Thanks for everyone's input on their P3 usage patterns! Very helpful. Just read the manual cover to cover (again) and set my new P3 up to what seems to be good for now. You know what would be a good addition to the firmware? I think it would be nice if the last used FN button would be highlighted on screen. Like when i press FN3 - i think it would be helpful to glance at the screen and see that it was the last one pressed...
That's just me, of course. Slava B W2RMS On Apr 18, 2014, at 6:18 PM, Fred Jensen <k6...@foothill.net> wrote: > Well, for what it's worth: I've had my P3 for about a year now, and I've > found that how one operates it is highly personal and takes some time. > > Function Keys: Mine are all SPAN selections, 4 [for looking at a single > signal's spectrum, 20 [almost always my choice for CW], 50 [CW/RTTY in > contests], 100 [SSB], and 200 [last used when tracking down noise from an > SMPS]. The other 3 have yet to be assigned. > > Averaging: 2 or sometimes 3 [exactly the opposite of Jim's setting :-))]. My > screen is split in the middle and I use the monochrome waterfall setting > [colorblind, thanks Alan!]. I haven't used the PEAK function since I first > tried it out. I always use FIX TUNE [end points are stable, receive cursor > moves as I tune]. I use the FULL SCREEN mode when I tune past the edge of > the display [the half-screen really confuses this OF]. > > I can tell the difference [barely] between the VFO A and VFO B cursor unless > I'm split, then they look the same. I've gotten fairly adept at keeping > track of VFO B and haven't incurred the wrath of the UP Cops in a long time. > The two MKR cursors look the same to me but since they appear in the WF, I > distinguish them from the VFO cursors easily. I've used MKR A a bit, usually > when looking a a single signal's spectrum, I've never used MKR B and I've > never QSY'd with the cursors. > > I run the dBm scale on the ordinate and normally have the REF LVL set so the > noise is right on the baseline and the top of the spectrum display is -100 to > -95 or so. My K3 S-meter is in absolute mode and I calibrated it to -73 dBm > = S9 with my service monitor. Running it like this, the background of the WF > is black and signals even right at the noise floor will trace visible lines. > > As Jim says, read the manual several times and get the definitions of all the > terms straight in your head. Fred Cady's K3 book has a section on the P3 and > it is super useful. YMWV ["Your Mileage *WILL* Vary], as I said, it seems to > be a very personal thing. > > 73, > > Fred K6DGW > - Northern California Contest Club > - CU in the 2014 Cal QSO Party 4-5 Oct 2014 > - www.cqp.org > > On 4/18/2014 9:42 AM, Jim Brown wrote: > >> First, always use averaging mode, with long averaging times, and set the >> screen so that a large part of the display is the waterfall. Second, set >> the scale and sensitivity. I use 24 dB for everyday operation and 42 dB >> for contests. I set the sensitivity so that the noise level is very >> close to the bottom of the display. And always use Fixed Tune Mode (the >> limits of the display remain constant as you tune across the band. This >> setup makes weak signals stand out best. >> >> Next, program the buttons. I assign the Fixed Tune Toggle to a button, >> the Peak/Average to another, and use the remaining buttons for display >> widths of 2 kHz, 10 kHz, 20 kHz, 50 kHz, 100 kHz, and 200 kHz. The 10 >> kHz width is great for CW pileups, 20 and 50 for SSB. The wider settings >> are useful for monitoring bands for DX openings (160M, 10M, 6M), for >> contesting, and for recognizing various forms of noise. > > > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > Message delivered to sla...@nullserv.com ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
