[Elecraft] What does the frequency readout mean?

Pete Smith N4ZR n4zr at contesting.com
Wed Feb 20 07:55:18 EST 2013


I'm sorry I misled everyone with my mistake, writing "RIT". Imeant the 
*main tuning knob*, so both transmit and receive frequencies are being 
changed. Try re-reading the question this way:

Same setup, but listening to a signal on the air.  "Beat note" is ~500 
Hz.  I turn the main tuning knob so that the received signal is  lower 
frequency - say 200 Hz.  I transmit.  What does the station on the other 
end hear, assuming he is also using USB-CW?  Does my "beat note" go up 
in his receiver, or down?

What I'm trying to understand is this.  I've clicked on a cluster spot. 
So have a lot of other people, so they are all in a pile +/- 10 Hz.  If 
I tune down (frequency and beat note, both) what does the station I'm 
calling hear?  Is my perceived beat note also lower in his RX, or is it 
higher?  I think it is the former, butwould like confirmation or correction.

73, Pete N4ZR
Check out the Reverse Beacon Network at
http://reversebeacon.net,
blog at reversebeacon.blogspot.com.
For spots, please go to your favorite
ARC V6 or VE7CC DX cluster node.

On 2/20/2013 6:13 AM, Gary Gregory wrote:
> Richard,
>
> That was a Great answer...I learnt something today to.
>
> Gary
>
> On 20 February 2013 15:52, Richard Fjeld <rpfjeld at embarqmail.com 
> <mailto:rpfjeld at embarqmail.com>> wrote:
>
>     Pete, N4ZR
>
>     There have been some good answers for you. (I saved some to help
>     others.)
>     My answer(s) is to the way I read your question(s).
>
>     The 'pitch' is the tone you will hear in your earphones, or
>     speaker, on both receive and transmit (cw sidetone).  It is nicely
>     done in the K3.
>
>     BTW, the 'monitor' knob adjusts the cw sidetone level as I recall.
>      I haven't changed it in a couple years.
>
>     Assuming you are in CW mode:
>     --First, you have selected the 'pitch' that you like to hear.
>     --You have 'CWT' on.
>     --You tune a CW signal near enough to see a bar appear on the
>     'CWT' scale.
>     --Press 'spot' and the radio automatically tunes the station in to
>     your selected tone.
>     --The signal will also be centered in the filter, and centered on
>     the indicator.
>
>     Once you get used to the tone you have selected, you will be able
>     to tune well to that tone without using 'spot', or without looking
>     at the display if you are rushed.
>     However, the CWT indicator is your guide.
>
>     And finally, you said,
>     "I turn the RIT so that the received signal is
>     lower frequency - say 200 Hz.  I transmit.  What does the station
>     on the
>     other end hear, assuming he is also using USB-CW?  Does my "beat
>     note" go up
>     in his receiver, or down?"
>
>     As others have said, the RIT does nothing to your transmit.  But
>     it does change your receive frequency, so that it changes the tone
>     you hear.  Not to be confused with the 'pitch' control.  The
>     'pitch' control only selects the pitch you like to hear when the
>     signal is centered in your filter. From then on, you want to tune
>     the receiver to a tone of that pitch, or let the radio do it
>     automatically for you.
>
>     As for what the station on the other end hears, that is up to that
>     operator, who will tune to one side of your carrier until he/she
>     hears a tone that is suitable.
>
>     If you are working a station with a radio that drifts in
>     frequency, you will often need to make a correction to the tone
>     you hear by using your RIT. That is it's function.
>
>     It was a good question.  I think you will enjoy it as you
>     understand the workings.
>     Rich, n0ce
>
>
>     ----- Original Message -----
>       From: Ron D'Eau Claire
>       To: 'Pete Smith N4ZR' ; 'Elecraft List'
>       Sent: Tuesday, February 19, 2013 8:58 PM
>       Subject: Re: [Elecraft] What does the frequency readout mean?
>
>
>       Hi Pete:
>
>       The K3 reads the actual transmit carrier frequency. That's the
>     suppressed
>       carrier frequency in SSB and the actual carrier frequency in any
>     mode such
>       as CW in which the carrier is transmitted.
>
>       Changing the pitch has *nothing* to do with this. It will be the
>     same in any
>       case (the K3 adjusts its internal oscillators as needed to give
>     you the
>       desired audio tone without changing the carrier frequency).
>
>       To be certain, I turned on my frequency counter and checked the
>     transmit
>       carrier frequency while varying the pitch. No change.
>
>       RIT means *RECEIVE* Incremental Tuning. It has nothing to do
>     with the
>       transmit frequency. Indeed, that's the whole point: allowing you
>     to adjust
>       the receiver frequency without changing the transmit frequency
>     in any way.
>
>       73, Ron AC7AC
>
>
>       -----Original Message-----
>       From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net
>     <mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net>
>       [mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net
>     <mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net>] On Behalf Of Pete Smith
>     N4ZR
>       Sent: Tuesday, February 19, 2013 1:36 PM
>       To: Elecraft List
>       Subject: [Elecraft] What does the frequency readout mean?
>
>       I'm having a hard time getting my head around this. My radio is on
>       3507.02 USB-CW, with a 500 Hz Pitch setting. I change the Pitch
>     setting to
>       300 Hz, and the display still reads 3507.02.  What is this
>     frequency?  The
>       suppressed-carrier frequency plus the CW pitch?  Does that mean
>     that when I
>       change the pitch, the radio is actually moving its frequency a
>     little bit?
>
>       A somewhat related question.  Same setup, but listening to a
>     signal on the
>       air.  "Beat note" is ~500 Hz.  I turn the RIT so that the
>     received signal is
>       lower frequency - say 200 Hz.  I transmit.  What does the
>     station on the
>       other end hear, assuming he is also using USB-CW?  Does my "beat
>     note" go up
>       in his receiver, or down?
>
>       Sorry to be dim.
>
>       --
>
>       73, Pete N4ZR
>
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> -- 
> *Gary - VK1ZZ
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