USB Support - K3, K2?

[n3ckk]

There have been many good points made on both sides of this issue.  I think
the beauty of USB or ethernet ports is in the eye of the beholder, and just
as there are many facets to amateur radio, there are as many ways to
evaluate a piece of hardware.

I'd like to suggest a solution.  I have no affiliation with this company,
other than owning one.  The product is called a microHam DigiKeyer.  Here
is a pointer >> http://www.microham.com/

The DigiKeyer puts a high quality sound card OUTSIDE of the computer, and
also chats with your radio on serial or TTL.  It all connects to your PC
with a single USB (1.1 & 2.0) connection.  Although I've never tried it, it
claims support for Macintosh computers without the requirement of loading
any new drivers.

Having another soundcard for all your radio work is nice.  There's less
risk that an audible windows prompt will key your radio, and you don't have
to go into the soundcard settings all the time to readjust them.

Sound and serial, all through a USB connection.  Pretty clean... a nice
balance of features.

At the risk of loosing the peace, I'd like to see an ethernet port and a
TCP-IP endstation inside the radio.... but with a DigiKeyer, and my PC
sitting next to the K3 (which I can remote into) I'm pretty close to that
same goal.  I can even defend that having the PC there is +more+
flexible.  Maybe K3 plus DigiKeyer is the best solution already?

Oh yes.  One more point.  microHam *IS* planning a K3 cable.  It's not in
their pulldown just yet, but it's expected in some time in
October.  There's no point in all of use emailing them.

73 from Pennsylvania,

tom
n3ckk

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[Simon (HB9DRV)]

One thing I want to say is that anyone planning on using the K3 for digital
modes should get a very good soundcard as the K3's specs will be so good
that a standard on-board soundcard solution will be the weak link in the
chain.

Myself I have the Delta-44 from M-Audio in use with my TS-480 and I have a
Edirol FA-66 waiting to be used with the K3.

The SignaLink USB is another option, it's very simple to use, have nice
external level controls and is idiotically simple to install.

Simon Brown, HB9DRV

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tom Miller" <[hidden email]>
>
> Having another soundcard for all your radio work is nice.  There's less
> risk that an audible windows prompt will key your radio, and you don't
> have to go into the soundcard settings all the time to readjust them.
>
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[Rick Kunath]

Tom Miller wrote:

> The DigiKeyer puts a high quality sound card OUTSIDE of the computer,
> and also chats with your radio on serial or TTL.  It all connects to
> your PC with a single USB (1.1 & 2.0) connection.  Although I've never
> tried it, it claims support for Macintosh computers without the
> requirement of loading any new drivers.

Any chance that someone has any real-world experience as to the clock
accuracy of the sound card used in the external interface? I.e. how far
off is it on Rx and Tx? I think MixW in Windows lets you check that, or
MMSSTV.

I see they also claim Linux compatibility with this product, too.

I'd be really interested to see how the clock timing stacks up on this,
i.e. if it's reasonably accurate both in Rx and Tx sample rates and
stable as to any error value.

Rick Kunath, k9ao
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[KK7P]

> The SignaLink USB is another option, it's very simple to use, have nice
> external level controls and is idiotically simple to install.

As incontrovertible evidence to support these assertions, even I was
able to install and use it!

73,

Lyle KK7P

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[Leigh L. Klotz Jr WA5ZNU]

Screenshots I have seen of the TigerTronics USB show crud at the <200Hz
level.  I don't have one and haven't tested it.  I use a silver (pre
iPod white) Griffin iMic, and it has a slight amount of 60Hz noise on it
but much les than I have seen on the TT.  I use a TT SL1-+, but don't
use its vox feature on the K2 (cat control).
Leigh/WA5ZNU
On Wed, 8 Aug 2007 12:26 pm, Rick Kunath wrote:

> Tom Miller wrote:
>
>> The DigiKeyer puts a high quality sound card OUTSIDE of the computer,
>> and also chats with your radio on serial or TTL.  It all connects to
>> your PC with a single USB (1.1 & 2.0) connection.  Although I've never
>> tried it, it claims support for Macintosh computers without the
>> requirement of loading any new drivers.
>
> Any chance that someone has any real-world experience as to the clock
> accuracy of the sound card used in the external interface? I.e. how far
> off is it on Rx and Tx? I think MixW in Windows lets you check that, or
> MMSSTV.
>
> I see they also claim Linux compatibility with this product, too.
>
> I'd be really interested to see how the clock timing stacks up on this,
> i.e. if it's reasonably accurate both in Rx and Tx sample rates and
> stable as to any error value.
>
> Rick Kunath, k9ao
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[W6NEK]

On the Elecraft web site, in the K3 order form section, they list a KUSB
(Univ. Ser Bus Adapt.) for $39.00.  I assume this is a adapter to convert
the existing K3 RS-232 Port to a USB Port?  If so, it sounds like Elecraft
is endorsing at least one RS-232 to USB Adapter.  Can anyone confirm this?

Thanks,
Frank - W6NEK

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[Joe Subich, W4TV]

> Although I've never tried it, it claims support for Macintosh
> computers without the requirement of loading any new drivers.

Works very well with Chen's cocoaModem, uH Router and Don's MLDX.
Both Chen and Don have done an excellent job in writing native
support for all the microHAM interfaces.

> Any chance that someone has any real-world experience as to the
> clock accuracy of the sound card used in the external interface?
> I.e. how far off is it on Rx and Tx?

Checks with MMTTY/MMVARI/MMSSTV consistently show zero error
unless you try to "share" the sound chip between two applications
with different sampling rates that are not integer multiples
(e.g., 11025 and 48000 Hz).  

> I see they also claim Linux compatibility with this product, too.

The USB interface and USB Sound Device are industry standard devices
for which drivers exist in most LINUX distributions. There are still
some issues in writing applications to the microprocessor controller
in DigiKeyer, microKEYER and microKEYER II (to be released the end
of this month).  Chen's uH Router can probably be ported to LINUX
using the named pipes interface if there were a developer interested
in taking on the task.

73,

   ... Joe Subich, W4TV
       microHAM America
       http://www.microHAM-USA.com 
       http://groups.yahoo.com/group/microHAM 
       [hidden email]
 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: [hidden email]
> [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Rick Kunath
> Sent: Wednesday, August 08, 2007 3:27 PM
> To: Tom Miller
> Cc: [hidden email]
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] USB Support - K3, K2?
>
>
> Tom Miller wrote:
>
> > The DigiKeyer puts a high quality sound card OUTSIDE of the
> computer,
> > and also chats with your radio on serial or TTL.  It all
> connects to
> > your PC with a single USB (1.1 & 2.0) connection.  Although
> I've never
> > tried it, it claims support for Macintosh computers without the
> > requirement of loading any new drivers.
>
> Any chance that someone has any real-world experience as to the clock
> accuracy of the sound card used in the external interface?
> I.e. how far
> off is it on Rx and Tx? I think MixW in Windows lets you
> check that, or
> MMSSTV.
>
> I see they also claim Linux compatibility with this product, too.
>
> I'd be really interested to see how the clock timing stacks
> up on this,
> i.e. if it's reasonably accurate both in Rx and Tx sample rates and
> stable as to any error value.
>
> Rick Kunath, k9ao

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[Phil Kane-2]

On Wed, 8 Aug 2007 12:41:51 -0700, Leigh L Klotz, Jr. wrote:

> use a silver (pre iPod white) Griffin iMic, and it has a slight
>amount of 60Hz noise on it but much les than I have seen on the
>TT.

  Good to hear that someone else sees that crud on the iMic (I
  use the white one with a RigBlaster Plus).  I thought that it
  was something that I did or forgot to do......

--
   73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane
   Elecraft K2/100   s/n 5402



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