Bob, Try setting the threshold to 2 or 3 (CWT Hold). With a fixed threshold, it seems very close to the previous performance on all but the strongest signals (and even the old FW was a bit touchy with S9+20 signals).
73, ... Joe, W4TV > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Bob Cunnings > Sent: Monday, May 12, 2008 10:53 PM > To: wayne burdick > Cc: Elecraft Reflector > Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 BETA FIRMWARE RELEASE -- MCU rev 1.94 > > > Unfortunately I see little improvement in the CW auto-spot feature, > broken in the last release. It is still much less accurate than the > original algorithm, and less consistent in it's behavior. > > Try this - tune in a good steady (S6 or S7) cw signal. Set tuning to > FINE, enable CWT and then press SPOT repeatedly, observing the > frequency display. The beta version (like 1.88) settles on a > considerably different frequency almost every time - moving 5 Hz or > more commonly, and sometimes as much as 20 Hz or more. There is a > tendency to tune low. The original version, on the other hand, rarely > moves more than 1 or 2 Hz with each auto-spot invocation, bearing out > the fact that it is more accurate in general, or less likely to get > confused (by noise, varying morse code speed etc.). > > Since I have two K3 units here, I set one up with 1.78/1.58 and the > other with the beta firmware, and then compared their auto-spot > behavior side by side on the same received signal using an antenna > switch. The difference is quite pronounced. Here are some series of > freqs (last three digits) resulting from 10 successive invocations of > auto-spot on the same steady S7 signal on 40 meters (at 13 wpm or so, > fortunately a long winded transmission): > > v178/158 (TEXT DEC threshold = AUTO) > 125, 125, 125, 129, 130, 130, 127, 128, 129, 129 > > beta (TEXT DEC threshold = AUTO) > 115, 118, 124, 079 (!), 106, 106, 124, 107, 112, 100 > > beta (TEXT DEC threshold = 5) > 124, 123, 109, 116, 118, 122, 117, 116, 120, 123 > > The newer firmware version tends to "bounce around" more with a > tendency to tune low, often requiring multiple invocations of > auto-spot to hit the right pitch, whereas the original algorithm > generally tunes right the first time. With threshold set to 5 in the > beta version auto-spot is a bit better, but all too often it takes > multiple tries to hit the right pitch, as it still tends low. If I set > the threshold much higher, it doesn't want to tune at all for signals > that the original algorithm handled easily. > > I'm not sure what the "improvements" to auto-spot introduced in 1.88 > were supposed to do, but IMO the feature is still negatively affected > by the attempt. A side by side comparison of the two versions, on the > same signal, is very revealing in this case - can someone else try > this? > > Too bad, since I use the feature a lot it's back to 1.78/1.58 for now. > It "just works". > > Bob NW8L > > > > On Mon, May 12, 2008 at 7:08 PM, wayne burdick > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Thanks to your input on the last firmware release (1.88), > we've made a > > number of important improvements. > > > > For the first time, we're posting new firmware as "beta." > Upgrading is > > optional: if you want to minimize your risk, you might want > to wait until > > we've blessed it as a normal production firmware release. > (Or until all your > > friends have it and you're a little jealous.) > > > > We'd love to have as many thrill-seekers as possible take > the plunge and > > load the new firmware now. We think it's greatly improved, > and it will > > certainly clear up many of the issues noted over the past > week. Even though > > we're headed to Dayton in a couple of days, we'll be > monitoring closely for > > any additional issues. > > > > For release notes and instructions on how to load beta > firmware, please see: > > > > http://www.elecraft.com/K3/k3_software.htm > > > > The instructions (linked from within the release notes) > explain how to > > create a separate folder for the beta revision. This will > allow you to > > easily revert to an older revision if you find it > necessary. Hopefully not! > > > > For your convenience I've also provide the release notes below. > > > > 73, > > Wayne > > N6KR > > > > * * * > > > > MCU 1.94 / DSP 1.73, 5-12-08 > > > > * VOX: Increased sensitivity. Typical VOX GN settings now ~30-50. > > > > * VOICE MONITOR: Eliminated "scratchy" artifacts with > compression set to > > high levels. > > > > * FM DEVIATION ADJUSTABLE: Use CONFIG:FM DEV menu entry > (default: 5.0 > > kHz). > > > > * Flash memory driver improved to prevent occasional > receive dropouts, "ERR > > PL1", and > > "FPF LOAD PENDING" messages. > > > > * XMIT SWITCH IN MENU: Tapping XMIT while in menu > correctly starts/ends > > transmit. > > > > * PASSBAND SHIFT BELOW "0.00" CORRECTED: The SHIFT control > no longer allows > > continued rotation below 0.00. (This was occurring only > with sidetone > > pitch < 500 Hz.) > > > > * SQUELCH/RF GAIN CONTROL CHANGES: By default, the RF/SQL > concentric pots > > control main and subreceiver RF gain, and squelch is > controlled by two > > CONFIG menu > > entries (SQ MAIN and SQ SUB). But setting SQ MAIN to > "=SUB POT" assigns > > SUB RF/SQL pot to both main and sub squelch, and in this > case, the main > > RF/SQL > > pot controls both main and sub RF gain. Setting SQ MAIN > back to a numeric > > value > > restores the default assignments. Note: Squelch applies > only to FM mode > > at present. > > > > --- > > > > http://www.elecraft.com > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Elecraft mailing list > > Post to: [email protected] > > You must be a subscriber to post to the list. > > Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): > > http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm > > Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com > > > _______________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Post to: [email protected] > You must be a subscriber to post to the list. > Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): > http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm > Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com > Checked by AVG. > Version: 8.0.100 / Virus Database: 269.23.16/1428 - Release > Date: 5/12/2008 7:44 AM > _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [email protected] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
