Elecraft KX3 Owner's Manual - Manual (Page 11)

11
VFOs A and B
The KX3 provides two VFOs (see glossary, pg. 52).
Use of VFO B is optional. The VFO knobs are
located in the area shown below. Each VFO has
independent frequency, mode, and filter settings.
VFO A normally controls both the receive and
transmit frequency. Most contacts occur between
stations tuned to about the same frequency, so if
you use VFO A to tune in a signal clearly, there’s a
good chance they’ll hear you when you transmit.
VFO B can serve as a holding register for a second
frequency of interest, then swapped with VFO A as
needed (see
A / B at right). To tune VFO B
directly, first make sure the B LED above the knob
is lit. If not, tap the O F S / V F O B knob. Also see
S P L I T (pg. 19) and Dual Watch (pg. 20).
Tuning rates: Tapping R A T E selects either 1 Hz
or 10 Hz VFO tuning rate. Holding K H Z selects a
per-mode coarse tuning rate (see MENU:VFO
CRS, pg. 30). SSB stations often align on 0.5 or 1.0
kHz boundaries. AM broadcast stations are
typically spaced at 5, 9, or 10 kHz.
To lock VFO A: Hold K H Z for about 3 seconds.
Tap R A T E to unlock. To lock VFO B, swap it with
VFO A first, lock it, then swap back.
You can use the O F S / V F O B control to
tune VFO A in coarse steps, while the VFO A
control itself is still set up for fine steps. First, make
sure the
O FS LED is lit (tap the O F S / V F O B
knob one or two times). RIT and XIT (described at
right) must also be turned off. To disable the VFO
offset-tuning feature, see MENU:VFO OFS.
To copy VFO A’s frequency to VFO B: Tap
A B . Tapping a second time copies VFO A’s
mode and filter settings to VFO B as well.
VFO A and B swap: Tap A / B to exchange VFO
frequencies, modes, and all other settings.
VFO A/B temporary reverse: Sometimes you’ll
want to swap the VFOs temporarily to look for an
open transmit frequency when operating split (pg.
19). In this case, hold
R E V . The VFOs will be
swapped back as soon as you release the switch. In
FM mode,
R E V swaps receive/transmit frequencies
and the repeater offset direction (pg.15).
Incremental Tuning (RIT and XIT)
RIT, or receive incremental tuning, provides a
means of adjusting the receive frequency without
affecting your transmit frequency. This control is
sometimes called a clarifier since it can be used to
tune in SSB voice signals. But RIT can also be used
in CW and DATA modes, in the event that a station
calls you slightly off-frequency. RIT and XIT use
the tuning rate (1/10 Hz) selected for the VFOs.
XIT, or transmit incremental tuning, adjusts the
transmit frequency without affecting the receive
frequency. See Split and XIT, pg. 19.
∆ F (Delta-F) LED : Whenever an RIT or XIT
offset is in effect, or during split operation, the ∆ F
LED turns on as a reminder that your receive and
transmit frequencies are different.
To use RIT or XIT: First, tap R I T or X I T . This
turns on the R IT or X IT icon on the display, as well
as the O FS LED (above O F S / V F O B ). Then
adjust the offset using O F S / V F O B .
To zero the RIT/XIT offset: Hold C L R .
You can still use the O F S / V F O B control
to tune VFO B, even if RIT or XIT is turned on.
Just tap the knob to switch its function back to VFO
B (the
B LED will turn on). The RIT/XIT icons on
the LCD will retain their current states.
Special VFO B Displays
The VFO B display area can show several useful
parameters. To see these, tap
D I S P , then rotate the
O F S / V F O B control. This will cycle through
several displays including time, supply voltage,
current drain, power amplifier temperature,
synthesizer temperature, audio voltmeter, and
relative audio (dBV) meter. For details see pg. 22.