[Elecraft] Use-Model of the KDSP2

[Vic Rosenthal]

Bill Acito W1PA wrote:

> This may be blasphemous (remember, I was a field tester, so cut me some
> slack), but have we probably gone as far as we possibly can in "burying"
> functions and set-up in 15 key pads and a dial? Does the PC
> interface/software allow you to manage this better? 

This may be a 'generational' thing, like tattoos and body piercing, but 
as someone coming up on my QCWA 50-year plaque in a couple of years, I 
agree.  I speculate that the 'multiuse button + menu' type of interface, 
pioneered in early Japanese VCRS, annoys the hell out of me.  But it's 
hard to avoid in a rig as small and feature-laden as the K2.

A PC interface can definitely make things easier, and some of the 
software available (e.g., N4PY) lets you do things easily that are hard 
to do on the bare K2.  I am currently trying out every K2-control 
program that I can get my hands on.  However, there are big 
disadvantages to ANY PC interface, namely:

1) You can't just turn on the rig, you have to boot and wait for the PC.

2) You need to use a mouse and/or keyboard to control the radio which is 
inconvenient, OR you need to use a mouse/keyboard AND move your hands 
back and forth to the actual radio or an accessory knob.

3) You have to deal with all of the usual PC annoyances, such as making 
sure the appropriate window has focus when you type something, crashes, 
etc. (I know, Linux blah blah blah, but that has its own set of 
complications).

4) A serious contester needs to use a contest logging program.  There's 
only one interface, so you can't use your neat DSP control functions in 
a contest.

I once proposed (to great derision and no interest) a dedicated 'super 
front panel' as a K2 accessory.  It would be big enough and have enough 
knobs to make us fat-finger guys happy.  It would have its own dedicated 
CPU, and would have to interface with the K2 in some way other than via 
the KIO2 (or KPA) interface so that  you could use your contest program 
at the same time.

-- 
73,
Vic, K2VCO
Fresno CA
http://www.qsl.net/k2vco