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Possible P3 UI Improvements

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Bill Frantz

Possible P3 UI Improvements

I've been wondering whether to send this email to the main list
or to the developer list. I decided on the main list to get a
broader reaction to the suggestions.

----------------------------

I fell in love with my P3 as soon as I finished putting it
together. However, I did find the UI to be a bit klunky. Then I
used a Flex radio during CQP and realized how easy it was to use
its panadapter using the touch screen to set the center and
span. I started thinking about how the P3 could be made easier,
without replacing the screen with a touch screen. I'll divide my
suggestions into ones that may require hardware changes, and
ones that should be a "Simple matter of programming" (SMOP).

It should be noted that I always operate in FixTrack mode, so
the display doesn't move when I tune.

Things that might require hardware changes:

When changing the display parameters (e.g. center, span, etc.)
redisplay the old data in the new format to the bottom of the
screen as the change is being made. This continuous redisplay is
part of the Flex's ease of use. It probably requires significant
memory and processing power to save the RF samples used to
create the display, which may require a hardware upgrade.

SMOP changes:

The main controls for adjusting the view are Center and Span.
With FixTrack mode on, I don't really care about the center
location, I care about the edges. When trying to work a pileup,
I usually put VFO A on the DX and VFO B on the other side of the
pileup and then start adjusting the view. Sometimes getting this
right takes several trips through Center and Span. Being able to
assign a button the function of setting the span just a bit
larger than the distance between the two VFOs and the center to
the middle frequency between them would make it a lot easier. I
need some extra space to allow fine tuning on the DX without
changing the P3 settings.

I think this boils down to Center := (VFO_A + VFO_B)/2 and Span
= abs(VFO_A - VFO_B)*1.1, where the 1.1 may need to be adjusted
with real life experience.

Since in most pileup situations, we want to keep the DX near the
left (for working up) or right (for working down) edge of the
screen, it should be possible to keep VFO A in a constant screen
position while changing the span.

I like to run with a span of 100 KHz for a quick look at the
band before I zero in on a signal of interest. Note that 100 KHz
span will cover all of 17M and 12M and 50 KHz works nicely on
30M. However, when I finish with a zoomed in display and press
my 100 KHz or 50 KHz buttons, the display frequently shows
frequencies outside the band.

It should be possible to limit the displayed area to the band of
interest. For ham use, limiting the display to the ham bands
would be quite useful. When operating with the K3/K3S, the band
extents could be read from the limits programmed into the
transceiver. In any case, programming the bands would not be too
hard with the aid of the utility, and relatively permanent given
the speed of getting changes through the FCC.

I think this boils down to: IF (VFO_A is in a band && VFO_A -
(span/2) is not in the same band) Center := bottom of band + (span/2)

The P3 should remember the view by band and always come back to
the last view on that band when changing bands. I frequently
lose my 18.068 to 18.168 view when changing to 17M, particularly
when using CAT commands via wsjt-x. When the P3 must change the
view, it should try to keep both VFO A and VFO B on the screen
if the span will allow. It is much more likely to be useful than
an arbitrary choice of frequency based on an integral multiple
of the span.

73 Bill AE6JV

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bill Frantz | "I wish there was a knob on the TV to turn
up the
408-356-8506 | intelligence. There's a knob called
"brightness", but
www.pwpconsult.com | it doesn't work. -- Gallagher

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Vic Rosenthal

Re: Possible P3 UI Improvements

Here is a macro that I use to get into "Pileup Mode." This one is for
small pileups of 5 kHz or less. I also have defined macros for 10 and 20
kHz pileups. The last two instructions are for the P3.

Note that you have to use a program of some sort to send the
instructions, because the p3 doesn't respond to commands assigned to
PFKs in the K3. The K3 Utility can do it. I use the command facility
built into the DXLabs Commander.

SWT13; Match VFOs freq and mode
SWT13;
FT1; Activate SPLIT
UPB5; Move VFO B up 2 kHz from A
SB1; Turn on SubRx
BW$0045; Set SubRX bandwith to 450 Hz.
#spn000050; Set P3 span to 5 kHz.
#rcf+002000; Set P3 center frequency so that DX will be placed near the
left side of the span.

I also have a macro called "unpile". It is more complicated. It turns
off Split and Sub, and then determines the band I'm on and sets Center
and Span as needed to display the whole CW band. This is also useful
when the P3 forgets its settings.

73,
Victor, 4X6GP
Rehovot, Israel
Formerly K2VCO
CWops no. 5
http://www.qsl.net/k2vco/
On 22 Mar 2019 07:46, Bill Frantz wrote:

> I've been wondering whether to send this email to the main list or to
> the developer list. I decided on the main list to get a broader reaction
> to the suggestions.
>
> ----------------------------
>
> I fell in love with my P3 as soon as I finished putting it together.
> However, I did find the UI to be a bit klunky. Then I used a Flex radio
> during CQP and realized how easy it was to use its panadapter using the
> touch screen to set the center and span. I started thinking about how
> the P3 could be made easier, without replacing the screen with a touch
> screen. I'll divide my suggestions into ones that may require hardware
> changes, and ones that should be a "Simple matter of programming" (SMOP).
>
> It should be noted that I always operate in FixTrack mode, so the
> display doesn't move when I tune.
>
> Things that might require hardware changes:
>
> When changing the display parameters (e.g. center, span, etc.) redisplay
> the old data in the new format to the bottom of the screen as the change
> is being made. This continuous redisplay is part of the Flex's ease of
> use. It probably requires significant memory and processing power to
> save the RF samples used to create the display, which may require a
> hardware upgrade.
>
>
> SMOP changes:
>
> The main controls for adjusting the view are Center and Span. With
> FixTrack mode on, I don't really care about the center location, I care
> about the edges. When trying to work a pileup, I usually put VFO A on
> the DX and VFO B on the other side of the pileup and then start
> adjusting the view. Sometimes getting this right takes several trips
> through Center and Span. Being able to assign a button the function of
> setting the span just a bit larger than the distance between the two
> VFOs and the center to the middle frequency between them would make it a
> lot easier. I need some extra space to allow fine tuning on the DX
> without changing the P3 settings.
>
> I think this boils down to Center := (VFO_A + VFO_B)/2 and Span =
> abs(VFO_A - VFO_B)*1.1, where the 1.1 may need to be adjusted with real
> life experience.
>
>
> Since in most pileup situations, we want to keep the DX near the left
> (for working up) or right (for working down) edge of the screen, it
> should be possible to keep VFO A in a constant screen position while
> changing the span.
>
>
> I like to run with a span of 100 KHz for a quick look at the band before
> I zero in on a signal of interest. Note that 100 KHz span will cover all
> of 17M and 12M and 50 KHz works nicely on 30M. However, when I finish
> with a zoomed in display and press my 100 KHz or 50 KHz buttons, the
> display frequently shows frequencies outside the band.
>
> It should be possible to limit the displayed area to the band of
> interest. For ham use, limiting the display to the ham bands would be
> quite useful. When operating with the K3/K3S, the band extents could be
> read from the limits programmed into the transceiver. In any case,
> programming the bands would not be too hard with the aid of the utility,
> and relatively permanent given the speed of getting changes through the
> FCC.
>
> I think this boils down to: IF (VFO_A is in a band && VFO_A - (span/2)
> is not in the same band) Center := bottom of band + (span/2)
>
>
> The P3 should remember the view by band and always come back to the last
> view on that band when changing bands. I frequently lose my 18.068 to
> 18.168 view when changing to 17M, particularly when using CAT commands
> via wsjt-x. When the P3 must change the view, it should try to keep both
> VFO A and VFO B on the screen if the span will allow. It is much more
> likely to be useful than an arbitrary choice of frequency based on an
> integral multiple of the span.
>
> 73 Bill AE6JV

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NK7Z

Re: Possible P3 UI Improvements

In reply to this post by Bill Frantz

I found the same, so I put together a process of using an external
keypad to control the K3. I use a Genovation 64 key keypad, and can
fire macros at the K3/P3 using it.

See:

https://www.nk7z.net/adding-external-keypad-k3/

I also have a spread sheet about half way down, under "Tips", that has a
few macros in it, one of which is for splitting/unsplitting the K3/P3.

The keypad gives me 63 macros I can fire, it is great for contesting...

73s and thanks,
Dave (NK7Z)
https://www.nk7z.net
ARRL Technical Specialist
ARRL Volunteer Examiner
ARRL OOC for Oregon

On 3/21/19 10:46 PM, Bill Frantz wrote:

Bill Frantz

Re: Possible P3 UI Improvements

In reply to this post by Bill Frantz

Thanks to both Victor, 4X6GP and Dave, NK7Z for their macros
which try to overcome the limits of the P3 UI. Indeed, fixing
the UI problems of the P3 would make an interesting Raspberry Pi project.

My major interest in posting my suggestions was to improve the
base P3 UI to make it more competitive in the marketplace.

73 Bill AE6JV

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Bill Frantz | I don't have high-speed | Periwinkle
(408)356-8506 | internet. I have DSL. | 16345
Englewood Ave
www.pwpconsult.com | | Los Gatos,
CA 95032

______________________________________________________________
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