[Elecraft] rig control...

[John Ragle]

As has already been mentioned, SignaLink/USB has no provisions for rig 
frequency control. Also you should note that DigiPan itself has no 
provisions for rig control. If you are content to adjust frequency 
manually then DigiPan is a very nice, /simple(!),/ program, perfectly 
adequate for BPSK31 QSO's. DigiPan will run on almost any kind of Intel 
computer, from "pencil sharpener" to mainframe.

If you want more control, I highly recommend FLDIGI over the several 
other available programs. Its interface is very straighforward, and the 
screen is not crowded. I've used almost every program available, whether 
free or not, and have settled on FLDIGI as the best, *no-compromises*, 
one to use. It is now in Ver. 3.21.4, installs easily, and is kept 
up-to-date. Google for the FLDIGI download site. The one downside to it 
(a minor one) is that the waterfall is not very high on the screen, so 
if you like a tall waterfall, you will be annoyed by this at first. You 
can always run Spectravue simultaneously with FLDIGI if you want more 
viewing turf. This quirk of FLDIGI is much more than offset by the 
variety of modes available!

The one detail to which you will have to attend is making a serial 
connection from your computer to your transceiver. If your computer is 
an older model, it will have COM ports available. The K3 also has a 
matching COM port, and the problem devolves to finding a cable. IF, on 
the other hand, your computer is a newer model, it will probably NOT 
have COM ports built in. You then have two choices: (1) buy a simple, 
inexpensive card that fits inside the computer on the mother board, 
comes with drivers either already in Windows or on a CD or mini-CD, or 
(2) to use a USB-2.0 to Serial adapter. In this last case, beware! as 
many of the commercially available USB-to-serial adapters will NOT work, 
for various reasons. Be prepared to buy an "industrial-strength" 
USB-to-serial converter, or better stilll, buy the one that Elecraft 
offers (it comes with a guarantee to work!).

Good luck. Feel free to email me if you have further questions. Everyone 
was a newbie at the beginning.

John Ragle -- W1ZI