[Elecraft] What does the frequency readout mean?

[Richard Ferch]

Hi Pete,

In CW mode, the K3 reads the actual transmitted frequency. Since normal 
CW uses lower sideband on the K3, this means that on 3507.2 in normal CW 
mode, with the pitch set at 500 Hz the suppressed carrier frequency is 
3507.7 kHz (500 Hz above the signal frequency). If you change the pitch 
setting to 300 Hz, the K3 adjusts its suppressed carrier frequency to 
3507.5 kHz so that the transmitted frequency stays on 3507.2 kHz.

If you were using CW-R on upper sideband, the suppressed carrier would 
be at 3506.7 kHz with 500 Hz pitch, and on 3506.9 kHz with 300 Hz pitch.

RIT has no effect on what the other station hears. However, if you use 
both RIT and XIT together, it will have an effect - exactly the same 
effect as if you rotated the tuning knob to produce the same tone in the 
receiver and the same frequency display in the VFO A display.

If you are using the K3's normal CW mode, you tune "zero beat" to a 
station (i.e. so that what you hear is the same as your sidetone), and 
then you tune your VFO lower in frequency, the receiver's carrier 
frequency moves lower and gets closer to the signal you are receiving, 
so the pitch you hear goes down. If you now transmit with that lower VFO 
frequency, your signal will be lower in frequency than it would have 
been on zero beat, and therefore lower in frequency than the other 
station's signal. If the other station is also a K3 using lower sideband 
for CW, he will hear your pitch go up, because your signal is farther 
away from his suppressed carrier frequency. On the other hand, if the 
other station is using upper sideband for CW he will hear your pitch go 
lower.

In general, if you are both using the same sideband, then when you move 
your main VFO (or RIT-XIT together) to change the pitch you hear, that 
will make the pitch the other station hears change in the opposite 
sense. If you are using opposite sidebands, what you both hear will 
change together. Since it is in general impossible to predict which 
sideband the other station is using for CW, it is likewise impossible to 
predict with certainty what he would hear if you were to adjust your 
transmit frequency slightly.

73,
Rich VE3KI