[Elecraft] CAL FIL / BFO setup with sound card?

[Tom Hammond]

At 09:23 PM 6/15/03, you wrote:
>The K2 manual mentions that there's a program available on the Elecraft 
>web site which will help set up filters using a sound card on a 
>computer.  I can't find this anywhere; can someone point me to it?
>
>Thanks,
>--Andrew

With regard to the software which seems to be best for K2 (and K1)
filter alignment, you may download the Spectrogram Software from:

   http://www.visualizationsoftware.com/gram.html

NOTE that there is a FREE version of Spectrogram which is FULLY
operational, BUT which limits the user to 10 minutes per activation.
While 10 minutes seems like a very short time, it should only take
a few re-starts of the program to complete your filter alignment.
Additionally, once you become a bit 'familiar' with Spectrogram,
you will find that it may not take even 10 minutes to complete a
realignment of your filters.

Of course, you can also buy a no-time-limit version of the software
for $25 (US).

Version 5.0 of Spectrogram is available as FREEware from:

   www.hitsquad.com/smm/programs/SPECTROGRAM/

To find the Spectrogram (CW & SSB) Filter Alignment Articles, go to:

   http://www.elecraft.com/Apps/new_fil_docs/filter_apps.htm

   Once there, if the file you wish to access is a PDF (Acrobat Reader)
   file, RIGHT-CLICK on the link and when prompted to do so, SAVE the
   file to wherever on your HD you want it to go. If the link is NOT a
   a PDF, then LEFT-CLICK on the link and proceed.
__________________

A while back, someone asked about setting differences between Spectrogram 
v6.x and Spectrogram v7.x.

I've just downloaded and installed (into a SEPARATE subdirectory) 
Spectrogram v7.0.6 and find it to be virtually (in normal usage) to v6.x.

Version 7.x is about 3X the size of v6.x, and, for most of us, will 
probably not provide a significant improvement in those features we will 
want to use most of the time. It will however, probably provide a 'cleaner' 
plot if you are attempting to 'characterize' the bandpass of your filters. 
Though this is not something most of us will require and is NOT required to 
permit you to correctly adjust your K2/K1 filter settings.

The main differences, with regard to how most of US would use it, seem to 
be in the Scan Input (parameter settings) screen.

Here are the setting I (personally) am using, of course your mileage will 
vary, and you are the final judge of how YOU wish to configure this program 
for your particular tastes.

Sample Characteristics

   Sample Rate (Hz)    11kHz  (others work well, too)
   Resolution          8 bit  (16 bit's OK, too)
   Type                 Mono

Display Characteristics

   Channels              N/A
   Display              Line
   Plot Type          Signal
   Averaging        msec 500  (others work well, too, the higher
                              the value, the longer it'll take
                              the plot to stabilize. Though, the
                              higher the value, the 'smoother'
                              the plot will be)
   Time Scale            N/A
   Amplitude Scale      60dB
   Palette                CB
   Scroll Mem            N/A

Frequency Analysis

   Freq Scale         Linear
   FFT Size (Points)    2048  (1024 works fine here, too)
   Freq resolution (Hz)       (Use lowest value available for
                              FFT value you have selected)
   Low Band Limit (Hz)     0
   High Band Limit (Hz) 3000  (use what floats your boat. Other
                              values may work better for you)
   Pitch Detector        OFF
   Cursor Freq Offset      0

Recording Enable        OFF  (If you ENABLE this function, note
                              that a higher value for Sample Rate
                              will REALLY increase the size of the
                              'Recorded' file)
   Trigger Level (dB)    N/A