Re: Elecraft Digest, Vol 149, Issue 3

[Peter W2IRT]

Message: 22
Date: Fri, 2 Sep 2016 16:30:27 -0700
From: Wes Stewart <[hidden email]>
My eyes glaze over at the thought of Skimmer, but I heartily agree with Don
about LP-Bridge.  I use it with my K3s and run my logging program (DXBase),
SpectraVue (runs SDR-IQ as bandscope), MMTTY, FLDIGI, N1MM, etc.  LP-Bridge
will
also start all of these programs automatically when executed.

[pjd] I tried LP-Bridge but it was conflicting with something else in the
system, and I'm guessing it was Router. It would just never open any defined
ports, or if it did, it would do it once but never again afterwards until I
shut the system down and restarted. Too much hassle. I like the KISS
principle and all that extra overhead was making my head spin.

[pjd] There are two big advantages with Skimmer for me: 1), in contests, I
can see what my antenna can hear, not what a massive cluster node can hear.
I'm behind a mountain to Europe and only have a single 70' tower and a
tribander, and even with the K3S, I can only hear about 50-60% of the spots
on the local node. I can't run in CW, so while I'm S&Ping, I can keep my
"rate" going if I can definitively see who's where, and not pausing to
listen on frequencies that are empty, or missing unspotted calls. 2), in
DXing, I want to see the pileup and know exactly where to drop my call in
after the last guy is giving his report. I don't enjoy snarling bedlam and
the sooner I can get in, work the guy and get out again, the happier I am.


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

Message: 23
Date: Fri, 2 Sep 2016 16:33:25 -0700
From: Wes Stewart <[hidden email]>

Why?  And I'm not being factious, I really would like to know the reasons.

  On 9/2/2016 11:01 AM, Peter W2IRT wrote:
> Hello all,
> With the vast majority of my friends having gone the Flex route rather
than
> the K3,

[pjd] They're younger computer-oriented guys, and having the ability to
monitor multiple bands at the same time (and for one of the, doing SO2R with
one radio). I gotta admit, this intrigues the hell out of me. Plus it's all
IP controlled, so no need for a rat's nest behind the radio, and no need for
boxes like the MicroHam; everything is controlled via software and IP. Plus
according to them, it's far easier to remote than the K3, but I'm not
finding any problem with Remotehams to be honest.

Still all in all, I'm extremely intrigued by having one box to do everything
in the station, especially multiple panadapters built in, SO2R in a box, the
ability to monitor and skim several bands at once, keep on RX on 6m JT-65 at
all times regardless of what else the radio is doing, etc.  I really fell in
love with my K3S when I bought it last year and I'm slowly learning to use
it, but I have to wonder if I made the right choice when I read their posts
about having a pure SDR solution, the ease of setup, etc. I am too old,
infirm and poor to travel so I don't need a DXpeditioner's Dream, but rather
a DXer/Contester's ultimate weapon.

I will probably keep the K3S, but I'm still not convinced it's the right
tool for what I need to do and my style of operating. I just don't know
enough about modern radios to make an informed decision to be honest.

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[Peter W2IRT]

Message: 25
Date: Fri, 2 Sep 2016 20:19:55 -0400
From: "Joe Subich, W4TV" <[hidden email]>

If you expect 100 KHz (more than 22 KHz) with CW Skimmer you will need
to split the receive antenna loop and feed a true SDR (e.g., SDR I/Q,
Perseus, QSR1, etc or equivalent) tuned to the bottom of the active
band.  See the CW skimmer documentation - any configuration that feeds
skimmer from the IF and tracks the IF offset is limited to 22 KHz (the
operating frequency +/- 11 KHz).
[pjd]
[pjd] Yes, that was my understanding (after having bought the LP-PAN, of
course). Is there such a thing as an easily affordable "True SDR"? I priced
out the Perseus and it's far out of my ballpark, and the SDR I/Q is no
longer being made.

 >>The "direct" receiver configuration does not require/use microHAM
Router.  Other software is used to link logging software and skimmer.

[pjd] I'm not sure what you mean by that. Can you please elaborate a little?
I've tried the LP-Bridge and a NaP3 and that just complicates things far
worse. I'm after "dirt simple" and "easy to configure." The last thing I
want is for something to get messed up 10 minutes into CQWW-CW and I'm out
of the game until I can troubleshoot it. I'm looking for a one-box solution
if such a thing exists, set it (document it) and forget it, and it just
works whenever N1MM+ is running, or when I'm using DX Labs.

I am able to make it work Skimmer work with DX Labs Commander, but, again,
subject to the IF limitations that I only realized existed after having
bought it.

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