[Elecraft] SideKar vs PX3

Thu Jul 30 09:24:39 EDT 2015

"WINDOWs"? A while back I picked up a used Toshiba NB-205 (10" screen, 1.6G 
Atom processor, 1G RAM, 160G HD, XP Home, extended run battery) for a lot 
less than a new netbook would cost. Since MS no longer supports XP I reloaded 
it with Debian Linux. It runs very well with a lightweight desktop 
environment like LXDE or XFCE and can be configured to look/feel very much 
like XP or Win 7. (I also have Linux installed on my XYL's desktop system, 
and she flips back and forth between it and her Windows system at work with 
very few problems. Note that by her own admission she's not 
particularly "tech savvy.")

FLDIGI is in the Debian 8.1 repository and is also available for Ubuntu and 
other Linux distributions. Here's the beauty of it: if you want to try FLDIGI 
under Linux, download the install image, put it on a USB stick per the 
instructions, and set it up on your system. If you have enough disk space 
re-size the Windows partition and go dual boot. Then, if you don't like 
Linux, remove the Linux installation: all you're out is your time and effort.

73, Al

On Thu July 30 2015 7:34:15 am brian wrote:
> It seems this dilemma can be solved by something like a 10" screen
> WINDOWs laptop.  You get display, keyboard, the ability to run FLDIGI.
> They probably run on batteries as long as the rig et al. A few years ago
> I had an ACER aspire 1 (?).   It ran everything I tried including sound
> card stuff.
>
> 73 de Brian/K3KO
>
> On 7/30/2015 12:08 PM, steve wrote:
> > Brian,
> > Thank you for the comments.
> > I do use fldigi.
> > Yes, PSK31 is difficult to tune and partly because of the lack of AFC
> > in the kX3, as you reminded me (why... KX3 tuning is difficult).
> > The PX3 does make it easier to tune provided the sending station isn't
> > drifting.
> > RTTY seems easier to tune - I guess because of its wider bandwidth.
> > I think because I want portable PSK31/RTTY to be fun (not
> > frustrating), I need to think about using Fldigi portable with a
> > small/mini laptop (solid state "disk").
> > I guess I will also think more about how I am going to "do" the little
> > bit of CW as the decoder works well (not great).  I am going to give
> > CW via KX3 decoder a try this weekend with the NAQP.
> > Yes, I think even with the HCT/SideKar you need to save the call.   It
> > does have a memory location to allow the call to be sent as part of a
> > macro.
> > I don't see anything in the manual about logging using the memory
> > location to fill the log callsign...  I'll ask/look.
> >
> > thank you for your thought provoking input.  73, steve WB3LGC
> >
> > On 29-Jul-15 6:10 PM, Brian Waterworth wrote:
> >> Warning - long response
> >>
> >> One thing I have found on my quest to have a portable station is a
> >> portable
> >> computer, screen, and keyboard.  My premise is that the kx3 may not be
> >> ready for a complete psk31 solution with either the px3 or the sidekar.
> >> I'll come back to this quest in a moment.
> >>
> >> At present, it doesn't seem that the kx3 applies afc to incoming digital
> >> transmissions, like psk31.  ...  My premise is that unless the kx3
> >> has afc, using the
> >> internal psk decoder is for emergency purposes and having some fun.  ...
> >>
> >> ...  Search and pounce is
> >> much harder to do when you have to take the time to remember a call sign
> >> and type it into another field while the receive window is scrolling.
> >> Fldigi and dm780 will allow a quick click of the mouse and the call
> >> sign is
> >> ready to be used in any macro that references this field.
> >>
> >> Now let's turn to the question about the USB port on the px3 and the
> >> connection of a keyboard.  I contend that unless the kx3 adds more psk
> >> features like those of the mainstream programs found on various
> >> platforms,
> >> the addition of a keyboard for psk qso's as decoded by the kx3 may
> >> not be
> >> useful.  I actually don't like my premise as I was excited too about the
> >> possibility of a keyboard attached to thw px3.  But what would I use it
> >> for?  The aforementioned usability concerns and lack of afc in the kx3
> >> doesn't provide me with the utility I thought I was going to get from
> >> the
> >> kx3/px3 combo.  If there is another use for a keyboard that I have
> >> missed,
> >> I would love to hear it.
> >>
> >> ...
> >
> > ...
> >
> >> *I think even the sidekar may not meet your digital needs. I am sure
> >> the sidekar does more and my apologies to the designers if I have
> >> under represented it's capabilites. I saw the sidekar at Dayton in
> >> 2014 and wondered why I would need it over a px3, especially with the
> >> px3 firmware upgrade that provided two lines of decode text on the
> >> px3 screen. The sidekar is not a general purpose computer and
> >> therefore is limited in its usability. How would you capture a call
> >> sign from the receive window to respond to a cq? Where would you
> >> store this call sign in either the kx3 or the sidekar? Usability and
> >> adaptability during digital qsos is necessary in order to keep up
> >> with those hams that are working in a much more productive environment.*
> >>
> >> I am sure there are others who have different setups and experiences to
> >> mine.  I am interested to hear about them as is Steve.
> >>
> >> Regards
> >> Brian
> >> VE3IBW
> >
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