[Elecraft] K3 and logging software/CW Skimmer Issues

[Richard Ferch]

Mark,

I assume from your message that COM8 is a USB-to-serial adapter, such as 
a KUSB, that is connected to the K3's RS232 port (through a P3, if you 
have one), and that Windows has assigned the port number COM8 to (as you 
can verify using the Windows Device Manager). This works with logging 
software such as N3FJP, etc. So far so good.

Now, you said you have COM10 connected to your SignaLink. This is not 
possible; the SignaLink does not have a serial port connection. It is 
simply a USB sound card plus an add-on VOX circuit, but neither of those 
components uses a serial port. If you really do have a COM10 in your 
system, it must be either a virtual serial port created in some piece of 
software, or another USB-to-serial adapter or equivalent. Whatever it 
is, I'm not sure it plays any role here unless it happens to be a 
virtual port created by some logging or port splitting software you 
haven't mentioned.

What you want to do is to share COM8 between your logging software and 
CW Skimmer. To do that you need some kind of port splitting software. 
What I use for this is LP-Bridge, by N8LP. It's free, and it can connect 
several logging applications in parallel to the K3. LP-Bridge would 
connect to your K3 on COM8, and then you would create virtual serial 
ports in it to use from your other software. For example, if nothing 
else in your computer is using COM6 or COM7, you could have LP-Bridge 
create COM6 and COM7, and then connect N3FJP to COM6 and CW Skimmer to 
COM7. Both programs would then be able to read the K3's frequency, etc.

Note that the SignaLink is a mono sound card (one channel). If your 
intent is to connect the SignaLink to your K3's Line Out and use CW 
Skimmer on the audio from your K3's receiver on VFO A, that should work. 
Note that the bandwidth that Skimmer sees will be limited by your K3's 
DSP and roofing filter settings, e.g. if you use a 500 kHz filter in CW, 
all CW Skimmer will see is the signals within that 500 kHz bandpass, 
because that's all that comes out of the Line Out jack.

If you want to see a broader band segment than you can get using the 
K3's audio output, you will need some more hardware and a different 
sound card (a stereo sound card, not the SignaLink). For example, you 
can connect a simple SDR receiver (such as a SoftRock or an LP-PAN) to 
your K3's IF Out (you need a KXV3 or KXV3A for this), and then take the 
I and Q outputs from the SDR and feed them to a stereo sound card. CW 
Skimmer will then decode a 24 kHz wide segment of the band centered on 
your K3's VFO A frequency.

HTH. 73,
Rich VE3KI


K3BZ wrote:

> Good Morning, this is Mark Griffin, KB3Z. I  and currently using N3FJP AC Log program \
> which is connected to my K3 via Com Port 8. But I downloaded CW Skimmer last evening \
> and the interface that I use is the Signallink USB which is connected to Com Port 10. \
> I have transceiver control with AC Log on Com Port 8. But when I use CW Skimmer on \
> Com Port 10 I lose transceiver control because AC Log is using it.
>
> Has anyone ran into this issue and if so is there a way that I can share Com Port 8 \
> between 2 applications? I have read that there are solutions, but not sure where to \
> look. Thanks for all your help/suggestions. Mark Griffin, KB3Z \