[PVRCNC] RE: [PVRC] K3 Convergence

[Brad Hedges]

Adding to what Bill just said, Rob Sherwood has completed his first run of
receiver tests of the K3 - you can see a few of the numbers here:

http://marc.info/?l=elecraft&m=120260688630967&w=2

Top of the chart performance for very reasonable money. I recommend we all
buy two of them. I'm going to...

FWIW, es 73,

Brad
KM5MM/4

Bradley D. Hedges
(ex-AL4T - I'm moving to a farm in Oklahoma in a few weeks - can you say
"Antenna Farm"?!)
Sergeant First Class, Infantry (about to retire)
82d Airborne Division


-----Original Message-----
From: pvrc-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:pvrc-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On
Behalf Of Bill Tippett
Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2008 8:29 AM
To: pvrc at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [PVRC] K3 Convergence

         I'm not sure everyone comprehends the significance
of several developments around the K3. Together hey will
allow parallel SDR-5000 class bandscope performance without
sacrificing the highest performance front-end on the market.


1. The availability of the K3's wideband buffered IF output opens
up some very interesting possibilities.  Remember it's wideband,
post-BPF and pre-roofing filter, so it can "see" the entire CW
band when paired with an appropriate sound card (i.e. up to
192 kHz of bandwidth).  This requires the $100 KXV3 option.


2. N8LP's LP-PAN for the K3 (my guess is $500):

<http://telepostinc.com/K3pan.html>http://telepostinc.com/K3pan.html

This interfaces the K3's IF output to the computer sound card
and SDR software (e.g. even PowerSDR which the SDR-5000
uses).  You get a quality bandscope that far exceeds even the
IC-7800 in capability. See specs above.


3. VE3NEA's CW Skimmer software ($75):

<http://www.dxatlas.com/CwSkimmer/>http://www.dxatlas.com/CwSkimmer/

This will revolutionize serious contesting when unassisted single ops
have the ability to internally generate Packet spots without outside
assistance. SO2R using a K3/LP-PAN/CW Skimmer can feed spots
directly to the bandmap of current contest logging software, which
can sort needed mults/calls and present them in a point-and-click
display (just like assisted or multi-multi ops use now).  This would
probably not work on the same band without some other tricks but
should work fine for other bands just as SO2R rigs do today.

         The convergence of these 3 products may set a new standard for
serious contesters (and probably DXers). Add up the above prices, add
$1000 for a computer/monitor and you have unbelievable performance for
the money (<$5k total including the K3 configured for contesting).

                                         73, Bill W4ZV

_______________________________________________
PVRC mailing list
PVRC at mailman.qth.net
http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/pvrc