Wayne wrote: >You can't change the behavior of the SPLIT switch itself (that would bring >our support department to its collective knees), but you can create a custom >SPLIT macro of arbitrary complexity and assign it any of the K3's 10 >programmable function switches.
We have to accept Wayne's first point: wildcat macro programmers cannot be allowed to change the behaviour of the [SPLIT] switch itself. But let's not pretend that custom Split macros are an elegant solution either. The problem isn't writing the macro, but in having to assign tat macro to something *other* than the [SPLIT] button itself... and then having to share the macro-modified K3 with guest operators or other club members. The bedrock point of principle is this: users should *never* be forced to resort to macros for simple industry-standard features that ought to be part of the firmware. So the solution is for *Elecraft* to change the behaviour of the [SPLIT] button instead - by providing a firmware option for a very simple, industry standard, plain vanilla "Quick Split" function (aka "Smart Split"). That would satisfy the huge majority of K3 owners without any need to use macros... and 95% of this unending discussion would melt away. For the remaining 5% who don't care for plain vanilla, the existing macro option is still there. It really is astonishing that we're still talking about this - as if a Quick Split option for a [SPLIT] button were something new with no track record. Almost all competing transceivers have had Quick Split for over 20 years! Quick Split also fills an increasingly important role in avoiding human error in pileups... currently an area where the K3 offers no help at all. Here is a first draft of what a Split Mode configuration option could look like (borrowing heavily from other user manuals because there is absolutely no need to reinvent any of this): "SPLT MD Normal (NOR): the [SPLIT] button makes VFOB the transmit VFO (if permitted by other previously selected options - see pages xx and yy). Quick Split (QIK): the [SPLIT] button sets VFOB to the same mode as VFOA (overriding all previous band/mode settings for VFOB) and offsets the VFOB (transmit) frequency away from the existing frequency of VFOA. If the subreceiver is installed, Quick Split also matches the sub's filter bandwidth to the main, and turns on the sub using the selected headphones/speaker mode for dual receive. To activate Quick Split and pre-select the VFOB offset, rotate the VFOA knob either clockwise or anticlockwise away from NOR. (Range -20 to +20kHz in 1kHz steps, default +3kHz. Returning to 0kHz re-selects the NORmal Split mode.) " Achievable? It might need less new code than we imagine, because the method for initializing Quick Split looks an awful lot like the existing method for initializing Diversity, the main difference (obviously) being the frequency setting for VFOB. 73 from Ian GM3SEK ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[email protected] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [email protected]
