[Elecraft] Forums?

Sun Mar 27 17:51:18 EDT 2011

I did not do a lot in the contest but just had some fun.

I really had to tighten down the filters to hear anything.

What I noticed is that you really had to be on the exact frequency when 
the filters are tight to hear anything clearly.   I did notice that 
folks were trying to call back and they were off frequency and the copy 
was difficult.

I was able to get fast contacts because I believe that I was carefully 
matching the calling stations frequency.

Anyway I have had a lot of fun.

Don
KD8NNU

On Sun, Mar 27, 2011 at 5:38 PM, Gary Gregory wrote:

> *Edward,*
> *
> *
> *Now that the contest is over the bands should return to normalcy and 
> by
> this I mean clean clear signals will again be heard.*
> *
> *
> *I wonder how many contesters were using SDR radios?....*
> *
> *
> *Listening to absolutely horrible audio and distorted CQ calls then a 
> voice
> change when you work the station and find that the PTT audio is almost 
> as
> bad. In some cases all but impossible to understand what the operator 
> was
> saying.*
> *
> *
> *Yes the points are all that are important but when did that have to 
> be the
> overriding factor above a clean signal?*
> *
> *
> *Certainly some stations were using software such as N1MM and wave 
> files for
> their CQ Contest calls but surely they could take the time to ensure 
> that
> their audio cables were not affected by RF, mic gain/ comp settings 
> were
> correct for clear audio and the list goes on I am sure.*
> *
> *
> *One station here in VK was so bad I heard him call for 5 minutes 
> without a
> response and when I suggested he had an issue he simply  ignored my 
> comment
> and started to CQ again.*
> *
> *
> *The stations in the contest in VK that I know use the K3 were all 
> sounding
> great.*
> *
> *
> *Maybe SDR means true 'software controlled' with a box minus the knobs 
> and
> buttons, but I think it would be a handful in a contest and I am not 
> sure I
> want to place that much faith in a radio dependant entirely on 
> Microsoft
> etc. A full Linux/Apple OS may be more reliable?*
> *
> *
> *The K3 to my mind IS SDR with a fully operational radio for those of 
> us who
> dislike the mouse and function key style of operating becoming more 
> popular
> and you have the option to add programs such as LP-PAN etc.*
> *
> *
> *The simple connections to a PC from the K3 are ideal for the way I 
> operate
> but these days I have settled on N1MM logging and the K3 for 
> everything
> else.*
> *
> *
> *I wonder if I am headed for the minority benches?..Grin*
> *
> *
> *I hope all those who played in the contest had a great time, after 
> all, it
> is just a hobby and a darn fine one at that and enjoyment should be 
> what
> it's all about, whatever flips your switch!*
> *
> *
> *73's*
> *
> *
> *Gary
> *
> On 28 March 2011 04:39, Edward R. Cole <kl7uw at acsalaska.net> wrote:
>
>> I'll address this one more time and then let it rest.
>>
>> SDR = Software Defined Radio.  (i.e. the software defines it).  The
>> software is "in fact" the radio.
>>
>> It has been a long tradition of ham radio to being able to "build
>> it", yourself.  For SDR that includes the software.  If a commercial
>> SDR is not open-source it loses part of what being a SDR is all about 
>> for
>> hams.
>>
>> That being said, not many hams "build-it" anymore so, thankfully,
>> Elecraft has given considerable attention to the sw (firmware).  That
>> is lacking in a lot of other SDR ventures.  It also seems ham radio
>> is split into: "programing capable hams" and the rest of us.
>>
>> And one more footnote on my project.  I would have had to go with an
>> outside SDR to obtain wide-bandwidth, in any case.  the 15-KHz second
>> IF restricts what can be done with wide bw modes or displays.  Even
>> Elecraft recognizes this with using the 1st IF for the P3.
>>
>> I think that should finish this topic, OK?
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 12
>> Date: Sun, 27 Mar 2011 07:11:51 -0400
>> From: Ed K1EP <k1ep.list at gmail.com>
>> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Forums?
>> To: "Edward R. Cole" <kl7uw at acsalaska.net>,Elecraft at mailman.qth.net
>> Message-ID: <4d8f1b7a.49a2e60a.7126.0c5a at mx.google.com>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
>>
>> At 3/27/2011 04:22 AM, Edward R. Cole wrote:
>>> Geoffrey,
>>>
>>> I am in the process of setting up my K3 with two LP-Pan feeding a
>>> M-Audio Delta-44 dual-channel soundcard.  The reason for the LP-Pan
>>> is to provide I-Q signals to a computer so that custom SDR sw may be
>>> used (or developed).  The K3 has an internal MCU with Elecraft's
>>> proprietary sw, but that is not open for sw developers to
>>> access.  Therefore, the standard K3 falls short of its promise as a
>>> SDR.
>>
>> I don't see anywhere in the definition of SDR that the software has
>> to open source.  If you wish to develop your own SDR software, the
>> LP-PAN is a perfect add on to allow you access to the IQ outputs for
>> developing your own software or modifying existing open source 
>> software.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 73, Ed - KL7UW, WD2XSH/45
>> ======================================
>> BP40IQ   500 KHz - 10-GHz   www.kl7uw.com
>> EME: 144-1.4kw, 432-100w, 1296-testing*, 3400-winter?
>> DUBUS Magazine USA Rep dubususa at hotmail.com
>> ======================================
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>
>
>
> -- 
>
> *VK4FD - Motorhome Mobile
> Elecraft Equipment
> K3 #679, KPA-500 #018
> Living the dream!!!*
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