Re: [Elecraft] SideKar vs PX3 More

2015-07-31 Thread steve

Brian, Thank you for the link...
the last time I looked at the netbooks the price was high...  Or 
discontinued.
I use MINT (replacement for xp) on my full sized old laptop and it 
runs fldigi and wsjtx just fine (and USB sound card) and speed is about 
the same, too.

Mint (linux) works the KX3 and PX3 utilities, also.
It would be nice to have a smaller computer.

73, steve WB3LGC


On 30-Jul-15 8:40 AM, brian wrote:
It seems this dilemma can be solved by something like a 10 screen 
WINDOWs laptop.  You get display, keyboard, the ability to run 
FLDIGI.   They probably run on batteries as long as the rig et al. A 
few years ago I had an ACER aspire 1 (?). It ran everything I tried 
including sound card stuff.


Here is one for about $125.

http://www.amazon.com/Acer-AOA150-1447-8-9-Inch-Processor-Sapphire/dp/B001EYV9TM 



73 de Brian/K3KO




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Re: [Elecraft] SideKar vs PX3 More

2015-07-30 Thread brian
It seems this dilemma can be solved by something like a 10 screen 
WINDOWs laptop.  You get display, keyboard, the ability to run FLDIGI.   
They probably run on batteries as long as the rig et al. A few years ago 
I had an ACER aspire 1 (?).   It ran everything I tried including sound 
card stuff.


Here is one for about $125.

http://www.amazon.com/Acer-AOA150-1447-8-9-Inch-Processor-Sapphire/dp/B001EYV9TM

73 de Brian/K3KO


On 7/30/2015 12:08 PM, steve wrote:

Brian,
Thank you for the comments.
I do use fldigi.
Yes, PSK31 is difficult to tune and partly because of the lack of AFC 
in the kX3, as you reminded me (why... KX3 tuning is difficult).
The PX3 does make it easier to tune provided the sending station isn't 
drifting.

RTTY seems easier to tune - I guess because of its wider bandwidth.
I think because I want portable PSK31/RTTY to be fun (not 
frustrating), I need to think about using Fldigi portable with a 
small/mini laptop (solid state disk).
I guess I will also think more about how I am going to do the little 
bit of CW as the decoder works well (not great).  I am going to give 
CW via KX3 decoder a try this weekend with the NAQP.
Yes, I think even with the HCT/SideKar you need to save the call.   It 
does have a memory location to allow the call to be sent as part of a 
macro.
I don't see anything in the manual about logging using the memory 
location to fill the log callsign...  I'll ask/look.


thank you for your thought provoking input.  73, steve WB3LGC


On 29-Jul-15 6:10 PM, Brian Waterworth wrote:

Warning - long response

One thing I have found on my quest to have a portable station is a 
portable

computer, screen, and keyboard.  My premise is that the kx3 may not be
ready for a complete psk31 solution with either the px3 or the sidekar.
I'll come back to this quest in a moment.

At present, it doesn't seem that the kx3 applies afc to incoming digital
transmissions, like psk31.  ...  My premise is that unless the kx3 
has afc, using the

internal psk decoder is for emergency purposes and having some fun.  ...



...  Search and pounce is
much harder to do when you have to take the time to remember a call sign
and type it into another field while the receive window is scrolling.
Fldigi and dm780 will allow a quick click of the mouse and the call 
sign is

ready to be used in any macro that references this field.

Now let's turn to the question about the USB port on the px3 and the
connection of a keyboard.  I contend that unless the kx3 adds more psk
features like those of the mainstream programs found on various 
platforms,
the addition of a keyboard for psk qso's as decoded by the kx3 may 
not be

useful.  I actually don't like my premise as I was excited too about the
possibility of a keyboard attached to thw px3.  But what would I use it
for?  The aforementioned usability concerns and lack of afc in the kx3
doesn't provide me with the utility I thought I was going to get from 
the
kx3/px3 combo.  If there is another use for a keyboard that I have 
missed,

I would love to hear it.

...

...

*I think even the sidekar may not meet your digital needs. I am sure 
the sidekar does more and my apologies to the designers if I have 
under represented it's capabilites. I saw the sidekar at Dayton in 
2014 and wondered why I would need it over a px3, especially with the 
px3 firmware upgrade that provided two lines of decode text on the 
px3 screen. The sidekar is not a general purpose computer and 
therefore is limited in its usability. How would you capture a call 
sign from the receive window to respond to a cq? Where would you 
store this call sign in either the kx3 or the sidekar? Usability and 
adaptability during digital qsos is necessary in order to keep up 
with those hams that are working in a much more productive environment.*


I am sure there are others who have different setups and experiences to
mine.  I am interested to hear about them as is Steve.

Regards
Brian
VE3IBW



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