Connect up to four devices in parallel to a single K3 or K3S ACC port, including:
- Elecraft devices:
- Devices that use Band Data:
- SPE amplifier
- Top Ten Devices Band Decoder or Band Aide
- Array Solutions BandMaster III
- etc.
- Devices that generate FSK and/or PTT:
- RemoteRig Interface
- microHAM MK2R, MK2R+, microKEYER, DigiKeyer
- SignaLink USB
- Serial or parallel port FSK keying circuits
- etc.
Replace an unreliable chain of Y-cables that easily pull apart with solid connections that stay locked in place.
Access up to four different pins on the K3/K3S ACC port via simple RCA connectors, including:
- FSK IN
- PTT IN
- K3 ON/TX INH
- POWER ON
- KEYOUT-LP
- DIGOUT1
- BAND0 - BAND3
- EXT ALC
All 15 ACC port pins are clearly labeled on the internal 16-pin header:
Standard 0.025" (0.635mm) jumper cables slide firmly over the pin headers and stay in place.
The standard Y-BOX configuration is shown below:
In the photo above, the RCA connectors are wired as follows:
- Pin 1: Green jumper connects FSK IN to RCA “A”
- Pin 4: White jumper connects PTT IN to RCA “B”
- Pin 8: Red jumper connects POWER ON to RCA “C”
- Pin 10: Black jumper connects KEY OUT to RCA “D”
The shunt jumper on the left side connects the K3 keying line (pin 10) to the amplifier port. This jumper may be removed when using a SteppIR tuning relay interrupter to open the key line (see SteppIR Tuning Relay Interface, below).
All 15 pins of four of the DE-15F connectors are wired in parallel. The fifth connector, labeled To AMP AUX above, is wired so that a 15-pin M/F cable can emulate the Elecraft KPAK3AUX cable (Elecraft P/N E850463). This port is wired in parallel like all of the other connectors, except there is no connection on pins 1, 4, 6, 7 or 8, so an economical 15-pin cable works just as well as the custom Elecraft cable. (If you already have a KPAK3AUX cable, it will work fine too. It may be connected to any available port, not just the AMP AUX port).
Note: do not use VGA monitor cables; they often short several pins together and do not connect all of the required lines.
When configured as shown above, the amp. keying line (K3 ACC pin 10) is opened, broken out to separate lines on RCA “C” (red jumper, labeled KEY IN) and RCA “D” (black jumper, labeled KEY OUT).
Using a stereo patch cable, you may connect either an N8LP SteppIR Tuning Relay, a SteppIR Tuning Relay for the SDA100 and OptimizIR Controller, or a SteppIR OptimizIR or SDA2000 Controller to these RCA connectors on the Y-BOX. Then you only need to run a single 15-pin cable between the Y-BOX and the amplifier. The Y-BOX eliminates the need to use a Key Line Interrupter (Elecraft P/N E850462) to prevent the amplifier from transmitting high power while the SteppIR Antenna is being tuned. The KEY IN and KEY OUT connectors are normally connected together by the external SteppIR controller, but opened when the SteppIR is tuning.
With the shunt jumper installed as shown by the arrow, the DIGOUT1 line of the K3 (ACC Pin 11) is connected to the PWR ON line of the amplifier (AUX pin 8). Pulsing the DIGOUT1 line ON and OFF with a K3 macro will then power the connected Elecraft amplifier ON or OFF. This allows simple remote operation using a K3, K3/0 or K3/0-Mini; no computer is required to power the KPA500 or KPA1500 ON or OFF, just press a button on the control radio.
Store the following K3 macro in the K3 using the K3 Utility:
MN019;MP001;MN255;MN019;MP000;MN255;
Then assign it to a function key by selecting CONFIG:MACRO n and holding the function key you want to use. For more details, please see the section titled Using a Remote Site KPA500 from the Control Site in the K3 Remote Owner's Manual.
No cable modification is required when using the Y-BOX with a 15-pin cable connected to the port labeled To AMP AUX, but this feature will not work with a KPAK3AUX cable because it has no connection on pin 8.
The Y-BOX includes one 470 ohm series resistor (R2) required to create a Simple K3 Lockout Circuit. This requires two Y-BOXs and a stereo patch cable with RCA connectors (not supplied) to cross-connect KEY OUT from Rig 1 to TX INH of Rig 2, and vice-versa.
Set CONFIG:TECH MD On, then set CONFIG:TX INH LO=Inh.
This circuit requires no external power source. The +5V available on the FSK pin may be used to hold the TX INH line high as shown below:
In the photo above, the Y-BOX is wired as follows:
- Pin 1: Green jumper connects FSK IN (+5V) to RCA “C”
- Pin 4: White jumper connects PTT IN to RCA “B” (optional, not part of the lockout system)
- Pin 7: Yellow jumper connects TX INH to RCA “C”. Pins 1 and 7 are now both connected to “C”, putting +5V on TX INH (logic high).
The KEY OUT-LP line from a second (identically configured) Y-BOX should be connected to RCA “C” (labeled TX INH) to inhibit transmission of this radio whenever the second radio transmits (bringing TX INH to logic low) - Pin 10: Blue jumper connects KEY OUT-LP to one side of the 470 ohm resistor R2
- Black jumper connects the other side of R2 to RCA “D” (labeled KEY OUT)
The Y-BOX includes one 10K pull-up resistor (R1) and one 470 ohm series resistor (R2) required to create an all mode SO2R lockout circuit. This requires an external 5V DC power source, two Y-BOXs, and a stereo patch cable with RCA connectors to cross-connect KEY OUT from Rig 1 to TX INH of Rig 2, and vice-versa.
Set CONFIG:TECH MD On, then set CONFIG:TX INH LO=Inh.
An external 5V DC power supply (not supplied), such as Jameco Part No. 1953612, should be connected through the 10K pull-up resistor R1 to the TX INH line, as shown below:
In the photo above:
- Pin 1: Green jumper connects FSK IN to RCA “A”
- Red jumper connects one side of the 10K pull-up resistor R1 to RCA “B” (labeled +5V DC).
An external 5V DC linear regulated power supply such as Jameco Part No. 1953612 should be connected here - White jumper connects the other side of R1 to RCA “C” (labeled TX INH)
- Pin 7: Yellow jumper connects TX INH to RCA “C”, putting +5V on TX INH (logic high).
The KEY OUT line from a second (identically configured) Y-BOX should be connected to RCA “C” to inhibit transmission of this radio whenever the second radio transmits (bringing TX INH to logic low) - Pin 10: Blue jumper connects KEY OUT-LP to the one side of the 470 ohm resistor R2
- Black jumper connects the other side of R2 to RCA “D” (labeled KEY OUT)
Power up to three low-current 12V devices using the 12VDC OUT connector on the back of the K3 or K3S (500ma or 1A max), including:
- Elecraft P3 Panadapter
- Elecraft K-POD Control Panel
- Any low-current 12V DC device such as a pre-amp for a receive antenna
In the photo above, the four RCA connectors of the Y-BOX are simply wired to each other in parallel, with no connection the K3 ACC port pins. Connect an RCA patch cable from the 12VDC OUT line of the K3 to RCA “A”, and connect up to three low-current 12V devices to the three remaining RCA connectors (RCA “B”, “C”, and “D”).
With two header pins per RCA connector and two pins on each side of both resistors R1 and R2, there are many different ways to configure the Y-BOX, simply by rearranging the internal jumper cables.
Many other configurations are possible, for example, connect multiple foot-switches in parallel to the PTT IN line via the RCA connectors with no external Y-Adapters required.
What will you come up with?
Simply connect a second Y-BOX to the first with a DE-15 Male-to-Male cable to add more ports.