[Elecraft] K3 Data Modes using SignaLink USB

[David Little]

Got my cable in today to do soundcard data modes on the K3 with a SignaLink
USB

Not much chance of getting the cabling incorrect, installation was uber
easy.  I used the rear panel inputs and outputs for the additional
isolation; allowing me to keep the Mic on the front panel for mixed mode
operation requirements.

However, I am not having much luck finding a stable plateau to chance moving
it off the dummy load and on the air.

Output power isn't stable, and rises while the rig is in transmit.

If power is changed while in transmit, it drops off, then starts building
again.

No power is generated until output level on the interface is high enough to
generate ALC action.

Not much chance of anything dependable here....  Where am I going wrong?

I never run any ALC, unless it is an occasional flicker; usually a reference
to decrease volume for a purer signal.

Some prefer to run the output power to 25 watts and run 50% ALC, and share
the signal up and down the band.

I would prefer to set the power to a higher starting point, set the volume
level correctly, then decrease the power, if necessary, maintaining a clean
signal throughout.

Anytime the power level on the K3 is changed at all, the output falls down
and starts to build again.  Around 30 to 45 seconds into a transmission, it
may stabilize.

I  have used the SignaLink USB on a FT-897, FT-817, FTDX-9000MP, TS-2000,
IC-756Pro II, IC-7000, IC-706, IC-7200, FT-857, FT-2000, Jupiter, IC-756
Pro, TS-870,  TS-480.... And never experienced any instability of output
before.

Currently, I run them in the shack on a FT-897,  FT-817, IC-756 Pro II,
TS-2000 and the K3.  The other rigs provide a stable digital platform

When using a protocol where sync is dependent on the start of the
transmission, the instability of power cannot be tolerated. 

I am a bit beyond RTTY and PSK-31 in the modes I need to run.   The trend I
am operating toward now is in the direction of ARQ modes, and require a more
refined approach than what I am seeing so far.

I hope I am doing something wrong, and someone can provide some direction.  

David
KD4NUE