K3 and logging software/CW Skimmer Issues

[pastormg]

Good Morning, this is Mark Griffin, KB3Z. I  and currently using N3FJP AC Log program which is connected to my K3 via Com Port 8. But I downloaded CW Skimmer last evening and the interface that I use is the Signallink USB which is connected to Com Port 10. I have transceiver control with AC Log on Com Port 8. But when I use CW Skimmer on Com Port 10 I lose transceiver control because AC Log is using it.

Has anyone ran into this issue and if so is there a way that I can share Com Port 8 between 2 applications? I have read that there are solutions, but not sure where to look. Thanks for all your help/suggestions. Mark Griffin, KB3Z
______________________________________________________________
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

[Richard Ferch]

Mark,

I assume from your message that COM8 is a USB-to-serial adapter, such as
a KUSB, that is connected to the K3's RS232 port (through a P3, if you
have one), and that Windows has assigned the port number COM8 to (as you
can verify using the Windows Device Manager). This works with logging
software such as N3FJP, etc. So far so good.

Now, you said you have COM10 connected to your SignaLink. This is not
possible; the SignaLink does not have a serial port connection. It is
simply a USB sound card plus an add-on VOX circuit, but neither of those
components uses a serial port. If you really do have a COM10 in your
system, it must be either a virtual serial port created in some piece of
software, or another USB-to-serial adapter or equivalent. Whatever it
is, I'm not sure it plays any role here unless it happens to be a
virtual port created by some logging or port splitting software you
haven't mentioned.

What you want to do is to share COM8 between your logging software and
CW Skimmer. To do that you need some kind of port splitting software.
What I use for this is LP-Bridge, by N8LP. It's free, and it can connect
several logging applications in parallel to the K3. LP-Bridge would
connect to your K3 on COM8, and then you would create virtual serial
ports in it to use from your other software. For example, if nothing
else in your computer is using COM6 or COM7, you could have LP-Bridge
create COM6 and COM7, and then connect N3FJP to COM6 and CW Skimmer to
COM7. Both programs would then be able to read the K3's frequency, etc.

Note that the SignaLink is a mono sound card (one channel). If your
intent is to connect the SignaLink to your K3's Line Out and use CW
Skimmer on the audio from your K3's receiver on VFO A, that should work.
Note that the bandwidth that Skimmer sees will be limited by your K3's
DSP and roofing filter settings, e.g. if you use a 500 kHz filter in CW,
all CW Skimmer will see is the signals within that 500 kHz bandpass,
because that's all that comes out of the Line Out jack.

If you want to see a broader band segment than you can get using the
K3's audio output, you will need some more hardware and a different
sound card (a stereo sound card, not the SignaLink). For example, you
can connect a simple SDR receiver (such as a SoftRock or an LP-PAN) to
your K3's IF Out (you need a KXV3 or KXV3A for this), and then take the
I and Q outputs from the SDR and feed them to a stereo sound card. CW
Skimmer will then decode a 24 kHz wide segment of the band centered on
your K3's VFO A frequency.

HTH. 73,
Rich VE3KI


K3BZ wrote:

> Good Morning, this is Mark Griffin, KB3Z. I  and currently using N3FJP AC Log program \
> which is connected to my K3 via Com Port 8. But I downloaded CW Skimmer last evening \
> and the interface that I use is the Signallink USB which is connected to Com Port 10. \
> I have transceiver control with AC Log on Com Port 8. But when I use CW Skimmer on \
> Com Port 10 I lose transceiver control because AC Log is using it.
>
> Has anyone ran into this issue and if so is there a way that I can share Com Port 8 \
> between 2 applications? I have read that there are solutions, but not sure where to \
> look. Thanks for all your help/suggestions. Mark Griffin, KB3Z \

______________________________________________________________
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

[Bob Perlman]

______________________________________________________________
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

[Don Wilhelm-4]

Mark,

First, the SignaLink will not work as a soundcard for CW Skimmer, you
need a soundcard that has both the right and left channels - the
SignaLink only has a left channel implemented in hardware.  That is OK
for data modes when connected to the Line In and Line Out jacks on the
K3, but will not work for the use with an SDR receiver with I and Q outputs.
Secondly, to use CW Skimmer, you need to connect the K3 IF output (KXV3
or KXV3A required) to some SDR receiver - an 8MHz softrock, an LP-Pan,
or an SDR receiver tuned to the K3 8 MHz IF.
The I and Q outputs from the SDR receiver are fed to the left and right
channels of a soundcard (it must have both channels).  You tell CW
Skimmer which soundcard to use.

Then for the Com port(s), you need a piece of software that provides
'Virtual Ports' - LP Bridge is one of those and is available free and is
well supported by the author Larry Phipps N8LP) who is also quite
helpful (see the LP-Pan Yahoo group for a lot of help).  The way
LP-Bridge works is that it connects to the K3 on its 'real port' (like
your SignaLink at com8), and then provides virtual ports that your other
applications (like CW Skimmer) require to communicate with the K3.  CW
Skimmer connects to one of the virtual ports formed by LP-Bridge. You
should be able to connect LP-Bridge to the K3 through your SignaLink Com
port.  Your logging program would connect to one of the LP-Bridge
virtual ports (but a different virtual port than CW Skimmer).

If you have gone far enough to install all that hardware and software,
you may as well also install NaP3 to yet another virtual port on
LP-Bridge and have a Panadapter capability too - but you may need a good
quality external soundcard for that.  There are several recommendations
in the LP-Pan Yahoo group.

Download LP-Bridge and install it, and I believe what is being said here
will become apparent once you see the display of the virtual ports.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 11/26/2013 8:37 AM, [hidden email] wrote:
> Good Morning, this is Mark Griffin, KB3Z. I  and currently using N3FJP AC Log program which is connected to my K3 via Com Port 8. But I downloaded CW Skimmer last evening and the interface that I use is the Signallink USB which is connected to Com Port 10. I have transceiver control with AC Log on Com Port 8. But when I use CW Skimmer on Com Port 10 I lose transceiver control because AC Log is using it.
>
> Has anyone ran into this issue and if so is there a way that I can share Com Port 8 between 2 applications? I have read that there are solutions, but not sure where to look. Thanks for all your help/suggestions. Mark Griffin, KB3Z
>

______________________________________________________________
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