Re: [Elecraft] P3 wish list items
I believe Stewart has two good suggestions. Let me also say that I am very pleased with the latest changes to the P3 firmware. I often use my P3 on TB to find a clear spot in the frequency range of those calling a DX station during split operation. Sometimes I place myself on the very edge and sometimes there is a valley in the middle into which I slip. The P3 also proves useful in observing the commercial (?) signal sources on TB some of which seem to be operating spread spectrum. The P3 provides information at a glance which allows me to better position myself on the band. Thanks for producing such a fine instrument and thanks very much for the updates which have greatly enhanced the P3. For me the big advantage of Elecraft is that their products are near the top end to start with but then they continue to improve in significant ways. With the possible exception of Flex, I know of no other manufacturer so attuned to their users needs and so interested in improvement of the product. Hats off to the good people in Elecraft, I wonder if a thesis could be written on this company which might prove a guide to other manufacturers. Elecraft is different in an exciting way - Forbes should do an article on this innovative firm. 73 Doug EI2CN -Original Message- From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Stewart Sent: 12 February 2011 12:09 To: Elecraft Reflector Subject: [Elecraft] P3 wish list items Over the last few weeks I have been enjoying my K3/P3 combination. Overall it works very well and the P3 addition has been worth while. Their are however a couple of things that I feel would improve it's use. a) Being able to monitor your own signal on the P3 without needing to disconnect the RS232 lead. With all the leads I have coming out from the K3/P3 I find that inevitably one or more of them become disconnected in this operation. Surely the K3 can halt the RS232 handshake.? b) It would be nice to have a mode where MKR A and MKR B could be used to calculate and display the delta frequency between them. This would be useful for say determining types of EMI i.e SMPSU, TV timebase or PLT. Also it would be able to measure signal bandwidths away from the tuned frequency of the K3 . 73 Stewart G3RXQ __ 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 __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] P3 wish list
I assume Alan monitors the reflector :-). Hope he is sufficiently interested. Howard..K2HK Smith's: Agreed, I concur with you. I don't need any more boxes on my desk either, especially when a button on the Menu could turn off the RS-232 'mute' control.. seems like a pretty easy thing to do to me. Just thought that I would give you a work around for the time being. Be sure to send your ideas to Alan.. he's the only one that can program it into the P3 From: k...@arrl.net To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Date: Thu, 18 Nov 2010 02:53:31 + Subject: Re: [Elecraft] P3 wish list That's an easy fix. But I have so many boxes on my desktop and it would seem more natural to me to be incorporated into the P3. Doesn't seem like it would be a major project. Howard..K2HK Smith's wrote: you could always use an A/B serial box and just switch to B when you want to do your testing. That's an easy up front solution if they don't add that ability for you. From: k...@arrl.net To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Date: Thu, 18 Nov 2010 02:26:25 + Subject: [Elecraft] P3 wish list I found checking and adjusting the K3 output on the P3 a useful function. Would it be difficult to make it a front panel function w/o the need to reach in the back and remove the RS232 cable? Howard..K2HK __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] P3 wish list
I would like to be able to 'switch' such a feature On/Off without any external 'box' As I am operating portable all the time there is a need for me to check this daily. YMMV Gary On Thu, Nov 18, 2010 at 11:10 PM, Howard K2HK k...@arrl.net wrote: I assume Alan monitors the reflector :-). Hope he is sufficiently interested. Howard..K2HK Smith's: Agreed, I concur with you. I don't need any more boxes on my desk either, especially when a button on the Menu could turn off the RS-232 'mute' control.. seems like a pretty easy thing to do to me. Just thought that I would give you a work around for the time being. Be sure to send your ideas to Alan.. he's the only one that can program it into the P3 From: k...@arrl.net To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Date: Thu, 18 Nov 2010 02:53:31 + Subject: Re: [Elecraft] P3 wish list That's an easy fix. But I have so many boxes on my desktop and it would seem more natural to me to be incorporated into the P3. Doesn't seem like it would be a major project. Howard..K2HK Smith's wrote: you could always use an A/B serial box and just switch to B when you want to do your testing. That's an easy up front solution if they don't add that ability for you. From: k...@arrl.net To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Date: Thu, 18 Nov 2010 02:26:25 + Subject: [Elecraft] P3 wish list I found checking and adjusting the K3 output on the P3 a useful function. Would it be difficult to make it a front panel function w/o the need to reach in the back and remove the RS232 cable? Howard..K2HK __ 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 -- Gary VK4FD - Motorhome Mobile http://www.qsl.net/vk4fd/ K3 #679, P3 #546 For everything else there's Mastercard!!! __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] P3 wish list
Unless you change microphones or operators, transmit audio equalization should be pretty much a set and forget type calibration. I'm a little nervous about making this an official feature, because the signal level is not well-controlled. It depends on stray leakage through a balanced mixer and blow-by past a couple of PIN diode switches. If the mixer in a particular K3 happens to be very well balanced or the PIN diodes have extra-low capacitance, there may not be enough signal level to adjust the equalizer properly. It also depends on frequency band and transmit power level. There may be a better way to do this. It's on my list of things to look at as soon as I get time. Alan N1AL On Fri, 2010-11-19 at 06:17 +1000, Gary Gregory wrote: I would like to be able to 'switch' such a feature On/Off without any external 'box' As I am operating portable all the time there is a need for me to check this daily. YMMV Gary On Thu, Nov 18, 2010 at 11:10 PM, Howard K2HK k...@arrl.net wrote: I assume Alan monitors the reflector :-). Hope he is sufficiently interested. Howard..K2HK Smith's: Agreed, I concur with you. I don't need any more boxes on my desk either, especially when a button on the Menu could turn off the RS-232 'mute' control.. seems like a pretty easy thing to do to me. Just thought that I would give you a work around for the time being. Be sure to send your ideas to Alan.. he's the only one that can program it into the P3 From: k...@arrl.net To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Date: Thu, 18 Nov 2010 02:53:31 + Subject: Re: [Elecraft] P3 wish list That's an easy fix. But I have so many boxes on my desktop and it would seem more natural to me to be incorporated into the P3. Doesn't seem like it would be a major project. Howard..K2HK Smith's wrote: you could always use an A/B serial box and just switch to B when you want to do your testing. That's an easy up front solution if they don't add that ability for you. From: k...@arrl.net To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Date: Thu, 18 Nov 2010 02:26:25 + Subject: [Elecraft] P3 wish list I found checking and adjusting the K3 output on the P3 a useful function. Would it be difficult to make it a front panel function w/o the need to reach in the back and remove the RS232 cable? Howard..K2HK __ 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 __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] P3 wish list
Alan, Thank you for considering it. I do think it may have value beyond equalization, eg. signal width, etc. I can understand your reluctance as you describe the pitfalls. I certainly wouldn't feel bad about waiting for a better implementation. Possibly after the effects of your turkey dinner wears off it will be replaced with a new energy to update:-). Kudos for the very nice job you all have done so far. I didn't jump right in on this one because I didn't think it of sufficient value for me but I am very pleasantly surprised at the result. An excellent station accessory. 73 and Happy Thanksgiving to all, Howard..K2HK Unless you change microphones or operators, transmit audio equalization should be pretty much a set and forget type calibration. I'm a little nervous about making this an official feature, because the signal level is not well-controlled. It depends on stray leakage through a balanced mixer and blow-by past a couple of PIN diode switches. If the mixer in a particular K3 happens to be very well balanced or the PIN diodes have extra-low capacitance, there may not be enough signal level to adjust the equalizer properly. It also depends on frequency band and transmit power level. There may be a better way to do this. It's on my list of things to look at as soon as I get time. Alan N1AL On Fri, 2010-11-19 at 06:17 +1000, Gary Gregory wrote: I would like to be able to 'switch' such a feature On/Off without any external 'box' As I am operating portable all the time there is a need for me to check this daily. YMMV Gary On Thu, Nov 18, 2010 at 11:10 PM, Howard K2HK k...@arrl.net wrote: I assume Alan monitors the reflector :-). Hope he is sufficiently interested. Howard..K2HK Smith's: Agreed, I concur with you. I don't need any more boxes on my desk either, especially when a button on the Menu could turn off the RS-232 'mute' control.. seems like a pretty easy thing to do to me. Just thought that I would give you a work around for the time being. Be sure to send your ideas to Alan.. he's the only one that can program it into the P3 From: k...@arrl.net To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Date: Thu, 18 Nov 2010 02:53:31 + Subject: Re: [Elecraft] P3 wish list That's an easy fix. But I have so many boxes on my desktop and it would seem more natural to me to be incorporated into the P3. Doesn't seem like it would be a major project. Howard..K2HK Smith's wrote: you could always use an A/B serial box and just switch to B when you want to do your testing. That's an easy up front solution if they don't add that ability for you. From: k...@arrl.net To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Date: Thu, 18 Nov 2010 02:26:25 + Subject: [Elecraft] P3 wish list I found checking and adjusting the K3 output on the P3 a useful function. Would it be difficult to make it a front panel function w/o the need to reach in the back and remove the RS232 cable? Howard..K2HK __ 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 __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] P3 wish list
Hi Alan: I certainly understand your reasons for nervousness here. However, I would like to express how much this unofficial feature has been helpful to me in setting TX equalizers for three different mic settings (macro driven) and two mics (front and rear). And I often return and tinker with these settings for optimization. In my P3 the feature works well, but right now it is clumsy to use, to say the least. Here is what I have to do: Open Config Menu: RS232 which will read 38000. Attach a dummy load (or tune to an empty spot in the band). Turn on Peak hold, then right away turn RS232 speed to 4800 (this is equivalent to removing the cable), talk into the mic, and then tap freeze to look at the cumulative audio spectrum! Set to a narrow span (I use 4khz) one gets a lot of good detailed data this way, but is it a bit of a fiddle! If you want to do it again, start over. Alan, I know there are interesting options coming down the line with some additional hardware required (what else is the sensor opening at the back for?) But in the meantime, the unofficial feature is very useful indeed! Thanks so much for the fine panadapter. It has proven itself to be more useful than I thought it would be. Regards 73 John, N6JW Alan Bloom-2 wrote: I'm a little nervous about making this an official feature, because the signal level is not well-controlled. It depends on stray leakage through a balanced mixer and blow-by past a couple of PIN diode switches. If the mixer in a particular K3 happens to be very well balanced or the PIN diodes have extra-low capacitance, there may not be enough signal level to adjust the equalizer properly. It also depends on frequency band and transmit power level. There may be a better way to do this. It's on my list of things to look at as soon as I get time. Alan N1AL On Fri, 2010-11-19 at 06:17 +1000, Gary Gregory wrote: I would like to be able to 'switch' such a feature On/Off without any external 'box' I found checking and adjusting the K3 output on the P3 a useful function. Would it be difficult to make it a front panel function w/o the need to reach in the back and remove the RS232 cable? Howard..K2HK -- View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/P3-wish-list-tp5750264p5753545.html Sent from the [K3] 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
Re: [Elecraft] P3 wish list
Alan, I too find it useful BUT I am happy to wait for a 'better' solution. I understand 'in the future' there maybe be a hardware option to add this and perhaps 'other' features from previous emails so for now I wait and watch. I was never sure if the P3 would be a 'keeper' for me but it is here now and after playing with it I can't see how I got along without it in the beginning...:-) Sometimes Elecraft 'force' us to buy stuff..:-( Just too many good engineers with plenty of time on their hands eh? ROTFL 73's Gary On Fri, Nov 19, 2010 at 8:23 AM, N6JW j...@dslextreme.com wrote: Hi Alan: I certainly understand your reasons for nervousness here. However, I would like to express how much this unofficial feature has been helpful to me in setting TX equalizers for three different mic settings (macro driven) and two mics (front and rear). And I often return and tinker with these settings for optimization. In my P3 the feature works well, but right now it is clumsy to use, to say the least. Here is what I have to do: Open Config Menu: RS232 which will read 38000. Attach a dummy load (or tune to an empty spot in the band). Turn on Peak hold, then right away turn RS232 speed to 4800 (this is equivalent to removing the cable), talk into the mic, and then tap freeze to look at the cumulative audio spectrum! Set to a narrow span (I use 4khz) one gets a lot of good detailed data this way, but is it a bit of a fiddle! If you want to do it again, start over. Alan, I know there are interesting options coming down the line with some additional hardware required (what else is the sensor opening at the back for?) But in the meantime, the unofficial feature is very useful indeed! Thanks so much for the fine panadapter. It has proven itself to be more useful than I thought it would be. Regards 73 John, N6JW Alan Bloom-2 wrote: I'm a little nervous about making this an official feature, because the signal level is not well-controlled. It depends on stray leakage through a balanced mixer and blow-by past a couple of PIN diode switches. If the mixer in a particular K3 happens to be very well balanced or the PIN diodes have extra-low capacitance, there may not be enough signal level to adjust the equalizer properly. It also depends on frequency band and transmit power level. There may be a better way to do this. It's on my list of things to look at as soon as I get time. Alan N1AL On Fri, 2010-11-19 at 06:17 +1000, Gary Gregory wrote: I would like to be able to 'switch' such a feature On/Off without any external 'box' I found checking and adjusting the K3 output on the P3 a useful function. Would it be difficult to make it a front panel function w/o the need to reach in the back and remove the RS232 cable? Howard..K2HK -- View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/P3-wish-list-tp5750264p5753545.html Sent from the [K3] 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 -- Gary VK4FD - Motorhome Mobile http://www.qsl.net/vk4fd/ K3 #679, P3 #546 For everything else there's Mastercard!!! __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] P3 wish list
That's an easy fix. But I have so many boxes on my desktop and it would seem more natural to me to be incorporated into the P3. Doesn't seem like it would be a major project. Howard..K2HK Smith's wrote: you could always use an A/B serial box and just switch to B when you want to do your testing. That's an easy up front solution if they don't add that ability for you. From: k...@arrl.net To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Date: Thu, 18 Nov 2010 02:26:25 + Subject: [Elecraft] P3 wish list I found checking and adjusting the K3 output on the P3 a useful function. Would it be difficult to make it a front panel function w/o the need to reach in the back and remove the RS232 cable? Howard..K2HK __ 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 __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] P3 :: wish list
Speaking of opportunities, I've been pondering whether it wouldn't be a good idea to offer a kit where you could repackage the K3 and the P3 (and whatever else) into a single unit - perhaps 19 wide :-) which would allow integration of multiple goodies. Perhaps allow the package to acomodate the PR6 (allow for 2), the KRC2 band decoders, transverters, wattmeter, flux capacitor, and dilithium crystals. I find it is easiest to dream when I'm not the one who'll be doing the actual work. :-) 73, Steve NN4X On Sat, Aug 15, 2009 at 10:29 PM, inventor_sixty_one invento...@gmail.comwrote: Looks from the picture that the sheet metal has been committed. That's a shame. This would have been the perfect opportunity to add the dedicated band buttons needed for band-stacking registers. If the P3 had those, it'd sell for that reason alone. I would pay an extra $$$ to get them. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] P3 :: wish list
On Sat, 15 Aug 2009 22:29:49 -0400, inventor_sixty_one invento...@gmail.com wrote: Looks from the picture that the sheet metal has been committed. That's a shame. This would have been the perfect opportunity to add the dedicated band buttons needed for band-stacking registers. If the P3 had those, it'd sell for that reason alone. I would pay an extra $$$ to get them. Hope the serial data and buffered IF signals are available as loop-throughs on the back panel, as well as perhaps a DC interconnect. Steve KZ1X/4 __ [snip] I have a Toyota Tundra that I use for travel that sometimes carries a K3. Would it be possible to make a few special units to fit in the dash just below the factory radio and CD player. I'd be willing to pay about $15 extra for that. With tongue in cheek... Tom, N5GE n...@n5ge.com K3 #806, K3 #1055, PR6, XV144, XV432, KRC2, W1 and other small kits. http://www.n5ge.com http://www.swotrc.net __ 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
Re: [Elecraft] P3 :: wish list
Not sure but I'd bet (and hope) that the panadapter simply comes with an RCA jack for its power. That way that it can just be plugged into the DC out on the back of the rig. ~Brett On Sat, 2009-08-15 at 22:29 -0400, inventor_sixty_one wrote: Looks from the picture that the sheet metal has been committed. That's a shame. This would have been the perfect opportunity to add the dedicated band buttons needed for band-stacking registers. If the P3 had those, it'd sell for that reason alone. I would pay an extra $$$ to get them. Hope the serial data and buffered IF signals are available as loop-throughs on the back panel, as well as perhaps a DC interconnect. Steve KZ1X/4 __ 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 __ 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
