RE: [Elecraft] Conversion from K3 to K3Plus or K4
I think it is a good idea. In fact, I suggested the same thing for the K2 before there was a K3 (in those pre-K3, or B3 days). Elecraft could create a new version of the K2 (K2-B, B for Big) with a larger front panel with dedicated controls. Same for the K3. I think it would be an easy thing to design and would be a popular add-on. I see it as a money maker for Elecraft. I'm sure they considered it back in B3 and so far we haven't seen it. My guess is the logistics of making it happen aren't so easy or it doesn't fit their market model. - Keith N1AS - - K3 711 - -Original Message- From: Ignacy One issue with K3 is too many multifunction knobs and buttons. Also, some analog meters would be nice. Computer controls are fine but they are hard to use during contests. I am wondering whether one can have a completely separate front panel with lots of knobs and buttons, nothin dual purpose. ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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
Re: [Elecraft] Conversion from K3 to K3Plus or K4
Dear Ignacy, Why complicate things? I built my K3 in January this year and didn't use my previous rig - the Mark V Field - thereafter. The K3 knocks spots off it and I have now sold it. Multi function buttons are not a problem to me - and there are several panadapters available if you want one, including the LP-Pan, designed with the K3 in mind. I'm sure you'll reach the same conclusion when your K3 arrives. Hope you have as much fun with it as I am having with mine :-) 73 to all Geoff G3UCK - Original Message - From: Ignacy [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Tuesday, November 25, 2008 6:20 PM Subject: [Elecraft] Conversion from K3 to K3Plus or K4 Below is one of the crazy ideas conceived when waiting for my K3 to arrive (later this week) and lamenting over the loss of many single- function buttons from Mark V Field. Ignacy, NO9E ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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
RE: [Elecraft] Conversion from K3 to K3Plus or K4
I don't know much about this sort of thing, but the command set (for the K2 at least) is available, so I would think it would be a relatively simple matter to program something like a Basic Stamp to receive pushbutton presses from a small outboard control panel and send the appropriate serial command to the K2 or K3. You could probably read status back from the transceiver and illuminate status LEDs to show what's going on. The smarter programmer types could probably use a PIC or two to do this and have a separate matrix type LCD to display status in a more attractive fashion. This something I've always wanted to try. I'm not totally crazy about needing a computer to operate my rig when all I want is a little easier access to some of the buried commands. 73 - Ken --- On Tue, 11/25/08, Darwin, Keith [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: From: Darwin, Keith [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE: [Elecraft] Conversion from K3 to K3Plus or K4 To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Received: Tuesday, November 25, 2008, 6:27 PM I think it is a good idea. In fact, I suggested the same thing for the K2 before there was a K3 (in those pre-K3, or B3 days). Elecraft could create a new version of the K2 (K2-B, B for Big) with a larger front panel with dedicated controls. Same for the K3. I think it would be an easy thing to design and would be a popular add-on. I see it as a money maker for Elecraft. I'm sure they considered it back in B3 and so far we haven't seen it. My guess is the logistics of making it happen aren't so easy or it doesn't fit their market model. - Keith N1AS - - K3 711 - -Original Message- From: Ignacy One issue with K3 is too many multifunction knobs and buttons. Also, some analog meters would be nice. Computer controls are fine but they are hard to use during contests. I am wondering whether one can have a completely separate front panel with lots of knobs and buttons, nothin dual purpose. ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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
RE: [Elecraft] Conversion from K3 to K3Plus or K4
My K3 has 54 buttons outboard and a multi-purpose knob! These accessories are available from XKEYS.com and Griffin Technologies (Powermate). The XKEY product comes with software and I have made available, software for the Powermate. This is just a suggestion for the group - I have no affiliation other than customer with these companies. With software with which you can easily assign functions, these are interesting accessories that take advantage of the rich commands Elecraft provides with the K3 and K2. Want a direct bandswitch? No problem. Memory channel tuning knob? No problem. Have fun! 73 - Mike, KE4U -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Ken Alexander Sent: Tuesday, November 25, 2008 2:09 PM To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net; Darwin, Keith Subject: RE: [Elecraft] Conversion from K3 to K3Plus or K4 I don't know much about this sort of thing, but the command set (for the K2 at least) is available, so I would think it would be a relatively simple matter to program something like a Basic Stamp to receive pushbutton presses from a small outboard control panel and send the appropriate serial command to the K2 or K3. You could probably read status back from the transceiver and illuminate status LEDs to show what's going on. The smarter programmer types could probably use a PIC or two to do this and have a separate matrix type LCD to display status in a more attractive fashion. This something I've always wanted to try. I'm not totally crazy about needing a computer to operate my rig when all I want is a little easier access to some of the buried commands. 73 - Ken --- On Tue, 11/25/08, Darwin, Keith [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: From: Darwin, Keith [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE: [Elecraft] Conversion from K3 to K3Plus or K4 To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Received: Tuesday, November 25, 2008, 6:27 PM I think it is a good idea. In fact, I suggested the same thing for the K2 before there was a K3 (in those pre-K3, or B3 days). Elecraft could create a new version of the K2 (K2-B, B for Big) with a larger front panel with dedicated controls. Same for the K3. I think it would be an easy thing to design and would be a popular add-on. I see it as a money maker for Elecraft. I'm sure they considered it back in B3 and so far we haven't seen it. My guess is the logistics of making it happen aren't so easy or it doesn't fit their market model. - Keith N1AS - - K3 711 - -Original Message- From: Ignacy One issue with K3 is too many multifunction knobs and buttons. Also, some analog meters would be nice. Computer controls are fine but they are hard to use during contests. I am wondering whether one can have a completely separate front panel with lots of knobs and buttons, nothin dual purpose. ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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 -- I am using the free version of SPAMfighter. We are a community of 5.7 million users fighting spam. SPAMfighter has removed 1824 of my spam emails to date. Get the free SPAMfighter here: http://www.spamfighter.com/len The Professional version does not have this message ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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
RE: [Elecraft] Conversion from K3 to K3Plus or K4
Wow...interesting! Thanks Mike! As much as I'd like to try building a control panel myself, this would insure that the project actually gets done! I'm looking at the OEM Xkeys Matrix Board. It looks to me like you need a computer to program it to do what you want, and then the output is via USB. If so, then I'd need a USB-to-serial converter to interface it with a K2. Seems to me I remember seeing warnings that the K2's I/O port isn't a pure RS-232 port. Am I going to need something else to keep everything talking safely? Thanks for any help...we're boldly going where I've never gone before! 73 - Ken --- On Wed, 11/26/08, Mike McLendon [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: From: Mike McLendon [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE: [Elecraft] Conversion from K3 to K3Plus or K4 To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Received: Wednesday, November 26, 2008, 1:13 AM My K3 has 54 buttons outboard and a multi-purpose knob! These accessories are available from XKEYS.com and Griffin Technologies (Powermate). The XKEY product comes with software and I have made available, software for the Powermate. This is just a suggestion for the group - I have no affiliation other than customer with these companies. With software with which you can easily assign functions, these are interesting accessories that take advantage of the rich commands Elecraft provides with the K3 and K2. Want a direct bandswitch? No problem. Memory channel tuning knob? No problem. Have fun! 73 - Mike, KE4U -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Ken Alexander Sent: Tuesday, November 25, 2008 2:09 PM To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net; Darwin, Keith Subject: RE: [Elecraft] Conversion from K3 to K3Plus or K4 I don't know much about this sort of thing, but the command set (for the K2 at least) is available, so I would think it would be a relatively simple matter to program something like a Basic Stamp to receive pushbutton presses from a small outboard control panel and send the appropriate serial command to the K2 or K3. You could probably read status back from the transceiver and illuminate status LEDs to show what's going on. The smarter programmer types could probably use a PIC or two to do this and have a separate matrix type LCD to display status in a more attractive fashion. This something I've always wanted to try. I'm not totally crazy about needing a computer to operate my rig when all I want is a little easier access to some of the buried commands. 73 - Ken ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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
