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K3 - Another push-to-talk question

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Doug VE3VS

K3 - Another push-to-talk question

I have been enjoying operating my K3 for several months. One of my interests includes RTTY.

I use the latest MMTTY software (AFSK), have the two audio lines connected, and use VOX to operate this mode. At the same time, the serial cable from the computer to the radio remains connected.

Question - Is there a set-up that will allow the computer to signal PTT through the serial cable in order to transmit the RTTY tones, rather than enabling the VOX switch?

Doug, VE3VS

Don Wilhelm-4

Re: K3 - Another push-to-talk question

Doug,

The K3 is capable of detecting and using DTR and RTS to operate either
the KEY or PTT. See the CONFIG: PTT -- KEY menu item.

There is one downside to using these inputs (it also applies the the
"simple keying circuit" in many digital help files). If the computer is
booted while the K3 is turned on, those lines will become momentarily
active. Just remember to put the K3 in TX TEST before booting the computer.
Once the computer has finished its com port tests, there is no problem.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 1/13/2011 9:10 AM, Doug VE3VS wrote:

> I have been enjoying operating my K3 for several months. One of my interests
> includes RTTY.
>
> I use the latest MMTTY software (AFSK), have the two audio lines connected,
> and use VOX to operate this mode. At the same time, the serial cable from
> the computer to the radio remains connected.
>
> Question - Is there a set-up that will allow the computer to signal PTT
> through the serial cable in order to transmit the RTTY tones, rather than
> enabling the VOX switch?
>

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Guy, K2AV

Re: K3 - Another push-to-talk question

In reply to this post by Doug VE3VS

See the K3 manual documentation on CONFIG:PTT-KEY for using RTS and DTR on
the serial cable for PTT and Key lines. Use the PDF search in the PDF
reader function to look up PTT in the manual PDF for a quick find.

73, Guy.

On Thu, Jan 13, 2011 at 9:10 AM, Doug VE3VS <[hidden email]> wrote:

>
> I have been enjoying operating my K3 for several months. One of my
> interests
> includes RTTY.
>
> I use the latest MMTTY software (AFSK), have the two audio lines connected,
> and use VOX to operate this mode. At the same time, the serial cable from
> the computer to the radio remains connected.
>
> Question - Is there a set-up that will allow the computer to signal PTT
> through the serial cable in order to transmit the RTTY tones, rather than
> enabling the VOX switch?
>
> Doug, VE3VS
>
> --
> View this message in context:
> http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/K3-Another-push-to-talk-question-tp5918290p5918290.html
> Sent from the [K3] mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
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Richard-3

Re: K3 - Another push-to-talk question

In reply to this post by Don Wilhelm-4

Is there a down side to booting the computer fully before turning on the K3?
Rich
NU6T

On 1/13/2011 6:23 AM, Don Wilhelm wrote:

> Doug,
>
> The K3 is capable of detecting and using DTR and RTS to operate either
> the KEY or PTT. See the CONFIG: PTT -- KEY menu item.
>
> There is one downside to using these inputs (it also applies the the
> "simple keying circuit" in many digital help files). If the computer is
> booted while the K3 is turned on, those lines will become momentarily
> active. Just remember to put the K3 in TX TEST before booting the computer.
> Once the computer has finished its com port tests, there is no problem.
>
>
> 73,
> Don W3FPR
>
> On 1/13/2011 9:10 AM, Doug VE3VS wrote:
>> I have been enjoying operating my K3 for several months. One of my interests
>> includes RTTY.
>>
>> I use the latest MMTTY software (AFSK), have the two audio lines connected,
>> and use VOX to operate this mode. At the same time, the serial cable from
>> the computer to the radio remains connected.
>>
>> Question - Is there a set-up that will allow the computer to signal PTT
>> through the serial cable in order to transmit the RTTY tones, rather than
>> enabling the VOX switch?
>>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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
>
>

Richard Ferch

Re: K3 - Another push-to-talk question

In reply to this post by Doug VE3VS

Doug, the answer is yes, but the details depend on whether you are using
MMTTY stand-alone or from inside another application (like N1MM Logger
or Logger32).

If you are using MMTTY from inside another application, the easiest way
is to let the parent application handle rig control and PTT. The parent
application and MMTTY cannot both use the same serial port, and in all
likelihood you will want the parent to have access to frequency and
other information from the radio.

If you are using MMTTY stand-alone, then: Open the MMTTY Setup window
and select the TX tab. At the top right is the PTT & FSK area. For your
situation (AFSK with no serial port other than the rig control port),
this should be set to NONE. Below it is a button labelled "Radio
command". Click on this button to open MMTTY's Radio command window.
Here you can select the serial port you are using for radio control with
the K3. Do not do this if you are using MMTTY from inside another
program that uses the same serial port!

You can use this port not only for PTT control, but also for getting
frequency information from the radio into the MMTTY log. To do this, you
set the port speed, etc. (38400, 8, N, 1), do not check any of the flow
control or DTR/RTS boxes, select "Kenwood, Elecraft" as the Group at the
bottom of the window, set Model to "Kenwood, Elecraft", and set the
Frequency offset to OFF. You will see commands in the Rx and Tx boxes;
these are the software commands MMTTY will use to control the radio's
PTT switching.

MMTTY can also use RTS on this serial port for hardware PTT switching
(with the help of the K3's CONFIG:PTT-KEY set to RTS-OFF), but there is
a potential problem with this: If the DTR/RTS box is checked and the Rx
and Tx Command boxes are not empty, MMTTY will use both software and
hardware PTT methods in parallel, which is not a good idea. Several
users who have done this have experienced having their K3 stuck in
transmit (i.e. failing to switch back to receive when the software
commands it to do so). This appears to be due to a "race condition" in
the firmware when software and hardware commands are issued to the radio
simultaneously. The work-around is to eliminate one or the other of the
two parallel methods, i.e. to use either software (TX; RX;) commands or
hardware (RTS or other PTT input), but never both methods at once.

73,
Rich VE3KI

VE3VS asked:

> I use the latest MMTTY software (AFSK), have the two audio lines connected,
> and use VOX to operate this mode. At the same time, the serial cable from
> the computer to the radio remains connected.
>
> Question - Is there a set-up that will allow the computer to signal PTT
> through the serial cable in order to transmit the RTTY tones, rather than
> enabling the VOX switch?
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Don Wilhelm-4

Re: K3 - Another push-to-talk question

In reply to this post by Richard-3

Rich,

No downside that I am aware of.
Now, if you have applications that control the K3 and you have them
configured to start automatically, I would think that would be a problem
because the K3 is not be powered on when the application starts.
Moral, start the applications that talk to the K3 manually after both
teh computer and K3 are up and running.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 1/13/2011 9:40 AM, Rich NU6T wrote:
> Is there a down side to booting the computer fully before turning on the K3?
> Rich
> NU6T
>
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N5NA

Re: K3 - Another push-to-talk question

In reply to this post by Doug VE3VS

In N1MM when you set the serial port for the K3 on the Configurer click the button to the right of the serial port you're using that says Set. Check off the box that says "Radio PTT via command".

73, Alan N5NA

Doug VE3VS wrote

I have been enjoying operating my K3 for several months. One of my interests includes RTTY.

I use the latest MMTTY software (AFSK), have the two audio lines connected, and use VOX to operate this mode. At the same time, the serial cable from the computer to the radio remains connected.

Question - Is there a set-up that will allow the computer to signal PTT through the serial cable in order to transmit the RTTY tones, rather than enabling the VOX switch?

Doug, VE3VS