[Elecraft] KDSP2 user interface improvements

[Jeff Burns]

I am very happy with my KDSP2, but there are few user interface improvements
that I would like to see. These will likely require firmware changes to the
main processor.

First is the clock. The current arrangement makes the clock very difficult
to use. I do not change the DSP settings often so having the clock come up
instead of the DSP menu if the clock was the last menu accessed is an
acceptable compromise except for one problem.  If a filter is changed by
tapping the filter button or by holding AFIL the DSP menu comes up the next
time DISPLAY is pressed instead of the clock.  Since I change filters often
the clock is rarely the first item displayed.  I would rather have the
DISPLAY cycle through clock, DSP, then volt & current.

My second change is more dramatic.  At Field Day this year I had the
opportunity to use a Ten-Tek Orion. It has a continuously variable
bandwidth. As the bandwidth is changed the appropriate IF roofing filter is
selected. I do not need a continuously variable bandwidth, but having the IF
and audio filter seamlessly integrated is a great idea. With the KDSP2 in
the K2 I almost always use the IF and Audio filters as paired sets.  That is
I use OP1 with AF1, FL2 with AF2. To change bandwidths I have to tap XFIL
and hold AFIL.  That's much harder than it needs to be. I would like each
mode to have a table of four IF and Audio filter selections, then tapping
XFIL would cycle through these four settings.

This arrangement would leave the AFIL button open for other operations. The
DSP menu could be accessed through this button. Another possibility is to
allow the DSP filter center frequency to be changed slightly by holding AFIL
and turning one of the knobs. This would accomplish a form of variable
pass-band tuning.

The KDSP2 is a great product, and it is amazing that it was possible to add
that much functionality without a firmware change to the main processor. Now
with a firmware change I think the user interface can be cleaned up
significantly.

Jeff Burns
AD9T