Elecraft

Switching from SSB to CW on K3s

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Bob Novas

Switching from SSB to CW on K3s

When I'm in SSB mode and I tune down to the CW frequencies, I can easily
tune in a CW signal. Then, I switch to CW mode, and the CW signal is gone
because I'm on the wrong sideband. Even if I'm on the right sideband, the CW
signal disappears. Shouldn't I be able to switch from SSB to CW and not
lose a CW signal? Am I doing something wrong? Thanks, Bob - W3DK

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Nr4c

Re: Switching from SSB to CW on K3s

Your SSB bandwidth (passband) is prob 2.7 kHz and your CW passband might be 400. You not only have to consider the side and but your side tone offset and bandwidth.

There is a setting in the CONFIG menu to make this work however.

Sent from my iPhone
...nr4c. bill

> On Mar 14, 2016, at 8:28 PM, Bob Novas <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> When I'm in SSB mode and I tune down to the CW frequencies, I can easily
> tune in a CW signal. Then, I switch to CW mode, and the CW signal is gone
> because I'm on the wrong sideband. Even if I'm on the right sideband, the CW
> signal disappears. Shouldn't I be able to switch from SSB to CW and not
> lose a CW signal? Am I doing something wrong? Thanks, Bob - W3DK
>
>
>
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> Elecraft mailing list
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Don Wilhelm-4

Re: Switching from SSB to CW on K3s

In reply to this post by Bob Novas

Bob,

Assuming you have the CW signal (in SSB mode) tuned to your sidetone
pitch ---
You will have to re-tune by the amount of your sidetone pitch when
switching to CW.

The K3 (and all other Elecraft transceivers) insert a VFO offset between
SSB and CW equal to the sidetone pitch set into the radio during receive.
SSB has no offset.

In other words, if you are listening to a 600 Hz CW signal when tuned to
a 7040.00 kHz CW signal when in SSB mode (and your sidetone pitch is set
at 600 Hz), you are actually hearing a CW signal at 7039.40 kHz when
tuned to 7040.00 kHz (assuming you have LSB set in SSB mode).
When you switch to CW, you will have to tune to 7039.40 kHz to hear that
same CW signal at 600 Hz - and that is the actual CW transmit frequency.

In other words, in SSB mode, the K2 frequency indication is the
suppressed carrier frequency, but in CW mode it is the transmit
frequency of the CW signal.

To further complicate matters, if you set CW in SSB on in the menu, that
relationship changes. You will transmit offset from the suppressed
carrier frequency by the amount of the sidetone pitch so your signal can
be heard by other stations tuned for SSB.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 3/14/2016 8:28 PM, Bob Novas wrote:
> When I'm in SSB mode and I tune down to the CW frequencies, I can easily
> tune in a CW signal. Then, I switch to CW mode, and the CW signal is gone
> because I'm on the wrong sideband. Even if I'm on the right sideband, the CW
> signal disappears. Shouldn't I be able to switch from SSB to CW and not
> lose a CW signal? Am I doing something wrong? Thanks, Bob - W3DK
>

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Richard Ferch

Re: Switching from SSB to CW on K3s

In reply to this post by Bob Novas

There are two parts to this: the correct sideband, and the correct
frequency. On the K3/K3S, CW is on lower sideband, and CW-REV is on
upper sideband. On bands where you use LSB for SSB, switching to CW will
still be on the correct sideband, but on bands where you use USB for
SSB, you will need to use CW-REV to get the sideband to match.

The other part is the frequency offset. You can tell the K3/K3S to do
the frequency offset automatically when changing modes by using the
CONFIG:CW WGHT menu item and tapping the 5 (AGC) button until the lower
(VFO B) display reads VFO OFS.

73,
Rich VE3KI

W3DK wrote:

> When I'm in SSB mode and I tune down to the CW frequencies, I can easily
> tune in a CW signal. Then, I switch to CW mode, and the CW signal is gone
> because I'm on the wrong sideband. Even if I'm on the right sideband, the CW
> signal disappears. Shouldn't I be able to switch from SSB to CW and not
> lose a CW signal? Am I doing something wrong? Thanks, Bob - W3DK

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Joe Subich, W4TV-4

Re: Switching from SSB to CW on K3s

In reply to this post by Don Wilhelm-4

Don,

The K3/K3S will automatically handle the offset if you configure it
to do so. From the K3 Owner's Manual, page 29:

> SSB/CW VFO Offset
> The K3 can automatically offset the VFO frequency when you switch
> from SSB to CW mode, so other stations will hear the correct CW
> pitch. See CONFIG:CW WGHT for details.

and page 55:

> CW WGTH Tap 5 to select automatic VFO offset on SSB/CW mode change
> (VFO OFS) or no offset (VFO NOR, default). Automatic offset
> is often used on 6 meters, where mixed-mode QSOs are
> necessary during fading. Note: Pitch matching will be
> more accurate if USB is paired with CW REV, and LSB with
> CW normal.

To answer the original question - with CW WGTH 5 set to VFO OFS I have
no problem tuning a station in SSB and switching to CW without losing
the signal. The station is it more "accurate" on 160/80/40 where one
switches from LSB to CW-L than on on 20-6 when switching from USB to
CW-L but it's still relatively close (as accurate as I can match the
correct CW pitch when tuning in SSB).

73,

... Joe, W4TV

On 3/14/2016 8:57 PM, Don Wilhelm wrote:

> Bob,
>
> Assuming you have the CW signal (in SSB mode) tuned to your sidetone
> pitch ---
> You will have to re-tune by the amount of your sidetone pitch when
> switching to CW.
>
> The K3 (and all other Elecraft transceivers) insert a VFO offset between
> SSB and CW equal to the sidetone pitch set into the radio during receive.
> SSB has no offset.
>
> In other words, if you are listening to a 600 Hz CW signal when tuned to
> a 7040.00 kHz CW signal when in SSB mode (and your sidetone pitch is set
> at 600 Hz), you are actually hearing a CW signal at 7039.40 kHz when
> tuned to 7040.00 kHz (assuming you have LSB set in SSB mode).
> When you switch to CW, you will have to tune to 7039.40 kHz to hear that
> same CW signal at 600 Hz - and that is the actual CW transmit frequency.
>
> In other words, in SSB mode, the K2 frequency indication is the
> suppressed carrier frequency, but in CW mode it is the transmit
> frequency of the CW signal.
>
> To further complicate matters, if you set CW in SSB on in the menu, that
> relationship changes. You will transmit offset from the suppressed
> carrier frequency by the amount of the sidetone pitch so your signal can
> be heard by other stations tuned for SSB.
>
> 73,
> Don W3FPR
>
> On 3/14/2016 8:28 PM, Bob Novas wrote:
>> When I'm in SSB mode and I tune down to the CW frequencies, I can easily
>> tune in a CW signal. Then, I switch to CW mode, and the CW signal is gone
>> because I'm on the wrong sideband. Even if I'm on the right sideband,
>> the CW
>> signal disappears. Shouldn't I be able to switch from SSB to CW and not
>> lose a CW signal? Am I doing something wrong? Thanks, Bob - W3DK
>>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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
> Message delivered to [hidden email]
>