[Elecraft] comparing P3, LP-Pan, SDRPlay, others?

[Wes Stewart]

I use an SDR-IQ and SpectraVue software* to look at the K3 IF output. The 
software has a K3 interface option built in that knows all of the frequency 
offsets between modes and tracks the K3 center frequency perfectly and 
seamlessly.  You can tune the K3 with the mouse wheel or point and click.  
Theoretically it can be used as a second RX, however latency might be 
disconcerting, at least it is to me.  But I don't have a second RX in the K3 
either since I have a hard enough job listening to one frequency without trying 
two :-)

The SDR-IQ has been discontinued but used ones still show up. (~$350-$400)  
There is a higher priced replacement but I can't speak to that one. The P3 crowd 
will argue that my approach requires a computer (and a USB port), but who 
doesn't already use one for logging anyway?  I run LP-Bridge to share the USB 
port with the SDR, K3, logging program, MMTTY, etc.

A secondary benefit is that the SDR-IQ makes a decent (but not stellar) 
standalone RX and can be used (with care) as a very accurate spectrum analyzer.  
I used my second one to measure the TX IMD of both my K3 and K3S. My data 
correlated with Elecraft's to within a dB or less.

* There is other SDR programs out there and I've tried most of them but I'm 
sorry, the authors of the other packages simply don't think like real people do 
and I find them simply awful.

Wes  N7WS


On 7/27/2016 8:05 AM, knowkode at verizon.net wrote:
> Greetings,
>
> I have yet to be convinced I need a panadapter for HF but its use for weak signal 6m use is what has my attention. That said, I have seen the P3 and an LP-Pan demonstrated but nothing else. I realize I am probably trying to compare apples to oranges but how do these stack up against each other? Can anything  besides the P3 be used to point and click for QSY? I think the P3 lends itself to my rudimentary comfort level with computers but I do have good tech support in my wife. That said, fire away....
>
> Tnx,
> Jim, W5QM
>
> _