I've been using the K3/0 mini for about a year for casual DXing and for many contests. The K3/0 mini is perfect -- a mirror of your K3. Once you get used to the the fact that you are setting menus on the Remote radio, all will be good.
The mix that is important is how you use the K3/0 to interconnect it to the remote shack. As stated here, many users are using the MicroBit RemoteRig product. This adds about $750+/- to your remote cost, but provides a far superior result than any other method. The killers in remote operation are latency and jitter (jitter being the varying difference in latency over time.) The Microbit boxes use dedicated hardware, and a very flexible software configuration. to allow you to tailor the box to your needs. The RemoteRig components are not designed specifically for the K3; therefore, they have a generic interface design, and Elecraft sells the specific interconnect cable for the K3/0. The majority of my contesting experience has been on CW in the Majors: CQWW and ARRL DX, running remote to K2LE/1 from my QTH in NH. The shack has 1.5Mb/.5Mb DSL service. The average latency on the connection varies from 120-150mS, with very manageable jitter. We run the RemoteRig boxes with 8kHz bandwidth, and this works very well. I don't feel handicapped by being remote at all... In many QSOs, I get unsolicited comments of great audio on SSB, and no issues with CW. It is just like being there. The Microbit boxes do have a lot of configuration parameters. You also have to know how to port forward from your router in the shack (unless you are using the box in your own home, and both ends are on the same LAN). If you are not familiar with networking, configuring the boxes can be a challenge. As the others have stated, the forum on the RemoteRig site is a good resource --> search it with Google first, as much of your frustration has already been experienced by others. Their is another solution with the K3/0 which is essentially 15-minute plug and play. It is a free solution, once you own the K3/0. This is the software and website of Brandon, KG6YPI -- an Elecraft employee and the guy you usually talk to if you are experiencing problems with the Microbit gear and K3/0. Your K3/0 has a USB connector on it. This connector can be plugged into a PC, and two codecs (send/receive) and two RS-232 connections (Rig Control and passthrough) are automatically installed. Brandon's site is www.remotehams.com. Their is PC software for the remote end as well as the server end. You can use Brandon's software without the K3/0 -- but it has some very cool features: - If you have a K3/0 and a K3 at the station, you get full control of the radio with all features. - If you want to connect to a remote on RemoteHams, where the remote is NOT a K3, you can still use the K3/0 for frequency control and other features. I use RemoteHams to control Dom, 3Z9DX's station, and run SSB from Poland. It works very well, though the overall latency is much higher. CW still has some work to be done. But I know Brandon is getting there. I've asked Dom if I could try his station in some contest on CW -- it will be interesting to see how that works out. I use both RemoteHams and the Microbit RemoteRig solution with the K3/0, and am very happy with both; I will continue to use RemoteRig in serious contest situations. 73, Gerry W1VE Hancock, NH Gerry Hull, W1VE | Hancock, NH USA | +1-603-499-7373 AKA: VE1RM | VY2CDX | VO1CDX | 6Y6C | 8P9RM <http://www.yccc.org> <http://www.yccc.org/> <http://www.facebook.com/gerryhull> <https://plus.google.com/+GerryHull/posts> <http://www.twitter.com/w1ve> On Tue, May 26, 2015 at 8:39 AM, jlbates4 <jlbat...@gmail.com> wrote: > I'm in the midst of a terrible urge to spend some $$'s and the K3/0'-Mini's > siren call is hard to resist. I've done a bit of reading on the RemoteRig > products and there is scare info on the K3/0 mini. > > I'd love to hear any testimonials, rig setups, real-world latency > commentary, or even how you manage the firmware. > > Anyone play with the codecs? Thoughts on the different audio quality? > > My current though is using the K3/0-Mini on the same local network and I do > some occasional work travel, might be nice to take it with me. > > Comments encouraged!!! > > > 73 de K8OI > > > > ----- > K8OI > mailto:jlbat...@gmail.com > (804) 592-1068 > -- > View this message in context: > http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/K3-0-Mini-Experiences-tp7603508.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 > Message delivered to ge...@w1ve.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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
