[Elecraft] K3 display for contesters

[Ed Muns]

On the one hand, I've done a lot of contesting with the K3 since July and
have survived without these displays.  Bandwidth is indicated in two ways,
both the crystal filter setting and the filter bandwidth icon giving
relative width.  I quickly adapted to this UI and feel pretty comfortable
with it.  One worry is if I've adjusted the DSP bandwidth to an intermediate
value between crystal filters ... what is it?  But in contesting, I mostly
just want to be sure I'm at a known bandwidth and for that I can hit the
XFIL button or use the two PRESETs.

OTOH, I agree that the parameter displays you describe below are very useful
in contesting where you don't want to take time to turn controls back and
forth to activate their display momentarily.  This input is already in the
K3 firmware hopper and Wayne will deal with some of them in a future
release.  For example, there might be a configuration parameter to
constantly display RIT offset in the VFO-B display area.  Or, functions for
each of the controls you mention, e.g., POWER, that can be assigned to a PF
button for instant display in the VFO-B area.

73,
Ed - W0YK

> -----Original Message-----
> From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net 
> [mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Dick Green WC1M
> Sent: Friday, 30 November, 2007 15:09
> To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: [Elecraft] K3 display for contesters
> 
> N1EU recently posted a query about the lack of a full-time 
> bandwidth display. Many replied that all you have to do is 
> turn a knob to see the current bandwidth. Evidently, this 
> also applies to a number of other operating parameters, 
> including output power(!)
> 
>  
> 
> This is all well-and-good for casual operating and DXing, but 
> it's a real liability for serious contesters. In a contest, 
> the last thing I want to do is take my hands off the 
> keyboard. I need to be able to see certain important 
> transceiver setting with a quick glance in order to make a 
> decision whether or not to move my hands. Bandwidth is one of 
> the settings I need to know, and the roofing filter selection 
> isn't sufficient -- I need to know the ultimate selectivity 
> provided by the DSP. I haven't had time to study the K3 
> manual in depth, but there are many parameters that need to 
> be available at-a-glance: both VFO frequencies, bandwidth, 
> shift/PBT, RIT/XIT power, vox, AGC, RF Gain, preamp, notch, 
> NB, receive antenna status, power, etc. 
> 
>  
> 
> Basically, you need to be able to see any setting that might 
> affect transmission or reception. For example, if the 
> bandwidth is too narrow, and you don't realize it, you may 
> not hear stations calling slightly off frequency, or they'll 
> be significantly attenuated. You could have a similar effect 
> if the notch was inadvertently left on. I can't be required 
> to remember the last change I made to the settings, which 
> might have been hours ago. Also, I use two radios and it's 
> impossible to memorize the settings for both of them. I can't 
> afford to spend time twiddling knobs to determine the current 
> state of the transceiver.
> 
>  
> 
> Are the LCD display fields fixed, like on older displays, or 
> are all the pixels under firmware control? If the display is 
> fixed, the lack of status displays could be a real problem.
> 
>  
> 
> 73, Dick WC1M
> 
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