[Elecraft] K2: sending PSK31

[Bill Coleman]

On May 20, 2007, at 4:36 PM, Peter Wollan wrote:

> The documents on the Elecraft site suggest that sending PSK31  
> requires a
> cable to the K2 mic plug, with a 10:1 voltage splitter to reduce  
> speaker
> voltage to mic levels, and a PTT switch which could be as simple as a
> manual toggle.  Is the PTT switch needed?  Has anyone used vox on  
> the K2
> for this?

VOX works with the K2. Sometimes the VOX will become slightly deaf,  
though. The thing I don't like about using VOX is that you have to  
drive the transmitter slightly harder in order to get the VOX to  
reliably trip. The K2 VOX isn't the best design in the world.

> I'm using the excellent Cocoamodem program on a Macbook, so far  
> only for
> receive.

If you can wire up a serial port (I use a Keyspan USB-to-Serial  
adapter), you can use CocoaPTT for this purpose. It's a little  
program written by Kok Chen that will key a serial port pin (DTR)  
when it is time to key the transmitter. Works great with Cocoamodem.

I've also used the K2 with MMTTY and N1MM software. N1MM is  
interesting that it can key the transmitter with a serial port  
command (not just DTR), and that seems to work pretty well, too.

Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL        Mail: aa4lr at arrl.net
Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
             -- Wilbur Wright, 1901