[Elecraft] Some K4 updates from the engineering department

[Ian Kahn, NV4C]

Wayne,

Thank you for this update. I am eagerly awaiting information on the K4 
kits and when they will be available (I know, not for a while yet ;-)).

My only regret with my K3, s/n 261, is that I bought it, and its 
accompanying P3, used. Consequently, I didn't get the joy of building 
them myself. I built my KPA500 and KAT500. Aside from dropping the tiny 
fasteners into the deep pile carpet in the dining room, I loved every 
minute of it. I've thoroughly enjoyed my K-Line, and look forward to 
upgrading to the K4 (and maybe the KPA1500, if the funds hold out).

73 de,

Ian, NV4C

On 4/19/20 3:46 PM, Wayne Burdick wrote:
> Greetings from locked-down California.... I hope everyone, near and far, is staying safe!
>
> I thought I'd take a break from playing with the K4 and tweaking firmware to give everyone a status report from the engineering side. (Eric has been keeping everyone informed about how Elecraft has been affected by the pandemic more generally.)
>
> These musings are in no particular order. I hope they help satisfy those who recently posted with questions, info-cravings, etc.
>
> * * *
>
> Reference Oscillator
>
> The K4 includes a stable internal TXCO, standard, as well as the ability to lock to an external 10 MHz reference. We just completed a round of testing on this feature.
>
> The internal TCXO is accurate to within +/- .28 ppm with no calibration and no external reference connected. There's a menu entry for dialing this in as tight as +/- .02 PPM (+/- 1 Hz at 50 MHz). Connecting an external reference will hold it even closer, and of course keep it there over an even wider temperature range.
>
> Panadapter Controls
>
> Thanks to the efforts of our [working-at-home] software team, the panadapter controls just keep getting better. When you tap DISPLAY, you're presented with 14 easy to use display functions. But we took things a step further by allowing you to specify whether to adjust the current parameter on LCD, EXT, or both (when an external monitor is attached), and on main, sub, or both (when in dual-display mode). You can independently specify single or dual-pan for LCD and external monitor. For example, you could have dual-Pan on a large HDMI monitor, while setting the LCD to monitor just main or sub RX.
>
> Stereo Audio
>
> Receive audio provides independent left and right channels for both headphones and external speakers. When used in single-receive mode, this allows you to use simulated stereo or "pitch mapping"-- both very effective at relieving listening fatigue. I've been using this a lot in DXing and QRP work. Full stereo also comes into play in diversity mode, when listening to pileups, or just monitoring two separate bands. Even with a basic K4, the two receivers can be set to any two bands, and you can operate cross-band split. The K4D adds a second set of band-pass filters and a second A-to-D converter to greatly improve out-of-band rejection when monitoring different bands.
>
> Receive Antenna Controls
>
> We recently made some improvements in this area. In addition to main RX ant and sub RX ant selection switches, there are now separate icons showing which antennas are in use: one for main RX, one for sub RX, and one for TX antenna. Main and sub receivers default to the TX antenna, but you can select any of the antenna jacks for assignment to each receiver independently. This updates the icons accordingly. You can also assign names to antenna ports using a pop-up alphanumeric keyboard. On my K4, I have names for the three antennas connected to my KAT4 ATU, as well as "SIG GEN" for the RX ANT IN 1 jack and "LOOP" for RX ANT IN 2.
>
> RF Gain Controls
>
> The ATTN switch brings up a selection tool that allows you to turn the attenuator on/off and select attenuation from 0 to 21 dB in 3-dB steps. (As with all receive and transmit controls, these settings are stored per-band and per-receiver.) You can also dial in per-receiver RF GAIN (0 to -60 dB, with digital readout) and preamp setting (off/pre1/pre2). All gain settings are now taken into account when calculating S-meter and panadapter reference levels.
>
> Miscellaneous Controls
>
> Compared the the K3S, the K4 has numerous additional controls, resulting in a lot less use of the menu. Each receiver has a collection of per-mode settings (tap MAIN RX or SUB RX, respectively), as does the transmitter (tap the TX button). There are dedicated switches for TUNE LP (user-specified low-power TUNE setting), REM ANT (for future control of remote antenna switches, rotators, etc.), VFO B>A (in addition to the usual A>B), AUTO spot (in addition to SPOT), PF1-PF4 (plus another 14 user functions, Fn 1-14, via a touch function), and a separate audio BALance knob function, the behavior of which could be adapted to various operator needs in the future.
>
> Touch Controls
>
> We're sure you'll find, as we have, that the K4's touch screen interface is fast and convenient to use. To capitalize on this, we've been adding new touch features. To highlight a few: Tapping the RIT/XIT offset window turns RIT on/off (per receiver). Tapping the antenna icons brings up their selection widgets, with planned custom behavior for quick A/B testing. The Status Area of the LCD normally shows time and date, but you can tap it to select from various alternatives, including system parameters (like supply voltage/current) or per-receiver absolute signal levels in dBm. Tapping the per-RX filter graphics switches between per-mode FL1/2/3 settings.
>
> * * *
>
> I have to admit that it's frustrating to be sequestered at home, making only the occasional quick trip to the office or to visit coworkers. Work, like life, has become more challenging for all of us. But the good news for everyone waiting for a K4 is that a handful of testers are using them every day, so that when you do get your hands on one, it'll be rock-solid.
>
> Believe me, we're just as anxious for that day to arrive as you are. Maybe more :)
>
> 73,
> Wayne
> N6KR
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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 nv4c.ian at gmail.com