[Elecraft] Best Mac to use with KX3

[John Stengrevics]

?? I use a MacBook Pro (new).  just connect the Mac to my K3S via USB.  I imagine KX3 is the same.  That’s all there is to it.

73,

John
WA1EAZ

> On Jan 27, 2019, at 7:50 PM, James Bennett via Elecraft <elecraft at mailman.qth.net> wrote:
> 
> Steve - I normally use an iMac (27”) here in the shack with WSJT-X and in the past have flip-flopped between a KX3 and my K3. Sold the KX3 and now use a KX2 alternately with the K3. In 2016 I took my KX3 to the southern Philippines along with a MacBook Pro Retina and used it with WSJT-X. The external audio “ sound card” I use is a Tascam US-125M. 
> 
> So, what you get will dictate what you’ll need to acquire, if anything. Several years ago Apple made a change in their OS in how it handles USB-2. Basically they screwed it up. And they are not inclined to fix it. From that point on there have been a bazillion Mac users (including myself) that are going along with digital modes working fine and all of a sudden, the audio starts coming out the internal speakers instead of the sound card. Numerous work-arounds are out there - the one I have been very successful with is to change the sampling rate to 44,000. This issue, from what I’ve heard, does not affect USB-3. If you get a relatively new Mac and it has USB-3, you’ll probably be OK. My iMac does not, so I use USB-2 and 99.9% of the time I’m OK. My MacBook Pro does not have USB-3, but it DOES have a Thunderbolt port. I got a Thunderbolt to USB converter on Amazon and that took care of this problem on the laptop.
> 
> Hope that helps.
> 
> p.s. - be sure you’ve got a beefy heatsink on that KX3 if you plan on running it barefoot at 15 watts on digital. The one that came with my KX3 (serial number 5539) wasn't up to the task and after a few minutes would fold back to 5 watts. This was prior to FT8 - the JT65 and JT9 modes run for considerably longer and do cause heat build-up. I eventually got a third-party heat sink and never had a problem with fold-back afterwards.
> 
> 73, Jim / W6JHB
> 
> 
>> On   Sunday, Jan 27, 2019, at  Sunday, 9:08 AM, Steve Grimaud (Gmail) <steve.grimaud at gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>> I'm trying to find a good new or used Macbook or Mac mini to begin using with my KX3. I had used a PC with ASUS Xonar U7 and/or Signalink USB. What will I need to keep, drop or use in a different way to get a Mac unit working with my KX3? I'm especially interested in digital signals. Who here knows what works best.
>> 
>> 73
>> 
>> Steve w3swg
>> 
>> -- 
>> Steve Grimaud
>> steve.grimaud at gmail.com
>> 240-753-5380
>> 
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> 
> James Bennett
> w6jhb at me.com
> 
> 
> 
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