[Elecraft] K3 feature request - I want Ducking!

[Brian Alsop]

I think the crux of this problem is one of learning to use QSK.
  
That means being able to send without being disturbed by the other 
noises and distractions.   Practice is the solution.  It might take a 
couple days or a couple months.  The reward is worth the effort.   This 
remark isn't meant to "dis" anybody.  

What blows my mind is the organist who leads the choir, turns pages, 
plays the organ,  uses foot peddles and sings, seemingly all 
simultaneously.  Clearly he/she wasn't born with such a skill..
 
Now if we could just figure out how to do QSK RTTY.   Easy if you have 
the subrx many miles away......

73 de Brian/K3KO

Guy Olinger, K2AV wrote:

> I have to vote with Brian for contest operation.
>
> I have a couple threads going on this off the reflector.
>
> One thing that may be causing some of the problem re hearing the MON 
> on CW, is that MON does not go up and down with the AF volumn 
> control.  I believe some of the hearability issues may vanish if the 
> MON setting established a *RATIO* with the AF control, rather than a 
> constant level into the speaker. This would make the ratio of MON to 
> RX audio independent of the RX gain control of the moment.
>
> As it is MON will likely be set below a "quiet room" "irritation" 
> level (it does not combine with the received audio when set) which 
> will be a lower level than probably needed because it is heard by 
> itself.  Then when time-blended with QSK receive it seems weaker.
>
> Should point out to K3 users that (at least with 2.78) if you enable 
> MON and then hit the key, the MON control will be operative while 
> transmitting and one can set the level to match the audio, at least as 
> long as you leave the AF at the same setting.
>
> 73, Guy.
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Brian Alsop" <alsopb at nc.rr.com>
> To: <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Wednesday, January 21, 2009 8:54 AM
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 feature request - I want Ducking!
>
>
>> I believe that most people using QSK are trying to simulate full duplex.
>>
>> I  think the step function up and down RX signal level proposed here
>> would sound awful when being keyed.
>> The brain has enough to do without having to accommodate this level
>> change too.  Manually turning down the volume is not a good simulation
>> of this step function change..
>>
>> If  this is done,  it needs to be run by some testers to see just how
>> bad the level change sounds at various speeds.
>> I doubt anybody would like it.
>>
>> This change would be absolutely useless to me since the main use for QSK
>> is in breaking pileups for the weak ones.
>> It would render the weak ones unreadable.
>>
>> If one wants to fool around with AF gain compensation,  I'd like to
>> propose bumping up the AF gain 3db when the subrx is selected and the
>> main/sub rx antenna is shared.   That is a real pain.
>>
>> 73 de Brian/K3KO
>>
>> Kevin wrote:
>>
>>> Don Wilhelm wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>> Ron,
>>>>
>>>> I too am a firm believer in the KISS principle.
>>>> Too much automation drives me crazy trying to remember what the
>>>> automation is trying to do for me.  Oft times the automation does 
>>>> not do
>>>> what I want to be done.  "manual controls forever".
>>>>
>>>> This is not a vote against automation and ease of use, but there are
>>>> times when it is more effective to bypass the automatic controls, 
>>>> engage
>>>> the brain, and get what one wants accomplished.  Automation cannot
>>>> substitute for individual preferences - that takes 'brain power' - 
>>>> so THINK!
>>>>
>>>> 73,
>>>> Don W3FPR
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> It seems to me with all the feature requests people are looking for a
>>> custom radio and wanting the rig to do everything for them. The QSK on
>>> the Elecraft rigs is very good the way it is. If you don't want to hear
>>> the band between characters why are you working QSK? Why request a
>>> "feature" that could cause serious problems down the road. I guarantee
>>> as soon as this change makes it out into firmware the list will be
>>> bombarded with posts like "Help, my QSK doesn't work anymore", or "I
>>> want to be able to set the level of "ducking" manually, .25dB steps
>>> would be fine thank you", etc, etc, etc.... *The more complicated
>>> something is to operate the easier it is to screwup, badly.*
>>>
>>> Name one other HF rig, any price point, which does "ducking" while in
>>> QSK. If you can your probably just used to their lousy 
>>> implementation of
>>> QSK.
>>>
>>> How about if we have the Elecraft rigs turn the coffee pot on while
>>> we're showering in the morning?
>>> It's just an extra relay and a small change in the firmware.
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>>>
>>>
>>
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>
>
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