[Elecraft] I've been thinking!

[Bill Frantz]

I am one of those hams that is always changing my shack 
equipment. I feel a little embarrassed if I use the same radio 
setup two days in a row. (But not so embarrassed that I don't do 
it quite frequently.) Edward has the germ of an interesting 
product idea that might appeal to hams like me: A computer 
package that makes building a SDR as easy as an Arduino makes 
building a digital controller. This package could come with 
building blocks such as software mixers, software filters, and 
software coders/decoders which can be connected to each other 
and to user interface elements to build a radio. Obviously it 
should be straight forward to define and add your own elements. 
This package would make it easy to experiment with new 
modulation schemes and many other aspects of radio design. The 
KX3 with its I/Q interface would be a useful analog platform for 
this software.


Another idea that might have broad appeal to Elecraft users is 
pure software control package for the K3/KX3 which would allow 
travelers to operate their home radios from anywhere with an 
internet connection using a laptop or even a pad. A K3/0 is a 
really big box to take on a business trip or vacation, but many 
people are already taking a laptop or a pad along.

Cheers - Bill, AE6JV/1

On 12/22/12 at 12:24 AM, kl7uw at acsalaska.net (Edward R Cole) wrote:

>In the KX3 they have provided external IQ baseband output so 
>one can try any number of SDR programs with the KX3 (caveat is 
>you may need a bit more understanding of computers to actually 
>get many to work with it).  I suspect that there will be many 
>sw gurus that will come forward with versions to work with the 
>KX3.  Of course one will need a computer with good soundcard to 
>run them.
>
>In time I will probably play with trying other sw with the 
>KX3.  JT65 and JT9 probably the first.  They will not provide 
>full access to the control panel, though.  Maybe PowerSDR can 
>be modified to work with the KX3?  Drivers must be developed 
>for each radio that one uses a sw radio program (and that is 
>hard part).
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