[Elecraft] Skimmer and the K3S

[Pete Smith N4ZR]

I assume the K3S also has the RX IN/OUT jacks of the K3.  In that case 
you can put a splitter in the line from RX out, and feed one leg back 
through RX IN.  Then, any time you select the RX antenna from the front 
panel you will send all signals from the antenna both to the K23S and to 
a separate SDR, albeit with about a 3.5 dB loss in each signal.

To achieve what you want, I suggest looking at the WaterfallBandmap by 
Steve London, N2IC.  It is a free app that can be downloaded from 
<http://www.kkn.net/~n2ic/WB_071316.zip>.  I won't try to replicate the 
very good documentation in the zipfile, but I believe it accomplishes 
everything you would want in terms of integration among CW Skimmer, your 
radio, and N1MM+. It incorporates a separate clickable waterfall/bandmap 
that tracks with your radio.

Anyhow, have a look.  Steve heartily recommends the $149 SDRPlay SDR 
<www.sdrplay.com>, which eliminates need for a sound card to be in the 
loop as well as a lot of the problems with images that involving as 
sound card brings into the mix..

73, Pete N4ZR
Download the new N1MM Logger+ at
<http://N1MM.hamdocs.com>. Check
out the Reverse Beacon Network at
<http://reversebeacon.net>, now
spotting RTTY activity worldwide.
For spots, please use your favorite
"retail" DX cluster.

On 9/2/2016 8:19 PM, Joe Subich, W4TV wrote:
>
> If you expect 100 KHz (more than 22 KHz) with CW Skimmer you will need
> to split the receive antenna loop and feed a true SDR (e.g., SDR I/Q, 
> Perseus, QSR1, etc or equivalent) tuned to the bottom of the active
> band.  See the CW skimmer documentation - any configuration that feeds
> skimmer from the IF and tracks the IF offset is limited to 22 KHz (the
> operating frequency +/- 11 KHz).
>
> This is a design choice made by the developer of CW Skimmer.  If you
> have questions, contact him.
>
> The "direct" receiver configuration does not require/use microHAM
> Router.  Other software is used to link logging software and skimmer.
>
> 73,
>
>    ... Joe, W4TV
>
>
> On 9/2/2016 2:01 PM, Peter W2IRT wrote:
>> Hello all,
>> With the vast majority of my friends having gone the Flex route 
>> rather than
>> the K3, I'm finding I'm at a rather huge disadvantage in terms of CW
>> operation, and that's Skimmer, which is an absolute game-changer for
>> everybody who's running it. I just can't figure out how to make it work
>> acceptably well with the K3S/P3 combination I have here.
>>
>> I went the LP-PAN route and the birdies/mirror images make that device
>> wholly unsuitable for me, so I'm back to square one. I don't want to 
>> spend
>> another small fortune on interface boxes, but something better than 
>> LP-PAN
>> is clearly the answer. I just don't know what it is, what to do once 
>> I buy
>> it, or anything else. The big limitation I have is whatever devices 
>> that I
>> will need to buy will also have to play well with MicroHam Router 
>> software,
>> and in the past that has left my head spinning. This stuff is SO far 
>> beyond
>> my understanding I feel as if I've been thrown into the deep end of 
>> the pool
>> without knowing how to swim.
>>
>> Working backwards, let's say the required end result is to have the CW
>> portion of whichever band I'm on skimmed and calls displayed on my 
>> bandmap
>> in either N1MM+ or DX Labs' Commander. Not 22kHz worth of calls 
>> relative to
>> my operating frequency, but everything, from .000 to .100 and maybe 
>> beyond.
>> If I'm running in CQWW or ARRL-CW, I'm less impressed with what the 
>> cluster
>> is showing me and would rather rely more heavily on what my own 
>> antenna is
>> picking up.
>>
>> I have only two antenna feeds on the property: Whatever's selected on 
>> the
>> tower or a K9AY loop connected to the RX-in line on the back of the 
>> K3S. I
>> don't' have a separate antenna to feed another receiver so I guess 
>> the idea
>> is to take signal off the IF from the P3 out, yes? Like I said, I'm 
>> really
>> very old-school and I need help getting up to speed with all this 
>> stuff. I
>> migrated from a Mark V last year and the learning curve on the K3S is 
>> still
>> as steep as Mt. Everest for me. Any help greatly appreciated,
>> please'n'thanks!
>>
>> ---------------------------------------------
>> 73 and Good DX
>> Peter, W2IRT
>>
>>
>>
>> S/N 10023
>>
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