[Elecraft] P3, what lies ahead?

Mon Feb 28 12:19:13 EST 2011

Ed,

I run LP-PAN and PSDR/IF and find them indispensable, particularly 
during contests.   These days it doesn't feel like the K3 is fully "ON" 
until PSDR/IF comes up.   On the other hand, I'm always looking for ways 
to reduce the number of boxes and software packages in use.

Exporting analog IQ signals from the P3 does not appear to be terribly 
useful as this just makes the P3 an equivalent to LP-PAN and would still 
require PSDR/IF and EMU 0202 or something similar.

 From my limited understanding, one of the operational advantages of the 
P3 is that it is not tied to traditional sound card scan frequencies, 
192 kb, 96 kb, etc., a big P3 plus that would be lost.

My idea is more along the line of leaving everything except the display 
and user interface physically in the P3 "Blackbox" and replacing those 
with a PC application that provides the display and controls.    That 
way the tight integration with the K3 is maintained and is enhanced by 
the addition direct integration with the PC.  For instance the "point 
and click" tuning that is sooo useful when S&P'ing a band would become a 
P3 feature (I realize that it can "sort of" do that now).   Point and 
click tuning combined with the P3's unique ability to fix the displayed 
segment and let the VFO cursors "float" would a wet dream setup for RTTY 
contesting.

PSDR/IF makes a valiant effort  to "approach" that idea, but has some 
significant limitations due to being fundamentally designed for a 
different radio.   IMHO it also suffers from being too "SDR-centric", 
for example when there are conflicts between the radio's setting and 
PSDR/IF's, PSDR/IF will resolve them in it's favor rather than following 
the K3.    Consequently I have to leave a some of PSDR/IF's "features" 
disabled to get it to "follow" instead of "lead".   The base program was 
designed to support a blackbox SDR (Flex) with no physical controls, so 
that is understandable but still a problem.

While I'm wishing, if the blackbox P3 fit inside the K3 it would be 
really great.  Maybe with a new KIO3 that had (gasp) a USB connector.

 From a customer perspective, I would find a blackbox P3 with an 
associated PC application a much more compelling and valuable product.

73 Jack KZ5A

On 2/27/2011 12:14 PM, Edward R. Cole wrote:
> Jack,
>
> There are several soundcard programs available to view spectrum, but
> this restricts one to the passband of the radio (13-KHz for the
> K3).  P3 accesses wideband RF via the K3-IF.  This requires a
> conversion to IQ which any SDR can do (Soft-rock, LP-Pan, SDR-IQ,
> etc.), so one is not limited to a "black-box" version of the P3
> (though, I can see that it could be desirable).
>
> To have the features of the P3 on a PC will not only require the
> hardware to produce IQ streams, but the P3 sw in a form that can be
> run on a PC.  Not owning a P3, I am limited in knowledge of the
> features of the P3 and whether it use a separate mcu and firmware like the K3.
>
> My alternative to the P3 was to get the LP-Pan (black-box IQ
> converter) which I am running Spectravue (free download from RFSpace,
> who make the SDR-IQ).  PowerSDR (from the Flex folks) will run with
> the LP-Pan.  I am endeavoring to run Linrad (originally Linux-Radio)
> which is complicated to set up but has powerful noise-reduction and
> weak-signal performance.
>
> 73, Ed - KL7UW
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 6
> Date: Sat, 26 Feb 2011 13:36:50 -0600
> From: Jack Brabham<kz5a at att.net>
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] P3, what lies ahead?
> To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
> Message-ID:<4D695652.5020906 at att.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
> There was a comment by Wayne on a recent similar thread which intimated
> that some level of P3 integration with the station PC is being
> developed, or at least that is what I read into the comment.
>
> I expect to purchase a P3 at some point, but am inclined to wait until
> the product matures a bit and the level of functionality improves.   In
> particular, I'm looking for the ability to port the display to the PC so
> I can enlarge it enough to be readable with my old eyes and the ability
> to do point and click tuning.
>
> Actually, a no display, PC only version of the P3 would be very
> interesting, especially if it got a little less expensive in the process
> of loosing it's local display and knobs.
>
>
> 73 Jack KZ5A
>
> K3 #4165
>
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>
>
> 73, Ed - KL7UW, WD2XSH/45
> ======================================
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