So what is the bottom line here?
Ops who can't do 2r can get skimmer as their 2nd op to do the job what
distinguishes a 1r op from a 2r op ???
I'm afraid w4pa was right: if it goes on like this cw contesting won't
be a measure of individual performance anymore.
zoli ha1ag
Pete Smith wrote:
> Hi Dave - I think you are very close. A few comments below.
>
> At 03:57 PM 3/20/2008, Dave Hachadorian wrote:
>> I'm trying to figure out how CW Skimmer will ultimately
>> physically tie in to an so2r contest setup. Let me propose a
>> straw man, and then you smart guys can whip it into shape.
>>
>> 1. We use the IF output of the so2r S&P receiver as the
>> source of wideband RF.
>
> Yes
>
>
>> 2. Using an Elecraft K3 as an example, the IF output is at
>> 8.215 Mhz. I hear you need a buffer amp on that output.
>> Somebody makes a "Z10000" that fills the bill.
>>
>> 3. The output of the Z10000 goes to a "Softrock Lite"
>> receiver tuned for 8.215 Mhz. Maybe that frequency needs to
>> be offset from the 8.215 IF to prevent the softrock Lite
>> oscillator from getting into the K3 IF?
>
> You may not feel the need of the buffer amp (Clifton Laboratories, K8ZOA,
> www.cliftonlaboratories.com) if you offset the Softrock local oscillator so
> that it falls outside the roofing filter bandwidth, but it would be a good
> precaution. On the radio to which my SoftRock is connected, the local
> oscillator is S9+40.
>
>
>> 4. The stereo audio output of the Softrock Lite goes into a
>> good quality soundcard with a high sampling rate, since we
>> will be dealing with up to 50(?) KHz audio? This soundcard
>> can be the one in the contest computer, since the soundcard
>> is not normally used in CW contesting. If you want to do an
>> audio recording of the entire contest, maybe you need
>> another computer networked to the logging program and do the
>> recording there?
>
> The soundcard I am currently using is a M-Audio Revolution 5.1 PCU, which
> cost me about $50. It records 96 KHz stereo audio, which translates into I
> and Q channels that the Skimmer software will display as a 96-khz swath of
> IF bandwidth centered around the center frequency of your SoftRock. You
> can get sound cards that go up to 192 KHz, for quite a bit more
> money. Look out, though, for cards that have shared mic and line input.
>
> I use the audio CODEC in my MK2R+ to record contests. Depending on the
> BIOS in your computer, you may be able to run both a PCI sound card and
> your original on-board sound. I can't, but that's Dell for you...
>
>
>> 5. Whichever computer gets the audio, it needs to be running
>> the $70 version of CW Skimmer, and that computer also needs
>> to be running the logging program.
>
> Yes, although the spots can be passed to the logging program over a local
> area network, so in theory you could have Skimmer on one PC and the logger
> on another. It is worth mentioning here that the CPU demands of the
> Skimmer, especially in contest circumstances are quite high; this could be
> disruptive to LPT or COM port CW, depending on your computer and logging
> software. I run N1MM and Winkey CW, and experienced absolutely no
> disruption with Skimmer running on a 2.2 GHz Celeron, even though CPU
> utilization occasionally hit 100 percent.
>
>
>> 6. CW Skimmer outputs spots to the logging program and puts
>> them on the bandmap. I'm a little fuzzy on how CW Skimmer
>> knows the frequency of these spots. Does it look at the rig
>> control frequency of the S&P Radio, or is some other
>> connection required for Skimmer to know the frequency?
>
>
> Ah, here's the rub -- Skimmer needs to know what frequency your radio is
> tuned to, so that it can display the waterfall with real frequencies rather
> than frequencies relative to the Softrock local oscillator; that, in turn,
> means that Skimmer needs to be communicating with your radio. The only
> means Skimmer currently has for doing this is through VE3NEA's OmniRig
> interface, which works with many of his programs.
>
> Unfortunately, Omnirig is not compatible with the rig control used by any
> of the leading contest logging programs. I have heard rumors that Writelog
> can be adapted to permit exchanging frequency data with Skimmer - it may
> well be that other logging programs can be readily modified to supply radio
> frequency data through UDP or other means, and that Skimmer will evolve to
> support such adaptations as they develop - but all of this depends on the
> software authors.
>
> I'd suggest reading the section of the Skimmer help file that deals with
> the "SoftRock with IF" option for further details.
>
>
>> 7. Since Skimmer will be connected to the S&P Radio, that
>> radio pretty much has to be dedicated for S&P for the
>> duration of the contest, otherwise Skimmer won't get much
>> listening time because of all the cq-ing if it's connected
>> to the run radio radio?
>
> Probably right, though I used Skimmer briefly during the Russian DX contest
> on my run radio - it would simply stop while I was CQing, and then resume
> copying calls as soon as I started to listen for callers.
>
> The way I visualize using Skimmer on Sunday in SS is that you would switch
> the S&P radio to a new band, pause a minute or so while Skimmer works, and
> then look on your S&P bandmap for Skimmer spots to call. At that point you
> would just run up or down the band picking off any fresh meat, and then go
> on to another band and repeat the process.
>
> 73, Pete N4ZR
>
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