Use of Line In/Line Out on K3

[W1UE]

Is there enough audio output when using the mic output at the Radio end to support feeding  the audio to the K3 as part of the Line In?

Dennis w1UE

[W1UE]

I answered my own question yesterday.  There is plenty of output on the K3 Line Out jack to feed the RR speaker input.  Using the Line out, with
its transformer isolation, also cleaned up the audio.

However, there is NOT sufficient output from the RR Remote Box to feed the Line In of the K3.  I didn't try to fiddle with levels other than Line In
gain, although that's something I can look at and perhaps try later.

Dennis W1UE

[pe1hzg]

It "kind of works" but you will loose quite some K3 functionality.

For one, the "AFX spatial sound" feature is only available via the headphone / speaker output, not via line-out. You will lose AFX if you interface using the line ports.

Secondly, if you have the subreceiver option, note that there is a hard relationship between these receivers (main/sub) and the line out port.
If you switch off your sub receiver, the K3 will drive both audio channels (if you're using the headphone port, or of you are using the speaker port and have set the number of speakers correctly).
Not so for the line out port: one "audio channel" will go silent.

The way I've "solved" this is to use the headphone port on the back and switching the internal speak on and off using the CONFIG:SPKR+PH setting, which i have assigned to one of the programmable buttons on the front: press the button and the setting toggles and switches the radio speaker on and off.

I used another programmable button to access the MENU:MIC SEL menu. This way I can switch between the mic port on front (when I operate at the radio location) or the mic port on the back (when I operate via remoterig).

I had to play with the gain settings to make the headphone port work.

73, Geert Jan

[pe1hzg]

Addition (sorry!):

remoterig K3 twin audio volume control works by having the volume pot settings transferred to the radio K3, which is then used to change the audio volume on the radio K3, hence also changing the audio volume on the control side.

However, changing the volume does not change the output level of the line out port. Hence, "volume control" will not work if you use line out, unless you provide an alternative means for volume control on the control side (an audio amplifier with an audio pot connected to the control box).

But keep in mind that "AF gain does not work" if you do line-out instead of the prescribed speaker out / headphone out.

Geert Jan

[W1UE]

Geert Jan, some time ago Elecraft added a feature to the firmware.  If you find the LIN OUT in the config menu of the K3, and tap the "1" key,
it will change the Lin Out to follow the phones audio.  In other words, the AF/RF gain controls will change the  audio level available on the LIN OUT
jack.  Using that jack did solve a couple of audio problems.  I haven't researched your other concerns about using the LIN OUT jack.

Dennis