>> 
>>> - Jack, W6FB

Re: [Elecraft] K3-S - CW Keying for Contests

[Jack Brindle]

I would not call CocoaModem orphaned. It is open-source, and when things break, 
we (myself included) are trying to fix them.
It is not well supported, however.

And, it works pretty well under OS X 10.11.3 (El Capitan) on my Mac mini.

- Jack, W6FB


> On Jan 27, 2016, at 2:53 PM, Joe Subich, W4TV  wrote:
> 
> 
> > I am also a big fan of cocoaModem for digital modes. It supports
> > decoding both the main and sub receivers, which is nice for working
> > pileups.
> 
> Unfortunately, Chen has abandoned cocoaModem ... it is orphan software.
> 
> 73,
> 
>  ... Joe, W4TV
> 
> 
> On 1/27/2016 5:17 PM, Bill Frantz wrote:
>> Allow me to disagree with Jim and Rick on this issue and recommend some
>> native Mac programs. I have used RUMlog (a general purpose log program)
>> and RUMped (a contest logger) for several years. They are mature
>> programs and Thomas, DL2RUM provides excellent support. He has a new
>> logging program, RUMlogNG which provides the functionality of both
>> programs and is available at not cost through the Apple App store.
>> 
>> I just installed RUMlogNG yesterday, and am still getting it set up. It
>> will cooperate with fldigi to provide digital modes and will directly
>> run a K3 or KX3. Since the K3S is operationally the same as the K3 as
>> far as computer control is concerned, it should also "just work".
>> 
>> NOTE: If anyone wants to load old QSOs into RUMlogNG, read the getting
>> started documentation first.
>> 
>> I am also a big fan of cocoaModem for digital modes. It supports
>> decoding both the main and sub receivers, which is nice for working
>> pileups.
>> 
>> For information on ham radio programs for the Mac, see
>> .
>> 
>> 73 Bill AE6JV
>> 
>> 
>> On 1/27/16 at 10:51 AM, a4...@sy-edm.com (a45wg) wrote:
>> 
>>> Fellow Hams,
>>> I received my K3-S a few weeks ago - and I have been marvelling at
>>> it’s features. I still am awaiting the arrival of a rotator - and them
>>> I will hoist some Yagi’s up… but in the meantime - I am enjoying the
>>> awesome RX/TX on this radio….
>>> 
>>> I used to be quite an active contest station (alas no 4x4x4 here) - on
>>> CW/SSB and Occasionally RTTY - so please may I ask for some
>>> steerage/advice regarding the best way to connect a K3-S to a PC so I
>>> can automate some of the repetition of contest work …. I fully
>>> understand and accept "DE TEST” is not everyone’s cup of tea… But I
>>> enjoy it at times.
>>> 
>>> It appears that WinKeyer is popular - will that suffice just for CW ?
>>> How about Data Modes ??
>>> 
>>> I would prefer not to have 3 or 4 options - but too keep things
>>> simple. In the “old days” I used to use a SignaLink - which I found
>>> flexible and worthwhile.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> OS for PC:  Linux or Mac - NOT Windows
>>> 
>>> Many thanks for taking the time to read this
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Regards
>>> 
>>> Tim - A45WG
>> ---
>> Bill Frantz| Privacy is dead, get over| Periwinkle
>> (408)356-8506  | it.  | 16345 Englewood Ave
>> www.pwpconsult.com |  - Scott McNealy | Los Gatos, CA 95032
>> 
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