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K3 Softrock Lite

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jo benoit

K3 Softrock Lite

Hello
,

While
I
was
waiting
for
my
K3
to
arrive,
I
have
been
doing
some
experiments
with
the
Softrock
Lite
.
The
softrock
lite
is
an
amazingly
good
rx
for
its
11
$.
I
was
interested
in
a
panoramic
display,
so
I
tried
it
out
on
the
TS-850
.
With
a
35.362
Mhz
Xtal
and
Rocky
software
that
was
not
much
of
a
problem.
It
worked
just
fine.
For
the
K3
,
I
ordered
a
32.812
Mhz
Xtal
.
I
read
here
that
more
isolation
is
needed
to
prevent
the
oscilator
signal
(
8.204
Mhz
in
my
case)
to
go
back
to
the
K3.
Someone
suggested
the
use
of
a
HCPL-4562
.
First
I
measured
at
the
input
of
the
Softrock,
with
the
TS-850
and
found
a
strong
S9
carrier
at
8.204
Mhz
With
the
HCPL-4562
in
front
of
the
Softrock,
I
was
able
to
hear
the
carrier
on
the
input,
but
no
indication
on
the
S-meter.
That
should
be
enough
isolation,
I
think.
Then
I
added
an
extra
stage
.
I
copied
the
schematic
from
the
K2
preamp
with
a
2N5109
to
give
the
signal
from
the
IF
an
extra
14
db
or
so
and
extra
isolation.
I
still
could
hear
the
carrier
,
somewhat
quieter,
and
see
nothing
on
the
S-meter.
The
whole
thing
is
built
into
a
metal
box
and
shielded
between
the
different
stages,
and
an
extra
shield
between
the
HCPL-4562
input
and
output.
The
connection
between
the
K3
and
the
adapter
is
a
short
coax
cable
with
two
bnc
plugs.
When
changing
from
xfil1
to
xfil2
and
xfil3
on
the
K3,
I
noticed
a
shift
in
the
display,
so
I
made
three
different
entries
in
the
rocky.ini
file:
in
the
[Band]
section
I
added
:
FL1=8625
FL2=9700
FL3=9630
I
had
to
experiment
with
these
values
until
the
signal
was
at
the
zero
mark
on
the
scale
.
One
important
thing
I
overlooked
was
the
fact
that
you
need
the
KXV3
interface.
It
was
only
when
I
was
building
the
K3
that
I
realised
that...
:)
I
have
no
special
soundcard,
I
use
the
on-board
soundcard
of
my
pc.
It
works
fine
with
Rocky,
I
haven't
tried
any
other
software
(
yet
).

73
de
on5ao

K2
# 5237
K3
# 0324

jo
benoit

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texasexpediter

Re: K3 Softrock Lite

jo benoit wrote:

>
> Hello
> ,
>
> While
> I
> was
> waiting
> for
> my
> K3
> to
> arrive,
>

Someone has a significant problem with their email program it appears.
Maybe classic rock would be better. :)

----
73 K5LDB
----------
Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.

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Jerry Flanders

Re: K3 Softrock Lite

In reply to this post by jo benoit

Hi, Jo

Did you have to get the KXV3 before using it with the K3, or did you
find another way to interface the softrock to the K3?

Since the K3 roofing filters (centered at 8215) do not pass much of
your LO freq of 8204 KHz, I am guessing that you would not have seen
much effect of the moderately weak LO signal at all in the K3 - did
you try it before you added the additional isolation stage?

Jerry W4UK

At 10:04 AM 2/17/2008, jo benoit wrote:

>Hello
>,
>
>While
>I
>was
>waiting
>for
>my
>K3
>to
>arrive,
>I
>have
>been
>doing
>some
>experiments
>with
>the
>Softrock
>Lite
>.
>The
>softrock
>lite
>is
>an
>amazingly
>good
>rx
>for
>its
>11
>$.
>I
>was
>interested
>in
>a
>panoramic
>display,
>so
>I
>tried
>it
>out
>on
>the
>TS-850
>.
>With
>a
>35.362
>Mhz
>Xtal
>and
>Rocky
>software
>that
>was
>not
>much
>of
>a
>problem.
>It
>worked
>just
>fine.
>For
>the
>K3
>,
>I
>ordered
>a
>32.812
>Mhz
>Xtal
>.
>I
>read
>here
>that
>more
>isolation
>is
>needed
>to
>prevent
>the
>oscilator
>signal
>(
>8.204
>Mhz
>in
>my
>case)
>to
>go
>back
>to
>the
>K3.
>Someone
>suggested
>the
>use
>of
>a
>HCPL-4562
>.
>First
>I
>measured
>at
>the
>input
>of
>the
>Softrock,
>with
>the
>TS-850
>and
>found
>a
>strong
>S9
>carrier
>at
>8.204
>Mhz
>With
>the
>HCPL-4562
>in
>front
>of
>the
>Softrock,
>I
>was
>able
>to
>hear
>the
>carrier
>on
>the
>input,
>but
>no
>indication
>on
>the
>S-meter.
>That
>should
>be
>enough
>isolation,
>I
>think.
>Then
>I
>added
>an
>extra
>stage
>.
>I
>copied
>the
>schematic
>from
>the
>K2
>preamp
>with
>a
>2N5109
>to
>give
>the
>signal
>from
>the
>IF
>an
>extra
>14
>db
>or
>so
>and
>extra
>isolation.
>I
>still
>could
>hear
>the
>carrier
>,
>somewhat
>quieter,
>and
>see
>nothing
>on
>the
>S-meter.
>The
>whole
>thing
>is
>built
>into
>a
>metal
>box
>and
>shielded
>between
>the
>different
>stages,
>and
>an
>extra
>shield
>between
>the
>HCPL-4562
>input
>and
>output.
>The
>connection
>between
>the
>K3
>and
>the
>adapter
>is
>a
>short
>coax
>cable
>with
>two
>bnc
>plugs.
>When
>changing
>from
>xfil1
>to
>xfil2
>and
>xfil3
>on
>the
>K3,
>I
>noticed
>a
>shift
>in
>the
>display,
>so
>I
>made
>three
>different
>entries
>in
>the
>rocky.ini
>file:
>in
>the
>[Band]
>section
>I
>added
>:
>FL1=8625
>FL2=9700
>FL3=9630
>I
>had
>to
>experiment
>with
>these
>values
>until
>the
>signal
>was
>at
>the
>zero
>mark
>on
>the
>scale
>.
>One
>important
>thing
>I
>overlooked
>was
>the
>fact
>that
>you
>need
>the
>KXV3
>interface.
>It
>was
>only
>when
>I
>was
>building
>the
>K3
>that
>I
>realised
>that...
>:)
>I
>have
>no
>special
>soundcard,
>I
>use
>the
>on-board
>soundcard
>of
>my
>pc.
>It
>works
>fine
>with
>Rocky,
>I
>haven't
>tried
>any
>other
>software
>(
>yet
>).
>
>73
>de
>on5ao
>
>
>K2
># 5237
>K3
># 0324
>
>jo
>benoit

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Don Wilhelm-4

Re: K3 Softrock Lite

Jerry,

I would not advise connecting the Softrock without isolation in any case
- I believe the biggest problem is that the Softrock LO signal can be
coupled back into the K3 and can cause spurs on the *transmitted*
signal. This is one you cannot evaluate with the K3 receive. A
spectrum analyzer at the K3 output would be required for a good
investigation of your question. On receive, the normal K3 filters and
the DSP may be quite able to reject the Softrock LO signal.

Take a look at Larry Phipps website www.telepostinc.com for his LP-PAN
project. Larry has measured the LO of the Softrock at -40 dBm which is
an S9+30 signal. I do not think one would want to inject such a strong
signal into the K3 IF - at least 20 dB of isolation is needed.

73,
Don W3FPR

Jerry Flanders wrote:

> Hi, Jo
>
> Did you have to get the KXV3 before using it with the K3, or did you
> find another way to interface the softrock to the K3?
>
> Since the K3 roofing filters (centered at 8215) do not pass much of
> your LO freq of 8204 KHz, I am guessing that you would not have seen
> much effect of the moderately weak LO signal at all in the K3 - did
> you try it before you added the additional isolation stage?
>
> Jerry W4UK
>

DW Holtman

K2 Assembly Question

In reply to this post by Jerry Flanders

Hello,

Thanks for all of the great suggestions. I took a slightly different
approach. The results can be seen by clicking on the link below and clicking
on the "K2 Diffuser" link on my home page.

http://www.heavymetalradios.com/

Best,
DW Holtman
WB7SSN

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Don Wilhelm-4

Re: K2 Assembly Question

DW,

That looks like the best solution I have heard about yet.
It would be nice for others if you write it up and submit it to Elecraft
for inclusion on the Builder's Resource Page.

73,
Don W3FPR

DW Holtman wrote:

> Hello,
>
> Thanks for all of the great suggestions. I took a slightly different
> approach. The results can be seen by clicking on the link below and
> clicking on the "K2 Diffuser" link on my home page.
>
> http://www.heavymetalradios.com/
>
> Best,
> DW Holtman
> WB7SSN
>

Gary Hvizdak

RE: K2 Assembly Question

In reply to this post by DW Holtman

At 09:25:45 EST on 20 Wed Feb 2008 DW Holtman (WB7SSN) wrote ...

I'm in the middle of building a K2, S/N 6412. ... While doing the Alignment
and test Part 1, I had a couple of readings that were not in specs.

1. Page 48, Setting the AGC Threshold, the manuals calls for adjusting R-1
for a reading of 3.80VDC on pin 5 of U2. The highest R1 would adjust to is
3.60VDC.

2. Page 48 Bargraph Current test. The manual calls for a current reading
Of 0.16 to 0.18. My K2 reads 0.25 amps. That is quite a bit higher than
what is called for.

Any suggestions? Are these readings anything to worry about?

--

Hi DW,

I'll take a stab at your low AGC measurement. In the past few months a
couple of builders have had marginal +8V regulators on the CTRL board. It's
unlikely this would be causing the higher than expected Bar-graph current
measurement, it is possible.

73,
Gary KI4GGX
K2 #4067

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