[Elecraft] Stereo CW on the K3?

[Randy Farmer]

I enthusiastically second this motion. Before I got my K3 a few years 
ago, I rigged up a pair of old Autek QF-1A filter boxes with some Rube 
Goldberg relay switching to do this using my FT-1000D. Since the FT1K 
uses USB CW, I set the right ear filter up as a low pass and the left 
one as a high pass with the 3 dB down point of each one at my preferred 
beat note. This arrangement made it easy to quickly center an 
off-frequency signal by rotating the main tuning knob in the direction 
of the ear toward the desired signal. It was really a great tool, 
particularly for running in a contest situation. I found it very useful 
even with a 500 Hz bandwidth and really good when I widened the bandpass 
out to 800 Hz or so.

When I got the K3 I just reversed the HP and LP filters to accommodate 
the LSB CW tuning. I also began doing more serious SO2R work using the 
FT1K as the second radio. For various reasons, mostly having to do with 
needing to throw too many switches every time I use the second receiver 
in the K3, I rarely use the panoramic audio setup now, but I do miss it. 
I had hoped that some of the various AFX modes of the K3 would be 
useful, but never could get them to do anything I found as useful.

What would really be great would be a built-in panoramic audio mode that 
automatically turns off whenever the second receiver is activated. I'm 
not a DSP guru, so it's possible what we're asking for would be a real 
bear to implement separate HP and LP filtering in the two audio 
channels. If it's really already being done in the KX3 this suggests 
it's doable and is really good news. I'd sure like to see the same 
capability in the K3.

73...
Randy, W8FN


On 4/2/2014 11:59 AM, Chris G7DDN wrote:
> Apologies if this has been mentioned before...
>
> One of the things I _/really/_ love about the KX3 is the stereo 
> panning of CW signals low to high pitch. It makes reading CW so much 
> easier especially during contests.
>
> Is there any chance that feature can be incorporated into the K3's 
> firmware sometime? The K3 is perhaps more of a contest radio than the 
> KX3 and this is one area (it seems to me) to be deficient.
>