Re: [Elecraft] K3: ACC Pin10?
Thank you, Don, and thanks to all who replied on and off list. Am 14.03.2010 03:31, schrieb Don Wilhelm: Martin, ACC Pin 10 is a low power (10 ma. max) copy of the KEYOUT connector on the rear panel. It is open circuit until the K3 is keyed (or PTT or VOX), and then it goes to a closed circuit condition. So yes, the K3 pulls this pin to ground during transmit, and it should work well for keying a transverter. -- 73, DM4iM __ 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
[Elecraft] Re K2 New builder
Hello George, If it is of any help to you when I built my two K2's I used a foam rubber pad to mount all the passive components i.e. the capacitors, chokes and the loose resistors. I also used conductive foam for the transistors etc. I did this for each board and in the value order they were to be mounted on the PCB. I found that this also helped to prevent components going missing as some of the caps are very small. Enjoy the building of your K2 and using one of the finest rigs on the market for the price, more joy for less dollars Hi. Barry G4DBS __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] The Myth of Lying to Your K3
I'm not sure the flat passband is the better pick if you have to pick one. One narrows the passband to NOT hear things, or no one would ever buy anything but the wide body roofer. The FT1000MP would do. The rejection of signals before the analog to digital converter, the vertical range of the converter, and defensive hardware AGC in front of the converter are central concepts of the radio. Might as well take them head on. 73, Guy. On Sun, Mar 14, 2010 at 12:34 AM, Ed Muns w...@msn.com wrote: K2AV noted: The crystal filter is always wider than the DSP bandwidth and therefore does not cause the IF bandwidth to be narrower due to cascading. To construe the sentence correctly requires the assumption that ONLY the shape INSIDE the rated 3 dB or 6 dB passband matters. It is true that this flat part of the curve is governed most by the characteristics of the narrower curve. HOWEVER, everything cascades. PARTICULARLY so on the skirts. That's right. I chose to simplify the point by not getting into the skirt issues. It's clear from the posts on this reflector that the basics of this topic are not well understood, let alone the subtleties of the cascaded skirts. Ed - W0YK --- Ed Muns Muns Vineyard - www.munsvineyard.com FaceBook - www.facebook.com/munsvineyard __ 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
[Elecraft] KX1 VFO Stopping
Hello... Three times now over the past few weeks I ran into a situation where the VFO on my KX1 would stop going down in frequency. The three times it happened I was on 40 meters and had been going up and down listening to CW. Then at some point I would be tuning Down in frequency and the VFO would stop, say for example at 7.122.xxx. Tuning Up in frequency would be Ok, but going back down and the VFO would stop at the same -exact- frequency (so it's not the rotary encoder going bad). I turn Off the pwr, turn On the pwr and it comes up on the frequency I left it on an now it works fine (I can tune below the 7.122.xxx). I don't know for sure if the frequency was 7.122, but it was something like that and I'm also not sure that it had stopped at the same freq each of the three times it locked up for me. I will start watching this closer next time it happens. This is no big deal, and certainly not worth getting in and rebuilding something (unless it gets worse). I did search thru the postings here and did not see anyone else talking about this so I thought I'd toss it out for any comments. This is one heck of a little radio. I have been Hamming for about 33 yrs now and never liked CW (worked maybe 50 CW contacts in those 33 yrs). I have been using the KX1 and the KXPD1 mainly as a Code Practice Oscillator so far because I have never used a paddle/keyer before and need to practice before getting on the air with it. Now CW is enjoyable and the hobby has taken on a new interest for me... kinda like getting back to the old days and my reasons for becoming a Ham in the first place. tnx de George WD0AKZ -- View this message in context: http://n2.nabble.com/KX1-VFO-Stopping-tp4731894p4731894.html Sent from the [KX1] mailing list archive at Nabble.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
Re: [Elecraft] The Myth of Lying to Your K3
I'm not sure the flat passband is the better pick if you have to pick one. One narrows the passband to NOT hear things, or no one would ever buy anything but the wide body roofer. The FT1000MP would do. The rejection of signals before the analog to digital converter, the vertical range of the converter, and defensive hardware AGC in front of the converter are central concepts of the radio. Might as well take them head on. Yes, as I said to your first comment, I agree. My intent was to get folks to first base before we go to second base. Choosing the crystal filter engagement point as well as setting the DSP bandwidth affects several things, not just the skirt issues that you are focused on. There is not a single best answer for every situation, so it is useful to understand each of the impacts affected by these filter choices. Ed - W0YK --- Ed Muns Muns Vineyard - www.munsvineyard.com FaceBook - www.facebook.com/munsvineyard __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] Re K2 New builder
Good point -- I seem to recall that the resistors are on those machine gun strips were in some sort of logical order and it might be best not to remove them ahead of time...does this sound familiar to anyone ? Tom WB2QDG K2 #1103 - Original Message - From: Barry Middleton bajubrans...@ntlworld.com To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Sunday, March 14, 2010 5:20 AM Subject: [Elecraft] Re K2 New builder Hello George, If it is of any help to you when I built my two K2's I used a foam rubber pad to mount all the passive components i.e. the capacitors, chokes and the loose resistors. I also used conductive foam for the transistors etc. I did this for each board and in the value order they were to be mounted on the PCB. I found that this also helped to prevent components going missing as some of the caps are very small. Enjoy the building of your K2 and using one of the finest rigs on the market for the price, more joy for less dollars Hi. Barry G4DBS __ 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 __ 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
[Elecraft] K3 RF gain cal
Sorry if this comes across more than once, I'm having some e-mail issues. I just did an RF gain calibration, using the XG2 and the K3 utility on my kit K3 (built in Sept. '09). There seems to be a dramatic difference in my noise level, 3-4 s units, with a calibrated s-meter. I think I can pull more stuff out of the ditches and weeds now. Does that seem reasonable? 73, Mike NF4L __ 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
[Elecraft] K3 RF gain cal
I just did an RF gain calibration, using the XG2 and the K3 utility on my kit K3 (built in Sept. '09). There seems to be a dramatic difference in my noise level, 3-4 s units, with a calibrated s-meter. I think I can pull more stuff out of the ditches and weeds now. Does that seem reasonable? 73, Mike NF4L __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] K3 RF gain cal
I never thought of it before but it makes sense that calibrating the RF Gain would re-calibrate the AGC - or more accurately the AGC after calibration would act more in line with reality. If that is true, I am ordering the XG2 this afternoon. Anyone care to comment? Buck k4ia k3#101 In a message dated 3/14/2010 11:17:13 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, n...@nf4l.com writes: Sorry if this comes across more than once, I'm having some e-mail issues. I just did an RF gain calibration, using the XG2 and the K3 utility on my kit K3 (built in Sept. '09). There seems to be a dramatic difference in my noise level, 3-4 s units, with a calibrated s-meter. I think I can pull more stuff out of the ditches and weeds now. Does that seem reasonable? 73, Mike NF4L __ 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 __ 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
[Elecraft] [K3] data interface option
An unstated option for a future serial port replacement would be Bluetooth. This interface has the enormous benefit of not being wired. In today's market of less-experienced hams, who more often than not also attempt to use their radios in their own antenna's near field, not having any extra wires is a good idea. Avoiding the exposure to RFI from the inadvertent coupling of one's own signal can't be a bad thing. I can't tall you how many botched EIA-232 cables I have fixed over the years, with missing or backwards data and/or handshake lines, not to mention pin 5 discontinuities. Further, Bluetooth technology is ideal for both laptop and desktop control, it's possible to add PDA and netbook application support because all new operating systems natively host the Bluetooth serial port profile, there are no driver issues, latency is purposefully low, you free up back panel real estate formerly used by the DB-9, you can easily get applications to address multiple Bluetooth client radios for those stations so fortunately equipped, silicon is easily added at minimal cost and with almost zero design risk (I know, I've done it), power consumption is low, there's no chance of communications-link RFI -to- the rig as you frequently find with wired interfaces of every sort, it allows (if done right) the use of Bluetooth headphones in addition to the serial port replacement, and, it's a worldwide frequency and mode allocation. Did I mention there are no wires? 73 Steve KZ1X/4 K1, K2, K3, etc. __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] Re K2 New builder
Yes, the resistors are arranged in the order of usage. I left them in the strips and pealed them off as needed. A nice feature, to be sure. ...robert Tom McCulloch wrote: Good point -- I seem to recall that the resistors are on those machine gun strips were in some sort of logical order and it might be best not to remove them ahead of time...does this sound familiar to anyone ? Tom WB2QDG K2 #1103 - Original Message - From: Barry Middleton bajubrans...@ntlworld.com To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Sunday, March 14, 2010 5:20 AM Subject: [Elecraft] Re K2 New builder Hello George, If it is of any help to you when I built my two K2's I used a foam rubber pad to mount all the passive components i.e. the capacitors, chokes and the loose resistors. I also used conductive foam for the transistors etc. I did this for each board and in the value order they were to be mounted on the PCB. I found that this also helped to prevent components going missing as some of the caps are very small. Enjoy the building of your K2 and using one of the finest rigs on the market for the price, more joy for less dollars Hi. Barry G4DBS __ 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 __ 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 -- Robert G. Strickland, PhD, ABPH - KE2WY rc...@verizon.net Syracuse, New York, USA __ 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
[Elecraft] [K3] weird VOX experience with headset mic
I just bought a Plantronics computer gaming headset, model 377, to use with my K3 after reading some of the posts about the Yamaha headset. (I had some bonus bucks to use at Best Buy. They don't carry the Yamaha CM-500) It works beautifully with one funny problem - if I try to use VOX, the radio goes into transmit mode even if I have the microphone muted. I figure the receive audio must be inducing enough signal on the mic leads to trip the VOX. No setting of ANTIVOX gets rid of this. I have the audio from the K3 as low as possible. Any experiences and suggestions welcome! Monty K2DLJ __ 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
[Elecraft] K2 No Side Tone After Firmware Upgrade
I just aquired my second K2. It's and older one with a 3 digit serial number that I purchased used. Plans are to build and install a KDSP2. In preparation for that, I upgraded from firmware MCU2.01 / IOC1.02 to MCU2.04 / IOC1.09. Now I've lost the transmit sidetone. Toggling between sidetone source U8-4 and U6-25 makes no difference. Replacing the old firmware restores the sidetone. What am I missing? Is there a mod to the control board I need to make? I haven't been able to locate any info. Any ideas? Thanks. Chuck K4QS __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] K2 No Side Tone After Firmware Upgrade
Also, this K2 appears to have all of the rev. B mods completed. -Original Message- From: cstove...@aol.com To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Sun, Mar 14, 2010 1:58 pm Subject: [Elecraft] K2 No Side Tone After Firmware Upgrade I just aquired my second K2. It's and older one with a 3 digit serial number that I purchased used. Plans are to build and install a KDSP2. In preparation for that, I upgraded from firmware MCU2.01 / IOC1.02 to MCU2.04 / IOC1.09. Now I've lost the transmit sidetone. Toggling between sidetone source U8-4 and U6-25 makes no difference. Replacing the old firmware restores the sidetone. What am I missing? Is there a mod to the control board I need to make? I haven't been able to locate any info. Any ideas? Thanks. Chuck K4QS __ 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 __ 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
[Elecraft] K2 Impact of installing wrong capacitor
As I worked today on adding more parts to RF board of my K2 I discovered that quite some time ago I had installed a 22 uF electrolytic at C111 instead of the correct 2.2 uF. The wrong part was easily removed and installed in it's correct place as C125, and the 2.2 uF was put in at C111. Here is my question... Since the wrong part was in place while I did the Part II testing and alignment (PLL, BFO, etc.) will these alignment settings need to be redone now that the correct value is in place? During the alignment everything seemed to go exactly as specified. The schematic shows C111 (along with Q23 and R113) has something to do with the signals to and from the control board marked 8T and 8R. I think that 8T and 8R have something to do with T/R switching so I am probably OK on this but I thought that I would play it safe and ask the experts. Thanks in advance for any input that you might have! 73, Paul - N8XMS __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] Re K2 New builder
George -- yep, that's what I did and then I kept those pages in a three ring binder (except for the resistors, which I kept on the strips they came on) . For what it's worth, when I shared this with this list I was advised that the adhesive from the tape may cause a problem with the conductiveness (not really a word) of the leads (I didn't find this to be a problem, but just tape near the end of the lead that you'll wind up snipping off ). Tom WB2QDG K2 1103 - Original Message - From: George A. Thornton gthorn...@thorntonmostullaw.com To: Tom McCulloch th...@att.net; Barry Middleton bajubrans...@ntlworld.com; elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Sunday, March 14, 2010 11:50 AM Subject: RE: [Elecraft] Re K2 New builder I found an easy way to handle small components. I sorted components and scotch taped them, properly grouped and labeled, to sheets of paper. That made it much easier to keep everything organized and to find what I needed. -Original Message- From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Tom McCulloch Sent: Sunday, March 14, 2010 8:08 AM To: Barry Middleton; elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Re K2 New builder Good point -- I seem to recall that the resistors are on those machine gun strips were in some sort of logical order and it might be best not to remove them ahead of time...does this sound familiar to anyone ? Tom WB2QDG K2 #1103 - Original Message - From: Barry Middleton bajubrans...@ntlworld.com To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Sunday, March 14, 2010 5:20 AM Subject: [Elecraft] Re K2 New builder Hello George, If it is of any help to you when I built my two K2's I used a foam rubber pad to mount all the passive components i.e. the capacitors, chokes and the loose resistors. I also used conductive foam for the transistors etc. I did this for each board and in the value order they were to be mounted on the PCB. I found that this also helped to prevent components going missing as some of the caps are very small. Enjoy the building of your K2 and using one of the finest rigs on the market for the price, more joy for less dollars Hi. Barry G4DBS __ 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 __ 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 __ 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
[Elecraft] K3 SWR error
I have K3-100 kit 1502 with the internal tuner and FW 3.76. I know there have been many posts about the meter SWR error but I really haven't seen a resolution posted. Before I bought my W2 I used a cheap SWR/Power meter and I thought the error was in it. Now that I have the W2 (which appears to be very accurate) I see that the K3 SWR indication can be very different than my W2, Ten Tec tuner, analyzer and my other HF rigs with or without the internal tuner in line. My concern is that if the K3 reads SWR incorrectly that the power may not fold back and there may be a risk of damage to the finals. Is there any procedure to correct the error? I understand that stray capacitance can cause differences but I would really like to have a more accurate measurement by the rig. -- View this message in context: http://n2.nabble.com/K3-SWR-error-tp4732831p4732831.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.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
Re: [Elecraft] K-3 RF Gain Calibration
Hi Dick - No, the noise level is less after the calibration. I'm one of those nuts who considered the K3 to be noisy. I like it a LOT better now..and I like it a lot before. 73, Mike r...@aol.com wrote: Mike, Are you saying that your S-Meter reads 3-4 s-units MORE noise level now that you did the RF Gain calibration with the XG-2? I was going to make the same adjustment with my K-3. But if you are getting a 3-4 s-unit higher noise level after the adjustment has been done... I won't be making the adjustment as my K-3 is already more sensitive than I need on the low bands. I'd use a 20dB ATT on the low bands often if I had one available. Perhaps one day we'll be able to change the K-3's RF Gain per band via software to help adapt to our local noise environment. (mine is very noisy on the low bands with thunderstorm QRN off the Atlantic). For those who may be concerned, yes I do use the RF Gain control. 73, Dick- K9OM Sorry if this comes across more than once, I'm having some e-mail issues. I just did an RF gain calibration, using the XG2 and the K3 utility on my kit K3 (built in Sept. '09). There seems to be a dramatic difference in my noise level, 3-4 s units, with a calibrated s-meter. I think I can pull more stuff out of the ditches and weeds now. Does that seem reasonable? 73, Mike NF4L __ 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 __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] USB to serial angst
The conservative spirit is alive and well. USB seen as a dangerous and radical innovation, forsooth. On 3/13/2010 5:10 PM, Joe Subich, W4TV wrote: That is completely uninformed and demonstrates a dangerous lack of knowledge about the way USB operates. Aw, shucks. Placing a USB port in the K3 would simply move the USB UART currently found in the USB to serial converter onto the KIO3 board. Correct, and would thus avoid the un-necessary and superfluous packaging and connector costs of the USB/RS232 dongle. If Elecraft were to use the prolific chipset currently in the KUSB, If my mother were a bus , I would have wheels. they would also be stuck with the Prolific drivers that are notoriously problematic with VB 6 software and would render the K3 unusable with several popular software packages. USB *** HAS NO ADVANTAGE *** over standard RS-232 ports and it *** NEVER WILL ***. Well, how about 1. speed 2. flexibillity 3. fanout 4. less prone to abuse of the control lines , violations of the standard , e.g. using them to send Morse, for shame. Other than that, and vendor support as it is current practice not an archaic legacy artifact, I can't think of any. Going to USB requires a substantial added investment by the manufacturer and a major ongoing support cost. True, depending on what you mean by substantial and major. But avoids us customers being forced to buy thousands of those stupid and crash-prone dongles. Being a customer not a vendor, I'm for that tradeoff. In addition to the software support cost, USB is a multiplexed (shared) correct system level bus. with respect, it is a low-speed peripheral level bus. Because of the system architecture data rates on the bus are [ may be, depending on the application] much higher than the serial equivalent through put. That makes USB much more susceptible to both radiated and conducted noise problems. Computer motherboards (and laptop/netbooks) that fail to properly ground the USB shield to the board's ground plane are almost guaranteed to become wideband noise generators (something that is very rare with the 8250 compatible UART). Very true, but with respect, off topic. The assertion ignores the awkward fact that all computers built in this century have USB, and not the ancient RS 232... We are stuck with that fact. And, the conversation was about USB on the K3, not on the computer... 73, ... Joe, W4TV -Original Message- From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of eric manning Sent: Saturday, March 13, 2010 2:08 PM To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] USB to serial angst All in favour of a USB port on the K3? Then we could forget about un-necessary, expensive , flaky and crash-prone USB to serial adapters. THe serial port with its RS-232 interface is obsolete. It dates back to the 70's if not earlier and was superseded by USB. eric VA7DZ S/N 3640 -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean. __ 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 -- Eric G Manning,P.Eng., FIEEE, FEIC Prof Emeritus of CS ECE Univ of Victoria -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean. __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] K-3 RF Gain Calibration
Maybe the S-meter needs to be calibrated as per the manual after the RF Gain test? With no antenna attached on 20M I get no reading on the S-meter. With the antenna connected and no signals the S-meter kicks up to about S3. With a 50uV. signal the S-meter reads S9. That seems correct. 73, N2TK, Tony -Original Message- From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of r...@aol.com Sent: Sunday, March 14, 2010 2:22 PM To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: [Elecraft] K-3 RF Gain Calibration Mike, Are you saying that your S-Meter reads 3-4 s-units MORE noise level now that you did the RF Gain calibration with the XG-2? I was going to make the same adjustment with my K-3. But if you are getting a 3-4 s-unit higher noise level after the adjustment has been done... I won't be making the adjustment as my K-3 is already more sensitive than I need on the low bands. I'd use a 20dB ATT on the low bands often if I had one available. Perhaps one day we'll be able to change the K-3's RF Gain per band via software to help adapt to our local noise environment. (mine is very noisy on the low bands with thunderstorm QRN off the Atlantic). For those who may be concerned, yes I do use the RF Gain control. 73, Dick- K9OM Sorry if this comes across more than once, I'm having some e-mail issues. I just did an RF gain calibration, using the XG2 and the K3 utility on my kit K3 (built in Sept. '09). There seems to be a dramatic difference in my noise level, 3-4 s units, with a calibrated s-meter. I think I can pull more stuff out of the ditches and weeds now. Does that seem reasonable? 73, Mike NF4L __ 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 __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] USB to serial angst
That is exactly how I got a serial port in my Dell Optiplex. Found it on the motherboard and made sure it was listed in Bios. 73, N2TK, Tony -Original Message- From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Alan Bloom Sent: Friday, March 12, 2010 10:05 PM To: n...@nf4l.com Cc: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] USB to serial angst A lot of PCs that don't have a serial port actually do have the electronics on the motherboard. If so, you can mount your own DB-9 connector on the rear panel and wire it to the motherboard. The motherboard connector is often a 10-pin (two rows of 5 pins) header with one pin removed to give a one-for-one correspondence to a 9-pin RS-232 connector. If you can't find the COM ports in Windows, you might have to check the integrated peripherals section of the BIOS to see if the manufacturer has disabled serial ports in the BIOS. It might be worth a look before going out and buying a serial PCI card (or a new computer). Al N1AL On Fri, 2010-03-12 at 20:31 -0500, Mike wrote: For those suffering from lack of a real serial port, something I found today may interest you. PC's with a real serial port, and a parallel port to boot (no pun intended). There are a couple of differently equipped ones on the page. It has no OS installed, so you'll need one. I ordered one. If you have a local store, call and they'll order it for you. I have no connection to CompUSA. http://www.compusa.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=57424 68CatId=2629 73, Mike NF4L __ 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 __ 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 __ 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
[Elecraft] Anderson power pole
Hi, One of my cables slipped out of the Anderson power pole- I didn´t solder it properly.Is there a way of getting the piece of metal out of its socket, or do I need a new pole. I tried to get it out, but I´m a bit concerned to break it. 73, Chris-OE5CSP -- View this message in context: http://n2.nabble.com/Anderson-power-pole-tp4733022p4733022.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.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
Re: [Elecraft] K2 No Side Tone After Firmware Upgrade
Chuck, I would wager that your K2 SN is less than 3000 and that your firmware upgrade is 2.04R (the letter is significant) If both those conditions are true, you will have to add the wiring to the Control Board to change the sidetone source from U6 pin 25 to U8 pin 4. The latest firmware no longer supports sidetone from U6-25. The wire (and capacitor) to be added can be seen in the KIO2 manual or the KPA100 manual (download from www.elecraft.com). There is one delete that must be made as well. There should have been a note to that effect packed with your 2.04R firmware upgrade. If your K2 serial number is above 3000, then the board change should already be present - do not do any deletes on the control board if the K2 SN is above 3000 - unless you are adding the Keying Waveshape change. 73, Don W3FPR cstove...@aol.com wrote: I just aquired my second K2. It's and older one with a 3 digit serial number that I purchased used. Plans are to build and install a KDSP2. In preparation for that, I upgraded from firmware MCU2.01 / IOC1.02 to MCU2.04 / IOC1.09. Now I've lost the transmit sidetone. Toggling between sidetone source U8-4 and U6-25 makes no difference. Replacing the old firmware restores the sidetone. What am I missing? Is there a mod to the control board I need to make? I haven't been able to locate any info. Any ideas? Thanks. Chuck K4QS __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] Anderson power pole
Use a small flat-blade screwdriver. Lift the front edge of the connector, which hooks over the front lip of the metal piece that's built into the plastic connector. It's designed to work this way. You shouldn't break it. Lew K6LMP On Mar 14, 2010, at 12:01 PM, OE5CSP-Chris wrote: Hi, One of my cables slipped out of the Anderson power pole- I didn´t solder it properly.Is there a way of getting the piece of metal out of its socket, or do I need a new pole. I tried to get it out, but I´m a bit concerned to break it. 73, Chris-OE5CSP -- View this message in context: http://n2.nabble.com/Anderson-power-pole-tp4733022p4733022.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.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 __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] K2 Impact of installing wrong capacitor
Paul, There will be no impact to what you have done already - but if you had not found that error, your K2 keying would have been really messed up. 73, Don W3FPR Paul Huff wrote: As I worked today on adding more parts to RF board of my K2 I discovered that quite some time ago I had installed a 22 uF electrolytic at C111 instead of the correct 2.2 uF. The wrong part was easily removed and installed in it's correct place as C125, and the 2.2 uF was put in at C111. Here is my question... Since the wrong part was in place while I did the Part II testing and alignment (PLL, BFO, etc.) will these alignment settings need to be redone now that the correct value is in place? During the alignment everything seemed to go exactly as specified. The schematic shows C111 (along with Q23 and R113) has something to do with the signals to and from the control board marked 8T and 8R. I think that 8T and 8R have something to do with T/R switching so I am probably OK on this but I thought that I would play it safe and ask the experts. Thanks in advance for any input that you might have! __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] K-3 RF Gain Calibration
Maybe some clarification of what the calibration really does would be helpful. The hardware AGC in the K3 operates on the post-filter FET IF amplifier and associated diodes. The RF gain control (really IF gain) under the control of the DSP adds a control voltage to the hardware AGC loop. If the manual gain control voltage exceeds the detected AGC voltage then it controls the IF gain, otherwise, it's in the hands of the AGC detector. Unfortunately, there is variability (no pun intended) in the FET Gm, from device to device, hence for a given control voltage, each FET behaves differently. In comparison of my K3 to another, the differences were remarkable. In mine, even a slight reduction of manual gain caused an immediate and obvious degradation of SNR even on a BC station that was S9+50 dB. The comparison radio was much better behaved. Anyone who has done any design work on receivers understands delayed AGC where the delay serves to keep the gain nearer the front end high enough to maintain SNR and only reduces it after the SNR is fully developed. Clearly, in my radio's case, the gain partitioning between the IF and DSP was being negatively affected and the SNR took a hit. The RF gain calibration was a response to this issue and serves to measure the dB gain reduction vs. control voltage and develop a correction in firmware that linearizes (in dB) the curve. Contrary to the belief of some, this isn't an S-meter calibration, although that is a secondary benefit. Likewise, absent the development of hardware AGC and/or the manual reduction of IF gain, it doesn't change the overall gain of the radio. --- On Sun, 3/14/10, r...@aol.com r...@aol.com wrote: From: r...@aol.com r...@aol.com Subject: [Elecraft] K-3 RF Gain Calibration To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Date: Sunday, March 14, 2010, 12:22 PM Mike, Are you saying that your S-Meter reads 3-4 s-units MORE noise level now that you did the RF Gain calibration with the XG-2? I was going to make the same adjustment with my K-3. But if you are getting a 3-4 s-unit higher noise level after the adjustment has been done... I won't be making the adjustment as my K-3 is already more sensitive than I need on the low bands. I'd use a 20dB ATT on the low bands often if I had one available. Perhaps one day we'll be able to change the K-3's RF Gain per band via software to help adapt to our local noise environment. (mine is very noisy on the low bands with thunderstorm QRN off the Atlantic). For those who may be concerned, yes I do use the RF Gain control. 73, Dick- K9OM Sorry if this comes across more than once, I'm having some e-mail issues. I just did an RF gain calibration, using the XG2 and the K3 utility on my kit K3 (built in Sept. '09). There seems to be a dramatic difference in my noise level, 3-4 s units, with a calibrated s-meter. I think I can pull more stuff out of the ditches and weeds now. Does that seem reasonable? 73, Mike NF4L __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] Anderson power pole
Insert a small flat screw driver between the plastic and the metal from the font and lift just anough and pull back or push. hope that helps. Miguel KC7IGT -- View this message in context: http://n2.nabble.com/Anderson-power-pole-tp4733022p4733138.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.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
Re: [Elecraft] USB to serial angst
On Sun, Mar 14, 2010 at 1:41 PM, Eric Manning eric.mann...@engr.uvic.ca wrote: The conservative spirit is alive and well. USB seen as a dangerous and radical innovation, forsooth. Demonizing the other side with a label (or two) is cheap. It is SO easy (and tempting) to concoct self-serving responsibilities and heap them elsewhere for expenditure of *their* resources. Frankly, as seen with the Windows 7-Prolific-FTDI driver wars, anyone who depends on USB is at the mercy of chip makers and OS coders, who frankly could give a rat's *ss about whether or not hams blinking an RTS signal into a virtual com port will be able to see it on the far end of a USB/serial converter, and who are going blame it on the other guy until they get clubbed to death by the problem. Hear about people being unable to update podcasts on their IPOD's? Go google that one and see how well everybody cooperates. See how quickly and accurately the various tech support staffs picked up on it. AND, as seen on this reflector, it's the K3's fault (my K3 has a problem) until someone else can construct a federal case why it is not. Why, on God's green earth would any sane manufacturer build such a troublesome device as USB into a rig just to sit there and get blamed for whatever the latest Windows release or driver screws up in USB communication. If Wayne didn't have a com port on the back, there would be no way for him to prove that the d*mn USB drivers have gone batty again, and he would have to spend all that tech support time telling people that there will be no solution for them using Windows 13.9 eighth edition fix pack 4 until XYZ chip company recodes their drivers to abide by new KB293429865023787 USB anti-hacking protocol which prevents foreign agents from using USB hubs as spam email proxies on Windows 13 systems. USB may be ubiquitous, but it is implemented in a non-standard way both hardware and software, drivers are more or less sh*t and probably responsible for more indecipherable screwball problems than any other single device in the world of PC's. 73, Guy. __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] K2 No Side Tone After Firmware Upgrade
Hi Don, This is K2 sn972 I'm upgrading, so it's an oldy. The firmware chip is 2.04P which I somehow came into possession of while building my first K2 sn5939 a few years ago. I had Elecraft send only the new I/O chip, so the firmware came to me in pieces. I didn't see any notes about circuit modifications in the firmware documentation that I have. I do have the mods located on page 10 of the KIO2 manual. Just to verify, when you say deletion, are you referring to the cut trace between U6-25 and Q5? I own a .001uf cap, some hookup wire and an Exacto knife, so I should be able to knock this out in a few minutes. Thanks for pointing me in the right place. Chuck K4QS -Original Message- From: Don Wilhelm w3...@embarqmail.com To: cstove...@aol.com Cc: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Sun, Mar 14, 2010 3:22 pm Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K2 No Side Tone After Firmware Upgrade Chuck, I would wager that your K2 SN is less than 3000 and that your firmware upgrade is 2.04R (the letter is significant) If both those conditions are true, you will have to add the wiring to the Control Board to change the sidetone source from U6 pin 25 to U8 pin 4. The latest firmware no longer supports sidetone from U6-25. The wire (and capacitor) to be added can be seen in the KIO2 manual or the KPA100 manual (download from www.elecraft.com). There is one delete that must be made as well. There should have been a note to that effect packed with your 2.04R firmware upgrade. If your K2 serial number is above 3000, then the board change should already be present - do not do any deletes on the control board if the K2 SN is above 3000 - unless you are adding the Keying Waveshape change. 73, Don W3FPR cstove...@aol.com wrote: I just aquired my second K2. It's and older one with a 3 digit serial number that I purchased used. Plans are to build and install a KDSP2. In preparation for that, I upgraded from firmware MCU2.01 / IOC1.02 to MCU2.04 / IOC1.09. Now I've lost the transmit sidetone. Toggling between sidetone source U8-4 and U6-25 makes no difference. Replacing the old firmware restores the sidetone. What am I missing? Is there a mod to the control board I need to make? I haven't been able to locate any info. Any ideas? Thanks. Chuck K4QS __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] K2 No Side Tone After Firmware Upgrade
Chuck, While both sidetone sources should be supported in 2.04P, go ahead and make the change anyway. Yes, make the cut on the trace ging between U6-25 and Q5. You will add 2 wires. The one from U8-4 to Q5 (make certain you do not put it on the R-PAK) is the one important for the sidetone. The long wire from U6 pin 25 and the capacitor is only used for data communications, and will not be used unless you have either the KIO2 or the KPA100, but add it anyway just for completeness. After you make the change, the sidetone source will be only U8-4. If you added the inductor and the resistor for the sidetone waveshape during the upgrade, check those components (and the trace cut) carefully if the sidetone still does not work. 73, Don W3FPR cstove...@aol.com wrote: Hi Don, This is K2 sn972 I'm upgrading, so it's an oldy. The firmware chip is 2.04P which I somehow came into possession of while building my first K2 sn5939 a few years ago. I had Elecraft send only the new I/O chip, so the firmware came to me in pieces. I didn't see any notes about circuit modifications in the firmware documentation that I have. I do have the mods located on page 10 of the KIO2 manual. Just to verify, when you say deletion, are you referring to the cut trace between U6-25 and Q5? I own a .001uf cap, some hookup wire and an Exacto knife, so I should be able to knock this out in a few minutes. Thanks for pointing me in the right place. Chuck K4QS __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] K2 No Side Tone After Firmware Upgrade
Done, The sidetone is up and running. Now to recalibrate the VFO and check a few other things and I will start building the KDSP2. I have a QRP top with KAT2, KIO2 and KBT2 standing by. #972 will be a fully loaded and up to date K2/10 sitting in the line up with my K1, K2/100 and K3. Thanks again Don. Chuck K4QS -Original Message- From: Don Wilhelm w3...@embarqmail.com To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Sun, Mar 14, 2010 4:42 pm Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K2 No Side Tone After Firmware Upgrade Chuck, While both sidetone sources should be supported in 2.04P, go ahead and make the change anyway. Yes, make the cut on the trace ging between U6-25 and Q5. You will add 2 wires. The one from U8-4 to Q5 (make certain you do not put it on the R-PAK) is the one important for the sidetone. The long wire from U6 pin 25 and the capacitor is only used for data communications, and will not be used unless you have either the KIO2 or the KPA100, but add it anyway just for completeness. After you make the change, the sidetone source will be only U8-4. If you added the inductor and the resistor for the sidetone waveshape during the upgrade, check those components (and the trace cut) carefully if the sidetone still does not work. 73, Don W3FPR cstove...@aol.com wrote: Hi Don, This is K2 sn972 I'm upgrading, so it's an oldy. The firmware chip is 2.04P which I somehow came into possession of while building my first K2 sn5939 a few years ago. I had Elecraft send only the new I/O chip, so the firmware came to me in pieces. I didn't see any notes about circuit modifications in the firmware documentation that I have. I do have the mods located on page 10 of the KIO2 manual. Just to verify, when you say deletion, are you referring to the cut trace between U6-25 and Q5? I own a .001uf cap, some hookup wire and an Exacto knife, so I should be able to knock this out in a few minutes. Thanks for pointing me in the right place. Chuck K4QS __ 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 __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] USB to serial angst
Comments embedded. On Mar 14, 2010, at 11:41 AM, Eric Manning wrote: Placing a USB port in the K3 would simply move the USB UART currently found in the USB to serial converter onto the KIO3 board. Correct, and would thus avoid the un-necessary and superfluous packaging and connector costs of the USB/RS232 dongle. ... Going to USB requires a substantial added investment by the manufacturer and a major ongoing support cost. True, depending on what you mean by substantial and major. But avoids us customers being forced to buy thousands of those stupid and crash-prone dongles. So wait a second. You admit that putting a USB interface in the K3 would essentially be repackaging the same chips that are in the dongles into the K3. But then you condemn those dongles (and by association the chips in them) as stupid and crash-prone. How will putting the same chips into the K3 make them any less stupid and crash-prone? If my external dongle doesn't work with my particular hardware and/or software, I can go out and buy a different one for less than $20. Yes, an irritation and an inconvenience. But if my K3 (with the hypothetical built-in USB interface) doesn't work with my hardware/ software, then what do I do? 73 -- Joe KB8AP __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] K2 No Side Tone After Firmware Upgrade
Guy, Who ever owned #972 before me did the B mods to the rig. It came to me equipped with the KSB2, KNB2 and K160RX. I'm going to build the KDSP2 to drop in later. I have the QRP top with a KAT2, KIO2 and KBT2 from K2 #5939 that I built a few years ago. #5939 is decked out with the KPA100,KDSP2,KSB2,KNB2,K160RX and KAT100 and serves as a back up for my K3. This arrangement will give me a grab and K2 without having to change tops or even moving the K2 in the shack. I love the building process, but money is a little tight right now and this one came at the right price. Just made economic sense. The line up now included a K1, K2/10, K2/100 and a K3/100. All great rigs. Chuck K4QS -Original Message- From: Guy Olinger K2AV olin...@bellsouth.net To: cstove...@aol.com Cc: d...@w3fpr.com Sent: Sun, Mar 14, 2010 5:42 pm Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K2 No Side Tone After Firmware Upgrade I added DSP to my bought-used K2 #1239 when I did all the A/B mod upgrades and replaced all the filter crystals, and it was stunning the difference it made. Once I got the crystal and DSP skirts aligned for each filter BW slot, it was dynamite, and frankly not so far off K3 performance. I have all the options and the battery top as well. You doing the A/B mods? 73, Guy. On Sun, Mar 14, 2010 at 4:09 PM, cstove...@aol.com wrote: Done, The sidetone is up and running. Now to recalibrate the VFO and check a few other things and I will start building the KDSP2. I have a QRP top with KAT2, KIO2 and KBT2 standing by. #972 will be a fully loaded and up to date K2/10 sitting in the line up with my K1, K2/100 and K3. Thanks again Don. Chuck K4QS -Original Message- From: Don Wilhelm w3...@embarqmail.com To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Sun, Mar 14, 2010 4:42 pm Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K2 No Side Tone After Firmware Upgrade Chuck, While both sidetone sources should be supported in 2.04P, go ahead and make the change anyway. Yes, make the cut on the trace ging between U6-25 and Q5. You will add 2 wires. The one from U8-4 to Q5 (make certain you do not put it on the R-PAK) is the one important for the sidetone. The long wire from U6 pin 25 and the capacitor is only used for data communications, and will not be used unless you have either the KIO2 or the KPA100, but add it anyway just for completeness. After you make the change, the sidetone source will be only U8-4. If you added the inductor and the resistor for the sidetone waveshape during the upgrade, check those components (and the trace cut) carefully if the sidetone still does not work. 73, Don W3FPR cstove...@aol.com wrote: Hi Don, This is K2 sn972 I'm upgrading, so it's an oldy. The firmware chip is 2.04P which I somehow came into possession of while building my first K2 sn5939 a few years ago. I had Elecraft send only the new I/O chip, so the firmware came to me in pieces. I didn't see any notes about circuit modifications in the firmware documentation that I have. I do have the mods located on page 10 of the KIO2 manual. Just to verify, when you say deletion, are you referring to the cut trace between U6-25 and Q5? I own a .001uf cap, some hookup wire and an Exacto knife, so I should be able to knock this out in a few minutes. Thanks for pointing me in the right place. Chuck K4QS __ 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 __ 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 __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] K-3 RF Gain Calibration
Good point, Tony. You missed the calibrated s-meter in my post though. No antenna on 20M - S3 With antenna, no sigs - S10 50uV from the XG2 - S9 73, Mike N2TK, Tony wrote: Maybe the S-meter needs to be calibrated as per the manual after the RF Gain test? With no antenna attached on 20M I get no reading on the S-meter. With the antenna connected and no signals the S-meter kicks up to about S3. With a 50uV. signal the S-meter reads S9. That seems correct. 73, N2TK, Tony -Original Message- From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of r...@aol.com Sent: Sunday, March 14, 2010 2:22 PM To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: [Elecraft] K-3 RF Gain Calibration Mike, Are you saying that your S-Meter reads 3-4 s-units MORE noise level now that you did the RF Gain calibration with the XG-2? I was going to make the same adjustment with my K-3. But if you are getting a 3-4 s-unit higher noise level after the adjustment has been done... I won't be making the adjustment as my K-3 is already more sensitive than I need on the low bands. I'd use a 20dB ATT on the low bands often if I had one available. Perhaps one day we'll be able to change the K-3's RF Gain per band via software to help adapt to our local noise environment. (mine is very noisy on the low bands with thunderstorm QRN off the Atlantic). For those who may be concerned, yes I do use the RF Gain control. 73, Dick- K9OM Sorry if this comes across more than once, I'm having some e-mail issues. I just did an RF gain calibration, using the XG2 and the K3 utility on my kit K3 (built in Sept. '09). There seems to be a dramatic difference in my noise level, 3-4 s units, with a calibrated s-meter. I think I can pull more stuff out of the ditches and weeds now. Does that seem reasonable? 73, Mike NF4L __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] K2 No Side Tone After Firmware Upgrade
Oops! That's a grab and go K2 -Original Message- From: cstove...@aol.com To: olin...@bellsouth.net Cc: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Sun, Mar 14, 2010 6:43 pm Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K2 No Side Tone After Firmware Upgrade Guy, Who ever owned #972 before me did the B mods to the rig. It came to me equipped with the KSB2, KNB2 and K160RX. I'm going to build the KDSP2 to drop in later. I have the QRP top with a KAT2, KIO2 and KBT2 from K2 #5939 that I built a few years ago. #5939 is decked out with the KPA100,KDSP2,KSB2,KNB2,K160RX and KAT100 and serves as a back up for my K3. This arrangement will give me a grab and K2 without having to change tops or even moving the K2 in the shack. I love the building process, but money is a little tight right now and this one came at the right price. Just made economic sense. The line up now included a K1, K2/10, K2/100 and a K3/100. All great rigs. Chuck K4QS -Original Message- From: Guy Olinger K2AV olin...@bellsouth.net To: cstove...@aol.com Cc: d...@w3fpr.com Sent: Sun, Mar 14, 2010 5:42 pm Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K2 No Side Tone After Firmware Upgrade I added DSP to my bought-used K2 #1239 when I did all the A/B mod upgrades and replaced all the filter crystals, and it was stunning the difference it made. Once I got the crystal and DSP skirts aligned for each filter BW slot, it was dynamite, and frankly not so far off K3 performance. I have all the options and the battery top as well. You doing the A/B mods? 73, Guy. On Sun, Mar 14, 2010 at 4:09 PM, cstove...@aol.com wrote: Done, The sidetone is up and running. Now to recalibrate the VFO and check a few other things and I will start building the KDSP2. I have a QRP top with KAT2, KIO2 and KBT2 standing by. #972 will be a fully loaded and up to date K2/10 sitting in the line up with my K1, K2/100 and K3. Thanks again Don. Chuck K4QS -Original Message- From: Don Wilhelm w3...@embarqmail.com To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Sun, Mar 14, 2010 4:42 pm Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K2 No Side Tone After Firmware Upgrade Chuck, While both sidetone sources should be supported in 2.04P, go ahead and make the change anyway. Yes, make the cut on the trace ging between U6-25 and Q5. You will add 2 wires. The one from U8-4 to Q5 (make certain you do not put it on the R-PAK) is the one important for the sidetone. The long wire from U6 pin 25 and the capacitor is only used for data communications, and will not be used unless you have either the KIO2 or the KPA100, but add it anyway just for completeness. After you make the change, the sidetone source will be only U8-4. If you added the inductor and the resistor for the sidetone waveshape during the upgrade, check those components (and the trace cut) carefully if the sidetone still does not work. 73, Don W3FPR cstove...@aol.com wrote: Hi Don, This is K2 sn972 I'm upgrading, so it's an oldy. The firmware chip is 2.04P which I somehow came into possession of while building my first K2 sn5939 a few years ago. I had Elecraft send only the new I/O chip, so the firmware came to me in pieces. I didn't see any notes about circuit modifications in the firmware documentation that I have. I do have the mods located on page 10 of the KIO2 manual. Just to verify, when you say deletion, are you referring to the cut trace between U6-25 and Q5? I own a .001uf cap, some hookup wire and an Exacto knife, so I should be able to knock this out in a few minutes. Thanks for pointing me in the right place. Chuck K4QS __ 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 __ 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 __ 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 __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] K-3 RF Gain Calibration
Definitely helpful Wes. The S-meter cal is a whole separate process, right? Do I need to do that again? My ears, as well as the meter tell me I'm not hearing as much junk. Meaning external noise, not internal. 73, Mike Wes Stewart wrote: Maybe some clarification of what the calibration really does would be helpful. The hardware AGC in the K3 operates on the post-filter FET IF amplifier and associated diodes. The RF gain control (really IF gain) under the control of the DSP adds a control voltage to the hardware AGC loop. If the manual gain control voltage exceeds the detected AGC voltage then it controls the IF gain, otherwise, it's in the hands of the AGC detector. Unfortunately, there is variability (no pun intended) in the FET Gm, from device to device, hence for a given control voltage, each FET behaves differently. In comparison of my K3 to another, the differences were remarkable. In mine, even a slight reduction of manual gain caused an immediate and obvious degradation of SNR even on a BC station that was S9+50 dB. The comparison radio was much better behaved. Anyone who has done any design work on receivers understands delayed AGC where the delay serves to keep the gain nearer the front end high enough to maintain SNR and only reduces it after the SNR is fully developed. Clearly, in my radio's case, the gain partitioning between the IF and DSP was being negatively affected and the SNR took a hit. The RF gain calibration was a response to this issue and serves to measure the dB gain reduction vs. control voltage and develop a correction in firmware that linearizes (in dB) the curve. Contrary to the belief of some, this isn't an S-meter calibration, although that is a secondary benefit. Likewise, absent the development of hardware AGC and/or the manual reduction of IF gain, it doesn't change the overall gain of the radio. --- On Sun, 3/14/10, r...@aol.com r...@aol.com wrote: From: r...@aol.com r...@aol.com Subject: [Elecraft] K-3 RF Gain Calibration To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Date: Sunday, March 14, 2010, 12:22 PM Mike, Are you saying that your S-Meter reads 3-4 s-units MORE noise level now that you did the RF Gain calibration with the XG-2? I was going to make the same adjustment with my K-3. But if you are getting a 3-4 s-unit higher noise level after the adjustment has been done... I won't be making the adjustment as my K-3 is already more sensitive than I need on the low bands. I'd use a 20dB ATT on the low bands often if I had one available. Perhaps one day we'll be able to change the K-3's RF Gain per band via software to help adapt to our local noise environment. (mine is very noisy on the low bands with thunderstorm QRN off the Atlantic). For those who may be concerned, yes I do use the RF Gain control. 73, Dick- K9OM Sorry if this comes across more than once, I'm having some e-mail issues. I just did an RF gain calibration, using the XG2 and the K3 utility on my kit K3 (built in Sept. '09). There seems to be a dramatic difference in my noise level, 3-4 s units, with a calibrated s-meter. I think I can pull more stuff out of the ditches and weeds now. Does that seem reasonable? 73, Mike NF4L __ 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
[Elecraft] Elecraft SSB Net results (3/14/2010)
Thanks to all who participated in today's post EQP SSB net. We had a total of 26 check-ins with reasonably good conditions (A=5, K=0, and SF=89). As is often the case, EI6IZ held the honors for the lowest S/N and the greatest distance from the NCS. And NU4C had the highest S/N during the net today. Thanks are due also to John, N6JW, for his help throughout the net for picking up stations that I had difficulty copying. Please report any errors in the following list to me. My apologies to two of the non-Elecraft participants for my forgetting to note their rig information. (The list is in comma-separated format for easy importing to a spreadsheet or database as a *.CVS file if you wish.) Callsign,Name,QTH,Rig,S/N N6JW,John,CA,K3,936 NF4L,Mike,FL,K3,3539 W5EMA,Gary,TN,, K7SJ,Roger,WA,K3,75 W1DFB,Don,MA,K3,2937 W0FM,Terry,MO,K3,474 EI6IZ,Brendan,EI,K3,39 VE3QF,Tony,ON,K3,137 K0AWU,Bill,MN,K3,3460 N4LKE,Ron,TN,K3,691 W4RKS,Jim,AL,K3,3618 NU4C,Paul,FL,K3,3993 K6WLM,Bill,CA,K3,3110 KD5ZLB,Edwin,LA,K3,3147 KL7QOW,Mike,AK,K3,3144 K6LMP,Lew,CA,K3,3805 WE1X,Harry,PA,K3,2737 AB9V,Mike,IN,K3,398 K4GCJ,Jerry,NC,K3,1597 AE7G,George,WA,K3,3934 KJ4OQW/M,Ken,OR,, KC7IGT,Miguel,WA,K3,1304 KB7VVL/M,Mike,ID,FT857, AF6OH,Bill,CA,TS870, VE6STP,Stephane,AB,FT817, KB0YH,Gus,CO,K3,441 73, Gus Hansen KB0YH __ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus signature database 4944 (20100314) __ The message was checked by ESET Smart Security. http://www.eset.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
Re: [Elecraft] USB to serial angst
Great debate, but perhaps misplaced? Would not a better answer be an Ethernet connection on the K3? 73, Steve On Sun, Mar 14, 2010 at 5:50 PM, Joe Planisky jp...@jeffnet.org wrote: Comments embedded. On Mar 14, 2010, at 11:41 AM, Eric Manning wrote: Placing a USB port in the K3 would simply move the USB UART currently found in the USB to serial converter onto the KIO3 board. Correct, and would thus avoid the un-necessary and superfluous packaging and connector costs of the USB/RS232 dongle. ... Going to USB requires a substantial added investment by the manufacturer and a major ongoing support cost. True, depending on what you mean by substantial and major. But avoids us customers being forced to buy thousands of those stupid and crash-prone dongles. So wait a second. You admit that putting a USB interface in the K3 would essentially be repackaging the same chips that are in the dongles into the K3. But then you condemn those dongles (and by association the chips in them) as stupid and crash-prone. How will putting the same chips into the K3 make them any less stupid and crash-prone? If my external dongle doesn't work with my particular hardware and/or software, I can go out and buy a different one for less than $20. Yes, an irritation and an inconvenience. But if my K3 (with the hypothetical built-in USB interface) doesn't work with my hardware/ software, then what do I do? 73 -- Joe KB8AP __ 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 __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] USB to serial angst
Probably not at this time. The loggers that I use would not be set up for this. It would be good for remoted radios. I think the Omni 7 has this so some of their owners might have insight on how ready for prime time it is. Personally, I like the RS-232, I added a dual serial port card to my computer and am happy as a bug now. Willis 'Cookie' Cooke K5EWJ From: S Sacco nn4x.st...@gmail.com To: Elecraft Reflector elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Sun, March 14, 2010 7:17:04 PM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] USB to serial angst Great debate, but perhaps misplaced? Would not a better answer be an Ethernet connection on the K3? 73, Steve __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] USB to serial angst
Totally agree, a direct Ethernet connection would open a world of possibilities, remote operation without a remote PC and also remove the driver dependencies that plague the USB to serial arena. I suspect it will not be long before we see it on the mainstream manufacturers equipment. Regards. Roger VK3ADE. S Sacco wrote: Great debate, but perhaps misplaced? Would not a better answer be an Ethernet connection on the K3? 73, Steve __ 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
[Elecraft] K2 s/n 6903 lives!
Hi all, I just finished up my basic QRP CW only K2 kit, s/n 6903. It's had its first taste of action in the SKCC Weekend Sprint, and is working FB. Here's a shot. You can see the jury rigged band switch I'm using until the proper switch comes in from Elecraft (I was short 1). http://www.flickr.com/photos/86661...@n00/4433159705/ Hope to hear you on the air. I'm going to go trawl 40m :D 73, Sean - VA5LF __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] USB to serial angst
Steve, I agree that both RS-232 and 802.1 (Ethernet) are standard communications protocols and can be viable. BUT How many of the ham applications today operate over an Ethernet connection? Do you want to give up your favorite logger or radio control application because the author has coded for serial port communications? When I see those applications providing communications over Ethernet, then I say it would be a better solution, but it is not today's reality. Yes, we could use a serial to Ethernet adapter, but isn't that just as bad as a USB to Serial adapter. The Serial to Ethernet adapter approach is not going to allow the full benefit of an Ethernet implementation which is having the K3 on a network connection and available anywhere TCP/IP can address it. When a number of Ham Radio applications begin to support Ethernet communications (Ham Radio Deluxe does have capability for remote control, but needs another copy running at the remote site to convert that to serial), then I will concede that Ethernet is a good solution. In the meantime, we are using serial port communications, and it does work very well as long as the computer has a good serial port - USB adapters sometimes provide good serial ports, but others do not. As far as I am concerned, USB support and Firewire support are fraught with limitations because they require driver support for each device in the computer. RS-232 and Ethernet require only driver support in the computer for the communications port itself and not every device that hangs off that port. The application being run provides the data stream that is directed through that port. 73, Don W3FPR S Sacco wrote: Great debate, but perhaps misplaced? Would not a better answer be an Ethernet connection on the K3? 73, Steve On Sun, Mar 14, 2010 at 5:50 PM, Joe Planisky jp...@jeffnet.org wrote: Comments embedded. On Mar 14, 2010, at 11:41 AM, Eric Manning wrote: Placing a USB port in the K3 would simply move the USB UART currently found in the USB to serial converter onto the KIO3 board. Correct, and would thus avoid the un-necessary and superfluous packaging and connector costs of the USB/RS232 dongle. ... Going to USB requires a substantial added investment by the manufacturer and a major ongoing support cost. True, depending on what you mean by substantial and major. But avoids us customers being forced to buy thousands of those stupid and crash-prone dongles. So wait a second. You admit that putting a USB interface in the K3 would essentially be repackaging the same chips that are in the dongles into the K3. But then you condemn those dongles (and by association the chips in them) as stupid and crash-prone. How will putting the same chips into the K3 make them any less stupid and crash-prone? If my external dongle doesn't work with my particular hardware and/or software, I can go out and buy a different one for less than $20. Yes, an irritation and an inconvenience. But if my K3 (with the hypothetical built-in USB interface) doesn't work with my hardware/ software, then what do I do? 73 -- Joe KB8AP __ 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 __ 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 No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.733 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2746 - Release Date: 03/14/10 03:33:00 __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] USB to serial angst
I guess you don't consider Ten-Tec as a mainstream manufacturer. The Omni VII has had a direct Ethernet connection for a couple of years. The concept is great and I enjoyed using it but the point that several have made that no current logging programs use ethernet as an interface makes it less than usable except for N4PY software and the proprietary Ten-Tec One Plug software. I personally don't see the angst. I connect my Mac via either of two Serial/USB adaptors to my logging and / or control software and haven't had a major problem. Rick K6LE On 3/14/2010, at 5:28 , Roger de Valle wrote: Totally agree, a direct Ethernet connection would open a world of possibilities, remote operation without a remote PC and also remove the driver dependencies that plague the USB to serial arena. I suspect it will not be long before we see it on the mainstream manufacturers equipment. Regards. Roger VK3ADE. S Sacco wrote: Great debate, but perhaps misplaced? Would not a better answer be an Ethernet connection on the K3? 73, Steve __ 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 __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] usb to serial
I have the 8-port version of the Edgeport and the K3 Utility works fine with it?? Adam K3ARK Elecraft K3 #2265 -Original Message- From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net [mailto:elecraft- boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Wes Stewart Sent: Wednesday, March 10, 2010 8:04 AM To: Elecraft Reflector; Gary Lee Subject: Re: [Elecraft] usb to serial I have a four-port Edgeport and it works great for everything *except* the K3 utility. But then I have no end of trouble with the utility anyway. __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] USB to serial angst
There are several free software applications that emulate an rs-232 port and send the rs-232 commands to a configured ethernet IP address and port. They work very similar to LP Bridge, but they allow you to forward the communication to the ethernet port. Once the software is installed it creates a virtual serial port and you just point your control software to the virtual port. The software then send the commands from the virtual port to the ethernet ip address and port. Just add the ethernet to the rig. No adapter required. Just another layer of software.until the control software developers implement ethernet. As a software developer, I can tell you that it is quite simple to add ethernet support to the control software. There is a chicken or egg issue here. The software developers are not going to add ethernet until the hardware designers add it. Why would they, if nobody can use it. Ken KE3C __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] USB to serial angst
Ken, Agreed from the applications perspective, but the TCP/IP stack has to be implemented at the device end too. That is not just a simple 'add-on'. It requires not only the hardware interface layer, but the transport layer and the protocol layer as well as the application layer to be implemented (actually I have forgotten the exact technical names for the stack layers, it has been 20 years since I encountered them on a daily basis - I did work on networking products, but on the hardware side). However, my point is that that there must be some amount of intelligence put into the device to be able to assign/detect an IP address and have it respond accordingly to the Ethernet traffic that is flowing on the network. Not an insurmountable task, but it is not in the K3 today. Perhaps in the future, or in a K4 that might come along someday (but not anytime soon). RS-232 OTOH is point to point, and all data flowing to the device is for that device - it does not take a processing engine to detect an address and then pick off the data. 73, Don W3FPR Ken Nicely wrote: There are several free software applications that emulate an rs-232 port and send the rs-232 commands to a configured ethernet IP address and port. They work very similar to LP Bridge, but they allow you to forward the communication to the ethernet port. Once the software is installed it creates a virtual serial port and you just point your control software to the virtual port. The software then send the commands from the virtual port to the ethernet ip address and port. Just add the ethernet to the rig. No adapter required. Just another layer of software.until the control software developers implement ethernet. As a software developer, I can tell you that it is quite simple to add ethernet support to the control software. There is a chicken or egg issue here. The software developers are not going to add ethernet until the hardware designers add it. Why would they, if nobody can use it. Ken KE3C __ 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
[Elecraft] Elecraft CW Net Report for March 14th, 2010
Good Evening, It is just turning from dusk to dark. There is some snow left from the multiple snow storms I have received over the last week but the forecast is for warmer weather and even some sun later in the week. One brave daffodil is about to burst open but it has been holding off through the many snow storms and two hail storms. The hail was odd. Very uniform in size but I got four inches of it one day and then another four inches of it the next. Normally hail is associated with thunderstorms but I only received a little high wind and the hail was 3/16 of an inch both times. As I said: odd. Propagation was decent but after the long EQP and the other contests I think folks were a little burned out. I know Mike mentioned feeling a bit off because he had not slept since the beginning of EQP. I met up with him and gave him a contact yesterday as I did with Rick. Rick told me he was off to go skiing once he closed with me but Mike stayed at his rig throughout EQP, the Elecraft SSB net, and then on to ECN. He did not make the second net; I suspect he was fast asleep in preparation for tomorrow's work day ;) I worked a bit in EQP off an on but did not get back to it in time this morning due to a report I needed to proof and send off this morning. I was hoping to get back on the air to check on 15 meters but the time change threw me off. On to the lists = On 14050.5 kHz at 2200z: W0CZ - Ken - ND - K3 - 457*** QNI # 330 *** AB9V - Mike - IN - K3 - 398 KL7CW - Rick - AK - KX1 - 798 K1NIT - Bill - ME W5ALT - Walter - TX N0AR - Scott - MN - K2 - 4866 N7KRT - Jeff - TX - K2 - 5471 N3AO - Carter - VA W8OV - Dave - TX - K3 - 3139 QNI # 30 !! On 7045 kHz at 2300z: K6PJV - Dale - CA - K3 - 1183 * QNI # 175 * W0CZ - Ken - ND - K3 - 457 KL7CW - Rick - AK - KX1 - 798 N0AR - Scott - MN - K2 - 4866 I had two reports of flooding: one from Ken on the Red River and the other, yesterday, from Scott on the upper Mississippi. Hopefully the thaw will slow down so those two rivers subside and allow the water to soak into the soil for this year's crops. Here I am seeing Veeries attacking the exposed duff. I was bringing in wood this morning when I saw the grass around the front steps was torn asunder. It took a moment to remember they had been around previously and their habit is to shake up the duff and eat what they find beneath. Kind of like a live dethatcher for my lawn. Their calls are intriguing too. Go to the Cornell Ornithology site, you may find a recording of their haunting call. I am fairly sure Spectrogram was developed by one of the grad students working there. Until next week stay well, 73, Kevin. KD5ONS (Net Control Operator 5th Class) - __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] USB to serial angst
You are certainly right that there would need to be some intelligence added in on the hardware side. Some of the newer pic controllers like the pic18f87j60 (I happen to be playing with that one now) have much of the functionality built into the controller and there are libraries for the routines, so it is not such a big hurdle. It would have to me made a priority by Elecraft and I am not so sure that there would be enough bang for the buck for them to justify the work. I for one would buy an add on board that went right in the radio for say $100 or maybe even a little more, but I doubt I am in the majority. I also would doubt that there would be enough people interestedeven at that price. Ethernet is definitely be something I will be looking for in future radios. I purchased a Datacom Networking ATC-1000 recently and had it working with the K3. It is an ethernet to serial port bridge device. It worked fine as long as I was just talking to the K3 with one application, but as soon as I had its virtual port being referenced by LP Bridge there seemed to be too many layers of virtual ports and it became unstable. I did not spend a lot of time trying to get it to work. That is on my todo list. I think I might be able to get it working well with some tinkering of the settings. Ken KE3C __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] USB to serial angst
Well, without calling anything names ... Placing a USB port in the K3 would simply move the USB UART currently found in the USB to serial converter onto the KIO3 board. Correct, and would thus avoid the un-necessary and superfluous packaging and connector costs of the USB/RS232 dongle. And would not resolve the driver compatibility issues. There are no drivers to be concerned with when using an 8250 compatible UART in DOS, 16 bit Windows, 32 bit Windows, 64 bit windows, OS-X or any flavor of *NIX. If Elecraft were to use the prolific chipset currently in the KUSB, If my mother were a bus , I would have wheels. That's intelligent! The whole point is that USB is far from universal. USB *** HAS NO ADVANTAGE *** over standard RS-232 ports and it *** NEVER WILL ***. Well, how about 1. speed Let's see ... 8250 compatible serial ports are capable of data rates to 230K bps. That's far faster than the K3 processor is capable of handling. 2. flexibillity what flexibility? We're talking about a point to point channel controlling a single device. 3. fanout Who cares? Again, this is a point to point channel controlling a single device. Fanout requires hubs and divides the bus bandwidth. 4. less prone to abuse of the control lines , violations of the standard , e.g. using them to send Morse, for shame. ... and you cited flexibility as an advantage for USB? What is wrong with using RTS (ready to send!) for PTT or DTR for CW? Going to USB requires a substantial added investment by the manufacturer and a major ongoing support cost. True, depending on what you mean by substantial and major. But avoids us customers being forced to buy thousands of those stupid and crash-prone dongles. I'd far rather spend $20 on a quality USB to serial adapter if I did not already have serial ports than spend an extra $200 for the USB port, hub, software costs, support costs, etc. to have additional (unnecessary) hardware grafted onto the radio. Being a customer not a vendor, I'm for that tradeoff. You want to pay MORE for the radio that offers no additional performance, has greater opportunity for failure, and features than most owners will never use? You're not like any customer I've ever seen! In addition to the software support cost, USB is a multiplexed (shared) correct system level bus. with respect, it is a low-speed peripheral level bus. Still is it a much higher data rate because of the encapsulation and multiplexing. Combined with the lower signal levels (0-5V or 0-3.3V), the higher bit rate make USB more susceptible to transmitted RF (common mode and near field coupling) and more likely to cause radiated and conducted interference to the receiver (broken shields, on board coupling, etc.). Careful analysis of the facts can catalog more than a dozen reasons not to replace the standard RS-232 serial port with embedded USB and only one reason to do so (it's cool). There are certainly no performance advantages to USB in a single channel, low speed, short range point-to-point application 73, ... Joe, W4TV -Original Message- From: Eric Manning [mailto:eric.mann...@engr.uvic.ca] Sent: Sunday, March 14, 2010 2:42 PM To: Joe Subich, W4TV; elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] USB to serial angst The conservative spirit is alive and well. USB seen as a dangerous and radical innovation, forsooth. On 3/13/2010 5:10 PM, Joe Subich, W4TV wrote: That is completely uninformed and demonstrates a dangerous lack of knowledge about the way USB operates. Aw, shucks. Placing a USB port in the K3 would simply move the USB UART currently found in the USB to serial converter onto the KIO3 board. Correct, and would thus avoid the un-necessary and superfluous packaging and connector costs of the USB/RS232 dongle. If Elecraft were to use the prolific chipset currently in the KUSB, If my mother were a bus , I would have wheels. they would also be stuck with the Prolific drivers that are notoriously problematic with VB 6 software and would render the K3 unusable with several popular software packages. USB *** HAS NO ADVANTAGE *** over standard RS-232 ports and it *** NEVER WILL ***. Well, how about 1. speed 2. flexibillity 3. fanout 4. less prone to abuse of the control lines , violations of the standard , e.g. using them to send Morse, for shame. Other than that, and vendor support as it is current practice not an archaic legacy artifact, I can't think of any. Going to USB requires a substantial added investment by the manufacturer and a major ongoing support cost. True, depending on what you mean by substantial and major. But avoids us customers being forced to buy thousands of those stupid and crash-prone dongles. Being a customer not a vendor, I'm for that tradeoff. In addition to the
Re: [Elecraft] K3DSPLPF Low Pass Filter
I also installed the LPF in 2 K3s here this weekend. Although I have pretty good hearing, I was skeptical about any possible improvement. However, I was surprised when I turned on the 1st unit completed. The improvement was noticeable (I use headphones with a wide frequency response). CW notes are purer, and atmospheric noise less grating. AF output from the headphone jack looks very clean now when viewed on Spectrum Lab, previously the artifacts were no better than 60 dB down with strong signals. There is no change to the line out audio, which uses a separate DAC and audio path. All vias were solder filled on both units, but I was able to clear them with solder wick and the installation went smoothly. The instructions are very clear. I also did not make the change to extend low frequency response. Bob NW8L On Mon, Mar 1, 2010 at 11:02 PM, Joe Planisky jp...@jeffnet.org wrote: I recently installed the LPF. I did *not* make any other changes (e.g. to extend the low frequency response.) I work mostly CW but do a fair amount of listening to SSB and SWBC. In my case, the effect is rather subtle and I can't be sure it's not just a placebo effect, but I think CW notes and SSB voices sound a bit smoother. I haven't used it for a long period of time since I installed the LPF, so I can't really tell if it's less fatiguing. Like Brett, I have before and after spectrum plots which clearly show that the aliased passband images centered on 12 kHz are completely gone. However, in my case the 12 kHz clock leakage itself is still there. It must be getting into the output some other way than through the normal audio path. It was one of the more challenging mods that I've done to my K3, mostly due to the fact that 4 of the 6 vias used were filled with solder, two of which have an IC on the other side preventing the use of a hot needle to clear them. And I'm *always* nervous cutting traces. That said, it wasn't really difficult. I took my time and spent about 2 hours from power off to power on. I noticed the price on the LPF board has gone up to $35. When I ordered mine it was $25. Was it worth it? I think so. I wouldn't call it a whole-new-rig difference but I seem to think the rig is a bit more pleasant to listen to. 73 -- Joe KB8AP __ 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
[Elecraft] Digest problems
My T-Bird has started attaching the digest messages instead of putting them in-line. The attached messages all have the same title -- ForwardedMessage.eml which makes finding the one listed in the index rather hard. How do I go off digest mode until I can figure out what new computer issue caused this? Please reply direct, I'll never find it in the digest. Fred K6DGW __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] Rose's DXpedition K3 carrying case
My DXpedition K3 carrying case and K3 cover arrived safely here in Sydney the other day. I was delighted with the quality and finish of them both. It's here in time for the Australian equivalent of ARRL Field Day - our John Moyle Memorial Field Day (20-21 March). If there was a 'portable fashion' category at Field Day I think Rose's cases would romp home with the prizes! The case is really solid. Once I tried it on the K3 for size that I appreciated the brilliant design work in the case. It's clearly been designed with practical experience in mind, so that manuals etc add to the protection. I'm also really impressed at the top quality construction of the case. I'm glad I ordered those side pockets. Thanks Rose so much for all the care and work I can see you've put into the case and the cover. And thanks for such an easy enjoyable way of purchasing them. Your email updates and pix were really appreciated by this buyer on the other side of the world. I love the way quality products - the Elecraft line - can generate markets for other quality products like this. 73, Stephen VK2RH On 4 March 2010 09:21, Ken Kopp k...@rfwave.net wrote: A photo showing two of the new DXpedition K3 carrying cases has just been added to the URL http://tinyurl.com/7lm3m5. It's photo #2. These are the cases that utilize W0YK's padded end caps for additional padding of the front and rear of the K3. 73! Rose - N7HKW elecraftcov...@rfwave.net __ 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 -- FISTS #14118; SKCC #6556; QRP-ARCI #13446; NAQCC #4150; FH 2792 __ 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
