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[K3] Need help with soundcard digital mode transmit (retry)

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Don Putnick

[K3] Need help with soundcard digital mode transmit (retry)

Hi all,

I'm the proud new papa of Elecraft K3 #5495. I've been able to receive PSK31 via both the rear line-out and the rear speaker jacks. The line-out jack appears to be at a fixed level, which is a little low, but the rear speaker jack with volume control works just fine (that's the approach I used on my Yaesu FT-890).

The problem is I can't get my MacBook to work with the VOX. I've tried the rear line-in and the rear mic jacks, VOX Gain and LOW/HI MIC gain, all in DATA A. Haven't tried USB mode though. And yes, the MacBook is putting out a PSK31 signal.

I'd really appreciate any helpful hints.
Thanks and 73, Don NA6Z

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Peter Wollan-2

Re: [K3] Need help with soundcard digital mode transmit (retry)

Don,

The CocoaModem web site has some information about connecting, as well
as configuring the software to successfully transmit. I've used both
CocoaModem and Fldigi, but the connection process is the same: from
the K2 to the Mac is a simple stereo cable, headphone socket to
headphone socket. From the Mac to the K2 requires a stereo cable to
8-pin microphone plug, with a couple of resisters as a voltage
divider, soldered in the plug, to convert the line-out voltage level
to mic level. I think the K3 is the same.

Then, the levels have to be set right at both ends, the radio and the
laptop, to have Vox trigger properly. Basically, you want to turn it
up high enough to trigger without being too high and having
distortion.

CocoaModem: homepage.mac.com/chen/w7ay/cocoaModem/index.html, look
under "interfacing".

Peter W0LLN

On Thu, Jun 9, 2011 at 12:03 PM, Don Putnick <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I'm the proud new papa of Elecraft K3 #5495. I've been able to receive PSK31 via both the rear line-out and the rear speaker jacks. The line-out jack appears to be at a fixed level, which is a little low, but the rear speaker jack with volume control works just fine (that's the approach I used on my Yaesu FT-890).
>
> The problem is I can't get my MacBook to work with the VOX. I've tried the rear line-in and the rear mic jacks, VOX Gain and LOW/HI MIC gain, all in DATA A. Haven't tried USB mode though. And yes, the MacBook is putting out a PSK31 signal.
>
> I'd really appreciate any helpful hints.
> Thanks and 73, Don NA6Z
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>

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Nr4c

Re: [K3] Need help with soundcard digital mode transmit (retry)

In reply to this post by Don Putnick

First, congratulations on your new rig. you're gonna erally like it.

Now onto the issue at hand. Hooking up to a computer is really simple.

First, I have to admit I'm a PC user, not a MAC, but I hope if your MAC
has a typical sound card, with Line/mic in and speaker/phones ort, you
ahould have no trouble.

Second, you are using some kind of serial cable to connect with K3
utility? This is also you CAT control.

Now, connect the radio line out to MAC in, and radio line in to MAC
out.

For PTT, the serial cable used for CAT control can be used by going to
the CONFIG: menu, PTT-KEY which is defalt set to OFF-OFF.(page 58 in my
manual). Set the PTT side to DTR or RTS and then tell your software
that youare using comX (whatever your CAT comport is) and that DTR or
RTS is used for PTT.

There is a LIN OUT item in the CONFIG: menu that adjusts the LIN OUT
level (pg 57) and in data mode, the Mic gain control varies LINE IN
level. From here, a little testing with a dummy load for TX and some
tweaking on the rec end should get you going.

...bill nr4c

On Thu, 9 Jun 2011 10:03:45 -0700 (GMT-07:00), Don Putnick wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I'm the proud new papa of Elecraft K3 #5495. I've been able to
> receive PSK31 via both the rear line-out and the rear speaker jacks.
> The line-out jack appears to be at a fixed level, which is a little
> low, but the rear speaker jack with volume control works just fine
> (that's the approach I used on my Yaesu FT-890).
>
> The problem is I can't get my MacBook to work with the VOX. I've
> tried the rear line-in and the rear mic jacks, VOX Gain and LOW/HI
> MIC
> gain, all in DATA A. Haven't tried USB mode though. And yes, the
> MacBook is putting out a PSK31 signal.
>
> I'd really appreciate any helpful hints.
> Thanks and 73, Don NA6Z
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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

Peter Wollan-2

Re: [K3] Need help with soundcard digital mode transmit (retry)

In reply to this post by Peter Wollan-2

Don,

Ok, I looked at the reference I gave, and the information I thought
was there isn't. But it's not quite what you want, anyway. There are
three separate parts: the Mac, the K3, and the connection between.
The Mac is easy: you want to use either CocoaModem or FLDIGI, and
they are both excellent. For the K3, you need to look in the manual.
You need three signals: sound to the Mac, sound from the Mac, and
PTT. It sounds like it's going to be easier with the K3 than with the
K2, in that the K3 apparently can accept line-in input -- the K2
needed to have the Mac sound signal brought down to microphone levels.
Can the K3 respond to line-in as input to Vox? If yes, that's your
PTT. If not, you need to either reduce the voltage, like with the K2,
and plug it in as if it's a microphone, or give up on Vox and generate
a PTT signal. If you do that, you need a somewhat fancier interface,
like the Signalink box.

So, I guess I haven't been as helpful as I thought I could be. It
might be as easy as using two stereo cables, one for sound in and one
for sound out, but it depends on the capabilities of the K3.

Peter W0LLN

On Thu, Jun 9, 2011 at 12:34 PM, Peter Wollan <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Don,
>
> The CocoaModem web site has some information about connecting, as well
> as configuring the software to successfully transmit. I've used both
> CocoaModem and Fldigi, but the connection process is the same: from
> the K2 to the Mac is a simple stereo cable, headphone socket to
> headphone socket. From the Mac to the K2 requires a stereo cable to
> 8-pin microphone plug, with a couple of resisters as a voltage
> divider, soldered in the plug, to convert the line-out voltage level
> to mic level. I think the K3 is the same.
>
> Then, the levels have to be set right at both ends, the radio and the
> laptop, to have Vox trigger properly. Basically, you want to turn it
> up high enough to trigger without being too high and having
> distortion.
>
> CocoaModem: homepage.mac.com/chen/w7ay/cocoaModem/index.html, look
> under "interfacing".
>
> Peter W0LLN
>
>
>
> On Thu, Jun 9, 2011 at 12:03 PM, Don Putnick <[hidden email]> wrote:
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I'm the proud new papa of Elecraft K3 #5495. I've been able to receive PSK31 via both the rear line-out and the rear speaker jacks. The line-out jack appears to be at a fixed level, which is a little low, but the rear speaker jack with volume control works just fine (that's the approach I used on my Yaesu FT-890).
>>
>> The problem is I can't get my MacBook to work with the VOX. I've tried the rear line-in and the rear mic jacks, VOX Gain and LOW/HI MIC gain, all in DATA A. Haven't tried USB mode though. And yes, the MacBook is putting out a PSK31 signal.
>>
>> I'd really appreciate any helpful hints.
>> Thanks and 73, Don NA6Z
>>
>>
>> ______________________________________________________________
>> 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
>>
>

David Herring-3

Re: [K3] Need help with soundcard digital mode transmit (retry)

Hi Guys,

In this situation, the K3's VOX works FB for me.

So yes, sound in and sound out is pretty much all that's needed.

73 & Aloha,

Dave, AH6TD

On Jun 9, 2011, at 10:47 AM, Peter Wollan wrote:

> Don,
>
> Ok, I looked at the reference I gave, and the information I thought
> was there isn't. But it's not quite what you want, anyway. There are
> three separate parts: the Mac, the K3, and the connection between.
> The Mac is easy: you want to use either CocoaModem or FLDIGI, and
> they are both excellent. For the K3, you need to look in the manual.
> You need three signals: sound to the Mac, sound from the Mac, and
> PTT. It sounds like it's going to be easier with the K3 than with the
> K2, in that the K3 apparently can accept line-in input -- the K2
> needed to have the Mac sound signal brought down to microphone levels.
> Can the K3 respond to line-in as input to Vox? If yes, that's your
> PTT. If not, you need to either reduce the voltage, like with the K2,
> and plug it in as if it's a microphone, or give up on Vox and generate
> a PTT signal. If you do that, you need a somewhat fancier interface,
> like the Signalink box.
>
> So, I guess I haven't been as helpful as I thought I could be. It
> might be as easy as using two stereo cables, one for sound in and one
> for sound out, but it depends on the capabilities of the K3.
>
> Peter W0LLN
>
>
> On Thu, Jun 9, 2011 at 12:34 PM, Peter Wollan <[hidden email]> wrote:
>> Don,
>>
>> The CocoaModem web site has some information about connecting, as well
>> as configuring the software to successfully transmit. I've used both
>> CocoaModem and Fldigi, but the connection process is the same: from
>> the K2 to the Mac is a simple stereo cable, headphone socket to
>> headphone socket. From the Mac to the K2 requires a stereo cable to
>> 8-pin microphone plug, with a couple of resisters as a voltage
>> divider, soldered in the plug, to convert the line-out voltage level
>> to mic level. I think the K3 is the same.
>>
>> Then, the levels have to be set right at both ends, the radio and the
>> laptop, to have Vox trigger properly. Basically, you want to turn it
>> up high enough to trigger without being too high and having
>> distortion.
>>
>> CocoaModem: homepage.mac.com/chen/w7ay/cocoaModem/index.html, look
>> under "interfacing".
>>
>> Peter W0LLN
>>
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Jun 9, 2011 at 12:03 PM, Don Putnick <[hidden email]> wrote:
>>> Hi all,
>>>
>>> I'm the proud new papa of Elecraft K3 #5495. I've been able to receive PSK31 via both the rear line-out and the rear speaker jacks. The line-out jack appears to be at a fixed level, which is a little low, but the rear speaker jack with volume control works just fine (that's the approach I used on my Yaesu FT-890).
>>>
>>> The problem is I can't get my MacBook to work with the VOX. I've tried the rear line-in and the rear mic jacks, VOX Gain and LOW/HI MIC gain, all in DATA A. Haven't tried USB mode though. And yes, the MacBook is putting out a PSK31 signal.
>>>
>>> I'd really appreciate any helpful hints.
>>> Thanks and 73, Don NA6Z
>>>
>>>
>>> ______________________________________________________________
>>> 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
>>>
>>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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

David Herring-3

Re: [K3] Need help with soundcard digital mode transmit (retry)

In reply to this post by Peter Wollan-2

Sorry, let me clarify my response.

The K3's VOX does respond to Line-In in my experience. No separate PTT is needed. Also, for the K3, no voltage reduction is needed if you are using the Line-In jacks. I have not tried using the microphone input for digital as I keep that for, oddly enough, my microphone. ;-)

I homebrewed my audio cables out of twisted-pair cat5 ethernet cable, and even with the antenna occasionally in the room, no ill-effects from RF have been noted.

HTH,

Dave, AH6TD

On Jun 9, 2011, at 10:47 AM, Peter Wollan wrote:

Don Wilhelm-4

Re: [K3] Need help with soundcard digital mode transmit (retry)

In reply to this post by Don Putnick

Don,

Do you have VOX turned ON for DATA A? It is off by default and you have
to turn it on explicitly.
Use the LINE IN on the K3 and you should be able to set the level so you
have 4 bars on the ALC meter. That level should trip the VOX easily.

If you prefer to operate with PTT instead of VOX, you can set the K3
CONFIG PTT--KEY menu to either RTS-off or DTR-off whichever one is used
by your software application. If you choose that route, you will have
to connect a cable between the K3 and a USB to serial adapter (I don't
think the MAC has any real serial ports).

One caution on using PTT (at least Windows has this situation) -- when
the computer is started, it activates the signals in the serial port.
If your K3 is on, it will be put into transmit for the duration of that
computer test.
Usually that is no harm, but be forewarned so you will not be surprised.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 6/9/2011 1:03 PM, Don Putnick wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I'm the proud new papa of Elecraft K3 #5495. I've been able to receive PSK31 via both the rear line-out and the rear speaker jacks. The line-out jack appears to be at a fixed level, which is a little low, but the rear speaker jack with volume control works just fine (that's the approach I used on my Yaesu FT-890).
>
> The problem is I can't get my MacBook to work with the VOX. I've tried the rear line-in and the rear mic jacks, VOX Gain and LOW/HI MIC gain, all in DATA A. Haven't tried USB mode though. And yes, the MacBook is putting out a PSK31 signal.
>
______________________________________________________________
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Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:[hidden email]

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