K3 FIRMWARE UPDATE: MCU 1.87, DSP 1.69 (Finally!)

[wayne burdick]

We've just completed the most extensive K3 firmware update ever. The
full list of changes is provided below.

*** NOTE ***  You must use the latest version of our firmware loader
(K3 Utility rev 1.1.4.1) or else you won't be able to load all
components of the upgrade. It's available on our K3 software page,
along with release notes:

     http://www.elecraft.com/K3/k3_software.htm

As usual, if you have any difficulty with the firmware upgrade, send
email to [hidden email]. Both Lyle, KK7P (DSP firmware) and
myself (MCU firmware) will be closely monitoring your results in case
further tweaking is required.

I'd also like to thank all of our K3 customers for their patience. This
firmware release was delayed several times due to testing, engineering
staff vacations, etc. Our field testers have been pounding on interim
releases for weeks (thanks, guys). I hope you'll find it worth the
wait!

73,
Wayne, N6KR

* * *

MCU 1.87 / DSP 1.69, 5-3-08

   This release includes improvements in all areas. Changes are
categorized below.

   NEW FEATURES:

   * CW KEYING IN SSB MODES:  While in SSB modes, you can now send CW
without
     changing modes or using an offset. The other station will hear the
signal at your CW pitch.
     This is especially useful on VHF bands when SSB signals can’t be
copied.
     To enable this feature, go into CONFIG:CW WGHT and tap ‘1’ until
you see SSB +CW.

   * FM MODE ADDED: Requires FM filter installed in slot FL1. Those not
needing
     FM mode can set CONFIG:FM MODE to OFF. To set up a repeater offset:
Use the
     CONFIG:RPT OFS menu entry, then hold ALT to select -/+/simplex (-/+
appear under
     the FM mode icon). To set up tone encode: hold PITCH, then rotate
VFO B to select
     PL TONE or PL OFF, and rotate VFO A to select the desired CTCSS
tone. (When
     PL TONE is on, a letter ‘T’ will appear near the FM mode icon.)
Repeater offsets and
     PL tones are stored per-band/per-memory.

   * VARIABLE AMP KEYING DELAY: Added CONFIG:TX DLY menu entry, which
     sets the time from KEY OUT jack (active low) to first RF in 1-ms
steps, from 8 to 20 ms.
     To minimize loss of QSK speed, use the shortest delay that works
with your amp.
     Most will work with the default (minimum) setting of 8 ms.

   * LINE OUT ALLOWS RX/TX AUDIO RECORDING: Normally, CONFIG:LIN OUT
sets a
     fixed-level, receive-only output for main/sub (L/R), compatible
with digital modes. Tapping
     '1' switches LIN OUT to =PHONES, where the line outputs match
headphone audio,
     audio level controlled by AF/SUB gain controls, and both RX and TX
audio available.

   * SIMULTANEOUS USE OF MIC AND LINE IN:  If the MAIN:MIC+LIN menu
entry is set to
     ON, and MIC SEL = FP or RP, the present mic OR line in can be used
for transmit audio.
     NOTE: Setting MIC SEL to LINE overrides the MIC+LIN menu entry (its
parameter
     becomes "N-A").  When MIC+LIN is in effect, rotating the MIC
control shows MIC GAIN.
     The op has to set MIC SEL to LINE temporarily to set LINE IN gain.

   * S-METER ABSOLUTE MODE: Use the CONFIG:SMTR MD menu entry. Set to ABS
     (absolute) to have S-meter stay constant with preamp/atten
settings. Default is NOR (where
     PRE/ATTN affect the S-meter). ABS mode requires recalibration (SMTR
OF & SMTR SC).

   RECEIVE:

   * SSB RECEIVE PASSBAND EXTENDED AT LOW END (now 100 Hz; was 200 Hz).

   * AM RECEIVE WIDTH RANGE INCREASED:  The WIDTH control in AM mode now
has
     a range of 2.8 to 10.0 kHz. Wider settings provide outstanding
fidelity for hi-fi speech
     and other wide-band signals. This is the *IF* filter bandwidth --
the traditional way to show
     bandwidth for AM, because the required IF bandwidth is twice the
modulation bandwidth.
     NORM selects an IF bandwidth of 6.0 kHz in this mode. WIDTH
settings above 6.0 kHz
     will not be useful unless you have an FM-bandwidth crystal filter
installed (at FL1).

   * IF A 2.8 KHZ FILTER IS INSTALLED, SSB "NORM" BW is 2.8 kHz (was
fixed at 2.7 kHz).

   * AUTO-SPOT (SPOT with CWT ON) now works with both very weak and very
strong signals.

   * PSK AUTOTUNE ACCURACY improved. You may still need to use RIT (FINE
steps) to
     tune in signals for best built-in text decode. (Also see CW-to-DATA
in the Owner’s Manual.)

   TRANSMIT:

   * TRANSVERTER POWER CONTROL: The value set in CONFIG:XVn PWR now
correctly
     sets a fixed power level on the associated transverter band (0-1.50
mW or 0-12W).

   * POWER ROLLBACK BASED ON REFLECTED POWER:  Power rollback begins at
about
     2.5:1 at 100 W (and of course much higher SWRs are tolerated at
lower power settings).
     Recovers to original target power level after mismatch is corrected.

   * CW QSK further refined, with smoother mute/unmute in the presence
of QRN and QRM.

   * SSB TRANSMIT BANDPASS EXTENDED AT LOW END. Improvement is about 2 dB
     at 300 Hz, 3 dB at 200 Hz, and 6 dB at 100 Hz. Additional
improvement possible via TX EQ.

   * SSB TX POWER CONTROL improved. Set ALC for about 5 bars (rarely 6+)
using MIC gain
     control, then set CMP and POWER as desired. The RF power bargraph
shows approx.
     peak power when you whistle or shout, but will typically show well
below peak power
     during normal speech. If you’re using an external peak-reading
wattmeter or power
     amplifier, adjust POWER as required while observing the effect of
speech peaks.
     If you find that an SSB power setting higher or lower than for CW
is often required,
     you may wish to compensate for this using the CONFIG:TXG VCE menu
entry.

     Technical Note: Our latest MCU and DSP code uses minimal amounts of
ALC, consistent
     with analysis done by Leif Asbrink, SM5BSZ. (His findings and
recommendations can be
     found on his web site, www.nitehawk.com/sm5bsz.) The general idea
is to keep
     transmit drive just below where ALC can cause splatter on speech
peaks, rather than
     apply ALC heavily to achieve additional compression.

   CONTROLS:

   * A->B SWITCH: 1st tap copies frequency only; 2nd tap within 2
seconds copies mode
     and filter settings.

   * VFO LOCK is no longer cancelled by VFO tuning controls (RATE, FINE,
or COARSE).

   * TUNING EITHER VFO ACROSS MULTIPLE BANDS now brings the other VFO
along
     with it, so that both VFOs will always be on the same band. This
eliminates the problem
     of bands getting out of sequence due to wide tuning excursions.
(Later, we’ll allow the
     subreceiver to be on a different band from main if CONFIG:VFO IND
is enabled.)


---

http://www.elecraft.com

_______________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Post to: [hidden email]
You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
 http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft

Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com

[Bill VanAlstyne W5WVO]

Wow, totally outstanding, Wayne. Congratulations on this major milestone!
Can't wait to see how it works. Looks like my K3 will have this revision
loaded in it when shipped, then.

Bill W5WVO

wayne burdick wrote:

> We've just completed the most extensive K3 firmware update ever. The
> full list of changes is provided below.
>
> *** NOTE ***  You must use the latest version of our firmware loader
> (K3 Utility rev 1.1.4.1) or else you won't be able to load all
> components of the upgrade. It's available on our K3 software page,
> along with release notes:
>
>     http://www.elecraft.com/K3/k3_software.htm
>
> As usual, if you have any difficulty with the firmware upgrade, send
> email to [hidden email]. Both Lyle, KK7P (DSP firmware) and
> myself (MCU firmware) will be closely monitoring your results in case
> further tweaking is required.
>
> I'd also like to thank all of our K3 customers for their patience.
> This firmware release was delayed several times due to testing,
> engineering staff vacations, etc. Our field testers have been
> pounding on interim releases for weeks (thanks, guys). I hope you'll
> find it worth the wait!
>
> 73,
> Wayne, N6KR
>
> * * *
>
> MCU 1.87 / DSP 1.69, 5-3-08
>
>   This release includes improvements in all areas. Changes are
> categorized below.
>
>   NEW FEATURES:
>
>   * CW KEYING IN SSB MODES:  While in SSB modes, you can now send CW
> without
>     changing modes or using an offset. The other station will hear the
> signal at your CW pitch.
>     This is especially useful on VHF bands when SSB signals can’t be
> copied.
>     To enable this feature, go into CONFIG:CW WGHT and tap ‘1’ until
> you see SSB +CW.
>
>   * FM MODE ADDED: Requires FM filter installed in slot FL1. Those not
> needing
>     FM mode can set CONFIG:FM MODE to OFF. To set up a repeater
> offset: Use the
>     CONFIG:RPT OFS menu entry, then hold ALT to select -/+/simplex
> (-/+ appear under
>     the FM mode icon). To set up tone encode: hold PITCH, then rotate
> VFO B to select
>     PL TONE or PL OFF, and rotate VFO A to select the desired CTCSS
> tone. (When
>     PL TONE is on, a letter ‘T’ will appear near the FM mode icon.)
> Repeater offsets and
>     PL tones are stored per-band/per-memory.
>
>   * VARIABLE AMP KEYING DELAY: Added CONFIG:TX DLY menu entry, which
>     sets the time from KEY OUT jack (active low) to first RF in 1-ms
> steps, from 8 to 20 ms.
>     To minimize loss of QSK speed, use the shortest delay that works
> with your amp.
>     Most will work with the default (minimum) setting of 8 ms.
>
>   * LINE OUT ALLOWS RX/TX AUDIO RECORDING: Normally, CONFIG:LIN OUT
> sets a
>     fixed-level, receive-only output for main/sub (L/R), compatible
> with digital modes. Tapping
>     '1' switches LIN OUT to =PHONES, where the line outputs match
> headphone audio,
>     audio level controlled by AF/SUB gain controls, and both RX and TX
> audio available.
>
>   * SIMULTANEOUS USE OF MIC AND LINE IN:  If the MAIN:MIC+LIN menu
> entry is set to
>     ON, and MIC SEL = FP or RP, the present mic OR line in can be used
> for transmit audio.
>     NOTE: Setting MIC SEL to LINE overrides the MIC+LIN menu entry
> (its parameter
>     becomes "N-A").  When MIC+LIN is in effect, rotating the MIC
> control shows MIC GAIN.
>     The op has to set MIC SEL to LINE temporarily to set LINE IN gain.
>
>   * S-METER ABSOLUTE MODE: Use the CONFIG:SMTR MD menu entry. Set to
>     ABS (absolute) to have S-meter stay constant with preamp/atten
> settings. Default is NOR (where
>     PRE/ATTN affect the S-meter). ABS mode requires recalibration
> (SMTR OF & SMTR SC).
>
>   RECEIVE:
>
>   * SSB RECEIVE PASSBAND EXTENDED AT LOW END (now 100 Hz; was 200 Hz).
>
>   * AM RECEIVE WIDTH RANGE INCREASED:  The WIDTH control in AM mode
> now has
>     a range of 2.8 to 10.0 kHz. Wider settings provide outstanding
> fidelity for hi-fi speech
>     and other wide-band signals. This is the *IF* filter bandwidth --
> the traditional way to show
>     bandwidth for AM, because the required IF bandwidth is twice the
> modulation bandwidth.
>     NORM selects an IF bandwidth of 6.0 kHz in this mode. WIDTH
> settings above 6.0 kHz
>     will not be useful unless you have an FM-bandwidth crystal filter
> installed (at FL1).
>
>   * IF A 2.8 KHZ FILTER IS INSTALLED, SSB "NORM" BW is 2.8 kHz (was
> fixed at 2.7 kHz).
>
>   * AUTO-SPOT (SPOT with CWT ON) now works with both very weak and
> very strong signals.
>
>   * PSK AUTOTUNE ACCURACY improved. You may still need to use RIT
> (FINE steps) to
>     tune in signals for best built-in text decode. (Also see
> CW-to-DATA in the Owner’s Manual.)
>
>   TRANSMIT:
>
>   * TRANSVERTER POWER CONTROL: The value set in CONFIG:XVn PWR now
> correctly
>     sets a fixed power level on the associated transverter band
> (0-1.50 mW or 0-12W).
>
>   * POWER ROLLBACK BASED ON REFLECTED POWER:  Power rollback begins at
> about
>     2.5:1 at 100 W (and of course much higher SWRs are tolerated at
> lower power settings).
>     Recovers to original target power level after mismatch is
> corrected.
>   * CW QSK further refined, with smoother mute/unmute in the presence
> of QRN and QRM.
>
>   * SSB TRANSMIT BANDPASS EXTENDED AT LOW END. Improvement is about 2
>     dB at 300 Hz, 3 dB at 200 Hz, and 6 dB at 100 Hz. Additional
> improvement possible via TX EQ.
>
>   * SSB TX POWER CONTROL improved. Set ALC for about 5 bars (rarely
> 6+) using MIC gain
>     control, then set CMP and POWER as desired. The RF power bargraph
> shows approx.
>     peak power when you whistle or shout, but will typically show well
> below peak power
>     during normal speech. If you’re using an external peak-reading
> wattmeter or power
>     amplifier, adjust POWER as required while observing the effect of
> speech peaks.
>     If you find that an SSB power setting higher or lower than for CW
> is often required,
>     you may wish to compensate for this using the CONFIG:TXG VCE menu
> entry.
>
>     Technical Note: Our latest MCU and DSP code uses minimal amounts
> of ALC, consistent
>     with analysis done by Leif Asbrink, SM5BSZ. (His findings and
> recommendations can be
>     found on his web site, www.nitehawk.com/sm5bsz.) The general idea
> is to keep
>     transmit drive just below where ALC can cause splatter on speech
> peaks, rather than
>     apply ALC heavily to achieve additional compression.
>
>   CONTROLS:
>
>   * A->B SWITCH: 1st tap copies frequency only; 2nd tap within 2
> seconds copies mode
>     and filter settings.
>
>   * VFO LOCK is no longer cancelled by VFO tuning controls (RATE,
> FINE, or COARSE).
>
>   * TUNING EITHER VFO ACROSS MULTIPLE BANDS now brings the other VFO
> along
>     with it, so that both VFOs will always be on the same band. This
> eliminates the problem
>     of bands getting out of sequence due to wide tuning excursions.
> (Later, we’ll allow the
>     subreceiver to be on a different band from main if CONFIG:VFO IND
> is enabled.)
>
>
> ---
>
> http://www.elecraft.com
>
> _______________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Post to: [hidden email]
> You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
> Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
>
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
> Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com 

_______________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Post to: [hidden email]
You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
 http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft   

Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com

[Dick Hanson]

Install went very smoothly and can't wait to use the SSB/CW switching
feature at CY0X (50MHz) in a couple of months.
73
Dick, K5AND 00050

-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Bill W5WVO
Sent: Saturday, May 03, 2008 8:32 PM
To: wayne burdick; Elecraft Reflector
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 FIRMWARE UPDATE: MCU 1.87, DSP 1.69 (Finally!)

Wow, totally outstanding, Wayne. Congratulations on this major milestone!
Can't wait to see how it works. Looks like my K3 will have this revision
loaded in it when shipped, then.

Bill W5WVO


_______________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Post to: [hidden email]
You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
 http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft   

Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com

[Tom-5]

To Aptos,

    As a six meter operator, all I can say is thank you...thank you
...thank you...
This mode is soooo useful on VHF and above.

    Now, for my second K3 to arrive for my six meter SSB/CW remote base!

    tom K8TB  K3's #  53 & ?




wayne burdick wrote:
 >We've just completed the most extensive K3 firmware update ever. The
full list of changes is provided below.

 >* CW KEYING IN SSB MODES:  While in SSB modes, you can now send CW
without
 >changing modes or using an offset. The other station will hear the
signal at your CW pitch.
 >This is especially useful on VHF bands when SSB signals can’t be copied.


_______________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Post to: [hidden email]
You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
 http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft

Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com

[N4LQ-2]

Immediately after load is complete I was left with
DSP Program Load Failed on the utility
and
E 020202 on K3 Screen (top)
DRR DSE (bottom)
I hit a few buttons and this went away.
 I'm assuming this is because I don't have the sub receiver installed?
Steve Ellington
[hidden email]
----- Original Message -----
From: "wayne burdick" <[hidden email]>
To: "Elecraft Reflector" <[hidden email]>
Sent: Saturday, May 03, 2008 8:29 PM
Subject: [Elecraft] K3 FIRMWARE UPDATE: MCU 1.87, DSP 1.69 (Finally!)


We've just completed the most extensive K3 firmware update ever. The
full list of changes is provided below.

*** NOTE ***  You must use the latest version of our firmware loader
(K3 Utility rev 1.1.4.1) or else you won't be able to load all
components of the upgrade. It's available on our K3 software page,
along with release notes:

     http://www.elecraft.com/K3/k3_software.htm

As usual, if you have any difficulty with the firmware upgrade, send
email to [hidden email]. Both Lyle, KK7P (DSP firmware) and
myself (MCU firmware) will be closely monitoring your results in case
further tweaking is required.

I'd also like to thank all of our K3 customers for their patience. This
firmware release was delayed several times due to testing, engineering
staff vacations, etc. Our field testers have been pounding on interim
releases for weeks (thanks, guys). I hope you'll find it worth the
wait!

73,
Wayne, N6KR

* * *

MCU 1.87 / DSP 1.69, 5-3-08

   This release includes improvements in all areas. Changes are
categorized below.

   NEW FEATURES:

   * CW KEYING IN SSB MODES:  While in SSB modes, you can now send CW
without
     changing modes or using an offset. The other station will hear the
signal at your CW pitch.
     This is especially useful on VHF bands when SSB signals can’t be
copied.
     To enable this feature, go into CONFIG:CW WGHT and tap ‘1’ until
you see SSB +CW.

   * FM MODE ADDED: Requires FM filter installed in slot FL1. Those not
needing
     FM mode can set CONFIG:FM MODE to OFF. To set up a repeater offset:
Use the
     CONFIG:RPT OFS menu entry, then hold ALT to select -/+/simplex (-/+
appear under
     the FM mode icon). To set up tone encode: hold PITCH, then rotate
VFO B to select
     PL TONE or PL OFF, and rotate VFO A to select the desired CTCSS
tone. (When
     PL TONE is on, a letter ‘T’ will appear near the FM mode icon.)
Repeater offsets and
     PL tones are stored per-band/per-memory.

   * VARIABLE AMP KEYING DELAY: Added CONFIG:TX DLY menu entry, which
     sets the time from KEY OUT jack (active low) to first RF in 1-ms
steps, from 8 to 20 ms.
     To minimize loss of QSK speed, use the shortest delay that works
with your amp.
     Most will work with the default (minimum) setting of 8 ms.

   * LINE OUT ALLOWS RX/TX AUDIO RECORDING: Normally, CONFIG:LIN OUT
sets a
     fixed-level, receive-only output for main/sub (L/R), compatible
with digital modes. Tapping
     '1' switches LIN OUT to =PHONES, where the line outputs match
headphone audio,
     audio level controlled by AF/SUB gain controls, and both RX and TX
audio available.

   * SIMULTANEOUS USE OF MIC AND LINE IN:  If the MAIN:MIC+LIN menu
entry is set to
     ON, and MIC SEL = FP or RP, the present mic OR line in can be used
for transmit audio.
     NOTE: Setting MIC SEL to LINE overrides the MIC+LIN menu entry (its
parameter
     becomes "N-A").  When MIC+LIN is in effect, rotating the MIC
control shows MIC GAIN.
     The op has to set MIC SEL to LINE temporarily to set LINE IN gain.

   * S-METER ABSOLUTE MODE: Use the CONFIG:SMTR MD menu entry. Set to ABS
     (absolute) to have S-meter stay constant with preamp/atten
settings. Default is NOR (where
     PRE/ATTN affect the S-meter). ABS mode requires recalibration (SMTR
OF & SMTR SC).

   RECEIVE:

   * SSB RECEIVE PASSBAND EXTENDED AT LOW END (now 100 Hz; was 200 Hz).

   * AM RECEIVE WIDTH RANGE INCREASED:  The WIDTH control in AM mode now
has
     a range of 2.8 to 10.0 kHz. Wider settings provide outstanding
fidelity for hi-fi speech
     and other wide-band signals. This is the *IF* filter bandwidth --
the traditional way to show
     bandwidth for AM, because the required IF bandwidth is twice the
modulation bandwidth.
     NORM selects an IF bandwidth of 6.0 kHz in this mode. WIDTH
settings above 6.0 kHz
     will not be useful unless you have an FM-bandwidth crystal filter
installed (at FL1).

   * IF A 2.8 KHZ FILTER IS INSTALLED, SSB "NORM" BW is 2.8 kHz (was
fixed at 2.7 kHz).

   * AUTO-SPOT (SPOT with CWT ON) now works with both very weak and very
strong signals.

   * PSK AUTOTUNE ACCURACY improved. You may still need to use RIT (FINE
steps) to
     tune in signals for best built-in text decode. (Also see CW-to-DATA
in the Owner’s Manual.)

   TRANSMIT:

   * TRANSVERTER POWER CONTROL: The value set in CONFIG:XVn PWR now
correctly
     sets a fixed power level on the associated transverter band (0-1.50
mW or 0-12W).

   * POWER ROLLBACK BASED ON REFLECTED POWER:  Power rollback begins at
about
     2.5:1 at 100 W (and of course much higher SWRs are tolerated at
lower power settings).
     Recovers to original target power level after mismatch is corrected.

   * CW QSK further refined, with smoother mute/unmute in the presence
of QRN and QRM.

   * SSB TRANSMIT BANDPASS EXTENDED AT LOW END. Improvement is about 2 dB
     at 300 Hz, 3 dB at 200 Hz, and 6 dB at 100 Hz. Additional
improvement possible via TX EQ.

   * SSB TX POWER CONTROL improved. Set ALC for about 5 bars (rarely 6+)
using MIC gain
     control, then set CMP and POWER as desired. The RF power bargraph
shows approx.
     peak power when you whistle or shout, but will typically show well
below peak power
     during normal speech. If you’re using an external peak-reading
wattmeter or power
     amplifier, adjust POWER as required while observing the effect of
speech peaks.
     If you find that an SSB power setting higher or lower than for CW
is often required,
     you may wish to compensate for this using the CONFIG:TXG VCE menu
entry.

     Technical Note: Our latest MCU and DSP code uses minimal amounts of
ALC, consistent
     with analysis done by Leif Asbrink, SM5BSZ. (His findings and
recommendations can be
     found on his web site, www.nitehawk.com/sm5bsz.) The general idea
is to keep
     transmit drive just below where ALC can cause splatter on speech
peaks, rather than
     apply ALC heavily to achieve additional compression.

   CONTROLS:

   * A->B SWITCH: 1st tap copies frequency only; 2nd tap within 2
seconds copies mode
     and filter settings.

   * VFO LOCK is no longer cancelled by VFO tuning controls (RATE, FINE,
or COARSE).

   * TUNING EITHER VFO ACROSS MULTIPLE BANDS now brings the other VFO
along
     with it, so that both VFOs will always be on the same band. This
eliminates the problem
     of bands getting out of sequence due to wide tuning excursions.
(Later, we’ll allow the
     subreceiver to be on a different band from main if CONFIG:VFO IND
is enabled.)


---

http://www.elecraft.com

_______________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Post to: [hidden email]
You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
 http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft

Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com


--
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG.
Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 269.23.8/1412 - Release Date: 5/2/2008
4:34 PM

_______________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Post to: [hidden email]
You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
 http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft   

Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com

[mark roz]

utility rev. shows 1.1.4.8
why?

Thanks,

MARK


--- On Sat, 5/3/08, wayne burdick <[hidden email]> wrote:

> From: wayne burdick <[hidden email]>
> Subject: [Elecraft] K3 FIRMWARE UPDATE:   MCU 1.87, DSP 1.69   (Finally!)
> To: "Elecraft Reflector" <[hidden email]>
> Date: Saturday, May 3, 2008, 5:29 PM
> We've just completed the most extensive K3 firmware
> update ever. The
> full list of changes is provided below.
>
> *** NOTE ***  You must use the latest version of our
> firmware loader
> (K3 Utility rev 1.1.4.1) or else you won't be able to
> load all
> components of the upgrade. It's available on our K3
> software page,
> along with release notes:
>
>      http://www.elecraft.com/K3/k3_software.htm
>
> As usual, if you have any difficulty with the firmware
> upgrade, send
> email to [hidden email]. Both Lyle, KK7P (DSP
> firmware) and
> myself (MCU firmware) will be closely monitoring your
> results in case
> further tweaking is required.
>
> I'd also like to thank all of our K3 customers for
> their patience. This
> firmware release was delayed several times due to testing,
> engineering
> staff vacations, etc. Our field testers have been pounding
> on interim
> releases for weeks (thanks, guys). I hope you'll find
> it worth the
> wait!
>
> 73,
> Wayne, N6KR
>
> * * *
>
> MCU 1.87 / DSP 1.69, 5-3-08
>
>    This release includes improvements in all areas. Changes
> are
> categorized below.
>
>    NEW FEATURES:
>
>    * CW KEYING IN SSB MODES:  While in SSB modes, you can
> now send CW
> without
>      changing modes or using an offset. The other station
> will hear the
> signal at your CW pitch.
>      This is especially useful on VHF bands when SSB
> signals can’t be
> copied.
>      To enable this feature, go into CONFIG:CW WGHT and tap
> ‘1’ until
> you see SSB +CW.
>
>    * FM MODE ADDED: Requires FM filter installed in slot
> FL1. Those not
> needing
>      FM mode can set CONFIG:FM MODE to OFF. To set up a
> repeater offset:
> Use the
>      CONFIG:RPT OFS menu entry, then hold ALT to select
> -/+/simplex (-/+
> appear under
>      the FM mode icon). To set up tone encode: hold PITCH,
> then rotate
> VFO B to select
>      PL TONE or PL OFF, and rotate VFO A to select the
> desired CTCSS
> tone. (When
>      PL TONE is on, a letter ‘T’ will appear near the
> FM mode icon.)
> Repeater offsets and
>      PL tones are stored per-band/per-memory.
>
>    * VARIABLE AMP KEYING DELAY: Added CONFIG:TX DLY menu
> entry, which
>      sets the time from KEY OUT jack (active low) to first
> RF in 1-ms
> steps, from 8 to 20 ms.
>      To minimize loss of QSK speed, use the shortest delay
> that works
> with your amp.
>      Most will work with the default (minimum) setting of 8
> ms.
>
>    * LINE OUT ALLOWS RX/TX AUDIO RECORDING: Normally,
> CONFIG:LIN OUT
> sets a
>      fixed-level, receive-only output for main/sub (L/R),
> compatible
> with digital modes. Tapping
>      '1' switches LIN OUT to =PHONES, where the
> line outputs match
> headphone audio,
>      audio level controlled by AF/SUB gain controls, and
> both RX and TX
> audio available.
>
>    * SIMULTANEOUS USE OF MIC AND LINE IN:  If the
> MAIN:MIC+LIN menu
> entry is set to
>      ON, and MIC SEL = FP or RP, the present mic OR line in
> can be used
> for transmit audio.
>      NOTE: Setting MIC SEL to LINE overrides the MIC+LIN
> menu entry (its
> parameter
>      becomes "N-A").  When MIC+LIN is in effect,
> rotating the MIC
> control shows MIC GAIN.
>      The op has to set MIC SEL to LINE temporarily to set
> LINE IN gain.
>
>    * S-METER ABSOLUTE MODE: Use the CONFIG:SMTR MD menu
> entry. Set to ABS
>      (absolute) to have S-meter stay constant with
> preamp/atten
> settings. Default is NOR (where
>      PRE/ATTN affect the S-meter). ABS mode requires
> recalibration (SMTR
> OF & SMTR SC).
>
>    RECEIVE:
>
>    * SSB RECEIVE PASSBAND EXTENDED AT LOW END (now 100 Hz;
> was 200 Hz).
>
>    * AM RECEIVE WIDTH RANGE INCREASED:  The WIDTH control
> in AM mode now
> has
>      a range of 2.8 to 10.0 kHz. Wider settings provide
> outstanding
> fidelity for hi-fi speech
>      and other wide-band signals. This is the *IF* filter
> bandwidth --
> the traditional way to show
>      bandwidth for AM, because the required IF bandwidth is
> twice the
> modulation bandwidth.
>      NORM selects an IF bandwidth of 6.0 kHz in this mode.
> WIDTH
> settings above 6.0 kHz
>      will not be useful unless you have an FM-bandwidth
> crystal filter
> installed (at FL1).
>
>    * IF A 2.8 KHZ FILTER IS INSTALLED, SSB "NORM"
> BW is 2.8 kHz (was
> fixed at 2.7 kHz).
>
>    * AUTO-SPOT (SPOT with CWT ON) now works with both very
> weak and very
> strong signals.
>
>    * PSK AUTOTUNE ACCURACY improved. You may still need to
> use RIT (FINE
> steps) to
>      tune in signals for best built-in text decode. (Also
> see CW-to-DATA
> in the Owner’s Manual.)
>
>    TRANSMIT:
>
>    * TRANSVERTER POWER CONTROL: The value set in CONFIG:XVn
> PWR now
> correctly
>      sets a fixed power level on the associated transverter
> band (0-1.50
> mW or 0-12W).
>
>    * POWER ROLLBACK BASED ON REFLECTED POWER:  Power
> rollback begins at
> about
>      2.5:1 at 100 W (and of course much higher SWRs are
> tolerated at
> lower power settings).
>      Recovers to original target power level after mismatch
> is corrected.
>
>    * CW QSK further refined, with smoother mute/unmute in
> the presence
> of QRN and QRM.
>
>    * SSB TRANSMIT BANDPASS EXTENDED AT LOW END. Improvement
> is about 2 dB
>      at 300 Hz, 3 dB at 200 Hz, and 6 dB at 100 Hz.
> Additional
> improvement possible via TX EQ.
>
>    * SSB TX POWER CONTROL improved. Set ALC for about 5
> bars (rarely 6+)
> using MIC gain
>      control, then set CMP and POWER as desired. The RF
> power bargraph
> shows approx.
>      peak power when you whistle or shout, but will
> typically show well
> below peak power
>      during normal speech. If you’re using an external
> peak-reading
> wattmeter or power
>      amplifier, adjust POWER as required while observing
> the effect of
> speech peaks.
>      If you find that an SSB power setting higher or lower
> than for CW
> is often required,
>      you may wish to compensate for this using the
> CONFIG:TXG VCE menu
> entry.
>
>      Technical Note: Our latest MCU and DSP code uses
> minimal amounts of
> ALC, consistent
>      with analysis done by Leif Asbrink, SM5BSZ. (His
> findings and
> recommendations can be
>      found on his web site, www.nitehawk.com/sm5bsz.) The
> general idea
> is to keep
>      transmit drive just below where ALC can cause splatter
> on speech
> peaks, rather than
>      apply ALC heavily to achieve additional compression.
>
>    CONTROLS:
>
>    * A->B SWITCH: 1st tap copies frequency only; 2nd tap
> within 2
> seconds copies mode
>      and filter settings.
>
>    * VFO LOCK is no longer cancelled by VFO tuning controls
> (RATE, FINE,
> or COARSE).
>
>    * TUNING EITHER VFO ACROSS MULTIPLE BANDS now brings the
> other VFO
> along
>      with it, so that both VFOs will always be on the same
> band. This
> eliminates the problem
>      of bands getting out of sequence due to wide tuning
> excursions.
> (Later, we’ll allow the
>      subreceiver to be on a different band from main if
> CONFIG:VFO IND
> is enabled.)
>
>
> ---
>
> http://www.elecraft.com
>
> _______________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Post to: [hidden email]
> You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
> Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
>  http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
>
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
> Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com

      ____________________________________________________________________________________
Be a better friend, newshound, and
know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile.  Try it now.  http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ

_______________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Post to: [hidden email]
You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
 http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft

Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com

[Don Wilhelm-4]

Mark,

Any version of 1.1.4.1 *or above* may be used.

73,
Don W3FPR

mark roz wrote:

> utility rev. shows 1.1.4.8
> why?
>
> Thanks,
>
> MARK
>
>
> --- On Sat, 5/3/08, wayne burdick <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
>  
>> From: wayne burdick <[hidden email]>
>> Subject: [Elecraft] K3 FIRMWARE UPDATE:   MCU 1.87, DSP 1.69   (Finally!)
>> To: "Elecraft Reflector" <[hidden email]>
>> Date: Saturday, May 3, 2008, 5:29 PM
>> We've just completed the most extensive K3 firmware
>> update ever. The
>> full list of changes is provided below.
>>
>> *** NOTE ***  You must use the latest version of our
>> firmware loader
>> (K3 Utility rev 1.1.4.1) or else you won't be able to
>> load all
>> components of the upgrade. It's available on our K3
>> software page,
>> along with release notes:
>>
>>      http://www.elecraft.com/K3/k3_software.htm
>>
>> As usual, if you have any difficulty with the firmware
>> upgrade, send
>> email to [hidden email]. Both Lyle, KK7P (DSP
>> firmware) and
>> myself (MCU firmware) will be closely monitoring your
>> results in case
>> further tweaking is required.
>>
>> I'd also like to thank all of our K3 customers for
>> their patience. This
>> firmware release was delayed several times due to testing,
>> engineering
>> staff vacations, etc. Our field testers have been pounding
>> on interim
>> releases for weeks (thanks, guys). I hope you'll find
>> it worth the
>> wait!
>>
>> 73,
>> Wayne, N6KR
>>
>> * * *
>>
>> MCU 1.87 / DSP 1.69, 5-3-08
>>
>>    This release includes improvements in all areas. Changes
>> are
>> categorized below.
>>
>>    NEW FEATURES:
>>
>>    * CW KEYING IN SSB MODES:  While in SSB modes, you can
>> now send CW
>> without
>>      changing modes or using an offset. The other station
>> will hear the
>> signal at your CW pitch.
>>      This is especially useful on VHF bands when SSB
>> signals can’t be
>> copied.
>>      To enable this feature, go into CONFIG:CW WGHT and tap
>> ‘1’ until
>> you see SSB +CW.
>>
>>    * FM MODE ADDED: Requires FM filter installed in slot
>> FL1. Those not
>> needing
>>      FM mode can set CONFIG:FM MODE to OFF. To set up a
>> repeater offset:
>> Use the
>>      CONFIG:RPT OFS menu entry, then hold ALT to select
>> -/+/simplex (-/+
>> appear under
>>      the FM mode icon). To set up tone encode: hold PITCH,
>> then rotate
>> VFO B to select
>>      PL TONE or PL OFF, and rotate VFO A to select the
>> desired CTCSS
>> tone. (When
>>      PL TONE is on, a letter ‘T’ will appear near the
>> FM mode icon.)
>> Repeater offsets and
>>      PL tones are stored per-band/per-memory.
>>
>>    * VARIABLE AMP KEYING DELAY: Added CONFIG:TX DLY menu
>> entry, which
>>      sets the time from KEY OUT jack (active low) to first
>> RF in 1-ms
>> steps, from 8 to 20 ms.
>>      To minimize loss of QSK speed, use the shortest delay
>> that works
>> with your amp.
>>      Most will work with the default (minimum) setting of 8
>> ms.
>>
>>    * LINE OUT ALLOWS RX/TX AUDIO RECORDING: Normally,
>> CONFIG:LIN OUT
>> sets a
>>      fixed-level, receive-only output for main/sub (L/R),
>> compatible
>> with digital modes. Tapping
>>      '1' switches LIN OUT to =PHONES, where the
>> line outputs match
>> headphone audio,
>>      audio level controlled by AF/SUB gain controls, and
>> both RX and TX
>> audio available.
>>
>>    * SIMULTANEOUS USE OF MIC AND LINE IN:  If the
>> MAIN:MIC+LIN menu
>> entry is set to
>>      ON, and MIC SEL = FP or RP, the present mic OR line in
>> can be used
>> for transmit audio.
>>      NOTE: Setting MIC SEL to LINE overrides the MIC+LIN
>> menu entry (its
>> parameter
>>      becomes "N-A").  When MIC+LIN is in effect,
>> rotating the MIC
>> control shows MIC GAIN.
>>      The op has to set MIC SEL to LINE temporarily to set
>> LINE IN gain.
>>
>>    * S-METER ABSOLUTE MODE: Use the CONFIG:SMTR MD menu
>> entry. Set to ABS
>>      (absolute) to have S-meter stay constant with
>> preamp/atten
>> settings. Default is NOR (where
>>      PRE/ATTN affect the S-meter). ABS mode requires
>> recalibration (SMTR
>> OF & SMTR SC).
>>
>>    RECEIVE:
>>
>>    * SSB RECEIVE PASSBAND EXTENDED AT LOW END (now 100 Hz;
>> was 200 Hz).
>>
>>    * AM RECEIVE WIDTH RANGE INCREASED:  The WIDTH control
>> in AM mode now
>> has
>>      a range of 2.8 to 10.0 kHz. Wider settings provide
>> outstanding
>> fidelity for hi-fi speech
>>      and other wide-band signals. This is the *IF* filter
>> bandwidth --
>> the traditional way to show
>>      bandwidth for AM, because the required IF bandwidth is
>> twice the
>> modulation bandwidth.
>>      NORM selects an IF bandwidth of 6.0 kHz in this mode.
>> WIDTH
>> settings above 6.0 kHz
>>      will not be useful unless you have an FM-bandwidth
>> crystal filter
>> installed (at FL1).
>>
>>    * IF A 2.8 KHZ FILTER IS INSTALLED, SSB "NORM"
>> BW is 2.8 kHz (was
>> fixed at 2.7 kHz).
>>
>>    * AUTO-SPOT (SPOT with CWT ON) now works with both very
>> weak and very
>> strong signals.
>>
>>    * PSK AUTOTUNE ACCURACY improved. You may still need to
>> use RIT (FINE
>> steps) to
>>      tune in signals for best built-in text decode. (Also
>> see CW-to-DATA
>> in the Owner’s Manual.)
>>
>>    TRANSMIT:
>>
>>    * TRANSVERTER POWER CONTROL: The value set in CONFIG:XVn
>> PWR now
>> correctly
>>      sets a fixed power level on the associated transverter
>> band (0-1.50
>> mW or 0-12W).
>>
>>    * POWER ROLLBACK BASED ON REFLECTED POWER:  Power
>> rollback begins at
>> about
>>      2.5:1 at 100 W (and of course much higher SWRs are
>> tolerated at
>> lower power settings).
>>      Recovers to original target power level after mismatch
>> is corrected.
>>
>>    * CW QSK further refined, with smoother mute/unmute in
>> the presence
>> of QRN and QRM.
>>
>>    * SSB TRANSMIT BANDPASS EXTENDED AT LOW END. Improvement
>> is about 2 dB
>>      at 300 Hz, 3 dB at 200 Hz, and 6 dB at 100 Hz.
>> Additional
>> improvement possible via TX EQ.
>>
>>    * SSB TX POWER CONTROL improved. Set ALC for about 5
>> bars (rarely 6+)
>> using MIC gain
>>      control, then set CMP and POWER as desired. The RF
>> power bargraph
>> shows approx.
>>      peak power when you whistle or shout, but will
>> typically show well
>> below peak power
>>      during normal speech. If you’re using an external
>> peak-reading
>> wattmeter or power
>>      amplifier, adjust POWER as required while observing
>> the effect of
>> speech peaks.
>>      If you find that an SSB power setting higher or lower
>> than for CW
>> is often required,
>>      you may wish to compensate for this using the
>> CONFIG:TXG VCE menu
>> entry.
>>
>>      Technical Note: Our latest MCU and DSP code uses
>> minimal amounts of
>> ALC, consistent
>>      with analysis done by Leif Asbrink, SM5BSZ. (His
>> findings and
>> recommendations can be
>>      found on his web site, www.nitehawk.com/sm5bsz.) The
>> general idea
>> is to keep
>>      transmit drive just below where ALC can cause splatter
>> on speech
>> peaks, rather than
>>      apply ALC heavily to achieve additional compression.
>>
>>    CONTROLS:
>>
>>    * A->B SWITCH: 1st tap copies frequency only; 2nd tap
>> within 2
>> seconds copies mode
>>      and filter settings.
>>
>>    * VFO LOCK is no longer cancelled by VFO tuning controls
>> (RATE, FINE,
>> or COARSE).
>>
>>    * TUNING EITHER VFO ACROSS MULTIPLE BANDS now brings the
>> other VFO
>> along
>>      with it, so that both VFOs will always be on the same
>> band. This
>> eliminates the problem
>>      of bands getting out of sequence due to wide tuning
>> excursions.
>> (Later, we’ll allow the
>>      subreceiver to be on a different band from main if
>> CONFIG:VFO IND
>> is enabled.)
>>
>>
>> ---
>>
>> http://www.elecraft.com
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Elecraft mailing list
>> Post to: [hidden email]
>> You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
>> Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
>>  http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
>>
>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
>> Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
>>    
>
>
>       ____________________________________________________________________________________
> Be a better friend, newshound, and
> know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile.  Try it now.  http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ
>
> _______________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Post to: [hidden email]
> You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
> Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
>  http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft   
>
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
> Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
>
>
>  

_______________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Post to: [hidden email]
You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
 http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft   

Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com

[Craig-89]

The SSB transmit chain has  had a major rework. The
results are very impressive.

1. The ALC is vastly improved. In fact you could say
that the K3's ALC is perfect because it does not
contribute any measurable levels of IMD to the SSB
signal.

2. The increase in IMD levels when  you turn on the
speech processor is  non existent.

3. Excessive IMD levels under  heavy dynamic voice
testing is almost non existent.

4. IMD levels as measured at 5, 10, 15 and 20khz are
very impressive under dynamic voice conditions. If we
use the  measured data as per SM5BSZ's results, you
could conclude that the K3 has one of the best levels
of IMD suppression under dynamic voice testing
conditions.

5. Under all levels of voice conditions, mic gain  and
speech processing settings it is just about impossible
to make the K3 splatter.

I did not do any 2 tone IMD measurements because i
don't have much faith in 2 tone numbers as a reliable
indicator of IMD performance under voice conditions.

6. In short, the K3's SSB transmitter performance is
close to  being  PERFECT......

Equipment used: Bird Attenuators, Tektronix 2467B,
Crystal Notch, Agilent 8594E, AOR7030+, SDR-IQ and a
Anritsu ML422C level meter. All tests were done on 14
mhz SSB.


73
Craig
VK3HE



--- wayne burdick <[hidden email]> wrote:

> We've just completed the most extensive K3 firmware
> update ever. The
> full list of changes is provided below.
>
> *** NOTE ***  You must use the latest version of our
> firmware loader
> (K3 Utility rev 1.1.4.1) or else you won't be able
> to load all
> components of the upgrade. It's available on our K3
> software page,
> along with release notes:
>
>      http://www.elecraft.com/K3/k3_software.htm
>
> As usual, if you have any difficulty with the
> firmware upgrade, send
> email to [hidden email]. Both Lyle, KK7P
> (DSP firmware) and
> myself (MCU firmware) will be closely monitoring
> your results in case
> further tweaking is required.
>
> I'd also like to thank all of our K3 customers for
> their patience. This
> firmware release was delayed several times due to
> testing, engineering
> staff vacations, etc. Our field testers have been
> pounding on interim
> releases for weeks (thanks, guys). I hope you'll
> find it worth the
> wait!
>
> 73,
> Wayne, N6KR
>
> * * *
>
> MCU 1.87 / DSP 1.69, 5-3-08
>
>    This release includes improvements in all areas.
> Changes are
> categorized below.
>
>    NEW FEATURES:
>
>    * CW KEYING IN SSB MODES:  While in SSB modes,
> you can now send CW
> without
>      changing modes or using an offset. The other
> station will hear the
> signal at your CW pitch.
>      This is especially useful on VHF bands when SSB
> signals can’t be
> copied.
>      To enable this feature, go into CONFIG:CW WGHT
> and tap ‘1’ until
> you see SSB +CW.
>
>    * FM MODE ADDED: Requires FM filter installed in
> slot FL1. Those not
> needing
>      FM mode can set CONFIG:FM MODE to OFF. To set
> up a repeater offset:
> Use the
>      CONFIG:RPT OFS menu entry, then hold ALT to
> select -/+/simplex (-/+
> appear under
>      the FM mode icon). To set up tone encode: hold
> PITCH, then rotate
> VFO B to select
>      PL TONE or PL OFF, and rotate VFO A to select
> the desired CTCSS
> tone. (When
>      PL TONE is on, a letter ‘T’ will appear near
> the FM mode icon.)
> Repeater offsets and
>      PL tones are stored per-band/per-memory.
>
>    * VARIABLE AMP KEYING DELAY: Added CONFIG:TX DLY
> menu entry, which
>      sets the time from KEY OUT jack (active low) to
> first RF in 1-ms
> steps, from 8 to 20 ms.
>      To minimize loss of QSK speed, use the shortest
> delay that works
> with your amp.
>      Most will work with the default (minimum)
> setting of 8 ms.
>
>    * LINE OUT ALLOWS RX/TX AUDIO RECORDING:
> Normally, CONFIG:LIN OUT
> sets a
>      fixed-level, receive-only output for main/sub
> (L/R), compatible
> with digital modes. Tapping
>      '1' switches LIN OUT to =PHONES, where the line
> outputs match
> headphone audio,
>      audio level controlled by AF/SUB gain controls,
> and both RX and TX
> audio available.
>
>    * SIMULTANEOUS USE OF MIC AND LINE IN:  If the
> MAIN:MIC+LIN menu
> entry is set to
>      ON, and MIC SEL = FP or RP, the present mic OR
> line in can be used
> for transmit audio.
>      NOTE: Setting MIC SEL to LINE overrides the
> MIC+LIN menu entry (its
> parameter
>      becomes "N-A").  When MIC+LIN is in effect,
> rotating the MIC
> control shows MIC GAIN.
>      The op has to set MIC SEL to LINE temporarily
> to set LINE IN gain.
>
>    * S-METER ABSOLUTE MODE: Use the CONFIG:SMTR MD
> menu entry. Set to ABS
>      (absolute) to have S-meter stay constant with
> preamp/atten
> settings. Default is NOR (where
>      PRE/ATTN affect the S-meter). ABS mode requires
> recalibration (SMTR
> OF & SMTR SC).
>
>    RECEIVE:
>
>    * SSB RECEIVE PASSBAND EXTENDED AT LOW END (now
> 100 Hz; was 200 Hz).
>
>    * AM RECEIVE WIDTH RANGE INCREASED:  The WIDTH
> control in AM mode now
> has
>      a range of 2.8 to 10.0 kHz. Wider settings
> provide outstanding
> fidelity for hi-fi speech
>      and other wide-band signals. This is the *IF*
> filter bandwidth --
> the traditional way to show
>      bandwidth for AM, because the required IF
> bandwidth is twice the
> modulation bandwidth.
>      NORM selects an IF bandwidth of 6.0 kHz in this
> mode. WIDTH
> settings above 6.0 kHz
>      will not be useful unless you have an
> FM-bandwidth crystal filter
> installed (at FL1).
>
>    * IF A 2.8 KHZ FILTER IS INSTALLED, SSB "NORM" BW
> is 2.8 kHz (was
> fixed at 2.7 kHz).
>
>    * AUTO-SPOT (SPOT with CWT ON) now works with
> both very weak and very
> strong signals.
>
>    * PSK AUTOTUNE ACCURACY improved. You may still
> need to use RIT (FINE
> steps) to
>      tune in signals for best built-in text decode.
> (Also see CW-to-DATA
> in the Owner’s Manual.)
>
>    TRANSMIT:
>
>    * TRANSVERTER POWER CONTROL: The value set in
> CONFIG:XVn PWR now
> correctly
>      sets a fixed power level on the associated
> transverter band (0-1.50
> mW or 0-12W).
>
>    * POWER ROLLBACK BASED ON REFLECTED POWER:  Power
> rollback begins at
> about
>      2.5:1 at 100 W (and of course much higher SWRs
> are tolerated at
> lower power settings).
>      Recovers to original target power level after
> mismatch is corrected.
>
>    * CW QSK further refined, with smoother
> mute/unmute in the presence
> of QRN and QRM.
>
>    * SSB TRANSMIT BANDPASS EXTENDED AT LOW END.
> Improvement is about 2 dB
>      at 300 Hz, 3 dB at 200 Hz, and 6 dB at 100 Hz.
> Additional
> improvement possible via TX EQ.
>
>    * SSB TX POWER CONTROL improved. Set ALC for
> about 5 bars (rarely 6+)
> using MIC gain
>      control, then set CMP and POWER as desired. The
> RF power bargraph
> shows approx.
>      peak power when you whistle or shout, but will
> typically show well
>

=== message truncated ===



      ____________________________________________________________________________________
Be a better friend, newshound, and
know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile.  Try it now.  http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ
_______________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Post to: [hidden email]
You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
 http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft   

Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com

[Ian Maude]

wayne burdick wrote:
> We've just completed the most extensive K3 firmware update ever. The
> full list of changes is provided below.

Great stuff Wayne, thanks!
One point and a question.  Firstly, the RPT OFS menu entry is not in the
config menu, it is in the main one :-)

Secondly, what is the deviation set to in FM mode?  For example, I would
dearly love to use the rig on 2m for our local repeater via my XV-144
but in the UK, that means narrow deviation.  Could that be made
adjustable if needed?

Many thanks

Ian

>
> *** NOTE ***  You must use the latest version of our firmware loader
> (K3 Utility rev 1.1.4.1) or else you won't be able to load all
> components of the upgrade. It's available on our K3 software page,
> along with release notes:
>
>     http://www.elecraft.com/K3/k3_software.htm
>
> As usual, if you have any difficulty with the firmware upgrade, send
> email to [hidden email]. Both Lyle, KK7P (DSP firmware) and
> myself (MCU firmware) will be closely monitoring your results in case
> further tweaking is required.
>
> I'd also like to thank all of our K3 customers for their patience.
> This firmware release was delayed several times due to testing,
> engineering staff vacations, etc. Our field testers have been pounding
> on interim releases for weeks (thanks, guys). I hope you'll find it
> worth the wait!
>
> 73,
> Wayne, N6KR
>
> * * *
>
> MCU 1.87 / DSP 1.69, 5-3-08
>
>   This release includes improvements in all areas. Changes are
> categorized below.
>
>   NEW FEATURES:
>
>   * CW KEYING IN SSB MODES:  While in SSB modes, you can now send CW
> without
>     changing modes or using an offset. The other station will hear the
> signal at your CW pitch.
>     This is especially useful on VHF bands when SSB signals can’t be
> copied.
>     To enable this feature, go into CONFIG:CW WGHT and tap ‘1’ until
> you see SSB +CW.
>
>   * FM MODE ADDED: Requires FM filter installed in slot FL1. Those not
> needing
>     FM mode can set CONFIG:FM MODE to OFF. To set up a repeater
> offset: Use the
>     CONFIG:RPT OFS menu entry, then hold ALT to select -/+/simplex
> (-/+ appear under
>     the FM mode icon). To set up tone encode: hold PITCH, then rotate
> VFO B to select
>     PL TONE or PL OFF, and rotate VFO A to select the desired CTCSS
> tone. (When
>     PL TONE is on, a letter ‘T’ will appear near the FM mode icon.)
> Repeater offsets and
>     PL tones are stored per-band/per-memory.
>
>   * VARIABLE AMP KEYING DELAY: Added CONFIG:TX DLY menu entry, which
>     sets the time from KEY OUT jack (active low) to first RF in 1-ms
> steps, from 8 to 20 ms.
>     To minimize loss of QSK speed, use the shortest delay that works
> with your amp.
>     Most will work with the default (minimum) setting of 8 ms.
>
>   * LINE OUT ALLOWS RX/TX AUDIO RECORDING: Normally, CONFIG:LIN OUT
> sets a
>     fixed-level, receive-only output for main/sub (L/R), compatible
> with digital modes. Tapping
>     '1' switches LIN OUT to =PHONES, where the line outputs match
> headphone audio,
>     audio level controlled by AF/SUB gain controls, and both RX and TX
> audio available.
>
>   * SIMULTANEOUS USE OF MIC AND LINE IN:  If the MAIN:MIC+LIN menu
> entry is set to
>     ON, and MIC SEL = FP or RP, the present mic OR line in can be used
> for transmit audio.
>     NOTE: Setting MIC SEL to LINE overrides the MIC+LIN menu entry
> (its parameter
>     becomes "N-A").  When MIC+LIN is in effect, rotating the MIC
> control shows MIC GAIN.
>     The op has to set MIC SEL to LINE temporarily to set LINE IN gain.
>
>   * S-METER ABSOLUTE MODE: Use the CONFIG:SMTR MD menu entry. Set to ABS
>     (absolute) to have S-meter stay constant with preamp/atten
> settings. Default is NOR (where
>     PRE/ATTN affect the S-meter). ABS mode requires recalibration
> (SMTR OF & SMTR SC).
>
>   RECEIVE:
>
>   * SSB RECEIVE PASSBAND EXTENDED AT LOW END (now 100 Hz; was 200 Hz).
>
>   * AM RECEIVE WIDTH RANGE INCREASED:  The WIDTH control in AM mode
> now has
>     a range of 2.8 to 10.0 kHz. Wider settings provide outstanding
> fidelity for hi-fi speech
>     and other wide-band signals. This is the *IF* filter bandwidth --
> the traditional way to show
>     bandwidth for AM, because the required IF bandwidth is twice the
> modulation bandwidth.
>     NORM selects an IF bandwidth of 6.0 kHz in this mode. WIDTH
> settings above 6.0 kHz
>     will not be useful unless you have an FM-bandwidth crystal filter
> installed (at FL1).
>
>   * IF A 2.8 KHZ FILTER IS INSTALLED, SSB "NORM" BW is 2.8 kHz (was
> fixed at 2.7 kHz).
>
>   * AUTO-SPOT (SPOT with CWT ON) now works with both very weak and
> very strong signals.
>
>   * PSK AUTOTUNE ACCURACY improved. You may still need to use RIT
> (FINE steps) to
>     tune in signals for best built-in text decode. (Also see
> CW-to-DATA in the Owner’s Manual.)
>
>   TRANSMIT:
>
>   * TRANSVERTER POWER CONTROL: The value set in CONFIG:XVn PWR now
> correctly
>     sets a fixed power level on the associated transverter band
> (0-1.50 mW or 0-12W).
>
>   * POWER ROLLBACK BASED ON REFLECTED POWER:  Power rollback begins at
> about
>     2.5:1 at 100 W (and of course much higher SWRs are tolerated at
> lower power settings).
>     Recovers to original target power level after mismatch is corrected.
>
>   * CW QSK further refined, with smoother mute/unmute in the presence
> of QRN and QRM.
>
>   * SSB TRANSMIT BANDPASS EXTENDED AT LOW END. Improvement is about 2 dB
>     at 300 Hz, 3 dB at 200 Hz, and 6 dB at 100 Hz. Additional
> improvement possible via TX EQ.
>
>   * SSB TX POWER CONTROL improved. Set ALC for about 5 bars (rarely
> 6+) using MIC gain
>     control, then set CMP and POWER as desired. The RF power bargraph
> shows approx.
>     peak power when you whistle or shout, but will typically show well
> below peak power
>     during normal speech. If you’re using an external peak-reading
> wattmeter or power
>     amplifier, adjust POWER as required while observing the effect of
> speech peaks.
>     If you find that an SSB power setting higher or lower than for CW
> is often required,
>     you may wish to compensate for this using the CONFIG:TXG VCE menu
> entry.
>
>     Technical Note: Our latest MCU and DSP code uses minimal amounts
> of ALC, consistent
>     with analysis done by Leif Asbrink, SM5BSZ. (His findings and
> recommendations can be
>     found on his web site, www.nitehawk.com/sm5bsz.) The general idea
> is to keep
>     transmit drive just below where ALC can cause splatter on speech
> peaks, rather than
>     apply ALC heavily to achieve additional compression.
>
>   CONTROLS:
>
>   * A->B SWITCH: 1st tap copies frequency only; 2nd tap within 2
> seconds copies mode
>     and filter settings.
>
>   * VFO LOCK is no longer cancelled by VFO tuning controls (RATE,
> FINE, or COARSE).
>
>   * TUNING EITHER VFO ACROSS MULTIPLE BANDS now brings the other VFO
> along
>     with it, so that both VFOs will always be on the same band. This
> eliminates the problem
>     of bands getting out of sequence due to wide tuning excursions.
> (Later, we’ll allow the
>     subreceiver to be on a different band from main if CONFIG:VFO IND
> is enabled.)
>
>
> ---
>
> http://www.elecraft.com
>
> _______________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Post to: [hidden email]
> You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
> Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft   
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
> Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
>
>

--

Ian J Maude, G0VGS
SysOp GB7MBC DX Cluster
Member RSGB, GQRP
K2 #4044 |K3 #455


_______________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Post to: [hidden email]
You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
 http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft   

Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com

[Bob Cunnings NW8L]

Does the advice for setting up soundcard digital modes given here:

http://www.mail-archive.com/elecraft@.../msg53656.html

become effective when using this new version? Specifically:

"If you try and trick the system and run with *zero* ALC bars in
PSK31, the ALC has to work hard to give you your requested power - or
maybe it will think there is insufficient signal to work with - and
your Tx S/N may suffer. So, *please* set it to 4 bars in soundcard
"digital" modes."

This sounds right given the description of the ALC changes.

Bob NW8L

>   * SSB TX POWER CONTROL improved. Set ALC for about 5 bars (rarely 6+)
> using MIC gain
>     control, then set CMP and POWER as desired. The RF power bargraph shows
> approx.
>     peak power when you whistle or shout, but will typically show well below
> peak power
>     during normal speech. If you're using an external peak-reading wattmeter
> or power
>     amplifier, adjust POWER as required while observing the effect of speech
> peaks.
>     If you find that an SSB power setting higher or lower than for CW is
> often required,
>     you may wish to compensate for this using the CONFIG:TXG VCE menu entry.
>
>     Technical Note: Our latest MCU and DSP code uses minimal amounts of ALC,
> consistent
>     with analysis done by Leif Asbrink, SM5BSZ. (His findings and
> recommendations can be
>     found on his web site, www.nitehawk.com/sm5bsz.) The general idea is to
> keep
>     transmit drive just below where ALC can cause splatter on speech peaks,
> rather than
>     apply ALC heavily to achieve additional compression.
>

_______________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Post to: [hidden email]
You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
 http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft   

Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com

[Julian, G4ILO]

Ian J Maude wrote

Great stuff Wayne, thanks!
One point and a question.  Firstly, the RPT OFS menu entry is not in the
config menu, it is in the main one :-)

Secondly, what is the deviation set to in FM mode?  For example, I would
dearly love to use the rig on 2m for our local repeater via my XV-144
but in the UK, that means narrow deviation.  Could that be made
adjustable if needed?

Agreed, this is a brilliant update. Well worth waiting for!

There is only one thing I'd like to see on FM that does not appear to be there and that is a discriminator meter indication to allow accurate tuning to the other station's frequency. I guess it could work the same way CWT does. It probably doesn't matter on VHF/UHF or using repeaters where the operation is channelized, but when working simplex on 10m there is no guarantee that the station you are working will be on an exact frequency.

[AD6XY]

Yes - Great. Installed without problems. It does most of the things I have been waiting for. Still not interfacing to the kettle but you can't have everything....

Is there a utility to allow me to upload a set of settings so I don't have to go through all the config? I know I can backup and restore, but can I edit the backup. It is rather tedious setting all the audio settings for example when swapping between different configurations - contest vs not contest.

[Julian, G4ILO]

Ian J Maude wrote

Secondly, what is the deviation set to in FM mode?  For example, I would
dearly love to use the rig on 2m for our local repeater via my XV-144
but in the UK, that means narrow deviation.  Could that be made
adjustable if needed?

I don't have a transverter, so I'm unable to find any FM stations to do on-air tests with at the moment, but listening to the K3 on 29.600 FM via my FT-817 the audio sounds a bit distorted or "scratchy" on voice peaks which suggests that the deviation is too high. I'd like to be able to adjust this to see if it is or not. I have CMP=0 and the scratchiness is detectable even at low mic gain settings.

[oe9fwv]

hi Wayne,

Your new firmware is vy much appreciated and I am very happy with many
features though not everything tested yet.
The update went without a problem, congrats - this is very well done.

I have a peculiar behaviour with SSB modulation that I have to report:

wayne burdick schrieb am 3 May 2008 um 17:29:

>   * SSB TX POWER CONTROL improved. Set ALC for about 5 bars (rarely 6+)
> using MIC gain
>      control, then set CMP and POWER as desired. The RF power bargraph
> shows approx.
>      peak power when you whistle or shout, but will typically show well
> below peak power
>      during normal speech. If you™re using an external peak-reading
> wattmeter or power
>      amplifier, adjust POWER as required while observing the effect of
> speech peaks.
>      If you find that an SSB power setting higher or lower than for CW is
> often required,
>      you may wish to compensate for this using the CONFIG:TXG VCE menu
> entry.
>
>      Technical Note: Our latest MCU and DSP code uses minimal amounts of
> ALC, consistent
>      with analysis done by Leif Asbrink, SM5BSZ. (His findings and
> recommendations can be
>      found on his web site, www.nitehawk.com/sm5bsz.) The general idea is
> to keep
>      transmit drive just below where ALC can cause splatter on speech
> peaks, rather than
>      apply ALC heavily to achieve additional compression.

when I transmit in SSB I am not able to get 100 % HF output.
peak power is around 40 Watts whatever I do, reading on the LP-100 peak
power meter. (using a Heil Proset with HC 5 Element)
RF display is about 40 % max.

But! when I key the transceiver with the CW paddle in SSB (new feature,
very welcome!)  I suddenly get full output also with normal speech.

If I twist the power a little up or down, I am back on 40 % output, with one Dit
in CW I can have the full power back.

I am curious, if I am the only one with this problem.
btw, modulation reports on the air are excellent. Loud and clear, vy good
readability.

73! de Werner OE9FWV

--
If god can be god, why couldn't I?


Email powered by Pegasus Mail free at <http://www.pmail.com>
Homepage: <http://www.qsl.net/oe9fwv/>
Fone [phone]
Fax [phone]
Mobile [phone]
Elecraft K2 #5203 K3 #656


_______________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Post to: [hidden email]
You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
 http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft

Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com

[Dick Dievendorff]

You shouldn't directly edit the saved configuration file. However you may
save one configuration, then manipulate the K3's CONFIG menu to a second set
of settings and save THAT configuration. You may then restore either
configuration.

CW and frequency memories are NOT part of the saved configuration.

Dick, K6KR


-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of AD6XY - Mike
Sent: Sunday, May 04, 2008 3:42 AM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 FIRMWARE UPDATE: MCU 1.87, DSP 1.69 (Finally!)


Yes - Great. Installed without problems. It does most of the things I have
been waiting for. Still not interfacing to the kettle but you can't have
everything....

Is there a utility to allow me to upload a set of settings so I don't have
to go through all the config? I know I can backup and restore, but can I
edit the backup. It is rather tedious setting all the audio settings for
example when swapping between different configurations - contest vs not
contest.
--
View this message in context:
http://www.nabble.com/K3-FIRMWARE-UPDATE%3A---MCU-1.87%2C-DSP-1.69---%28Fina
lly%21%29-tp17041394p17044935.html
Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com.

_______________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Post to: [hidden email]
You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
 http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft   

Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com

_______________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Post to: [hidden email]
You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
 http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft   

Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com

[Julian, G4ILO]

Bob Cunnings wrote

Does the advice for setting up soundcard digital modes given here:

http://www.mail-archive.com/[e-mail]/msg53656.html

become effective when using this new version? Specifically:

"If you try and trick the system and run with *zero* ALC bars in
PSK31, the ALC has to work hard to give you your requested power - or
maybe it will think there is insufficient signal to work with - and
your Tx S/N may suffer. So, *please* set it to 4 bars in soundcard
"digital" modes."

This sounds right given the description of the ALC changes.

Bob NW8L

I am observing that it is impossible to get the requested power output in DATA A. If I set the PWR control of the K3/10 to 5W then no amount of audio input will get the external power meter to read 5W output on a pure audio tone. Instead the meter reads about 2.5W at the same LINE IN setting that gave 5W out when the power was increased to max. Slowly increasing the audio drive above this level with the K3 meter showing ALC shows the ALC pulsing about twice a second. The amount of ALC shown during the pulses increases as the drive level increases. The power meter (moving coil, average reading) will only go up to about 3.0W and some slight pulsing of the meter needle is also evident corresponding to the K3 ALC display.

Sending a PSK idle tone instead of a pure tuning tone the meter shows a level a bit below half the level on the tuning tone, commensurate with the K3 limiting the output to 2.5 or 3W PEP despite 5W being requested. The only way to get a real 5W peak is to set the PWR control to 12W and then regulate the power entirely using the audio drive, which is not a very accurate or foolproof way of doing it.

In PSK D mode where the audio is generated internally by the K2 the power does seem to be correctly regulated by the power control (the K3 does not generate the short "tail" of pure carrier at the end of the transmission like most sound card programs do.) However something is definitely not right with the power level setting. If I transmit in DATA A, then select PSK D and send something, I only get about 0.2W! I have to change mode to CW and then back to SSB and then the power out in PSK D is correct.

Unlike someone else who reported low output on SSB my own "aaallo" testing has found nothing amiss in this mode.

[KK7P]

> Does the advice for setting up soundcard digital modes given here:
>
> http://www.mail-archive.com/elecraft@.../msg53656.html
>
> become effective when using this new version? Specifically:
>
> "If you try and trick the system and run with *zero* ALC bars in
> PSK31, the ALC has to work hard to give you your requested power - or
> maybe it will think there is insufficient signal to work with - and
> your Tx S/N may suffer. So, *please* set it to 4 bars in soundcard
> "digital" modes."
>
> This sounds right given the description of the ALC changes.

Yes, I wrote this when running a version of code that was the precursor
to the latest release.  The downstream "ALC" works a bit differently
now, but the message is correct.

The intent of the DSP code is that 4 bars are best for DATA A (and thus
AFSK) modes.

Let me know if you have problems with this.  We're working hard to get
it right!

73,

Lyle KK7P

_______________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Post to: [hidden email]
You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
 http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft   

Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com

[Evert Bakker (PA2KW)]

Good day all,

I just uploaded the new firmware version which went smoothly.
After that I had to do some filter settings as I had my FM filter (yes, it
is in slot 1) already installed but it had to be enabled since the FM mode
is available now.

Normal procedure: go to Config, select a filter and tap the modes to set or
disable that particular filter. If you are for instance editing FL3 and tap
FM mode, it switches back to FL1. Be aware of that! I messed up the filter
settings. It would have been better not to be able to select FM mode when in
FL2-FL5 as the FM filter has to be in FL1 position, isn't it?

Now the Q:
Can someone tell if and why listing in CW mode with roofing filter 2.7 Kc
and DSP set to 2.8 and centered sounds so different as when on SSB mode with
the 2,7 Kc roofing filter and the DSP at 2.8 Kc and centered? In this
particular situation (in CW mode) it is impossible to "read" an SSB or LSB
signal as if filters are totally different.  
 
I've got the feeling that this was not the case with the earlier version or
am I wrong?

When the roofing filter is 2.7 why does the DSP still have effect when
changed from 2.7 to 4.0 Kc (no, the roofing filter is not switched
automatically from 2.7 Kc (FL2) to 13.0 Kc (FL1)? At least the display still
says FL2. Are the slopes of the DSP so much steeper?

Is it possible to upload an earlier version?

Thanks, Evert PA2KW



_______________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Post to: [hidden email]
You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
 http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft   

Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com

[wayne burdick]

Evert Bakker ((PA2KW)) wrote:

> Can someone tell if and why listing in CW mode with roofing filter 2.7
> Kc
> and DSP set to 2.8 and centered sounds so different as when on SSB
> mode with
> the 2,7 Kc roofing filter and the DSP at 2.8 Kc and centered? In this
> particular situation (in CW mode) it is impossible to "read" an SSB or
> LSB
> signal as if filters are totally different.

Hi Evert,

In CW mode, wider crystal filters are positioned such that they provide
a rapid cutoff about about 1 kHz lower on the high end (roughly 1.9
kHz, vs. 2.9 kHz for SSB modes). This seemed like the best choice for
QRM reduction in CW modes. You can SHIFT the passband up a bit to
improve copy of SSB stations in CW mode, if required.

However, with the latest firmware you can now send CW directly in SSB
modes, which is a much more convenient way of making cross-mode QSOs.
(Tap '1' in the CONFIG:CW WGHT menu entry to enable this feature; set
it for "SSB +CW".)


> I've got the feeling that this was not the case with the earlier
> version or
> am I wrong?

As far as I know this positioning of the crystal filters in CW mode has
not changed.


>
> When the roofing filter is 2.7 why does the DSP still have effect when
> changed from 2.7 to 4.0 Kc (no, the roofing filter is not switched
> automatically from 2.7 Kc (FL2) to 13.0 Kc (FL1)? At least the display
> still
> says FL2. Are the slopes of the DSP so much steeper?

If you don't have a filter wider than 2.7 or 2.8 kHz enabled, the WIDTH
control will still allow you to set WIDTH beyond this (all the way to
4.0 kHz), but this may not be very effective since the crystal filter
has steep skirts.

The 13 kHz filter will work in SSB modes if you have it enabled.

73,
Wayne
N6KR

---

http://www.elecraft.com

_______________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Post to: [hidden email]
You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
 http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft   

Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com

[Bob Cunnings NW8L]

I have set up for PSK31 operation with the new firmware and am getting
exactly what I expect. I'm using a peak reading external meter and it
agrees with the power commanded and the power indicated on the K3
front panel RF meter. First I adjusted audio drive to get 4 bars on
the ALC meter using a pure tone (Digpan tune mode), and could then
adjust power at will with the power indicated on the external peak
reading meter tracking the power control nicely.

PSK31 "idle" average power is about 50% of the key down (single tone)
power. Using Digipan tune mode I see commanded power equal to
indicated power when the external meter is set to read either peak or
average (of course).  When sending PSK31 idle I must have the meter
set to read peak to get agreement with the front panel RF meter, which
makes sense since the change notes state:

 "The RF power bargraph shows approx. peak power..."

 (in the SSB TX POWER CONTROL section).

Are you adjusting audio drive to get 4 bars of ALC with a pure tone?

Bob NW8L

On Sun, May 4, 2008 at 7:27 AM, G4ILO <[hidden email]> wrote:

>  I am observing that it is impossible to get the requested power output in
>  DATA A. If I set the PWR control of the K3/10 to 5W then no amount of audio
>  input will get the external power meter to read 5W output on a pure audio
>  tone. Instead the meter reads about 2.5W at the same LINE IN setting that
>  gave 5W out when the power was increased to max. Slowly increasing the audio
>  drive above this level with the K3 meter showing ALC shows the ALC pulsing
>  about twice a second. The amount of ALC shown during the pulses increases as
>  the drive level increases. The power meter (moving coil, average reading)
>  will only go up to about 3.0W and some slight pulsing of the meter needle is
>  also evident corresponding to the K3 ALC display.
>
>  Sending a PSK idle tone instead of a pure tuning tone the meter shows a
>  level a bit below half the level on the tuning tone, commensurate with the
>  K3 limiting the output to 2.5 or 3W PEP despite 5W being requested. The only
>  way to get a real 5W peak is to set the PWR control to 12W and then regulate
>  the power entirely using the audio drive, which is not a very accurate or
>  foolproof way of doing it.
>
>  In PSK D mode where the audio is generated internally by the K2 the power
>  does seem to be correctly regulated by the power control (the K3 does not
>  generate the short "tail" of pure carrier at the end of the transmission
>  like most sound card programs do.) However something is definitely not right
>  with the power level setting. If I transmit in DATA A, then select PSK D and
>  send something, I only get about 0.2W! I have to change mode to CW and then
>  back to SSB and then the power out in PSK D is correct.
>
>  Unlike someone else who reported low output on SSB my own "aaallo" testing
>  has found nothing amiss in this mode.
>
>
>  -----
>  Julian, G4ILO  K3 s/n: 222 K2 s/n: 392
>  G4ILO's Shack: www.g4ilo.com
>  Zerobeat Ham Forums: www.zerobeat.net/smf
>  --
>  View this message in context: http://www.nabble.com/K3-FIRMWARE-UPDATE%3A---MCU-1.87%2C-DSP-1.69---%28Finally%21%29-tp17041394p17045737.html
>  Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
>
>
>
>  _______________________________________________
>  Elecraft mailing list
>  Post to: [hidden email]
>  You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
>  Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
>   http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
>
>  Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
>  Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
>

_______________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Post to: [hidden email]
You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
 http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft   

Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com