anyone using iMic with K3 or KX3 and FLdigi on a PC?

[Julie Royster]

Is anyone using iMic with FLdigi on a PC with either K3 or KX3?
If so I would appreciate knowing your setup!

Many thanks to the kind folks (Mark, Dave, Nicklas, Richard) who replied
regarding my earlier PSK setup questions, and to Don Wilhelm who advised me
by telephone. I have made progress and here is the current setup and
results:

Acer laptop using FLDigi set to use HamLib for PTT
iMic external soundcard connected using Elecraft cables
KUSB on COM3 set for 38400 baud
KX3 is set for Data A

I have a good waterfall and am receiving but I am not sending.
The transmit light does light up when I attempt to tramsmit but I have no
bars at all showing on the ALC.
The sound card is at 75% I was cautioned that 100% would cause distortion.

Can anyone share a successful setup using iMic with FLdigi on a PC with
either K3 or KX3?  THANKS SO MUCH!
Julie KT4JR

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[Mark Newbold]

Julie,

I'll be doing what you're doing, but there is an issue that I have to resolve first. I have the iMic
and the KXUSB cable plugged into my Toshiba laptop. NaP3 is showing strong spikes intervals of
slightly over 1 kHz. Those are coming from the KXUSB cable. Unplugging the cable from the Toshiba
gets rid of the spikes. (It doesn't matter whether the cable is plugged in to the KX3 or not.)

I've got a USB-to-serial adapter on order. If I can use that on the Toshiba without getting the
spikes, I'll be ordering the KXSER cable, though the $30 price of the KXSER is hard to swallow.
Then, maybe I can move ahead.

--Mark K7NEW



On 8/28/2013 12:30, Julie Royster wrote:

> Is anyone using iMic with FLdigi on a PC with either K3 or KX3?
> If so I would appreciate knowing your setup!
>
> Many thanks to the kind folks (Mark, Dave, Nicklas, Richard) who replied
> regarding my earlier PSK setup questions, and to Don Wilhelm who advised me
> by telephone. I have made progress and here is the current setup and
> results:
>
> Acer laptop using FLDigi set to use HamLib for PTT
> iMic external soundcard connected using Elecraft cables
> KUSB on COM3 set for 38400 baud
> KX3 is set for Data A
>
> I have a good waterfall and am receiving but I am not sending.
> The transmit light does light up when I attempt to tramsmit but I have no
> bars at all showing on the ALC.
> The sound card is at 75% I was cautioned that 100% would cause distortion.
>
> Can anyone share a successful setup using iMic with FLdigi on a PC with
> either K3 or KX3?  THANKS SO MUCH!
> Julie KT4JR
>
>

--
Mark Newbold K7NEW
Sequim, Washington, USA
http://dogfeathers.com

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[Julie Royster]

Continuing my quest for PSK31 on KX3 hooked to a PC laptop, today I tried
using RigCat instead of Hamlib in FLdigi.
I followed the setup documented on this reflector by Dave Esquer.

The progress is that now, if I click the tune button in FLdigi, the RF
display on the KX3 does show some transmission BUT I cannot get any ALC bars
to light up regardless of whether sound card levels are at 50% or 100%, KX3
mic level is at maximum,  or anything else I have tried.  Per a comment in
the blog of K4MTX, I tried reducing KX3 power a little also.

If anyone has additional ideas I will certainly appreciate all suggestions!
Julie KT4JR

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[Julie Royster]

We just discovered that the PSK31 signal IS transmitting even though no ALC
bars light up AND our signal does NOT show on our waterfall.  A person in
Arkansas actually replied to us in North Carolina.  

So what does it mean that we can't get any ALC bars or see our own transmit
signal on the waterfall?
Are we outputting a teensy signal with sound card and KX3 mc gain controls
set to max and power at 4.8 watts?
Or is something preventing ALC from working?

Clearly no electrical engineer,
Julie KT4JR

_____________________________________________
From: Julie Royster [mailto:[hidden email]]
Sent: Thursday, August 29, 2013 1:03 PM
To: '[hidden email]'
Subject: Re: anyone using iMic with K3 or KX3 and FLdigi on a PC?


Continuing my quest for PSK31 on KX3 hooked to a PC laptop, today I tried
using RigCat instead of Hamlib in FLdigi.
I followed the setup documented on this reflector by Dave Esquer.

The progress is that now, if I click the tune button in FLdigi, the RF
display on the KX3 does show some transmission BUT I cannot get any ALC bars
to light up regardless of whether sound card levels are at 50% or 100%, KX3
mic level is at maximum,  or anything else I have tried.  Per a comment in
the blog of K4MTX, I tried reducing KX3 power a little also.

If anyone has additional ideas I will certainly appreciate all suggestions!
Julie KT4JR

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[Don Wilhelm-4]

Julie,

I think your iMic is not driving the audio hard enough.  You *are* using
DATA A submode are you not?  If not, you should be.

Try a test - remove the cable from the mic jack and plug in a
microphone.  Do not change any settings *except* for the menu MIC bias
if your microphone is the MH3.
If you do not have a dummy load, move the KX3 frequency somewhere where
you can legally transmit voice.

Then transmit by holding PTT and talking (even yelling) into the
microphone - see how many ALC bars you can produce.  If you can get at
least 4 ALC bars, the KX3 is working properly.

You will have to somehow obtain the proper number of bars on the ALC
meter.  If you do not, the power output from the KX3 will vary all over
the place.  It may require you to borrow another iMic (or other external
soundcard) just to verify that it is working.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 8/29/2013 2:01 PM, Julie Royster wrote:

> We just discovered that the PSK31 signal IS transmitting even though no ALC
> bars light up AND our signal does NOT show on our waterfall.  A person in
> Arkansas actually replied to us in North Carolina.
>
> So what does it mean that we can't get any ALC bars or see our own transmit
> signal on the waterfall?
> Are we outputting a teensy signal with sound card and KX3 mc gain controls
> set to max and power at 4.8 watts?
> Or is something preventing ALC from working?
>
> Clearly no electrical engineer,
> Julie KT4JR
>
> _____________________________________________
> From: Julie Royster [mailto:[hidden email]]
> Sent: Thursday, August 29, 2013 1:03 PM
> To: '[hidden email]'
> Subject: Re: anyone using iMic with K3 or KX3 and FLdigi on a PC?
>
>
> Continuing my quest for PSK31 on KX3 hooked to a PC laptop, today I tried
> using RigCat instead of Hamlib in FLdigi.
> I followed the setup documented on this reflector by Dave Esquer.
>
> The progress is that now, if I click the tune button in FLdigi, the RF
> display on the KX3 does show some transmission BUT I cannot get any ALC bars
> to light up regardless of whether sound card levels are at 50% or 100%, KX3
> mic level is at maximum,  or anything else I have tried.  Per a comment in
> the blog of K4MTX, I tried reducing KX3 power a little also.
>
> If anyone has additional ideas I will certainly appreciate all suggestions!
> Julie KT4JR
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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
>

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[Julie Royster]

MANY THANKS to Mike Heitmann, N0SO, for so kindly contacting me to say
perhaps the levels were set too high and forcing the KX3 to go into a
self-protect mode.  THAT WAS IT!  By reducing the sound card level and the
K3 level, I now have 4 ALC bars.  Hot diggity dog!

MANY thanks to each of the other kind folks who sent suggestions, including
Don Wilhelm, Brian Alsop, and Ray Sills.

As the saying goes, now we're cooking with gas!
Cheers to all!
Julie KT4JR



-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Heitmann [mailto:[hidden email]]
Sent: Thursday, August 29, 2013 3:19 PM
To: Julie Royster
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] anyone using iMic with K3 or KX3 and FLdigi on a PC?

From your description I'm assuming:

A) you're using DATA A mode.

B) FLDigi is receiving OK.

C) that you have plugged in a headset or speaker to the iMic output and
verified the computer is outputting audio tones on the pin connected to the
KX3 mic input when FLDigi thinks its transmitting.

I understand you have the PC audio level set pretty high. It's been a while
since I used my iMic, but if memory serves, back in the days of earlier
firmware there were reports of no ALC displayed if the audio input of the
KX3 was driven too hard. This may no longer be the case with current
firmware, but it's worth mentioning.

I'd try turning both the mic gain and the iMic audio out down to very low
levels then increase each very slowly.

Hope you get it going!

Mike,  N0SO

On Aug 29, 2013, at 12:02 PM, "Julie Royster" <[hidden email]>
wrote:

> Continuing my quest for PSK31 on KX3 hooked to a PC laptop, today I
> tried using RigCat instead of Hamlib in FLdigi.
> I followed the setup documented on this reflector by Dave Esquer.
>
> The progress is that now, if I click the tune button in FLdigi, the RF
> display on the KX3 does show some transmission BUT I cannot get any
> ALC bars to light up regardless of whether sound card levels are at
> 50% or 100%, KX3 mic level is at maximum,  or anything else I have
> tried.  Per a comment in the blog of K4MTX, I tried reducing KX3 power a
little also.
>
> If anyone has additional ideas I will certainly appreciate all
suggestions!
> Julie KT4JR

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[Mike Heitmann]

Glad you got it going - what frequency are you on?

Mike, N0SO




________________________________
 From: Julie Royster <[hidden email]>
To: 'Mike Heitmann' <[hidden email]>; [hidden email]
Sent: Thursday, August 29, 2013 2:44 PM
Subject: RE: [Elecraft] anyone using iMic with K3 or KX3 and FLdigi on a PC?
 

MANY THANKS to Mike Heitmann, N0SO, for so kindly contacting me to say
perhaps the levels were set too high and forcing the KX3 to go into a
self-protect mode.  THAT WAS IT!  By reducing the sound card level and the
K3 level, I now have 4 ALC bars.  Hot diggity dog!

MANY thanks to each of the other kind folks who sent suggestions, including
Don Wilhelm, Brian Alsop, and Ray Sills.

As the saying goes, now we're cooking with gas!
Cheers to all!
Julie KT4JR
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[Nicklas Johnson]

FWIW, one resource I often forget about and then remember later when doing
PSK troubleshooting is the fantastic http://www.pskreporter.info/ .  It
really is a great help to see if your signal is getting out, and how far it
is getting.  (Though I think pskreporter has more jt65 reporting on it
these days ;-) )

   Nick

--
*N6OL*
Saying something doesn't make it true.  Belief in something doesn't make it
real. And if you have to lie to support a position, that position is not
worth supporting.
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[Michael Babineau-2]

Julie :

Make sure that FLDIGI is actually using the iMic for both RX and TX and not
the internal soundcard on the computer.

Michael VE3WMB

P.S. You might try hooking headphones or a small amplified speaker to the output jack of the
iMic to verify that you are actually getting TX audio when you are transmitting. If that seems to
be fine maybe it is a cabling problem ?

>From: "Julie Royster" <[hidden email]>
>Date: August 29, 2013 1:02:49 PM EDT
>To: <[hidden email]>
>Subject: Re: [Elecraft] anyone using iMic with K3 or KX3 and FLdigi on a PC?


>Continuing my quest for PSK31 on KX3 hooked to a PC laptop, today I tried
>using RigCat instead of Hamlib in FLdigi.
>I followed the setup documented on this reflector by Dave Esquer.

>The progress is that now, if I click the tune button in FLdigi, the RF
>display on the KX3 does show some transmission BUT I cannot get any ALC bars
>to light up regardless of whether sound card levels are at 50% or 100%, KX3
>mic level is at maximum,  or anything else I have tried.  Per a comment in
>the blog of K4MTX, I tried reducing KX3 power a little also.

>If anyone has additional ideas I will certainly appreciate all suggestions!
>Julie KT4JR



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