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K3 How to get MMTTY to work with K3

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Richard Gillingham

K3 How to get MMTTY to work with K3

I’ve been trying to get MMTTY to work with my shiny new K3. I can get the ‘Line out’ to deliver audio to MMTTY and it will decode FB, but nothing I’ve tried yet will get the K3 to transmit. VOX on, etc., etc..

Suggestions Please.

Oh yeah, Win 8.1

And next comes FLDigi…

Must I get yet another gadget to put between the computer and the K3? Less is more.

Thanks,

Gil, W1RG
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Jim Brown-10

Re: K3 How to get MMTTY to work with K3

On Thu,4/9/2015 1:59 PM, Richard Gillingham wrote:
> I’ve been trying to get MMTTY to work with my shiny new K3. I can get the ‘Line out’ to deliver audio to MMTTY and it will decode FB, but nothing I’ve tried yet will get the K3 to transmit. VOX on, etc., etc..
>
>
> Suggestions Please.

Things to check. Windoze mixer, select the sound card you're using, make
sure it's panned to the center. I don't have Win 8.1, but I do have Win
7. It's not easy to bind Balance. Here's how in works in Win7. First,
click on the Speaker icon on the task bar. Then click on Mixer. Then
click on the icon in the top left corner for the sound card you're
using. You should see Speaker Properties. Click on the Levels tab. The
Balance tab is on the right in that window.

Also, check Windows output level (not turned below about half), plug
headphones into the output, transmit with MMTTY. You should hear the
RTTY tones.

Check that MMTTY and the K3 are set for the same RTTY tones and baud
rate. Default is 2125 Hz, 45 Baud.

Check that you are NOT using a serial port for PTT (in MMTTY).

Check the VOX Gain. Check the Line In Gain -- in digital modes, the Mic
Gain knob becomes the Line In Gain. Make sure that you are in VOX mode
on the K3.

The "right" level for cleanest signal should give 4-5 bars of ALC.

Make sure that you are in AFSK mode on the K3.

> Oh yeah, Win 8.1
>
>
> And next comes FLDigi…
For that, set the K3 for DATA A.

> Must I get yet another gadget to put between the computer and the K3?

No, just a cable wired correctly. See the manual.

BUT -- a better sound card can improve weak signal decoding a LOT,
especially for other digital modes like JT65 (and probably PSK31).

See http://k9yc.com/USB_Interfaces.pdf I wrote this a year ago and did
the research a few years before that. The specific sound cards I talked
about are all discontinued, but are available on EBay. If I were doing
it today, I would look at the ASUS Xonar U5, which N8LP recommends for
use with his NaP3 software. This piece also includes a tutorial on
setting levels.

For a better decoder, check out 2Tone, which WinWarbler integrates
nicely with MMTTY. Serious RTTY contesters are using multiple RX
windows, one running MMTTY, one or more others running 2Tone with
different decoding algorithms. RTTY is prone to errors from
noise,fading, and QRM, so having decoders with different algorithms
gives a better chance of getting calls and exchanges right the first
time with no need for a repeat.

73, Jim K9YC

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Joe Subich, W4TV-4

Re: K3 How to get MMTTY to work with K3

> It's not easy to bind Balance. Here's how in works in Win7. First,
> click on the Speaker icon on the task bar. Then click on Mixer. Then
> click on the icon in the top left corner for the sound card you're
> using. You should see Speaker Properties. Click on the Levels tab.
> The Balance tab is on the right in that window.

In either Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 it is far easier to use Control
Panel | Sound ...

Select the Playback tab ... double click on the output device ...
in the properties dialog, select the Levels tab then click on the
"balance" button. However, since the K3 Line In is mono, you only
care about the left channel.

It is more important to set the K3 MENU:MIC SEL to Line IN while in
data mode (AFSK A or DATA A) so the Line Input is active for data
modes! Once you've done that the "mic gain" control on the front
panel controls the modulation level (set for 4 bars of ALC) and
turn on VOX unless you have configured MMTTY/FLDIGI to control PTT
using radio commands.

73,

... Joe, W4TV

On 2015-04-09 5:50 PM, Jim Brown wrote:

> On Thu,4/9/2015 1:59 PM, Richard Gillingham wrote:
>> I’ve been trying to get MMTTY to work with my shiny new K3. I can get
>> the ‘Line out’ to deliver audio to MMTTY and it will decode FB, but
>> nothing I’ve tried yet will get the K3 to transmit. VOX on, etc., etc..
>>
>>
>> Suggestions Please.
>
> Things to check. Windoze mixer, select the sound card you're using, make
> sure it's panned to the center. I don't have Win 8.1, but I do have Win
> 7. It's not easy to bind Balance. Here's how in works in Win7. First,
> click on the Speaker icon on the task bar. Then click on Mixer. Then
> click on the icon in the top left corner for the sound card you're
> using. You should see Speaker Properties. Click on the Levels tab. The
> Balance tab is on the right in that window.
>
> Also, check Windows output level (not turned below about half), plug
> headphones into the output, transmit with MMTTY. You should hear the
> RTTY tones.
>
> Check that MMTTY and the K3 are set for the same RTTY tones and baud
> rate. Default is 2125 Hz, 45 Baud.
>
> Check that you are NOT using a serial port for PTT (in MMTTY).
>
> Check the VOX Gain. Check the Line In Gain -- in digital modes, the Mic
> Gain knob becomes the Line In Gain. Make sure that you are in VOX mode
> on the K3.
>
> The "right" level for cleanest signal should give 4-5 bars of ALC.
>
> Make sure that you are in AFSK mode on the K3.
>
>> Oh yeah, Win 8.1
>>
>>
>> And next comes FLDigi…
> For that, set the K3 for DATA A.
>
>> Must I get yet another gadget to put between the computer and the K3?
>
> No, just a cable wired correctly. See the manual.
>
> BUT -- a better sound card can improve weak signal decoding a LOT,
> especially for other digital modes like JT65 (and probably PSK31).
>
> See http://k9yc.com/USB_Interfaces.pdf I wrote this a year ago and did
> the research a few years before that. The specific sound cards I talked
> about are all discontinued, but are available on EBay. If I were doing
> it today, I would look at the ASUS Xonar U5, which N8LP recommends for
> use with his NaP3 software. This piece also includes a tutorial on
> setting levels.
>
> For a better decoder, check out 2Tone, which WinWarbler integrates
> nicely with MMTTY. Serious RTTY contesters are using multiple RX
> windows, one running MMTTY, one or more others running 2Tone with
> different decoding algorithms. RTTY is prone to errors from
> noise,fading, and QRM, so having decoders with different algorithms
> gives a better chance of getting calls and exchanges right the first
> time with no need for a repeat.
>
> 73, Jim K9YC
>
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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
> Message delivered to [hidden email]

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k6dgw

Re: K3 How to get MMTTY to work with K3

I did it like Joe explains, works great. One note: Be sure MENU:MIC
SEL is set to LINE IN and LINE+MIC to OFF. LINE+MIC ON will leave your
microphone hot with room noises, dogs barking, and the like. You can
ask me how I know this but you can probably figure it out without my
help. :-)

The 4 bars ALC [5th maybe flickering occasionally] can be set while in
TX TEST, so you're not making any RF. Then go into TX NOR and set the
power you want with the PWR control. Unlike our fathers' radios [I
guess that would be mine at this age], you *cannot* control power output
with the MIC/LINE IN gain.

For RTTY with MMTTY, I use AFSK A. It is LSB, and having the pitch of
the signals go up as I tune up in frequency makes more sense to me than
DATA A which is USB. I can't hear 2125 Hz at all so I set the K3 PITCH
to 915 [as low as it goes]. Be sure to set MMTTY to 915 also. The
lower pitch will also reduce the "RTTY Headache" from the higher pitch.

73,

Fred K6DGW
- Northern California Contest Club
- CU in the 50th Running of the Cal QSO Party 3-4 Oct 2015
- www.cqp.org

On 4/9/2015 3:21 PM, Joe Subich, W4TV wrote:

>
>> It's not easy to bind Balance. Here's how in works in Win7. First,
>> click on the Speaker icon on the task bar. Then click on Mixer. Then
>> click on the icon in the top left corner for the sound card you're
>> using. You should see Speaker Properties. Click on the Levels tab.
>> The Balance tab is on the right in that window.
>
> In either Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 it is far easier to use Control
> Panel | Sound ...
>
> Select the Playback tab ... double click on the output device ...
> in the properties dialog, select the Levels tab then click on the
> "balance" button. However, since the K3 Line In is mono, you only
> care about the left channel.
>
> It is more important to set the K3 MENU:MIC SEL to Line IN while in
> data mode (AFSK A or DATA A) so the Line Input is active for data
> modes! Once you've done that the "mic gain" control on the front
> panel controls the modulation level (set for 4 bars of ALC) and
> turn on VOX unless you have configured MMTTY/FLDIGI to control PTT
> using radio commands.
>
> 73,
>
> ... Joe, W4TV