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Using K3 with CW Skimmer

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Pete Smith N4ZR

Using K3 with CW Skimmer

I've been experimenting with using the K3 with CW Skimmer to work K1N.
I'm feeding LP-Pan 2 from the K3's IF, and running CW Skimmer if
Softrock IF mode. I'm using Omnirig to read the K3s frequency and
control it. This works super well at least down through 15 meters - I
can see the first 10 KHz of the pileupabove K1N's transmit frequency,
and see exactly where he last worked someone.

However... I just tried the same technique on 30M, where K1N is
currently at 10113.1. I can't see him or his pileup at and above that
frequency, but if I tune the radio down to 10107.9, ghe appears on the
waterfall with the expected humongous pileup over the next few KHz
above. So now I'm wondering, is the relationship between IF frequency
and dial frequency perhaps different on the lower bands? Has anyone
tried this same thing and been able to make it work on 40 and below?

--

73, Pete N4ZR
Check out the Reverse Beacon Network at
http://reversebeacon.net,
blog at reversebeacon.blogspot.com.
For spots, please go to your favorite
ARC V6 or VE7CC DX cluster node.

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Pete Smith N4ZR

Re: Using K3 with CW Skimmer

Update - I don't understand how or why, but if I set CW Skimmer's "Audio
IF" to -6150 Hz, that brings the K3 and CW Skimmer frequency readouts
into agreement. There is an explanation of audio IF in the Skimmer help
file, but I can't get my brain around it.

73, Pete N4ZR
Check out the Reverse Beacon Network at
http://reversebeacon.net,
blog at reversebeacon.blogspot.com.
For spots, please go to your favorite
ARC V6 or VE7CC DX cluster node.

On 2/4/2015 4:37 PM, Pete Smith N4ZR wrote:

> I've been experimenting with using the K3 with CW Skimmer to work K1N.
> I'm feeding LP-Pan 2 from the K3's IF, and running CW Skimmer if
> Softrock IF mode. I'm using Omnirig to read the K3s frequency and
> control it. This works super well at least down through 15 meters - I
> can see the first 10 KHz of the pileupabove K1N's transmit frequency,
> and see exactly where he last worked someone.
>
>
> However... I just tried the same technique on 30M, where K1N is
> currently at 10113.1. I can't see him or his pileup at and above that
> frequency, but if I tune the radio down to 10107.9, ghe appears on the
> waterfall with the expected humongous pileup over the next few KHz
> above. So now I'm wondering, is the relationship between IF frequency
> and dial frequency perhaps different on the lower bands? Has anyone
> tried this same thing and been able to make it work on 40 and below?
>

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Iain MacDonnell - N6ML-2

Re: Using K3 with CW Skimmer

LP-Pan (except for very early models) offsets the IF by 6kHz, to move
any center-spikes introduced by audio interfaces out of the way. The
same offset applies to all bands, except on 6m, you need to swap I/Q
(there's an option in CW Skimmer for that) and make the offset
positive instead of negative, due to the IF being reversed on the K3
above 30MHz (or so). Not sure why you would be seeing different
behaviour on the lower bands.....

73,

~iain / N6ML

On Wed, Feb 4, 2015 at 2:37 PM, Pete Smith N4ZR <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Update - I don't understand how or why, but if I set CW Skimmer's "Audio IF"
> to -6150 Hz, that brings the K3 and CW Skimmer frequency readouts into
> agreement. There is an explanation of audio IF in the Skimmer help file,
> but I can't get my brain around it.
>
> 73, Pete N4ZR
> Check out the Reverse Beacon Network at
> http://reversebeacon.net,
> blog at reversebeacon.blogspot.com.
> For spots, please go to your favorite
> ARC V6 or VE7CC DX cluster node.
>
> On 2/4/2015 4:37 PM, Pete Smith N4ZR wrote:
>>
>> I've been experimenting with using the K3 with CW Skimmer to work K1N. I'm
>> feeding LP-Pan 2 from the K3's IF, and running CW Skimmer if Softrock IF
>> mode. I'm using Omnirig to read the K3s frequency and control it. This
>> works super well at least down through 15 meters - I can see the first 10
>> KHz of the pileupabove K1N's transmit frequency, and see exactly where he
>> last worked someone.
>>
>>
>> However... I just tried the same technique on 30M, where K1N is currently
>> at 10113.1. I can't see him or his pileup at and above that frequency, but
>> if I tune the radio down to 10107.9, ghe appears on the waterfall with the
>> expected humongous pileup over the next few KHz above. So now I'm
>> wondering, is the relationship between IF frequency and dial frequency
>> perhaps different on the lower bands? Has anyone tried this same thing and
>> been able to make it work on 40 and below?
>>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
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> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
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> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
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> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
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Joe Subich, W4TV-4

Re: Using K3 with CW Skimmer

In reply to this post by Pete Smith N4ZR

Pete,

LP-Pan does not use an 8125 KHz crystal to prevent the oscillator
leakage from getting back into the K3 IF strip and to offset the
"DC spike" from many sound cards. The crystal used divides down
to approximately 8131.6 KHz which results in the audio frequency
being shifted by -6150 Hz (+/-).

It's been a while since I looked at the LP-Pan schematic/details
so the numbers may be off a bit.

73,

... Joe, W4TV

On 2015-02-04 5:37 PM, Pete Smith N4ZR wrote:

> Update - I don't understand how or why, but if I set CW Skimmer's "Audio
> IF" to -6150 Hz, that brings the K3 and CW Skimmer frequency readouts
> into agreement. There is an explanation of audio IF in the Skimmer help
> file, but I can't get my brain around it.
>
> 73, Pete N4ZR
> Check out the Reverse Beacon Network at
> http://reversebeacon.net,
> blog at reversebeacon.blogspot.com.
> For spots, please go to your favorite
> ARC V6 or VE7CC DX cluster node.
>
> On 2/4/2015 4:37 PM, Pete Smith N4ZR wrote:
>> I've been experimenting with using the K3 with CW Skimmer to work K1N.
>> I'm feeding LP-Pan 2 from the K3's IF, and running CW Skimmer if
>> Softrock IF mode. I'm using Omnirig to read the K3s frequency and
>> control it. This works super well at least down through 15 meters - I
>> can see the first 10 KHz of the pileupabove K1N's transmit frequency,
>> and see exactly where he last worked someone.
>>
>>
>> However... I just tried the same technique on 30M, where K1N is
>> currently at 10113.1. I can't see him or his pileup at and above that
>> frequency, but if I tune the radio down to 10107.9, ghe appears on the
>> waterfall with the expected humongous pileup over the next few KHz
>> above. So now I'm wondering, is the relationship between IF frequency
>> and dial frequency perhaps different on the lower bands? Has anyone
>> tried this same thing and been able to make it work on 40 and below?
>>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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]
>

Ken Chandler

Re: Using K3 with CW Skimmer

In reply to this post by Iain MacDonnell - N6ML-2

I'm seeing differently too.
On HF running skimmer, softrock if mode, LP pan2, LP Bridge. EMU 202 card at 192.
Running thru NaP3, I can see the pileup etc, and it's accurate, no tweeking of the offset done.
Bringing in CW skimmer I've had to retune offset to 5860, though I didn't do this on the recommended AM mode! Maybe I should have done!
Anyway I'm set now to within a few Hz of being on the button.
One thing which is a real pain is I cannot keep the emu open on the fast 2.0 card, have looked at trying to keep the port alive when the PC, win7 pro, is powered down but not been successful.

Ken.. G0ORH

Sent from my iPad

> On 4 Feb 2015, at 22:52, iain macdonnell - N6ML <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> LP-Pan (except for very early models) offsets the IF by 6kHz, to move
> any center-spikes introduced by audio interfaces out of the way. The
> same offset applies to all bands, except on 6m, you need to swap I/Q
> (there's an option in CW Skimmer for that) and make the offset
> positive instead of negative, due to the IF being reversed on the K3
> above 30MHz (or so). Not sure why you would be seeing different
> behaviour on the lower bands.....
>
> 73,
>
> ~iain / N6ML
>
>
>
>> On Wed, Feb 4, 2015 at 2:37 PM, Pete Smith N4ZR <[hidden email]> wrote:
>> Update - I don't understand how or why, but if I set CW Skimmer's "Audio IF"
>> to -6150 Hz, that brings the K3 and CW Skimmer frequency readouts into
>> agreement. There is an explanation of audio IF in the Skimmer help file,
>> but I can't get my brain around it.
>>
>> 73, Pete N4ZR
>> Check out the Reverse Beacon Network at
>> http://reversebeacon.net,
>> blog at reversebeacon.blogspot.com.
>> For spots, please go to your favorite
>> ARC V6 or VE7CC DX cluster node.
>>
>>> On 2/4/2015 4:37 PM, Pete Smith N4ZR wrote:
>>>
>>> I've been experimenting with using the K3 with CW Skimmer to work K1N. I'm
>>> feeding LP-Pan 2 from the K3's IF, and running CW Skimmer if Softrock IF
>>> mode. I'm using Omnirig to read the K3s frequency and control it. This
>>> works super well at least down through 15 meters - I can see the first 10
>>> KHz of the pileupabove K1N's transmit frequency, and see exactly where he
>>> last worked someone.
>>>
>>>
>>> However... I just tried the same technique on 30M, where K1N is currently
>>> at 10113.1. I can't see him or his pileup at and above that frequency, but
>>> if I tune the radio down to 10107.9, ghe appears on the waterfall with the
>>> expected humongous pileup over the next few KHz above. So now I'm
>>> wondering, is the relationship between IF frequency and dial frequency
>>> perhaps different on the lower bands? Has anyone tried this same thing and
>>> been able to make it work on 40 and below?
>>
>> ______________________________________________________________
>> 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]
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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]