K3- cw- pc program problems??

[callen1155]

Hello folks.

I'm trying to get cw going with the K3 connected to a PC running a cw program for both decoding receive and cw xmit via the keyboard. I'm using the line-in/line-out jacks on the K3 for the audio and the fldigi program on the pc.

The decode works decent when the k3 mode is set as CW but I can't transmit on that mode. But when I change the K3 mode to DATA, I can transmit fine but the receive/decode is garbage.

Anyone have the above working?..... what PC program works?..... K3 in CW or DATA? Any other advice??

thanks and 73.
chuck
af4xk

[The Smiths]

If you download HRD Version 5 (best) you can use CW with RS422 control both for sending and receiving.  Receiving obviously going through your sound card.  DM780, which comes with HRD (ham radio deluxe) is like your FLdigi but lets you key the K3 as well.  It's a VERY easy set up, and there's NO need to use one of those rig blaster units regardless of what anyone tells you.
 

> Date: Mon, 14 Jun 2010 12:59:30 -0700
> From: [hidden email]
> To: [hidden email]
> Subject: [Elecraft] K3- cw- pc program problems??
>
>
>
> Hello folks.
>
> I'm trying to get cw going with the K3 connected to a PC running a cw
> program for both decoding receive and cw xmit via the keyboard. I'm using
> the line-in/line-out jacks on the K3 for the audio and the fldigi program on
> the pc.
>
> The decode works decent when the k3 mode is set as CW but I can't transmit
> on that mode. But when I change the K3 mode to DATA, I can transmit fine but
> the receive/decode is garbage.
>
> Anyone have the above working?..... what PC program works?..... K3 in CW or
> DATA? Any other advice??
>
> thanks and 73.
> chuck
> af4xk
> --
> View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/K3-cw-pc-program-problems-tp5179084p5179084.html
> Sent from the [K3] mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
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[Richard Ferch]

Chuck,

When the radio is in CW mode, it is keyed via on-off key closures at its
CW key input. It does not accept audio input when it is in CW mode. As
far as I am aware, this remark applies to all amateur transceivers,
certainly not just the K3.

However, unlike most other CW software, fldigi does not have any on-off
keyed output. Its only output is audio from the sound card. To transmit
in CW from fldigi, you must put the radio into an SSB mode that accepts
audio input (such as DATA A). Fldigi uses the sound card to generate an
on-off single-frequency tone, like a code practice oscillator, and this
tone output from the sound card is fed into the radio's audio input and
transmitted. When the radio is in a single-sideband mode (including DATA
A), the net result is in theory the same as transmitting true CW,
assuming of course that there is no hum, noise, distortion, etc. on the
sound card's output, and also assuming complete suppression of the
opposite sideband in the radio.

There is a way to use fldigi to transmit true CW with the radio in CW
mode, but it requires that you provide an external circuit to detect the
audio tone produced by fldigi and generate an on-off keying signal which
can then be fed into the radio's CW keying input. An example circuit to
do this is described in the fldigi on-line help at
<http://www.w1hkj.com/FldigiHelp-3.20/CWkeying.html>.

When receiving in DATA A mode, the K3's internal CW decoder does not
work. This should not be surprising, since DATA A is the mode that is
used for arbitrary digital modes (every mode that fldigi can decode plus
many others), and the K3's firmware has no way of knowing what mode you
are trying to decode. To decode CW on receive, the K3 must be in CW
mode. Fldigi, on the other hand, can decode CW even with the radio in
DATA A mode, since you can tell fldigi via its menu system which of its
many supported digital modes (including CW) you want it to decode.

If you want to take advantage of the K3's CW decoding and other
CW-specific features, you will have to either use different software
that is capable of true CW keying, or provide an audio tone-to-keyed
output converter such as the one in the fldigi help file.

73,
Rich VE3KI


af4xk wrote:

> Hello folks.
>
> I'm trying to get cw going with the K3 connected to a PC running a cw
> program for both decoding receive and cw xmit via the keyboard. I'm using
> the line-in/line-out jacks on the K3 for the audio and the fldigi program on
> the pc.
>
> The decode works decent when the k3 mode is set as CW but I can't transmit
> on that mode. But when I change the K3 mode to DATA, I can transmit fine but
> the receive/decode is garbage.
>
> Anyone have the above working?..... what PC program works?..... K3 in CW or
> DATA? Any other advice??
>
> thanks and 73.
> chuck
> af4xk

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[callen1155]

Thanks for the comments guys. I had a chance to play with this a bit more and am now able to both xmit and receive cw using both Fldigi and HRD5.0.

Problem was I had the K3 set for AFSK rather than DATA A. Changing to DATA A allowed me to transmit via the PC sound card and VOX.

Interesting observation was as I tried the various data modes for the best sounding received cw signal (comparable to actual cw mode) I thought PSK D was stronger and more defined to listen to.
Listening to cw via DATA A was weaker and less defined but still seemed to provide decent decode by the software.  

Thanks again.
chuck
af4xk