[Elecraft] K3 Internal Digital Modes

[Lyle Johnson]

I confess to not being a CW guy.  Yeah, I passed the 20 WPM test for my 
Extra many years ago, but that didn't make me a devotee.  I use 
microphones or keyboards when I operate.  (With the K3, I've even used 
my paddles, but not for CW!)

I find when I have the K3 turned on, I often tune down to the PSK or 
RTTY areas of 20 meters and watch the text scroll by on the VFO B 
display of the K3.  I used to do this sometimes with my IC746PRO with 
its RTTY decoder, but that radio doesn't decode PSK31, so it was mostly 
interesting only during RTTY contests or W1AW bulletins :-)

Since my PCs are tied up with my work, I don't usually have soundcard 
software running.  With the K3, I don't need the PC or its software!  It 
internally decodes RTTY, PSK31 and CW.

This feature has changed my perspective on listening around on the 
bands.  RTTY and PSK are now as accessible to causal listening as SSB or CW.

Oh, yes, about CW.  The CW decoder has driven me to listen around in the 
CW segments.  I want to see if I can figure what's being sent before the 
decoder does, or to see if I can catch the decoder in an error :-)  My 
ability to copy CW in my head, never very good, is certainly getting 
better with this visual reinforcement.

73,

Lyle KK7P

K2 S/N 000000000000002

PS - I am not unbiased in all of this, of course, having written the DSP 
portion of these demodulators.  But making something and finding myself 
wanting to use it are two different things :-)