Elecraft KAT500
firmware v2.05
Elecraft · Released Oct 11, 2021 · First seen Sep 14, 2026
Source:
elecraft.com
v2.05 is not the latest firmware for the Elecraft KAT500: the current version is v2.16 (May 29, 2024). Go to v2.16
In short — summary by updatemystuff.com
Adds support for multiple transceiver brands, improves frequency tracking, and realigns band boundaries.
- Support for K4 and multiple other transceiver brands via CAT and AUXBUS
- New frequency management commands (FC, FX, FY, FDT, FTNS)
- Improved frequency tracking and realigned band boundaries
Written from Elecraft's release notes, which are printed in full below.
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What's in this update
Accept K4 transceiver frequency messages with 1 kHz resolution via AUXBUS Accept IF, FA, FB, and FT transceiver TX frequency messages from Elecraft K3S, K3, KX3, Kenwood, Flex, Yaesu FT-450, FTDX3000, FTDX5000, FT-891, FT-991A, FTDX101MP, and FTDX101D.
KPA500 and some logging programs poll with these messages.
Add commands: FC; (TX frequency count), FX; (last XCVR or CAT-supplied frequency), and FY; that shows the frequency span for the currently selected ATU memory.
An updated KAT500 Utility Program shows these values on the Operate tab.
Add FDT; command to specify the distance, in kHz, between the current ATU frequency and a new TX frequency count for the ATU to retune.
DM; command, without a specified frequency, shows all the stored ATU settings for the currently selected frequency segment (bin) Add FTNS; command to perform full search tune, but skip saving the result.
ATU settings can then be saved with SM; if desired.
Commands FCCS, FCMD, MTA, and MTM are removed or have no effect.
See the updated KAT500 Automatic Antenna Tuner Serial Command Reference for details on new commands FC, FX, FY, FDT, and FTNS.
Revise frequency counter to better track SSB TX count changes Favor frequencies supplied by command or transceiver over the frequency counter Align bins to band boundaries.
The first 80 meter bin is now 3500-3509 kHz rather than 3481-3500.
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