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Help, please. K3 and PSK31

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DaveL G3TJP

Help, please. K3 and PSK31

I'm getting round to trying PSK31 and later maybe some other data modes.

I want to use either the stereo line out source or the headphones socket on the back panel of the K3, which is getting mighty full of connections these days.

I could use some advice from the collective HI!

Should I use a stereo jack with tip active, sleeve ground and ring unconnected, or should ring and tip be paralleled for use with line out?

Would I be best using the line out or headphone socket (with configuration speakers+phones=yes)?

Also, if anyone has experience of using the Tigertronics Signalink USB with the K3 I'd be very interested to have your comments.

Grateful thanks for any assistance and a very Happy New Year to all my readers HI!

73 DaveL G3TJP
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Don Wilhelm-4

Re: Help, please. K3 and PSK31

David,

While your suggested cable from Line Out will work fine for PSK31, if
you have the SubRX, you will want to use a full stereo cable between
Line Out and the soundcard Line In - it may come in handy to have both
channels available in the future.
You can use the mono cable (as you described, with a stereo plug) for
the Line In to the K3 (soundcard Line Out).

The RS-232 cable can be used for PTT if the software application
supports the use of either DTR or RTS for PTT. Just set the K3 menu to
use the same signal that the application is providing.

Sorry, but I do not use the Signalink or any other interface with the K3
- I connect directly to the computer soundcard and the RS-232 cable does
the rest, I use HRD and DM780 for digital work. Perhaps others can help
you with the Signalink connections.

73,
Don W3FPR

David Lankshear wrote:

> I'm getting round to trying PSK31 and later maybe some other data modes.
>
> I want to use either the stereo line out source or the headphones socket on the back panel of the K3, which is getting mighty full of connections these days.
>
> I could use some advice from the collective HI!
>
> Should I use a stereo jack with tip active, sleeve ground and ring unconnected, or should ring and tip be paralleled for use with line out?
>
> Would I be best using the line out or headphone socket (with configuration speakers+phones=yes)?
>
> Also, if anyone has experience of using the Tigertronics Signalink USB with the K3 I'd be very interested to have your comments.
>
> Grateful thanks for any assistance and a very Happy New Year to all my readers HI!
>
> 73 DaveL G3TJP
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
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Mike Reublin

Re: Help, please. K3 and PSK31

In reply to this post by DaveL G3TJP

Dave -
I'm not using an interface. Line-out from the K3 to line-in on the
computer and line-in to the K3 from line-out of the computer. 1/8 inch
stereo cables (tip,ring,sleeve) unmodified. MAIN: MIC+LIN, and vox on. HTH.

73, and HNY!

Mike NF4L

David Lankshear wrote:

Richard Ferch

Re: Help, please. K3 and PSK31

In reply to this post by DaveL G3TJP

Dave,

You should use the line out connector. The level on this output is not
affected by the AF gain controls, whereas the level on the headphone
output depends on the AF gain controls and also on whether or not you
have headphones plugged into the front panel (since the two are in
parallel). The line out level is adjusted from the CONFIG:LIN OUT menu
item (it's a set and forget adjustment). Using the headphone connector
also disables the speaker, whereas the line out connector does not.

A simple stereo cable should do fine. If you have a sub-receiver and it
is on, the right channel will carry output from the sub-RX; the left
channel is always the main RX. Most sound card software defaults to the
left channel, but almost all software can be configured to use the right
channel instead, and either by running two instances of a program or
with software that supports dual channels, you can receive independently
on both receivers.

If your sound device only has a mono microphone input, you might want to
check whether the right channel is used to carry a DC voltage, and if it
is, you would leave the ring disconnected, but otherwise, a straight
stereo cable should work fine.

73,
Rich VE3KI

G3TJP wrote:

> I'm getting round to trying PSK31 and later maybe some other data modes.
>
> I want to use either the stereo line out source or the headphones socket on the back \
> panel of the K3, which is getting mighty full of connections these days.
>
> I could use some advice from the collective HI!
>
> Should I use a stereo jack with tip active, sleeve ground and ring unconnected, or \
> should ring and tip be paralleled for use with line out?
>
> Would I be best using the line out or headphone socket (with configuration \
> speakers+phones=yes)?
>
> Also, if anyone has experience of using the Tigertronics Signalink USB with the K3 \
> I'd be very interested to have your comments.
>

David Herring-2

Re: Help, please. K3 and PSK31

In reply to this post by DaveL G3TJP

Dave

I use the SignalLink USB with my K3 and it works like a charm. I use line in, line out, and PTT from the SignalLink's RJ-45. On the K3, I use a mono jack into line out, a stereo jack with the "right channel" disconnected into line in, and a RCA jack to PTT.

I've used this with HRD and fldigi with no problems whatsoever.

I chose to use line out rather than the headphone socket because I wanted to plug my headset in to the back of the rig, and I'm not one for swapping cables on a regular basis.

I chose to use the SignalLink USB rather than plug directly into my computer's sound card because my computer serves multiple purposes and I wanted to keep the ham radio functionality separate from the onboard sound card. I also postulated that it would give me more RF isolation...I had been having RF problems with my computer, but in the end that wound up being due to the mouse acting like a receiver. :-(

I was initially concerned that I had to crank the K3's line out volume up past the "10" that is recommended in the K3 manual to get good response on the waterfall display on HRD or fldigi. I puzzled over that one for a while but finally got the idea to turn the K3's AGC off and whoa! ... no longer had that problem! (and also had to peel my eardrums off the wall, hi hi). I get ample line out levels and thus plenty of waterfall with line out set to 10 when the AGC is off. I tend to use shift and width to narrow in on the signal I wish to receive, and AGC doesn't seem necessary but your mileage may vary.

In all, I'm very happy with the SignalLink USB, and of course, the K3.

73,

Dave
K6DCH

On Dec 27, 2009, at 1:21 PM, David Lankshear wrote: