I certainly go along with this "enhanced user manual". I don't mind if it's a document or web-based, but it must be searchable for a given word or phrase. It's becoming very difficult to keep track of what's possible / already included.
Graham ----- Original Message ----- From: "eric norris" <gliderboy1...@yahoo.com> To: <elecraft@mailman.qth.net> Sent: Thursday, December 24, 2009 9:06 AM Subject: [Elecraft] K3 Survey Wayne, et al: All of my firmware wants have been covered by others--do you want "me too's" or is one enough? But I have been thinking about something that would be useful. I've had my K3 for almost a year now, and I use it nearly every day. I am still discovering things it will do, and how it can be configured differently. In my former life I was a technical writer, and what I think the K3 needs is an in-depth User's Manual. Something that would go into much more detail than is done currently. It would describe the context in which the various configuration options would be used. For example, when configuring the noise blanker, what particular combinations of IF and DSP would work against power line noise, electric fences, ignition noise, etc. What combinations of AGC THR and SLP produce what kind of effect? I was very interested to hear Don W3FPR's settings that made the K3 AGC more the K2 like because I like that sound. I copied his settings. I don't think the scope of this manual could be done by Elecraft given the resources required, but maybe I'm wrong. Even if it could, the rate at which the K3 is changing makes it impractical. There is another way--some sort of K3 wiki, maintained on the Elecraft site, where K3 experts could weigh in with their opinions on how various configuration options were set. Perhaps some contesters could contribute various pieces on how to set up a K3 for contesting, likewise DXers, casual users, user in low-noise rural settings or high-noise suburban or urban settings, etc. Perhaps a few different configuration scenarios could be suggested for different environments. Specialty users, like PSK-31, EME, Meteor Scatter, RTTY, Top Band, AMers, QRO users, QRP users, milliwatters, etc could all contribute information on how to get the most out of your K3 for these activities. Use of the XV series transverters, the KRC2 band decoder, as well as information about interfacing non-Elecraft hardware and software such as various loggers could also be included. The expertise on the Elecraft reflector is amazing, and the knowledge for all these things is certainly there. However, it is easy to lose track that many more of the thousands of K3 users may not be experts, and may not have the time to even follow the reflector with its 100+ messages on many days. You might say that people can search the reflector archive, but that is not the same as being able to read information in context, in a form that could be browsed, that would be a great educational resource. I think this type of information would also be useful for the K2, and for the K1 and KX1 to a lesser extent given their simplicity. Please, no flames if you think I'm an idiot. This is just my opinion, and I could be wrong. :-) I still LOVE my K3, K2, K1, KX1, W2s, XV-144--now back to work on my XV-432! 73, Eric WD6DBM ______________________________________________________________ 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
