[Elecraft] KX3 and Rocky 3.7

[Don Wilhelm]

Ken,

Since the KX3 I/Q bandwidth is limited to something like 48kHz, you do 
not need an exotic soundcard which will give you a 192 kHz span, most 
external soundcards will do the job just fine.

The Creative X-Fi soundcard is available at a modest price, and will do 
a 192 kHz span should you need it, but there may be other less costly 
options that I am not aware of.  The X-Fi can be modified with a couple 
of added capacitors to reduce the noise level - Google for the mod 
information.

The biggest consideration for use with the KX3 RX I/Q output is the 
noise level rather than the bandwidth of the soundcard.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 6/24/2013 10:11 PM, Kenneth A Christiansen wrote:
> Hi Don
>
> You answered and confirmed my suspicion. I suspect since I have a new Elecraft cable and the sound card only has the MIKE input that it is MONO. Do you know of a USB sound card that you will work? I would rather by something good that I know will work than spend money on something cheap that may not. I have got my use out of this sound card on digital ham programs.
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
> On Jun 24, 2013, at 8:51 PM, Don Wilhelm <w3fpr at embarqmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Ken,
>>
>> Are you getting a signal to the soundcard from both the I and Q channels?  What you are seeing is normal of only one channel is fed to the soundcard.
>>
>> In other words, check your cables.  Plug in the left channel only into the soundcard and see if you have a signal present, then do the same with the right channel.
>>
>> It may be a cabling problem, or your sound adapter may have only mono input.  Many external soundcards have mono input when the mic input is selected, but may (or may not) when the Line In is selected - I/Q decoding requires stereo soundcard input - if the input is mono, you will see exactly the condition you report.
>>
>> 73,
>> Don W3FPR
>>
>>