[Elecraft] Switching the K3 or K3S to 600 meters with a macro

[Wayne Burdick]

Hi all,

Using 600 meters (~472 kHz) on the K3 or K3S with an external transverter requires setting the CONFIG:KXV3 menu entry to TEST mode. This routes the RX and TX signals through the XVTR IN and OUT jacks. You then need to switch to 160 meters, select the desired mode, tune in VFO A, etc.

An alternative to performing all of this setup each time is to set up a pair of programmable switch macros to go from regular bands to 600 meters (etc.). Example:

   MN051;UP;MN255;BN00;

The above macro selects the CONFIG:KXV3 menu entry, changes its setting from NOR to TEST (simulating moving VFO A "UP" 1 tic), exits the menu, and selects band 0 (160 m). The band-change command (BN00) could be replaced with an FA command to select a specific frequency, along with a mode setup (MD), preamp setup (PA), attenuator setup (RA), etc.

Here's a complementary macro to restore CONFIG:KXV3 to NOR mode. It also places the rig on 20 meters (BN05):

  MN051;UP;UP;DN;MN255;BN05;

Note that I used "UP" twice, then one "DN" (down), to make sure the KXV3 ends up in NOR mode even if had already been set to NOR. If I had just used "DN" instead of "UP;UP;DN;", repeated execution of the macro would put the KRX3 into NOT INST mode (not installed).

The macros above can be assigned to two of the radio's 10 programmable switches using K3 Utility. See the CONFIG:MACRO menu entry description.

If you wanted to use just a single switch to toggle between 600 meters and some other band (or just toggle the KXV3 menu entry between NOR and TEST), you could use one self-modifying macro. Below is a posting by Fred Cady (KE7X) that describes the general method for doing this.

73,
Wayne
N6KR

* * *


I don't know who first came up with this clever idea but here is the concept and an example:

The concept is this:
*	Program a macro, say MACRO 7, and assign it to a function key, say PF2, to perform the first of sequence of commands.  End the macro definition by assigning PF2 to the next macro command sequence, say MACRO 8.
*	Program MACRO 8 to do the second sequence of commands and end it by assigning PF2 to perform MACRO 7.
Here is how it would work to use PF2 to enter the Split mode using the dual-watch receiver with the first hold, and then to exit Split mode with the second hold of PF2.
*	Using the Utility, assign MACRO 7 to: 
SWT25;SWT25;FT0;SB1;UP7;MN110;SWT33;SWH26;MN255;
The first five enter dual-watch and QSY VFO A up 5.  The other commands assign MACRO 8 to PF2:
MN110;	Enter the MACRO x menu (equivalent to holding MENU and rotating VFO B to MACRO x).
SWT33;	Tap the 8 switch.  
SWH26;	Hold PF2.  (This assigns PF2 to the commands in MACRO 8.)
MN255;	Exit menu mode.
Now,
*	Assign MACRO 8 to: 
SWT25;SWT25;FT0;SB0;MN110;SWT32;SWH26;MN255;
SWT32;	Tap the 7 switch.
SWH26;	Hold PF2.  (This assigns PF2 to the commands stored in MACRO 7.)
Send the macros to the K3 using the K3 utility and then enter the MACRO 7 menu and hold PF2 to assign it to enter Split mode.  The next PF2 hold will take us out of Split.  Subsequent holds toggle back and forth.

Neato, eh?

Cheers,
Fred KE7X