Elecraft

K3 QSK

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Tobyp

K3 QSK

I don't recall the various settings, but Wayne had us set the rig up several ways. Even in TEST function the thumping was still there.

I believe it has to do with the AF gain and monitor setting, and the RF gain was set to full clockwise. Power setting did not make any difference.

I found the problem and called my friend, Ron NA9F. He could not duplicate it at first, but later sent an email confirming what I had found. He then contacted Wayne who also could duplicate the thumping.

Wayne's solution was to set the rig to SEMI BK IN and set the delay to 2. It is on the "to do" list now.

Toby W4CAK
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Steve Ellington

Re: K3 QSK

Interesting. Mine is serial # 410. I wonder if the problem is confined to
newer serial #'s. A delay of 2 seems very long. I might be able to live with
.02 for a while but it's still not QSK.
Hopefully it's not a firmware issue. I just have this fear that something
might be changed and it would slow down the QSK in this old K3.
I assume you haven't done any audio mods. The audio in this K3 rolls off at
such a high frequency that I doubt if it would even reproduce a thump :*)
Steve N4LQ

[hidden email]
----- Original Message -----
From: "Toby Pennington" <[hidden email]>
To: <[hidden email]>
Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 9:20 AM
Subject: [Elecraft] K3 QSK

>I don't recall the various settings, but Wayne had us set the rig up
>several ways. Even in TEST function the thumping was still there.
>
> I believe it has to do with the AF gain and monitor setting, and the RF
> gain was set to full clockwise. Power setting did not make any
> difference.
>
> I found the problem and called my friend, Ron NA9F. He could not
> duplicate it at first, but later sent an email confirming what I had
> found. He then contacted Wayne who also could duplicate the thumping.
>
> Wayne's solution was to set the rig to SEMI BK IN and set the delay to 2.
> It is on the "to do" list now.
>
> Toby W4CAK
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
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>
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> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html

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Tobyp

Re: K3 QSK

In reply to this post by Tobyp

Steve, My unit is 2165 all hardware mods done, rig is loaded with everything possible.

Roofing filters are 2.8khz, 400hz and 250hz. No audio mods done to my knowledge.

My hearing is sensitive so try to keep the sidetone monitor set fairly low. I first noticed this anomoly when I was comparing QSK CW on the K3 to my 7700. The 7700 had no thumping and was pretty good. (Quiet Band) So, I began to experiment to try and understand what was happening with the K3, and think when the sidetone monitor is set at a certain level, the thumping is covered up and will not be heard. But, then the monitor is reduced below a certain level the thumping will appear.

As far as the Semi BK- in situation is concerned, setting the level to a 1 brought the thumping back, when set to 2 it is completely gone and you have acceptable QSK. A 3 setting was too high.

I would like to see the sidetone monitor track the AF gain, and don't really care for the way the sidetone monitor is implemented in the K3.

Toby W4CAK

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Dave, W8OV

Re: K3 QSK

Toby Pennington wrote:

> Steve, My unit is 2165 all hardware mods done, rig is loaded with everything possible.
>
> Roofing filters are 2.8khz, 400hz and 250hz. No audio mods done to my knowledge.
>
> My hearing is sensitive so try to keep the sidetone monitor set fairly low. I first noticed this anomoly when I was comparing QSK CW on the K3 to my 7700. The 7700 had no thumping and was pretty good. (Quiet Band) So, I began to experiment to try and understand what was happening with the K3, and think when the sidetone monitor is set at a certain level, the thumping is covered up and will not be heard. But, then the monitor is reduced below a certain level the thumping will appear.
>
> As far as the Semi BK- in situation is concerned, setting the level to a 1 brought the thumping back, when set to 2 it is completely gone and you have acceptable QSK. A 3 setting was too high.
>
> I would like to see the sidetone monitor track the AF gain, and don't really care for the way the sidetone monitor is implemented in the K3.
>
> Toby W4CAK
>

Here's a "please don't" reply. I've used a rig that had the sidetone
track the audio gain and found it very unpleasant at times. I like the
current implementation.

--Dave, W8OV
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Steve Ellington

Re: K3 QSK

In reply to this post by Tobyp

I agree about the way the sidetone volume is adjusted. When I go from
headphones to speaker, I have to reduce sidetone volume to keep from
blasting the entire house with my beeps. I have to remember to make the
change BEFORE unplugging the phones otherwise I'm forced to push that MON
button and emit that continuous tone while I crank down the volume. It would
ok if it didn't make all that noise. I've never had another rig that forced
you to listen to the spot tone just to adjust the sidetone level. Normally
you would just turn a knob and be done with it. And yes, sidetone should
track AF gain but that needs to be an option since some folks think sidetone
volume should remain at a constant level. I can live with it either way.
Anyway....my k3 is a lot older than yours AND I do not have the second
receiver. Somehow I just bet'ya your thump has something to do with that
extra receiver.
I wonder if you can make a .wav file of that thump and I also wonder if the
thump appears in the low level audio output on the back panel.
Steve
N4LQ
[hidden email]
----- Original Message -----
From: "Toby Pennington" <[hidden email]>
To: <[hidden email]>
Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 10:55 AM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 QSK

> Steve, My unit is 2165 all hardware mods done, rig is loaded with
> everything possible.
>
> Roofing filters are 2.8khz, 400hz and 250hz. No audio mods done to my
> knowledge.
>
> My hearing is sensitive so try to keep the sidetone monitor set fairly
> low. I first noticed this anomoly when I was comparing QSK CW on the K3
> to my 7700. The 7700 had no thumping and was pretty good. (Quiet Band)
> So, I began to experiment to try and understand what was happening with
> the K3, and think when the sidetone monitor is set at a certain level,
> the thumping is covered up and will not be heard. But, then the monitor
> is reduced below a certain level the thumping will appear.
>
> As far as the Semi BK- in situation is concerned, setting the level to a
> 1 brought the thumping back, when set to 2 it is completely gone and you
> have acceptable QSK. A 3 setting was too high.
>
> I would like to see the sidetone monitor track the AF gain, and don't
> really care for the way the sidetone monitor is implemented in the K3.
>
> Toby W4CAK
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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