Interesting K3 Pan Adapter Development

[Bill W4ZV]

         Very interesting news Craig!  Especially the
SDR issues we previously discussed here on the list:

LP-Pan SDR Panadapter for Elecraft K3 (prototype stage)...

* Optimized for K3
* Up to +/- 96 kHz display on PC
* 8.215 MHz center frequency for centered display
* Switching quadrature detector for 100dB dynamic range
* < -130dBm noise floor
* Buffer amp with very high LO isolation
* Fully isolated inputs / outputs with high quality audio xfmrs
* Works with many SDR programs... custom app to come
* Point and click frequency control with PowerSDR and HRD
* Shielded metal enclosure in development

         For those who say "Real radios don't need knobs",
below is an interesting quote from K1LT.  Vic recently wrote
up a description of his 4-receiver SDR prototype used in
a warm up for the Stew Perry Topband Distance Challenge:

"The second problem became apparent when numerous weaker European
stations were calling: not enough (any) knobs!  When trying to copy a
barely audible weak CW signal, this operator tweaks the incremental
tuning, the pass-band shape, and the antenna direction to try an find
the best copy.  Often, these settings change during the course of a
difficult QSO as propagation changes (fading).  So, a mouse or
keyboard based user interface does not make for rapid tweaking."

http://dayton.contesting.com/pipermail/topband/2007-October/027447.html

         It's going to be really fun to watch this develop with the K3!

                                 73,  Bill  W4ZV

P.S.  Another typo...Larry's call is N8LP...not K8LP.

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[Frank Hunter]

Bill Tippett wrote:

Hi Bill!

[snip]

>         For those who say "Real radios don't need knobs",
> below is an interesting quote from K1LT.  Vic recently wrote
> up a description of his 4-receiver SDR prototype used in
> a warm up for the Stew Perry Topband Distance Challenge:
>
> "The second problem became apparent when numerous weaker European
> stations were calling: not enough (any) knobs!  When trying to copy a
> barely audible weak CW signal, this operator tweaks the incremental
> tuning, the pass-band shape, and the antenna direction to try an find
> the best copy.  Often, these settings change during the course of a
> difficult QSO as propagation changes (fading).  So, a mouse or
> keyboard based user interface does not make for rapid tweaking."

Interesting observations but having used a Flex 5000 and PowerSDR for
the past fortnight it has not been my experience at all. First of all
let's remember that most of todays amateurs are logging via a computer
and especially so if in a contest. The obvious place for any rig control
mechanism in the interests of good ergonomics would logically be where
the op is already looking ie the computer screen and what he is already
using ie keyboard and mouse. Why would I want to remove my hands from
keyboard and mouse to reach across a bench to fiddle with knobs when a
mouse click or click and drag can do the same only quicker? To state
that a mouse or keyboard does not make for rapid tweaking is akin to
saying a keyboard and mouse does not make for rapid letter writing. ;-)

> http://dayton.contesting.com/pipermail/topband/2007-October/027447.html
>
>         It's going to be really fun to watch this develop with the K3!

Yes it will because then more people will be staring at a spectrum scope
and clicking on it to qsy to any intersting looking signals but
wondering why they then have to leave this environment to fiddle with
knobs :-)

73, Frank GI4NKB

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