Re: Choice of CW pitch

Posted by Drew AF2Z on Sep 22, 2018; 10:39am
URL: http://elecraft.85.s1.nabble.com/Choice-of-CW-pitch-tp7645246p7645252.html

Yes, the K3 cw pitch is easy to set tailor for hearing response and
speaker/headphone response; at least easier than the K2. For my K2 I had
written down the filter calibrations for a number of different pitches
so that I could change them on the fly while operating; I recall it took
less than a minute to dial one of them in...

But if you want to adjust the pitch to suit current band conditions,
filter width and wpm speed of the station you are trying to copy, the K3
is not easy at all.

Let's assume that for any combination of these variables there is some
optimum CW pitch between 300 - 800 Hz. How do you find that pitch for a
particular CW signal? There is no easy way because whenever you push the
PITCH button you can no longer hear the station your are trying to
optimize. You would have to try every pitch selection individually, 300,
310, 320, etc., and somehow remember which was the best. Obviously, not
a practical way to dial in the optimum value.

73,
Drew
AF2Z


On 09/21/18 22:02, Erik Basilier wrote:

> The ease of changing CW pitch in the K3 is indeed a great asset in setting
> things up for best copy, and I have found myself using it quite a few times.
> The immediate reason to change pitch has usually been a perception that with
> the existing setting, the best copy pitch does not exactly coincide with the
> CW tuning indicator (another great CW asset of the K3), or with the peak DSP
> filter response. Many times this has led me to change the pitch setting by a
> small amount, whether my general preference du jour is for a low or higher
> pitch. To make such an adjustment I like to set a wide DSP bandwidth and
> slowly tune through a received signal. The apparent loudness doesn't stay
> constant, nor does it follow a smooth variation that I attribute to my own
> hearing response. Instead I hear peaks within range of piches that would be
> reasonable for CW, that I attribute to the speaker and its surroundings. (I
> would say that since I went to the SP3, there is less of this variation, but
> no matter how good the speaker, there will always be such variations because
> objects around the speaker cause reflections. Phones will always be the
> better approach....) Rather than adjusting the pitch to some value
> considered ideal based no prior considerations, I set it for a peak in the
> accoustical response of the particular speaker and its surroundings. Then
> going back to normal DSP selectivity I generally find better agreement
> between perceived loudness and centering the received signal in the
> passband, at least until I move things around in the shack...
>
> 73,
> Erik K7TV
>
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