Elecraft K3 Owner's Manual - Manual (Page 30)

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CW Mode
CW Normal and Reverse
Select CW mode by tapping either end of M O D E .
Hold A L T to alternate between CW normal (lower
sideband RX) and reverse (upper sideband RX).
If you S P O T (or auto-spot) a CW signal (pg. 34),
then switch between CW normal and reverse, the
pitch of the received signal should stay the same.
Basic CW-Mode Controls
In CW mode, M O N sets the sidetone volume.
Hold P IT C H to adjust the sidetone pitch. The peak
in response of all filters will track this setting.
Use A G C to select slow AGC ( AGC -S ) or fast
( AGC -F ). Slow is fine for casual operating; fast is
useful during contests or rapid signal fading.
Hold Q S K to select full break-in ( QSK icon on) or
semi break-in operation. QSK allows others to
“break” your CW transmission by sending one or
two characters. With semi break-in selected (
QSK
off), the K3 returns to receive mode after a time
delay you set using
D E L A Y .
V O X must be turned on in CW mode to enable
both full and semi break-in operation. If PTT is
selected (
VOX icon off), transmit must be activated
using PTT or by tapping X M IT . PTT is sometimes
activated using a foot switch.
For ultra-fast CW full break-in at up to 100
WPM, set CONFIG:CW QRQ to ON . If CW
QRQ is OFF , max speed using VOX is 60 WPM,
and PTT is required for 60 to 100 WPM.
Hold T E S T to place the K3 into TEST mode. This
sets power output to zero, useful for CW practice or
for off-the-air checking of recorded CW messages.
Other CW-Mode Configuration Settings
Use the CONFIG menu to set up iambic keying
(CW IAMB), paddle norm/reverse (CW PADL),
and keying weight (CW WGHT). The CW WGHT
menu entry can also be used to enable automatic
SSB/CW VFO offset (pg. 29).
SPOT and Auto-Spot
When calling another station, you should try to
match your frequency to theirs. To facilitate this,
the K3 provides both manual and automatic
spotting for use with CW and DATA signals. See
Tuning Aids: CWT and SPOT (pg. 34).
CW Text Decode/Display
The K3 can decode transmitted and received CW
signals, displaying the text on VFO B (pg. 33). This
is especially useful when you’re learning CW, or if
someone who doesn’t know CW is looking over
your shoulder while you make CW QSOs. It’s also
indispensable for CW-to-DATA operation (pg. 34).
APF and Dual Passband CW (DUAL PB)
In CW mode, D U A L P B turns on either a narrow
audio peaking filter (APF) or dual-passband CW
(Dual PB). See pg. 35.
CW Message Record/Play
Messages can only be recorded using the
internal keyer or the message editor in K3 Utility,
not by using a hand key or external keyer.
If text decode is on (pg. 33), CW text sent
using the internal keyer is shown on VFO B (pg.
33). Use
T E S T to check messages off-air (pg. 13).
There are 8 message buffers (2 banks of 4). Each
holds 250 characters. To switch banks, hold
R E C .
Message Record: To start recording, tap R E C ,
then M 1 - M 4 . The remaining buffer space will be
displayed as you send. Tap R E C again to stop.
Message Play: Tap M 1 – M 4 to play. To cancel,
tap R E C or hit the keyer paddle or key.
Message Erase: Tap R E C , then M 1 – M 4 , then
C L R .
Auto-Repeat: To auto-repeat a message, Hold
(rather than tap)
M 1 – M 4 . MAIN:MSG RPT sets
the message repeat interval (1 to 255 seconds).
Chaining: Tapping M 1 – M 4 during playback
chains another message onto the message being
played. Holding a message switch during playback
chains a repeating message.