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Not sensing KPA500/KAT500 - (6400 v2 Settings-->USB Cables...)

Dave - W6OVP
Dave - W6OVP Member ✭✭

Comments

  • Mike-VA3MW
    Mike-VA3MW Administrator, FlexRadio Employee, Community Manager, Super Elmer, Moderator admin
    edited June 2020
  • Dave - W6OVP
    Dave - W6OVP Member ✭✭
    edited May 2019
  • Lawrence Gray
    Lawrence Gray Member ✭✭
    edited June 2019
    I have the KAT/KPA combination used with a 6500. The Elecraft cables are plugged into the 6500 USB ports, baud rate set to 38000, and it works perfectly.
  • George KF2T
    George KF2T Member ✭✭✭
    edited May 2019
  • Lawrence Gray
    Lawrence Gray Member ✭✭
    edited May 2019
  • Dave - W6OVP
    Dave - W6OVP Member ✭✭
    edited May 2019
  • Mike-VA3MW
    Mike-VA3MW Administrator, FlexRadio Employee, Community Manager, Super Elmer, Moderator admin
    edited May 2019
    Hi Dave

    Do you have any other FTDI USB cables that you can use to test with on the radio. We want to make sure that the USB port on the radio is functional.   When you go to Settings/USB you will see them if they are working.  If you don't see them, then, of course, the radio cannot be configured to send RS232 data to the amp.

    Based on what you are seeing, the Amp is tracking just fine on RF Sensing.  

    I also use the KPA500 with the USB output from the radio it does work once the radio can actually see the cables plugged into the back of the radio (not the computer... just to be sure).

    Mike 
  • Lawrence Gray
    Lawrence Gray Member ✭✭
    edited June 2020
  • Dave - W6OVP
    Dave - W6OVP Member ✭✭
    edited May 2019
  • Mike-VA3MW
    Mike-VA3MW Administrator, FlexRadio Employee, Community Manager, Super Elmer, Moderator admin
    edited May 2019
    I'm not just another pretty face!!! 

    I'm glad we got that sorted out.  :)
  • Dave - W6OVP
    Dave - W6OVP Member ✭✭
    edited May 2019
    Have had three 6000s in past years and NEVER plugged anything into those USB ports. Forgot they even existed.
  • Dave - W6OVP
    Dave - W6OVP Member ✭✭
    edited May 2019
    I ran RF sensing mode for over and year but did not have a high enough confidence that it always worked right, so did not run remote with it. Now I feel confident enough to go out and work WAS (Worked All Starbucks) with the amp on. <g>.
  • Mike-VA3MW
    Mike-VA3MW Administrator, FlexRadio Employee, Community Manager, Super Elmer, Moderator admin
    edited May 2019
    Make sure you post pictures
  • Dave - W6OVP
    Dave - W6OVP Member ✭✭
    edited May 2019
  • Patrick
    Patrick Member ✭✭✭
    edited May 2019
    Nice thing about the KAT500 is that the tuner follows the frequency of the radio. If the tuner senses that the swr is to high it will tune and it will remember that turning. Training is fine for initial use, but the tuner will always follow and tune as necessary. Make sure you have set up the keying cables from radio to tuner then to amp. This will protect the tuner from trying to tune at full power, which would be harmful to the tuner. A very handy thing to do is to select the USB set up which you did previously and highlight KTA500 and select logging and you will see the actual cat commands going between the radio and the tuner. As you tune the radio you will see the frequency being passed to the tuner. If at this point the tuner is trained, you will hear the tuner change tuning while your running which is very fast in a tuned tuner working off its memory with frequency changes.
  • Dave - W6OVP
    Dave - W6OVP Member ✭✭
    edited May 2019
    TNX Pat.
  • dlwarnberg
    dlwarnberg Member ✭✭
    edited May 2019
    powered USB hub works great.. FYI... specially when you have more then 2 USB devices to plug in... just a thought.
  • Dave - W6OVP
    Dave - W6OVP Member ✭✭
    edited May 2019
    I’m using an old unpowered 2.0 hub right now and it works fine for this app.
  • Patrick
    Patrick Member ✭✭✭
    edited May 2019
    The first cables shipped with very early Elecraft products were prolific ones, later they switched to FDDI.
  • WX6P
    WX6P Member ✭✭
    > @"Dave - W6OVP" said:
    > The system may in fact be working as designed, simply not as I anticipated based on instructions. The bands do change with changes in SmartSDR if:
    >
    > 1) The TUNE button is pressed, and 2) The TUNE power setting is larger than 0.
    >
    > But that is no different than before without the extra cables.
    >
    > ELECRAFT document E740349 rev C, part of what I used for the install says "As you tune your transceiver, the KAT500 will follow and automatically select the correct ATU tuning solution, EVEN BEFORE TRANSMITTING."
    >
    > Does TUNE above mean to change frequency or bands, or to apply RF power? I had presumed the former. Tuning with any amount of power is called TRANSMITTING.
    >
    > As of now actual RF based TUNING is still required to change bands. I had assumed the amp would track the 6000 'automatically' and without manual intervention but that isn't happening.
    >
    > Finally: The Elecraft Cables (which work perfectly when used individually with the amp and tuner) do NOT show up in Smart SDR v2 and Win10 latest. This is where I am stuck...

    If the RCA cable connected between my 6400 and the KPA-500 is already sensing and tracks band change, then what is the use of the RS232 to USB cable plus the null modem I bought and installed? I assumed the cable will enable the amp to follow the slice/band change without tuning or rf sensing.
  • KD0RC
    KD0RC Member, Super Elmer Moderator

    The RCA cable is just the PTT signal. The RS-232 port labelled "RS232 (XCVR)" passes CAT commands to tell the amp what frequency the radio is on based on the TX flag. If your amp is following band changes without transmitting, then your USB to RS-232 cable is working.

    If your amp does not follow band changes, then you might have one of the following issues:

    1. USB to RS-232 cable does not have the FTDI chipset. Clones do not work.
    2. USB to RS-232 cable is already a null modem type, and you need to remove the separate null modem.
    3. Your cable is plugged into the wrong RS-232 port on the amp. It needs to be in the one labelled "RS232 (XCVR)".
    4. something is not set up correctly in the USB Cables panel in the radio.


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