Re: [Elecraft] K3 FW request: enhanced TX TEST warning
Joe It's not just incompetence, we, well me/I, need a little help when bleary-eyed from lack of sleep, say in contest when things go wrong ; as they do... David G3UNA - Original Message - From: Joe Subich, W4TV li...@subich.com To: 'Ian White GM3SEK' gm3...@ifwtech.co.uk; elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Friday, February 06, 2009 8:02 PM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 FW request: enhanced TX TEST warning As a stronger warning that the K3 is in TX Test mode, would it be possible to flash the orange Delta-F LED as well as the tiny TX icon? Instead of doing that, why not simply hijack the VFO B display and flash TX TEST when in test mode? The display is already there if you think users are so incompetent that they need hand holding. 73, ... Joe, W4TV -Original Message- From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Ian White GM3SEK Sent: Friday, February 06, 2009 2:23 PM To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: [Elecraft] K3 FW request: enhanced TX TEST warning As a stronger warning that the K3 is in TX Test mode, would it be possible to flash the orange Delta-F LED as well as the tiny TX icon? (Think of it as an extension of what Dick already does in the K3 Utility, to signify that the rig is not available for use.) Reason for asking: Experienced user didn't notice he'd left the rig in Test mode. New user didn't notice the flashing TX icon, or that no power was going out... only that nobody was coming back to calls. Experienced user is in big trouble! -- __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] K3 FW request: enhanced TX TEST warning
Dave G4AON wrote: Part of that debate needs to include those like myself who often set their K3 to TX Test in order to avoid accidentally transmitting (paddles on the desk, foot switch, etc). Having flashing LEDs or large parts of the display flashing is very distracting when you are using the K3 as a receiver. My vote is to leave it alone. Mine, too. I frequently use TX Test for similar reasons, and would find this very annoying. I also occasionally find myself trying to transmit and nothing happening because I left it in TX Test, but I have now learned the reason for it. There are lots of stupid things one can do with a radio, one cannot expect it to prevent all of them. It is really the responsibility of anyone using a radio for the first time to learn how to drive it. - Julian, G4ILO. K2 #392 K3 #222. http://www.g4ilo.com/ G4ILO's Shack http://www.ham-directory.com/ Ham Directoryhttp://www.g4ilo.com/kcomm.html KComm for Elecraft K2 and K3 -- View this message in context: http://n2.nabble.com/K3-FW-request%3A-enhanced-TX-TEST-warning-tp2286019p2288813.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] K3 FW request: enhanced TX TEST warning
As a stronger warning that the K3 is in TX Test mode, would it be possible to flash the orange Delta-F LED as well as the tiny TX icon? (Think of it as an extension of what Dick already does in the K3 Utility, to signify that the rig is not available for use.) Reason for asking: Experienced user didn't notice he'd left the rig in Test mode. New user didn't notice the flashing TX icon, or that no power was going out... only that nobody was coming back to calls. Experienced user is in big trouble! -- 73 from Ian GM3SEK __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] K3 FW request: enhanced TX TEST warning
As a stronger warning that the K3 is in TX Test mode, would it be possible to flash the orange Delta-F LED as well as the tiny TX icon? Instead of doing that, why not simply hijack the VFO B display and flash TX TEST when in test mode? The display is already there if you think users are so incompetent that they need hand holding. 73, ... Joe, W4TV -Original Message- From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Ian White GM3SEK Sent: Friday, February 06, 2009 2:23 PM To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: [Elecraft] K3 FW request: enhanced TX TEST warning As a stronger warning that the K3 is in TX Test mode, would it be possible to flash the orange Delta-F LED as well as the tiny TX icon? (Think of it as an extension of what Dick already does in the K3 Utility, to signify that the rig is not available for use.) Reason for asking: Experienced user didn't notice he'd left the rig in Test mode. New user didn't notice the flashing TX icon, or that no power was going out... only that nobody was coming back to calls. Experienced user is in big trouble! -- 73 from Ian GM3SEK __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] K3 FW request: enhanced TX TEST warning
Joe Subich, W4TV wrote: As a stronger warning that the K3 is in TX Test mode, would it be possible to flash the orange Delta-F LED as well as the tiny TX icon? Instead of doing that, why not simply hijack the VFO B display and flash TX TEST when in test mode? The display is already there if you think users are so incompetent that they need hand holding. Incompetent doesn't come into this. The K3 will frequently be used by people who have never seen one before, and even people who know the rig can make mistakes. All I'm looking for is a more obvious warning that something isn't normal. It would be wrong to change any of the displays that need to be behave normally when TX Test mode is being used for its intended function. If anyone has a better suggestion than flashing the Delta-F LED (which is already being used by the K3 Utility for a similar purpose, but has no useful function while in TX Test mode) then by all means let's discuss it. -- 73 from Ian GM3SEK 'In Practice' columnist for RadCom (RSGB) http://www.ifwtech.co.uk/g3sek __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] K3 FW request: enhanced TX TEST warning
Perhaps you fellows are taking this from the wrong direction. After all, this is not a new issue: I've seen situations where it has been addressed since the beginning of radio. Perhaps the important thing is to announce when the transmitter IS making RF, not when it's not. Most of us have chuckled over the Novice (sometimes ourselves) who proudly set up an ON THE AIR sign that lighted when the tx was transmitting. Of course, those came from radio/TV studio usage where they were warning everyone they were, indeed On the Air. But they aren't the only ones. I never saw a shipboard CW console that wasn't set up with something that displayed, usually quite dramatically, when RF was being fed to the antenna. In those installations, a very short (in wavelengths) end fed wire was the common antenna, and one end came into the radio room as a copper pipe suspended from the ceiling by ceramic insulators as it passed to the antenna switch at the top of the radio console. Sparky invariably hung or taped a few large neon lamps or a fluorescent lamp onto that copper feeder that would illuminate every time the key was pressed. I always have something that prominently display when RF current is flowing into the antenna. After all these years I'd feel 'naked' without it :-) Perhaps we need an accessory ON AIR sign for the K3. Ron AC7AC __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] K3 FW request: enhanced TX TEST warning
All I'm looking for is a more obvious warning that something isn't normal. It would be wrong to change any of the displays that need to be behave normally when TX Test mode is being used for its intended function. If anyone has a better suggestion than flashing the Delta-F LED (which is already being used by the K3 Utility for a similar purpose, but has no useful function while in TX Test mode) then by all means let's discuss it. The Delta-F LED has the same purpose in normal operation and test mode - the tx/rx frequencies are not the same even if the power amplifier will not generate any output. If your concern is that a user can be confused by accidentally putting the radio into test mode, make the ability to use test mode controllable in the CONFIG menu and make the enable item part of the tech mode group. Flashing a Delta-F LED would not mean any more to a user unfamiliar with the K3 than flashing the TX icon. If the goal is to let the unfamiliar user know why he is not getting output, the TX TEST display is unambiguous for the untrained user. Rather than another display change that as no meaning for the unfamiliar user, make a clear display change or modify the user interface to make it much more difficult to accidentally enter the unexpected state. 73, ... Joe, W4TV -Original Message- From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Ian White GM3SEK Sent: Friday, February 06, 2009 3:48 PM To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 FW request: enhanced TX TEST warning Joe Subich, W4TV wrote: As a stronger warning that the K3 is in TX Test mode, would it be possible to flash the orange Delta-F LED as well as the tiny TX icon? Instead of doing that, why not simply hijack the VFO B display and flash TX TEST when in test mode? The display is already there if you think users are so incompetent that they need hand holding. Incompetent doesn't come into this. The K3 will frequently be used by people who have never seen one before, and even people who know the rig can make mistakes. All I'm looking for is a more obvious warning that something isn't normal. It would be wrong to change any of the displays that need to be behave normally when TX Test mode is being used for its intended function. If anyone has a better suggestion than flashing the Delta-F LED (which is already being used by the K3 Utility for a similar purpose, but has no useful function while in TX Test mode) then by all means let's discuss it. -- 73 from Ian GM3SEK 'In Practice' columnist for RadCom (RSGB) http://www.ifwtech.co.uk/g3sek __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] K3 FW request: enhanced TX TEST warning
Part of that debate needs to include those like myself who often set their K3 to TX Test in order to avoid accidentally transmitting (paddles on the desk, foot switch, etc). Having flashing LEDs or large parts of the display flashing is very distracting when you are using the K3 as a receiver. My vote is to leave it alone. 73 Dave, G4AON K3/100 #80 SNIP If anyone has a better suggestion than flashing the Delta-F LED (which is already being used by the K3 Utility for a similar purpose, but has no useful function while in TX Test mode) then by all means let's discuss it. -- 73 from Ian GM3SEK __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] K3 FW request: enhanced TX TEST warning
Yes, please leave it alone. It seems to me like a non-problem. Personally I never use test mode although I have accidentally activated it since it is a hold function of the mode button. I could not imagine operating a radio without some sort of external metering in the antenna feed line. Currently I have an analog cross needle SWR meter in the line and I hardly ever transmit without confirming visually that I am emitting RF power and that SWR looks normal. There's gotta be more important issues for Elecraft to pay attention to. Dave G4AON wrote: Part of that debate needs to include those like myself who often set their K3 to TX Test in order to avoid accidentally transmitting (paddles on the desk, foot switch, etc). Having flashing LEDs or large parts of the display flashing is very distracting when you are using the K3 as a receiver. My vote is to leave it alone. 73 Dave, G4AON K3/100 #80 SNIP - AB2TC - Knut -- View this message in context: http://n2.nabble.com/K3-FW-request%3A-enhanced-TX-TEST-warning-tp2286019p2286865.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
