Re: Level of K3S audio out to digital apps on Mac

Posted by Nr4c on May 22, 2019; 9:57pm
URL: http://elecraft.85.s1.nabble.com/Level-of-K3S-audio-out-to-digital-apps-on-Mac-tp7652106p7652124.html

I use the RF Gain to control K3S output to FT8. I think I read somewhere that you should also turn OFF AGC.

I also use RF Gain to reduce band hiss when operating. Reduces fatigue.

Sent from my iPhone
...nr4c. bill


> On May 22, 2019, at 1:14 PM, Frank O'Donnell <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> Thanks to everyone for the help getting my new K3S dialed-in to work with digital apps such as WSJT-X and FLdigi on my Mac, with the K3S attached to the Mac by a single USB cable. Overall it's functioning very well now, and I've been working some nice DX.
>
> I have one question at the moment. Especially under certain band conditions, audio level sent from the K3S to the apps seems low. With my prior rig (Icom 7300), my primary way of dialing up and down the audio level sent from the rig to the computer was by adjusting the RF Gain knob, which if turned far enough (i.e. too far) would virtually always put the WSJT-X received signal meter far into the red. With the K3S, I gather it's normal to operate with RF Gain turned fully clockwise all of the time. The only other adjustment I've found on the K3S is Config > Line Out. The default appears to be 10, and even if I take it up to the maximum of 100 it doesn't put WSJT-X into the red. (Not that operating in the red is desirable -- since clipping will occur -- but in the past I've found that if the rest of the band is quiet enough, WSJT-X's ability to decode a very faint DX signal may be improved by bring the received audio level up just to the edge of the red.) I'm much newer to FL
 digi, where the signal levels I'm seeing seem chronically low, but that may reflect band conditions (and, I'm told by ops more experienced with it, that tends to be the way FLdigi always looks compared to WSJT-X).

>
> In the Mac's audio system, there are no level adjustments for the input USB Codec, and I don't think there are relevant adjustments in either WSJT-X or FLdigi. So my question is, are there any other settings or adjustments to experiment with on the K3S that might give me more flexibility on audio level sent by USB to the Mac? If not, would using a sound card-type device rather than USB be an alternative way to have more ability to control the level of received audio sent to the computer?
>
> Thanks and 73,
>
> Frank K6FOD
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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

______________________________________________________________
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