Jim, if you are referring to CW S&P'ing, then the LP Pan/sound card combo
offers a significant advantage over the P3 if you use CW Skimmer, and a
logging program such as N1MM or Writelog. (other logging programs may also
do this) This adds the capability to point & click on stations that show up
in the logging software bandmap, and allows for very high S&P rates. This is
how I do most of my CW contesting, but be aware it puts you in the Assisted
or Unlimited category if you plan to turn in your log. You can also use NaP3
during a contest to get a wide-range view of the band, regardless of mode.
CW Skimmer is used to send its "spots" to your logging software via telenet.
This also affords the advantage of seeing only spots you are actually
hearing vs using RBN or other spotting networks during a contest. I have
noticed that during very busy times with very strong signals, such as CW
Sweepstakes on 40 or 80, there will be some "phantom" stations showing,
probably due to overloading of the LP-Pan's receiver.
You can also use CW Skimmer in "blind" mode with no callsign decoding and
stay out of the Assisted category if you prefer, but that negates most of
the advantage of using it.
I also use this setup for everyday monitoring & CW Dx'ing. I rarely ever
listen to a split pileup anymore. Using CW Skimmer with it's high resolution
and call sign/5NN flagging makes it very easy to see where to call in a
pileup.
While the combo of LP-Pan, good sound card, and CW Skimmer is cheaper than
the P3, assuming you already have a computer, it does take a robust PC to
run it all properly. Anything with an Intel i3 @ 3 GHz and 4 GB RAM will do
fine. Some laptops may have issues trying to run all that software at the
same time. I also use two monitors so I can have more program windows
visible without having to switch back and forth so much.
Good luck!
73,
Luther N4UW
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