Elecraft K3 Owner's Manual - Manual (Page 34)

34
CW-to-DATA
You can use data modes completely stand-alone
(i.e., without a computer). Just turn on text decode
(pg. 33), and send CW using the internal keyer.
CW messages can also be used for CW-to-DATA.
This makes it easy to answer a CQ, send a contest
exchange, or play a “brag tape” during a QSO.
To set up for CW-to-DATA operation:
• Referring to pg. 33, use M O D E , D A T A M D ,
T E X T D E C , and P IT C H to set up text decode.
Select either FSK D or PSK D mode. A small
T should appear below the DAT A icon.
• Try tuning in a few stations (turn on C WT ; pg.
34). Tips for improved copy in tough band
conditions are provided on pg. 33.
• Plug a keyer into the PADDLE jack. The first
time you try CW-to-DATA, set P WR to 0
watts or use TX T E S T mode (pg. 13).
• All CW you send will be transmitted as data
and displayed on VFO B. You’ll hear a CW
sidetone, as well as PSK or FSK tones. Adjust
the data monitor volume using
M O N . To
adjust the CW sidetone monitor level,
temporarily switch back to CW mode.
• When calling CQ, use RIT to tune in stations
that reply (especially important for PSK D ).
• Whenever you pause, the K3 will remain in a
data idle state for about 4 seconds before
dropping. To extend the timeout, send BT,
which is not transmitted as data.
• To cut the idle transmit period and exit to
receive mode, send ". . - - " (IMmediately exit).
This character is not transmitted as data.
• When recording CW messages for use during
CW-to-DATA, you can add ". . - - " at the end to
cut the idle time when they’re played back.
The CW abbreviation for “and” (ES) is not used
in data modes and might lead to confusion. Other
prosigns can be used, including KN, SK, and AR.
If you set VFO B for CW mode rather than
DATA mode and use cross-mode S P L IT (pg. 36),
your CW will not be converted to DATA.
Tuning Aids: CWT and SPOT
Tapping C WT turns the upper half of the S-meter
into a CW/DATA tuning aid. If no bar appears in
the tuning area, the threshold may be set too high;
hold
T E X T D E C and select a lower THR value.
When a received CW or PSK31 signal is centered
in the passband, the CWT display will appear as
shown below.
50 100 2 3 SWR RF
CWT
S1 3 5 7 9
In RTTY modes ( AFS K A and FSK D ), mark and
space tones are represented by three bars each, with
mark to the left of the CWT pointer, and space to
the right. When only weak signals are present in the
mark/space filters, 1-3 bars will flicker on either
side, leading to a “ghosting” effect, as shown here.
50 100 2 3 SWR RF
CWT
S1 3 5 7 9
As you tune the VFO close to an RTTY signal, the
number of bars will initially increase on one side or
the other. Keep tuning until you see a rough balance
between left and right bars. (Also see DTF, pg. 32,
and CONFIG:TTY LTR.)
Manual SPOT
If C WT is off, you can tap S P O T , then manually
tune the VFO until the received signal’s pitch
matches the sidetone. If you find pitch matching
difficult to do, try auto-SPOT (below).
Auto-SPOT
To use auto-spot, first turn on C WT . Use a narrow
bandwidth (200 to 500 Hz). Tapping S P O T will
then automatically tune in a received signal that
falls within the CWT display range.
Auto-spot may not be usable if more than one
signal is in the CWT range, if the signal is
extremely weak, or if the code speed is very slow.
Auto-spot coarse-tunes PSK31 signals, but you’ll
need to fine-tune them in 1-Hz steps (
F IN E ).