[Elecraft] [K3] Need help with soundcard digital mode transmit (retry)

[Peter Wollan]

Don,

Ok, I looked at the reference I gave, and the information I thought
was there isn't.  But it's not quite what you want, anyway.  There are
three separate parts:  the Mac, the K3, and the connection between.
The Mac is easy:  you want to use either CocoaModem or FLDIGI, and
they are both excellent.  For the K3, you need to look in the manual.
You need three signals:  sound to the Mac, sound from the Mac, and
PTT.  It sounds like it's going to be easier with the K3 than with the
K2, in that the K3 apparently can accept line-in input -- the K2
needed to have the Mac sound signal brought down to microphone levels.
 Can the K3 respond to line-in as input to Vox?  If yes, that's your
PTT.  If not, you need to either reduce the voltage, like with the K2,
and plug it in as if it's a microphone, or give up on Vox and generate
a PTT signal.  If you do that, you need a somewhat fancier interface,
like the Signalink box.

So, I guess I haven't been as helpful as I thought I could be.  It
might be as easy as using two stereo cables, one for sound in and one
for sound out, but it depends on the capabilities of the K3.

      Peter W0LLN


On Thu, Jun 9, 2011 at 12:34 PM, Peter Wollan <peter.wollan at gmail.com> wrote:
> Don,
>
> The CocoaModem web site has some information about connecting, as well
> as configuring the software to successfully transmit.  I've used both
> CocoaModem and Fldigi, but the connection process is the same:  from
> the K2 to the Mac is a simple stereo cable, headphone socket to
> headphone socket.  From the Mac to the K2 requires a stereo cable to
> 8-pin microphone plug, with a couple of resisters as a voltage
> divider, soldered in the plug, to convert the line-out voltage level
> to mic level.  I think the K3 is the same.
>
> Then, the levels have to be set right at both ends, the radio and the
> laptop, to have Vox trigger properly.  Basically, you want to turn it
> up high enough to trigger without being too high and having
> distortion.
>
> CocoaModem:  homepage.mac.com/chen/w7ay/cocoaModem/index.html, look
> under "interfacing".
>
>     Peter W0LLN
>
>
>
> On Thu, Jun 9, 2011 at 12:03 PM, Don Putnick <don.putnick at earthlink.net> wrote:
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I'm the proud new papa of Elecraft K3 #5495. I've been able to receive PSK31 via both the rear line-out and the rear speaker jacks. The line-out jack appears to be at a fixed level, which is a little low, but the rear speaker jack with volume control works just fine (that's the approach I used on my Yaesu FT-890).
>>
>> The problem is I can't get my MacBook to work with the VOX. I've tried the rear line-in and the rear mic jacks, VOX Gain and LOW/HI MIC gain, all in DATA A. Haven't tried USB mode though. And yes, the MacBook is putting out a PSK31 signal.
>>
>> I'd really appreciate any helpful hints.
>> Thanks and 73, Don NA6Z
>>
>>
>> ______________________________________________________________
>> Elecraft mailing list
>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>> Post: mailto:Elecraft at mailman.qth.net
>>
>> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>>
>