[Elecraft] UK Elecraft net report for Sunday 4th January

[Dave G4AON]

Conditions seemed to favour short skip contacts, so for the most part
exchanges were at good strength will virtually no QRM.

Topics discussed this week included:

Poor ALC control from the K3 when running less than full power and how
it's a problem running linear amplifiers on SSB and also when data modes
at lower power levels.

The new KDVR3 digital record card and using it to play back your audio
on TX test to help set the TX equaliser, it was also noted that
recordings taken off air play back without the equaliser, microphone
recordings include the equaliser, which is very handy. Played back
recordings of stations on the net were of excellent quality and
virtually indistinguishable from the original station.

Remote control via Ham Radio Deluxe: Discussions included comparisons
between using Skype and "IP Sound", Skype appears to use little computer
resources but of course needs an internet connection while IP Sound uses
quite a lot of resources but will run on a home network without an
internet connection. I use HRD/Skype and have both used it via my
wireless laptop elsewhere in the house and others have accessed my
station from as far away as Australia. I am using Perseus mostly, but
the K3 would work just as well and may provide even better audio as
Perseus needs a virtual audio card program to route the audio to Skype.
HRD seems to have become the standard for remote operation and works
very well.

Paul, M1PAF, enlightened us with his project of a remote controlled
balanced ATU which he is designing to work with his K3. It sounds very
impressive and also very useful.

Stations were:

G0VGS, Ian
M0CIC, Roy
G0MJW, Mike
MM0XDG, David
M1PAF, Paul
G4LWA, Alan

73 until next week
Dave, G4AON
K3/100 #80, Acom 1000 linear, dipole antenna