[Elecraft] Does a K4 need an external sound card for FT8?

[Wayne Burdick]

Hi Dennis,

The sound card is built into the K4 (stereo line out for RX, line in for TX). Adjustment is simple. There is no advantage whatsoever to using an external sound card.

The K4 also has analog line in/out for backwards compatibility, and supports digital audio streaming over Ethernet as well.

73,
Wayne
N6KR


> On Jan 4, 2021, at 5:11 PM, Dennis Dinga <dennis at dinga.com> wrote:
> 
> This question keeps coming up but, but the answers are either incomplete or confusing.  Courtney KD6X asked it again on Jan 3 and has not received an answer.
> 
> Here's the way I'd like to ask it:  I use a West Mountain RIGblaster advantage instead of the sound card in my computer.  Why?  So that I have the convenience of adjusting TX and RX levels with physical knobs instead of using sliders on a monitor.  So how do you set levels with the K4?  Does it require fiddling with menus and going through several steps?  And like Courtney asked, is there anything else to gained by using an external 24 bit card?
> 
> -Dennis N6DD
> 
> ++++++++++++++++++
> 
> Here is the way that Courtney KD6X put it:
> 
> "Any value in using a Microkeyer III with a K3S or K4D?
> 
> I have a K3... the best radio I've ever owed in my 50+ year ham life.  I'm currently using a US Interface Navigator with it for digital modes.  This is now sold as the Time Wave Navigator and has worked really well for me for many years.
> 
> My understanding is that the K3S and now the incoming K4's have sound cards built-in via the USB port.  So perhaps I won't need the Navigator anymore when my K4 eventually arrives.  But my question is whether there is still something to be gained using a newer transceiver interface with the K3S or K4?  I've been looking at the Microkeyer III with its 24 bit audio processing.  Does anyone have any hands-on experience with the Microkeyer III with Elecraft radios?  I'm particularly interested if it has a lower noise floor or other features that might not be found in the stock K3S or K4.
> 
> Thanks for any input or feedback!
> 
>  -- Courtney  KD6X"
> 
> 
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