KPA 500 &6400

DonE

Is it possible to make the Kpa500 track the 6400

Al Matthews

I use my 6600m and KPA1500 with a flex usb cable from Elecraft. It’s plug and play with the cable menu on my Flex.

bobby

Tracks fine with auto detect no cable connectin needed sensing is built into amp as soon as it detects rf it changes to the correct setting ... works great

DonE

Al can you give little more detail

DonE

Bobby can you give more detail

Al Matthews

Sure Don. Elecraft provides a cable for the Flex 6000 series. This is from their website. CBL-FLEXKEY 6000-family Enhanced Mode. KXUSB cable for freq. data, (Phono Cable incl. w/Amp) This came with my KPA1500. This allows full auto band switching with my Flex 6600. Very easy to implement.

Patrick

If you this method it will require you to key/tune the radio. With cable it directly tracks the radio. KPA500/1500 will band track. KTA500 will track the frequency and use its tune memory.

DonE

Thanks Al

DonE

Thanks Pat

bobby

I forgo to mention I do not have the kat500 tuner I set my tuning to preset values on my manual tuner prior to transmitting rf and the amp switches to the correct band as soon as rf is detected, fast enough to prevent trip or adverse actions.

Rich - N5ZC

Don,

See https://www.flexradio.com/downloads/usb-cable-interface-guide-pdf/

You will need a null modem adapter (for the kpa-500 only) between the USB cable from the 6400 to the KPA-500.  I use two USB cables, one to the KPA-500 and one to the KAT-500.  Both units track right along with my 6600.

I also have a USB cable going from my KPA-1500 to the 6600 and it tracks right along.  Perfect for SO2R contesting. 

I purchased my cables from Flex, if you order from Elecraft they may include the null modem adapter, you'll need to check.  I picked up a couple Null Modem adapters on amazon. Just be sure you get the correct gender on both sides.  I believe you need a double female.

Rich - N5ZC

DonE

Thanks for all the help. To make the KPA 500 work with the 6400 you need the following . A cable set, CBL-FLEX-PWRCMB, for use with Flex 6000 family of transceivers.
The cable set includes: KUSB for Frequency, and a null modem with gender changer for data

Scott Russell - N1SER

This is the correct answer. This is the cable recommended to me directly from Elecraft for the KAT500/KPA500 combo to a 6400/6600.  CBL-FLEX-PWRCMB

Michael Miller

Just got it working using that cable. Make sure to set the radio to serial mode plus polling. It tracks band data using the newly release 3.0 version.. 

Roger_W6VZV

Great info.  Thanks.
de Roger W6VZV

Jeff Halliburton

Michael, I'm trying to do the same thing with my Flex 6400 / KAT-500 / KPA-500.  I ordered the cable set from Elecraft and have it about 95% working. My only issue is that I can't run the KAT-500 Utility software now.  It's not seeing the com port that it is connected to.  You mentioned setting the radio to serial mode plus polling. Maybe that's what I'm missing? Where do I make that setting?  Thanks for your help -- Jeff, W4JSH.

Michael Wheatley

I use DDUtil to control my KPA500 and its tracking.  A USB cable (supplied by Elecraft) is connected to my PC.  It's COM port number is entered into DDUtil.

There are a number of advantages to this configuration in addition to tracking.  In particular, when you switch bands you can specify the default RF output by band when using the amp and barefoot, and when you switch bands, the amp is put in standby mode, thereby avoiding inadvertent damage.

Charlie_KB8CR

I have a KPA500/KAT500 combo on its way to use with my 6400. Got the Elecraft cable set. They show one cable from the USB on the 6400 to the amp(with a null modem adapter) , and another cable from the USB on the 6400 to a 3.5mm data jack on the tuner.

My question is this.......I'm HOOKED on NodeRed, and I'm wondering if I use the amp/tuner combo like Elecraft shows, will I be still be able to connect a PC (or RPi) to the amp and/or tuner to use NodeRed with it?

I asked Elecraft, but haven't gotten a response.

thanks,

de Charlie KB8CR

David Decoons, wo2x

For the KPA1500 use the KXUSB cable from Elecraft. Plug it in from the serial port on amp (1/8" connector) to the USB port on 6xxx radio. In the SmartSDR, M series, or Maestro USB cable menu set the cable to track TX slice, auto report, and under advanced set baud rate to 38400. You can use the USB A to B cable from amp to PC for the KPA1500 remote or utility program.

The amp will auto track the TX slice and if the tuner in the amp is set to active for that band it will pre-tune to nearest match before transmitting. On 80 meters I went every 10 kHz starting at 3.505 and let the amp tuner find and store a match.

Dave wo2x

David Decoons, wo2x

Charlie,

You can get the TX frequency from Node Red and have that passed to the KPA500/KAT500. In that case the amp and tuner connect to the Node Red server (Pi or Windows, depending on your Node Red installation), not the radio. The Elecraft cables use the FTDI chipset so when you add the USB request node in Node Red you do it by cable ID, which includes the unique serial number in the FTDI chipset.

The advantage is as long as you only have one radio on at a time you can feed TX frequency from your 6400 or 3000 to the amp via Node Red.

73

Dave wo2x

Charlie_KB8CR

Thanks Dave. I was a bit bummed when Elecraft told me that there while the amp had two serial ports, one for the Xcvr and one for a PC, that the tuner could only be connected to one. I was thinking there had to be a way to get the same info to the tuner via NodeRed. Now I know I can have the "Enhanced" interface with the amp/tuner combo, AND still use NodeRed with it. You guys got me HOOKED on it. hi hi.

It really has exercised my brain this past couple of weeks, and I am enjoying it alot. I get the amp & tuner next weekend, so I'll be busy playing with making the dashboard for them tailored to my liking.

73 es tnx again.

de Charlie KB8CR

KD0RC

Hi Charlie, I have my KPA 500 plugged into my Flex 6400 and into my PC (2 USB cables). My KAT 500 plugs into another USB port on my PC. I use DDUtil to manage everything. When I change frequencies, the tuner and amp follow along without intervention from me.

So that I remember to start everything, I built a .bat file (Flex 6400.bat). You can name it whatever you want, but be sure the extension is ".bat". You will need to be sure that the file locations are correct for your PC, and only start things that you want in your set up. In mine, I start SmartSDR, ACLog, SliceMaster and DDUtil.

Hopefully this will provide a starting point. Note: this .bat file is not necessary, it just adds the convenience of starting everything with one click.

Start "" "C:\Program Files\FlexRadio Systems\SmartSDR v3.1.12\SmartSDR.exe"

Timeout 5

:: Can't start the logger minimized

Start "" /D "C:\Program Files (x86)\N3FJP Software - Affirmatech\Amateur Contact Log\" "C:\Program Files (x86)\N3FJP Software - Affirmatech\Amateur Contact Log\ACLog.exe"

Timeout 5

DEL C:\Users\lenko\AppData\Local\K1DBO\slice-master\config.ini

Timeout 2

Start "" /D "C:\Users\lenko\Downloads\slice-master-6000-v0.10.7c" "C:\Users\lenko\Downloads\slice-master-6000-v0.10.7c\slice-master.exe"

Timeout 5

Start "" /D "C:\DDUtil_V4\" /MIN "C:\DDUtil_V4\DDUtil_V4.exe"

WX6P

> @"Al Matthews" said:
> I use my 6600m and KPA1500 with a flex usb cable from Elecraft. It’s plug and play with the cable menu on my Flex.

Hi, my KPA-500 tracks band changes from 6400 only when I tune (rf sensing) using the RCA cable between them. However, I added the rs232 to USB cable hoping KPA-500 will follow the slice/band change without the aid of rf/tune. However, this doesn't happen. Is this normal? The cable is shown in SmartSDR 'USB cables', it is enabled and the advance settings match those of the amp, as per the manual. The KPA-500 settings are also Radio - Serial, RS232 X - 38400, Serial poll - ON.

KD0RC

There are two RS-232 ports on the KPA 500. Plug the one labelled "RS232 (XCVR)" into the Flex using an FTDI based serial to USB cable. Make sure that it isn't plugged into the RS-232 port labelled "RS232 (PC)"

Here is how I have my cable configured:

If your USB to RS-232 cable is not a true FTDI unit, it will not likely work.

Rich - N5ZC

If I recall correctly, when I was running an Elecraft Amp, it required a null modem adapter between the USB cable and the amp in order to communicate.

Rich - N5ZC

KD0RC

If you have a straight-through cable, then you need the null modem. You can also get cables set up as a null modem, in which case you need to leave the separate null modem out.

Mike-VA3MW

The setup of the KPA500 is described in this document:

https://www.flexradio.com/documentation/usb-cable-interface-guide-pdf/