Main vs. Config Menus

[Mike Scott-7]

I don’t know about anyone else but I don’t understand the K3 Main vs. Config menus. The Main menu is supposedly the menu of items that one would need to select the most often. Well for me, I almost never visit the main menu. I will visit the Config menu almost every day. It seems that my experience is just the opposite of what was planned for the menus. Maybe someone should take a statistical measure of the menu items most needed and place the top ten items in the Main menu. I would bet that the top ten items are not in the current Main Menu at all.

 

Mike Scott

AE6WA Tarzana, CA

K3/100 SN508

 

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[Tony Fegan VE3QF]

Mike,
        I thought about this some time ago but as I got used to the present
arrangement subsequently forgot about it. I can never remember which
items are in the MENU, which were in the CONFIG and which require TECH MD.

        Would it be possible to start out with everything in the CONFIG and
have an option to move your personal choice of items, you regularly
change while operating, to the MENU.
        By saving your settings you could even have different MENU items for
SSB, for CW and for DATA. The appropriate settings could be loaded
before a contest. The list of MENU items could be very small for fast
access. Perhaps items could be sent to the MENU by MODE or even
operation type (contest, DX chasing, 160M, 6M)?

        If its just a couple of items then the PF keys can be used but you have
to set that up.
        I don't know whether many K3 owners would be interested in such a
feature. How many times do you use MENU/CONFIG during normal operation?
It seems that we never stop asking for changes to the firmware but a
healthy discussion usually produces better ways of getting the most out
of the K3 which may, or may not, require a firmware change. (We are
always thinking of you Wayne... Lyle...!)

73
Tony Fegan VE3QF
K3 #137




Mike Scott wrote:

> I don’t know about anyone else but I don’t understand the K3 Main vs.
> Config menus. The Main menu is supposedly the menu of items that one
> would need to select the most often. Well for me, I almost never visit
> the main menu. I will visit the Config menu almost every day. It seems
> that my experience is just the opposite of what was planned for the
> menus. Maybe someone should take a statistical measure of the menu items
> most needed and place the top ten items in the Main menu. I would bet
> that the top ten items are not in the current Main Menu at all.
>
>  
>
> Mike Scott
>
> AE6WA Tarzana, CA
>
> K3/100 SN508
>
>  
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
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[M0XDF]

I use Menu a little, perhaps as much as Config, but then we are all  
learning and tweaking at the moment.
Having the F/W identify which are most commonly used Config entris and  
duplicate it in Menu might be nice, but would use up even more of the  
memory. And you'd still need a way of removing it when you didn't use  
it.

After a year of use, I'd suggest menu should be a place for personal  
configuration of favourite Config items, they all stay in Config, but  
you can add them to the Menu if you use them a lot, perhaps with a  
press of the V->M key, when in Config and a M->V removes them from  
Menu, when in Menu. You'd want to keep the Menu slots down. There are  
only 13 at present and I've never used some, like Rx/Tx EQ or Alarm  
(which I'll have a play with).
And once I'd set the brightness controls, haven't used them since.

This would also save having to use PF keys (for me there aren’t  
anyware near enough) to get at Config items that you use occasionally,  
but not enough to warrant using a PF key for.
73 de M0XDF
--
The bamboo that bends is stronger than the oak that resists. -Japanese  
proverb

On 26 Jan 2009, at 05:11, Tony Fegan VE3QF wrote:

> Mike,
> I thought about this some time ago but as I got used to the present
> arrangement subsequently forgot about it. I can never remember which
> items are in the MENU, which were in the CONFIG and which require  
> TECH MD.
>
> Would it be possible to start out with everything in the CONFIG and
> have an option to move your personal choice of items, you regularly
> change while operating, to the MENU.
> By saving your settings you could even have different MENU items for
> SSB, for CW and for DATA. The appropriate settings could be loaded
> before a contest. The list of MENU items could be very small for fast
> access. Perhaps items could be sent to the MENU by MODE or even
> operation type (contest, DX chasing, 160M, 6M)?
>
> If its just a couple of items then the PF keys can be used but you  
> have
> to set that up.
> I don't know whether many K3 owners would be interested in such a
> feature. How many times do you use MENU/CONFIG during normal  
> operation?
> It seems that we never stop asking for changes to the firmware but a
> healthy discussion usually produces better ways of getting the most  
> out
> of the K3 which may, or may not, require a firmware change. (We are
> always thinking of you Wayne... Lyle...!)
>
> Mike Scott wrote:
>> I don’t know about anyone else but I don’t understand the K3 Main vs.
>> Config menus. The Main menu is supposedly the menu of items that one
>> would need to select the most often. Well for me, I almost never  
>> visit
>> the main menu. I will visit the Config menu almost every day. It  
>> seems
>> that my experience is just the opposite of what was planned for the
>> menus. Maybe someone should take a statistical measure of the menu  
>> items
>> most needed and place the top ten items in the Main menu. I would bet
>> that the top ten items are not in the current Main Menu at all.
>>

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[wayne burdick]

David Ferrington, M0XDF wrote:

> I use Menu a little, perhaps as much as Config, but then we are all
> learning and tweaking at the moment.

I attempted to make a distinction between "operating" menu entries
(MAIN) and "configuration/test" menu entries (CONFIG). It's possible I
didn't get this right in some cases, in hindsight. But I have noticed
that as the firmware and options near completion, the average operator
needs CONFIG menu entries less often.

I can move menu entries around if there's a compelling reason. So far I
haven't seen one :)

73,
Wayne
N6KR

---

http://www.elecraft.com

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[M0XDF]

THanks for the info Wayne. I might have a feeling about that later,  
but right now, I don't think I've used it enough (even after a year)  
to warrant the work. But I'll start taking note of the things I go to  
CONFIG more often for.
73 de M0XDF, K3 #174
--
Math Anxiety: an intense lifelong fear of two trains approaching each  
other at speeds of 60 and 80 MPH. -Rick Bayan

On 26 Jan 2009, at 17:15, wayne burdick wrote:

> David Ferrington, M0XDF wrote:
>
>> I use Menu a little, perhaps as much as Config, but then we are all
>> learning and tweaking at the moment.
>
> I attempted to make a distinction between "operating" menu entries
> (MAIN) and "configuration/test" menu entries (CONFIG). It's possible I
> didn't get this right in some cases, in hindsight. But I have noticed
> that as the firmware and options near completion, the average operator
> needs CONFIG menu entries less often.
>
> I can move menu entries around if there's a compelling reason. So  
> far I
> haven't seen one :)
>
> 73,
> Wayne
> N6KR

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[Julian, G4ILO]

wayne burdick wrote

I attempted to make a distinction between "operating" menu entries
(MAIN) and "configuration/test" menu entries (CONFIG). It's possible I
didn't get this right in some cases, in hindsight. But I have noticed
that as the firmware and options near completion, the average operator
needs CONFIG menu entries less often.

I can move menu entries around if there's a compelling reason. So far I
haven't seen one :)

The main thing I go into CONFIG for is to access LIN OUT. If you just use one bit of software you ought not to need to change it once it has been set, but some programs seem happier with a different input level than others.

[Leigh L. Klotz Jr WA5ZNU]

Wayne n6kr wrote:
> I attempted to make a distinction between "operating" menu entries
> (MAIN) and "configuration/test" menu entries (CONFIG). It's possible I
> didn't get this right in some cases, in hindsight. But I have noticed
> that as the firmware and options near completion, the average operator
> needs CONFIG menu entries less often.
>
> I can move menu entries around if there's a compelling reason. So far I
> haven't seen one :)
>  

I kept this in mind for a few days and here's my results:
I've been using two PF keys for MIC and SPKR settings, a suggestion I
read on the list here.

PF1 (RIF) -> Spkrs 1/2 (toggles nicely)
PF2 (XIT) -> Mic Sel (Front, Rear)

Once per-mode equalization (TX/RC) is in the firmware (or even if it's
possible to limit it to SSB modes only) I will not need to use Menu or
Config in normal operation.

Leigh/WA5ZNU
K3#51
K2#3121
KX1#712


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[M0XDF]

Yes, mine:
PF1 = B->A
PF2 = SPKR+PH (I keep phones in rear, but sometimes just listen  
without them)

There are a couple of others I use - VOX GN and ANTIVOX (I haven't  
quite got that right yet) that I'd like on PF keys, but as per  
previous posts, I want to use M1-M4 and REC buttons for KDVR3, so that  
limits me to 2 PF keys.
Still noting what I use most from CONFIG, will probably want to switch  
from RF gain to Squelch when I've built using the XV144, could find  
myself changing that quite a bit.
And still tweaking ALC, so IF we had an assignable menu, they would  
have been on it at present, but not forever.
73 de M0XDF, K3 #174
--
Hofstadter's Law: The time and effort required to complete a project are
always more than you expect, even when you take into account  
Hofstadter's
Law.

On 28 Jan 2009, at 07:07, Leigh L. Klotz, Jr WA5ZNU wrote:

> Wayne n6kr wrote:
>> I attempted to make a distinction between "operating" menu entries
>> (MAIN) and "configuration/test" menu entries (CONFIG). It's  
>> possible I didn't get this right in some cases, in hindsight. But I  
>> have noticed that as the firmware and options near completion, the  
>> average operator needs CONFIG menu entries less often.
>>
>> I can move menu entries around if there's a compelling reason. So  
>> far I haven't seen one :)
>>
>
> I kept this in mind for a few days and here's my results:
> I've been using two PF keys for MIC and SPKR settings, a suggestion  
> I read on the list here.
>
> PF1 (RIF) -> Spkrs 1/2 (toggles nicely)
> PF2 (XIT) -> Mic Sel (Front, Rear)
>
> Once per-mode equalization (TX/RC) is in the firmware (or even if  
> it's possible to limit it to SSB modes only) I will not need to use  
> Menu or Config in normal operation.
> Leigh/WA5ZNU
> K3#51
> K2#3121
> KX1#712
>
>

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