[Elecraft] P3 TX Mon: FEATURE REQUEST - Monitoring of RTTY Waveform

[Al Gulseth]

Lu,

Without addressing what any hardware/software changes needed might entail, I'd 
say that you are _not_ "out of line with [your] expectation...." Any request 
for features intended help the operator adjust his equipment for a cleaner 
transmitted signal is valid in my opinion. In fact, I tip my hat to you: one 
doesn't have to listen around very much to hear "crud" on the bands coming 
from ops who either don't know and/or don't care about how to adjust things 
properly, so by contrast it's refreshing to find someone who is concerned 
about his signal quality. (I'm sure there are many others on this list who 
also share your desire to strive for the cleanest signal possible.)

73, Al

On Sun September 13 2015 3:29:13 pm Luis V. Romero wrote:
> Hello Elecraft folk:
>
>
>
> Just installed my new P3 TX Monitor board that I ordered at Dayton (!). I
> have been waiting for this capability for the P3 since 2010, so as to
> enable me to monitor transmitter waveforms accurately like I did in my
> Heath SB-401/SB303 station with the SB610 in ancient times (the late
> '70's).
>
>
>
> So now my O'Scope can go back to the bench where it belongs. Since I
> already had an accurate dual meter peak reading Wattmeter (Autek WM-1), the
> bundled SWR/Wattmeter capability is not important to me.  A good, full
> featured visual transmitted waveform monitor was what I was looking for.
>
>
>
> However, a big feature is missing from the TX Monitor option:  Accurate
> monitoring of the direct FSK signal for RTTY.  All that is visible on RTTY
> transmissions is a solid envelope that fills the screen, just like sampling
> RF using my bench 'scope.
>
>
>
> True, RTTY is a full carrier FM signal, so the display is showing me the
> "correct" interpretation for an envelope sampler, but I was hoping to at
> least see the same display we see on RTTY receive:  Two pulses with a
> valley in between.  If both pulses are equal, there is no passband ripple. 
> If there are single peaks and the fall to the valley is smooth and
> sinusoidal, all is well and the transmitter is not being overdriven.
>
>
>
> My preference, however, would be to see a traditional crossed ellipsis
> display like on my old SB610 and the simulated one on software RTTY apps
> (that are NOT real transmitted waveforms!), but I can live with the above.
> Neither mode is available on the simple envelope sampler add on that
> comprises the TX Monitor today.
>
>
>
> I don't use AM here, but the a "Trapezoid" display would also be helpful to
> set amplifier linearity and peak modulation.
>
>
>
> These features would make a P3 with the TX Mon option a real, full
> featured, transmission monitor, which was my assumption that it was to be.
> Right now, it's a simple envelope sampler which, while helpful (and cute to
> show off to guests), doesn't do what a true full featured transmission
> monitoring tool *should* do, especially for RTTY and AM, and especially for
> its price. I can do most of what it does with a chunk of wire and any
> o'scope.
>
>
>
> Am I out of line with my expectation?  Are these features in the works for
> a future software update?  If not, they should be!
>
>
>
> Lu Romero - W4LT
>
> K-Line
>
>
>
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:Elecraft at mailman.qth.net
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> Message delivered to wb5jnc at centurytel.net