Re: How to Remote operate the La1K?
On Tue, Feb 4, 2025 at 11:09 AM, Frank W4TG wrote:
I have my station setup for remote operation with the exception of the amp.? Is there a windows program that can control the amp to replicate what I do manually, i.e., switch power on, switch from standby to operate, view swr, power, bypass , and switch from operate to standby??
?
Haven't built/tried it yet, but Terry's HF-Auto App software includes an interface cable and circuit relay design that controls at least PTT, and mentions Oper/Standby. I'm not clear how it would work on the LA-1K yet (haven't dug in) maybe Terry is listening and can assist?
?
"Amplifier PTT Control Adapter" document inside the HF-Auto app documentation folder.
?
--
73s,
David AF6HO
|
Re: How to Remote operate the La1K?
I talked to another ham who planned to run the LA-1k remotely. I do not believe there's a program to control it via the computer but if you have a wifi switch for the power and leave the amp in the ON position, you can switch it on and off remotely. In the settings you can have the amp go directly to operate when turned on. Also, the amp will individually remember which antenna port you last transmitted to on for each individual band and automatically switch to that antenna when you change bands. I only have one antenna but tested this function by switching the coax to different antenna ports and confirmed it in fact does this. He only found out about this from talking to Mark at Palstar.
?
I don't believe there's a way to toggle standby/operate remotely. If there is, I'd love to hear.
?
Is it possible to operate remotely? It sure seems like it. Would you have to turn the whole amp off to be in standby to say tune with 5 watts out from your exciter? It seems so.
?
I believe the ham I spoke to planned to operate resonant antennas so he wasn't as concerned about the ability to toggle operate/standby so it would accomplish what he wanted out of it.
?
Kory
N3ZKI
|
Re: How to Remote operate the La1K?
I hope you get an answer, I've been waiting for years. On a side note I have found a remote switch to power on and off my HF Auto and Flex 6400.
?
73
|
How to Remote operate the La1K?
I have my station setup for remote operation with the exception of the amp.? Is there a windows program that can control the amp to replicate what I do manually, i.e., switch power on, switch from standby to operate, view swr, power, bypass , and switch from operate to standby??
?
Thanks,
Frank
W4TG
|
Billy,
?
100% Understood. I too wish all this functionality worked without a computer.
?
?
--
73s,
David AF6HO
|
David, ?Thank you for the explanation. While I can appreciate all that computer wizardry does, I prefer zero computer use. I like to turn knobs and push buttons, thats why I got into ham radio. 90% of the issues I read about here and other groups, is because of this or that software isn't doing this or that. I don't have issues like that in my shack because I use the radio/tuner/amp like they were intended to be used, manually, not controlled by a computer. But each to his own.? Billy Parkinson
KG5RQZ
WRYA510
HH 11724
COR RACES 306
|
Works Great, just key the mic in the SSB mode and the LA1K sees enough RF to read the frequency and change bands. Chuck W6RD TS80 & FTDX3000D with the LA1K
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Jan 29, 2025, at 3:55 PM, Billy Parkinson via < billyrpark@...> wrote:
Joe, ?The LA-1K does not need any special cable to follow band changes, it is RF sensing and will follow the radio with a short blip of RF. No need to over complicate the set up.? Billy Parkinson
KG5RQZ
WRYA510
HH 11724
COR RACES 306
|
Hello,
Like new, very little time used only a few hours for testing. Anyone interested in know more please feel from to contact Pete Marsh @ Skywave Communications Consulting LLC Email: sierrahhoteldog@...?
TNX
Pete Marsh
Project Manager
907-355-4160
|
Hey Billy,
?
I've seen you blurt this out a few times now in response.
Anyone who has an LA-1K likely knows this. RF Sensing is one of the premier features of the amp.? Most modern amps, for that matter, do this.? Side note, for quite some time, like you I too relied on the sensing feature and didn't operate with the band cable.
?
I think perhaps you haven't discovered the joys of why the band cable makes the amp even easier to work with.
?
For example;
?
I have an FTDX101mp, LA-1K and HF-Auto.
I use the HF-Auto software on my PC to control the HF-Auto.? This allows the HF-Auto to interpolate and auto-tune the antenna while tracking against CAT control, for example using DX Lab's DX Commander.? ?This means I can change bands (or not) and spin the dial, and without transmitting, the tuner auto-tracks and auto-re-tunes.? This means at any time, my antenna is tuned, on any band I select.? It will also automatically switch antennas as appropriate (one antenna for 40/80, one for 20/15/10, in my case)
?
If the LA-1K doesn't also track the band, you get into a little trouble in this scenario, as the amp is not tracking band changes as you go.? This means you still have to go through the prolonged tune-up process every time you switch bands.? When you switch bands you have to hit the band control button, select the right band, and then do the rest, or you have to transmit.? With the band cable in place, you don't have to do that.
?
With the band cable, the LA-1K has a few behaviors depending how you have it configured.? You can configure it in direct keying mode, in which case when you switch bands on the radio, it switches automatically, and switches from OPERATE to STAND-BY mode.? This is how I'm set up.? This way, if I switch bands, I have the opportunity to check my tune and make sure the stars are aligned before I key up at full power.? If you're not in direct-keying mode, which some people do, the benefit is that you don't have to do anything and you're ready to transmit even switching bands.? (Some people argue this is a good way to accidentally blow things up and not be tuned, because you're 100% banking on everything else working.? Which isn't always the case, in my scenario, sometimes the tuner software is disconnected and you don't know it, for example.)
?
I hope this helps.
?
73s
David
?
On Wed, Jan 29, 2025 at 03:55 PM, Billy Parkinson wrote:
Joe,
?The LA-1K does not need any special cable to follow band changes, it is RF sensing and will follow the radio with a short blip of RF. No need to over complicate the set up.?
?
--
David
AF6HO
|
Joe ...
I'll send you the information you need tomorrow. ?Bedtime now.?
Kent
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Jan 29, 2025, at 11:31?PM, W3OYJ via groups.io <ka3oyj@...> wrote:
?
Kent,
?
1. Rarely operate CW
2. I am willing to make my own cable
?
On 01/29/2025 8:21 PM EST Kent Trimble, K9ZTV via groups.io <k9ztv@...> wrote:
?
?
Joe ...
1)? Do you operate CW?
2)? Are you willing to make your own cable?
73,
Kent
K9ZTV
On 1/28/2025 11:22 AM, W3OYJ via groups.io wrote:
Group,
?
I am looking for some direction in trying to connect my TS-890 to the LA-1k with a band changing cable. I was told that the
Ameritron als-1306 cable would work.? I bought the cable, however the db-9 connector that goes to the LA-1k is female and so is the
"kenwood" db-9 connector on the back of the LA-1k. The cable I bought is the DB-DB7DK, does anyone know if this is the proper cable?
?
Thank you,
Joe
W3OYJ
|
Billy,
?
Thank you for your reply. I do understand that it has RF sensing, I was hoping to avoid the "short blip".
?
?
On 01/29/2025 6:55 PM EST Billy Parkinson via groups.io <billyrpark@...> wrote:
?
?
Joe,
?The LA-1K does not need any special cable to follow band changes, it is RF sensing and will follow the radio with a short blip of RF. No need to over complicate the set up.?
Billy Parkinson
KG5RQZ
WRYA510
HH 11724
COR RACES 306
|
Kent,
?
1. Rarely operate CW
2. I am willing to make my own cable
?
On 01/29/2025 8:21 PM EST Kent Trimble, K9ZTV via groups.io <k9ztv@...> wrote:
?
?
Joe ...
1)? Do you operate CW?
2)? Are you willing to make your own cable?
73,
Kent
K9ZTV
On 1/28/2025 11:22 AM, W3OYJ via groups.io wrote:
Group,
?
I am looking for some direction in trying to connect my TS-890 to the LA-1k with a band changing cable. I was told that the
Ameritron als-1306 cable would work.? I bought the cable, however the db-9 connector that goes to the LA-1k is female and so is the
"kenwood" db-9 connector on the back of the LA-1k. The cable I bought is the DB-DB7DK, does anyone know if this is the proper cable?
?
Thank you,
Joe
W3OYJ
|
Joe ...
1)? Do you operate CW?
2)? Are you willing to make your own cable?
73,
Kent
K9ZTV
On 1/28/2025 11:22 AM, W3OYJ via
groups.io wrote:
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Group,
?
I am looking for some direction in trying to connect my
TS-890 to the LA-1k with a band changing cable. I was told that
the
Ameritron als-1306 cable would work.? I bought the cable,
however the db-9 connector that goes to the LA-1k is female and
so is the
"kenwood" db-9 connector on the back of the LA-1k. The cable
I bought is the DB-DB7DK, does anyone know if this is the proper
cable?
?
Thank you,
Joe
W3OYJ
|
Joe, ?The LA-1K does not need any special cable to follow band changes, it is RF sensing and will follow the radio with a short blip of RF. No need to over complicate the set up.? Billy Parkinson
KG5RQZ
WRYA510
HH 11724
COR RACES 306
|
Group,
?
I am looking for some direction in trying to connect my TS-890 to the LA-1k with a band changing cable. I was told that the
Ameritron als-1306 cable would work.? I bought the cable, however the db-9 connector that goes to the LA-1k is female and so is the
"kenwood" db-9 connector on the back of the LA-1k. The cable I bought is the DB-DB7DK, does anyone know if this is the proper cable?
?
Thank you,
Joe
W3OYJ
|
Good Afternoon,
This guy makes cables and may send you a schematic for what you need. Worth a shot to ask if he would do so.?
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Jan 26, 2025, at 12:12?PM, Ron Emerson via groups.io <wd8t@...> wrote:
? Have you posed your question to the flex radio community?
https://community.flexradio.com/
Ron?WD8T
Sent from Proton Mail Android
-------- Original Message -------- On 1/26/25 11:41 AM, Bob Hinkle wrote: Thanks, Billy.? I know I can do that, but I don’t like the idea of having to shoot a little RF on CW to get the LA-1K to shift bands and have the tuner follow before I can transmit on that band.? I know there’s a cable out there somewhere to automatically shift bands, I had one for the FTdx-101d.? ? Someone must have plans for one? ? Cheers.. Bob KK8ZZ ? You really don't need a cable, the LA-1K is RF sensing and will follow band changes.? Billy Parkinson
KG5RQZ
WRYA510
HH 11724
COR RACES 306
|
On Sun, 26 Jan 2025 11:41:57 -0500, Bob KK8ZZ wrote: Thanks, Billy.? I know I can do that, but I don’t like the idea of having to shoot a little RF on CW to get the LA-1K to shift bands and have the tuner follow before I can transmit on that band.? I know there’s a cable out there somewhere to automatically shift bands, I had one for the FTdx-101d.?
Someone must have plans for one?
I recently purchased such a cable from Associated Radio in KS for ~$70. The band-data cable was wired for an FT-991A to the LA-1K. At my age my vision and manual dexterity made me realize purchasing a cable was much less expensive than the time and effort to roll my own. The store-bought version worked FB out of the box. Was the cable expensive? 20 years ago I was told my Palstar BT-1500A balanced tuner was too expensive at ~$600. Today I call it inexpensive considering there have been zero issues and it can tune a 160M full-wave loop from 160M to 6M. The previous paragragh may be a little OT but so what. Ask the folks at <> and they might be willing to build one for you. 73 de n4jvp Fritz
|
Thanks Ron – I just posted the question to the Flex Radio Community as you suggested…. Let’s see what happens ! ? ? Bob KK8ZZ ? Have you posed your question to the flex radio community? https://community.flexradio.com/ Ron?WD8T Sent from Proton Mail Android
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
-------- Original Message -------- On 1/26/25 11:41 AM, Bob Hinkle wrote: Thanks, Billy.? I know I can do that, but I don’t like the idea of having to shoot a little RF on CW to get the LA-1K to shift bands and have the tuner follow before I can transmit on that band.? I know there’s a cable out there somewhere to automatically shift bands, I had one for the FTdx-101d.? ? Someone must have plans for one? ? Cheers.. Bob KK8ZZ ? You really don't need a cable, the LA-1K is RF sensing and will follow band changes.? Billy Parkinson
KG5RQZ
WRYA510
HH 11724
COR RACES 306
|
Have you posed your question to the flex radio community?
https://community.flexradio.com/
Ron?WD8T
Sent from Proton Mail Android
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
-------- Original Message -------- On 1/26/25 11:41 AM, Bob Hinkle wrote: Thanks, Billy.? I know I can do that, but I don’t like the idea of having to shoot a little RF on CW to get the LA-1K to shift bands and have the tuner follow before I can transmit on that band.? I know there’s a cable out there somewhere to automatically shift bands, I had one for the FTdx-101d.? ? Someone must have plans for one? ? Cheers.. Bob KK8ZZ ? You really don't need a cable, the LA-1K is RF sensing and will follow band changes.? Billy Parkinson
KG5RQZ
WRYA510
HH 11724
COR RACES 306
|
Thanks, Billy.? I know I can do that, but I don’t like the idea of having to shoot a little RF on CW to get the LA-1K to shift bands and have the tuner follow before I can transmit on that band.? I know there’s a cable out there somewhere to automatically shift bands, I had one for the FTdx-101d.? ? Someone must have plans for one? ? Cheers.. Bob KK8ZZ ? You really don't need a cable, the LA-1K is RF sensing and will follow band changes.? Billy Parkinson
KG5RQZ
WRYA510
HH 11724
COR RACES 306
|
Billy Parkinson
Pete Marsh
Ron Emerson