Transmit testing

[W4MMP]

David,
How do I turn off QSK? I have way to many relays in the path to the antenna to support QSK. My shack sounds like a 1950s telephone CO.

[kz1x]

I was able to key the HR50 'clean' to about 27 WPM. This amp does not have the QSK option installed.

Maybe I have an excuse to get a Mac now?

No idea how to operate one, the few I have tried seem very confusing and I used to have only Macs in the late 80s and into the 90s.

The CW note on the PB still has a warbly sounding nature to it. Rather distracting, frankly. It's a phase and amplitude modulated tone, by ear. I need to put the 'scope on it.

I keep doing the A-B testing to the Elecraft K2 to hear it. Tuned to the same signal, same antenna, same level, but warbly on the PB and worse at frequencies other than zero beat.

Also the PB has a **roar** of band noise, comparatively speaking. Seems like the AGC range is missing a bit or two, MSB.

I think the program would have be modified to drop QSK, or, it could be done in hardware with an external set of gates and an RC circuit.

[AE9RB]

I'll be adding an option for adding QSK delay. You'll have to wait until I'm sure the QSK timing algorithms don't have problems. There's no precedent for a full-QSK SDR application like this so I can't just pull in others research and get it all right the first time.

I once fixed a radio that "warbled" and found an unconnected ground to the PSoC. See if HDSDR sounds good with an offset of 24kHz. Maybe it's not software.

Fun facts: Those early crossbar PBXs were so loud that technicians were required to wear hearing protection. I was in a very large one as a child when my Dad worked for the telephone company. Literally, millions of relays.

[kz1x]

Sorry, I should have mentioned, both Peaberry V2 rigs here have a very nice CW tone using HDSDR, at any VFO offset I've tried.
They sound as good as any analog radio I have, provided that the Peaberry is not subjected to any mechanical vibration.
The Si570 is microphonic.

Also, the AGC action with HDSDR is much smoother.

[AE9RB]

The Si570 is microphonic.

Pretty sure it's C15-C18 that's microphonic. Feel free to replace those with tantalum caps. Tantalum is expensive and a conflict mineral, so I decided not to make everyone pay for them.

[kb3cuf]

A-Yup it works.

First try got 599 from KG4BBK in N.News,VA . Sidetone is great, 15 WPM, relay clatter, but that's ok, the amp kept up. 5W with the Peaberry about 65% power.

This is GREAT!
Receive tone is pure and stable for me.
Transmit balance holds stable- how far can I QSY before I need to do it again?

CW AT LAST without a silly lashup and PWSDR tomfoolery.

This is a Winner, David.

73
Larry

[kb3cuf]

Then things went downhill-

Unknown USB device (device descriptor request failed)

so I'm QRT until I beat up Win-8.1.

[kz1x]

I hunted around but could not find any 0.01uF tantalum 1206.

[kb3cuf]

The Peaberry is suddenly not recognised (unknown device) on any USB port on an W 8.1PC, XP PC, or Raspberry Pi. So the esd chip died after the QSO. This is the Peaberry that had an encounter with a lightning strike last June. I already had to remove one- in USB circuit- and replaced it with the one from the keyer circuit.

So 10 pcs are on order from Mouser.

BUT PEABERRY CW is a winner!

73
Larry

[camqrp]

I finally punted trying to get the program running well on my Thinkpad and loaded it onto my Mac Mini. Bravo!

Three solid Qs on 15, 20 and 40 meters this afternoon, all with the Peaberry barefoot.

QSK seems smoothest with receiver volume kept low, computer volume up and sidetone volume set for comfort.

Received audio is fuzzier on Fast AGC.

Gotta keep my hand away from the Magic Mouse! Filter and AGC settings were jumping around, it was because my fingers were sliding sideways over the mouse. Still not used to this Mac stuff.

Cam N6GA