Elecraft P3 User Manual



ELECRAFT

P3

H

IGH-PERFORMANCE

P

ANADAPTER

OWNER’S MANUAL

Revision D, December 5, 2013

Copyright © 2013, Elecraft, Inc.

All Rights Reserved

Contents

NOTE: IF YOU PURCHASED YOUR P3 AS A KIT, GO DIRECTLY TO KIT ASSEMBLY

INSTRUCTIONS ON PAGE 43 TO ASSEMBLE YOUR P3.

Key to Symbols and Text Styles ...................... 3

Quick-Start Guide ............................................ 4

Introduction ...................................................... 7

P3 Features .......................................................... 7

P3SVGA Option .................................................. 7

Specifications ...................................................... 8

Customer Service and Support ............................ 9

Front Panel ..................................................... 10

Control Groups .................................................. 10

Display .............................................................. 11

Primary Controls ............................................... 11

Menu ................................................................. 12

Programmable Function Keys ........................... 12

Rear Panel Connectors ................................... 13

Basic Operation ............................................. 14

Using Tap/Hold Switches ................................. 14

Initial Power-Up ................................................ 14

Configuring the Display .................................... 14

Using the Menu ................................................. 14

Programmable Functions .................................. 15

Adjusting the Frequencies Displayed ................ 15

Using Markers ................................................... 16

Waterfall Markers ............................................. 16

Using Cursors .................................................... 16

How to Set Up and Interpret the P3 Display . 18

Spectrum Display .............................................. 18

Waterfall Display .............................................. 19

Averaging and Peak Hold ................................. 19

Span ................................................................... 19

Fixed-tune mode ................................................ 19

Typical Spectra .................................................. 20

Advanced Operating Features ........................ 22

Basic P3 ............................................................ 22

P3SVGA Option ............................................... 23

Firmware Upgrades ........................................ 29

Checking your Firmware Revision ................... 29

P3 Firmware Self-Test ...................................... 29

Forcing a Firmware Download ......................... 29

Updating K3 Firmware ..................................... 29

Configuration ................................................. 30

Calibration Procedures ................................... 31

Frequency Calibration ...................................... 31

Amplitude Calibration ...................................... 31

Amplitude Calibration for Transverters ............ 32

Menu Functions ............................................. 33

Basic P3 Menu .................................................. 33

P3SVGA Option Menu ..................................... 35

Troubleshooting ............................................. 36

Parameter Initialization .................................. 36

Theory of Operation ....................................... 37

Parts List ........................................................ 38

P3 Sheet Metal Box - E850435 ....................... 38

P3 Misc Bag - E850433 ................................... 39

P3 PCB Box – E850436 ................................... 41

P3SVGA Parts .................................................. 42

Kit Assembly Instructions ............................. 43

Preventing Electrostatic Discharge Damage ..... 43

Tools Required ................................................. 44

Assembly Procedure ......................................... 44

Servicing the P3 ............................................. 59

Accessing the PC Boards .................................. 59

Cleaning the LCD Bezel ................................... 59

Replacing the LCD Display .............................. 60

i

Elecraft manuals with color images may be downloaded from

www.elecraft.com

2

.

Key to Symbols and Text Styles

AVERAGE

MENU:Font

-100

DISPLAY

SELECT
QSY

UNDO QSY

Important – read carefully

Operating tip

Characters displayed on the LCD screen

Tap switch function (labeled above a switch)
Hold switch function (labeled below a switch; hold for 1/2 sec. to activate)

Rotary control

Tap switch function of rotary control (labeled above the knob)
Hold switch function of rotary control (hold for 1/2 sec.)

Typical menu entry

3

Quick-Start Guide

To get started using your P3 right away, please read this page and the two pages that follow, trying each of the
controls. The text uses braces to refer to numbered elements in the front- and rear-panel illustrations below. For

1

example, {1} refers to

The first thing you need to know about the P3 is that most switches have two functions. Tap (press

briefly) to activate the function labeled above a switch. Hold activates the function labeled below the switch. In
the text, tap functions are shown like this: DISPLAY . An example of a hold function is AVERAGE. Additional

typographical conventions are shown on the previous page.

, the display. Later sections provide greater detail on all aspects of P3 operation.

4

K3’s built before September 2009 should have the I.F. Buffer Gain Modification installed for
best weak-signal display on the P3. This modification changes a single resistor to increase the

I.F. output from the K3 by about 10 dB. A modification kit consisting of the resistor and

Connections

IMPORTANT

installation instructions is included with your P3.

This modification is not required for K3 RF boards version H3 and later.

 Connect a power supply to the

IMPORTANT: You may use the e K3 rear panel

10-15 VDC input jack {18} (see Specifications, page. 8).

12VDC OUT jack with the P3 alone.

If you have the P3SVGA option, the jack must be labeled 1.0 A MAX SWITCHED. Older
K3’s were limited to 500 mA, which is adequate to power the P3 without the SVGA, but
not the P3 with the SVGA option enabled. If your K3’s 12VDC OUT is limited to 500
mA, you can install, or have Elecraft install, a mod kit to increase the current available to
1 Ampere. Order the K312MDKT.

 Connect a coaxial cable between the

When used with a K3, connect the cable to the

 When used with a K3, connect a Male-Female DE-9 cable between the

IF IN {15} and the I.F. output of your transceiver.

IF OUT on the K3’s rear panel..

XCVR connector

{19} and the K3’s rear-panel RS232 connector.

If you have the P3SVGA Option installed:

 Connect your external display to EXT DISP {16}.
 Plug your USB keyboard into the KEYBOARD connector {22}.
 Connector openings {17} and {21}, and are provided for future use.

The Basics

 Turn on the power supply that is supplying the P3. If power is obtained from the 12VDC

OUT jack of a K3, turn on the K3. If necessary, press POWER {2} to turn on the P3. You

can position a jumper to have the P3 turn on automatically with the K3 (Page 30).

 TAP and HOLD Functions: Tapping briefly activates the function labeled in white above a

switch. Holding for about 1/2 second activates the function labeled in yellow below a

switch. Try tapping

MENU {7} to bring up the main menu. Rotate

SELECT {8} knob to

scroll through the menu entries. Tapping the knob selects the entry currently displayed.
Tap the knob again to deselect the entry. Tap

MENU {7} to exit the menu.

 Tap DISPLAY {12} to cycle between spectrum and waterfall display modes (Page 14).
 Activating many functions enables the SELECT {8} knob so you can adjust the

parameter associated with the function. The current parameter value is shown on the screen

{1}. You can exit and save the parameter by tapping the same key a second time, even for

hold functions.

 For hold functions, you can also hold the key a second time to exit parameter-entry mode.

In the case of the hold functions associated with the four keys along the
right edge of the front panel

{9-12}, holding the key a second time also

de-activates the function itself. For example, holding (CENTER) a second time returns the
display center frequency to the transceiver frequency and holding

(MKR B) a second time turns off marker B.

 For best frequency accuracy, especially when using narrow spans, perform the frequency

calibration procedure described on page 30.

5

Other
Features

 Hold LABELS {7} to toggle on or off the function key labels located at the bottom of the

screen, just above the function keys (Pages 11 and 12).

 Tap

 Tapping the

 Tap MKR A {9} or hold MKR B {9} to turn on marker A or B. Rotate the SELECT

 To return from the last QSY ("undo" function), hold the

MENU {7} and use the SELECT knob {8} to scroll through the list. You can tap or

hold one of the function keys {3-6} to assign the currently-displayed function to the key. If

the function key labels are on, the label for that key will change to show the selected
function (Page 11).

SELECT knob {8} while the menu is active causes the currently-selected

menu function to execute. Select LCD Brt from the menu and tap the knob. The knob now

adjusts the brightness of the LCD display backlight. Tap the knob again to exit the

selection or tap MENU {7} to select a different menu item. Some menu items are toggle

functions. Instead of changing the parameter by turning the
automatically whenever the knob is tapped. The new value is displayed briefly near the top
of the spectrum display. Menu items are listed on page 33.

knob to place the selected marker at a desired frequency on the display. Markers may be
used to measure the frequency of an interesting signal and, if the transceiver is a K3,
tapping the knob will QSY (change the frequency of) the K3 to that frequency.
controls the K3's VFO A and MKR B controls VFO B. The marker colors match the
corresponding VFO cursors to emphasize the correspondence. Whichever marker is
currently selected is the one that causes the K3 to QSY (Page 11).

SELECT knob, it changes

MKR A

SELECT knob pushbutton. To

turn off marker A, tap

MKR A {9} while marker A is selected. To turn off marker B,

hold MKR B {9} while marker B is selected.

 Tap

 Hold CENTER {10} to set the center frequency of the display (Page 12). This function

 Tap

 Hold SCALE {11} to set the scale, or range, of both the spectrum and waterfall displays.

 Hold AVERAGE {12} to turn on display averaging and allow adjustment of the averaging

SPAN {10} to set the frequency span of the display. The start and stop frequencies are

displayed at the top (left and right edge respectively) of the spectrum window (Page 11).

may be disabled when in tracking mode via the MENU:CenterEn function.

REF LVL {11} to set the amplitude reference level of the display, both spectrum and

waterfall. The term "reference level" means the signal level that corresponds to the bottom
of the spectrum display (Page 12).

For example,"60 dB" means that the bottom of the display is 60 dB below the top (Page

12).

time (Page 12).

6

Introduction

This comprehensive manual covers all the features
and capabilities of the Elecraft P3 panoramic
display. We recommend that you begin with the

Quick-Start Guide (page. 4). The Front Panel
(page. 10) and Rear Panel (page. 13) sections are
for general reference. Basic Operation (page. 13)
and Advanced Operation (page. 17) fill in the

details of the full capabilities of the P3.

P3 Features

The P3 offers a number of advanced features to
enhance performance and versatility:

Ergonomic Design

 Uncluttered interface.
 No unused controls on the screen.

Field Upgradable

 Software defined architecture so many new

features will require only a simple firmware
update using the provided PC utility
program.

 Room inside for future hardware updates.

Compatible Receivers/Transceivers

 May be used with any receiver having an

I.F. output between 455 kHz and 21.7 MHz
(including the Elecraft K2 with suitable
modification). The P3 is usable with
frequencies as low as 300 kHz.

 Integrates very closely with the Elecraft K3

with point-and-click QSY and an “undo”
feature with simple control press to return
to the previous frequency.

Easy Set-Up

 Only two cables for basic operation (I.F.

and power).

 Optional additional connections provided

for transceiver communications, a personal
computer and optional accessories.

 No configuration or calibration is required.

Display

 Bright, high-resolution, full color display.
 Efficient LED backlight for long life and

low power consumption.

 Both fixed-tune and transceiver-tracking

modes for the display frequency.

 Both Spectrum and Waterfall displays.
 Fast display update.
 Up to 200 kHz span.
 Frequency resolution automatically

increases as span is decreased.

 Excellent sensitivity and dynamic range.

P3SVGA Option

The P3SVGA Super Video Graphics Array option
adds wide screen display capability to the P3 with
enhanced data terminal operations that permits
sending text from a keyboard attached to the P3,
storing messages in memory that may be recalled
with a simple keystroke, and transmitting a stored
message at regular intervals. The P3SVGA features
a dedicated, high-speed Fast Fourier Transform
(FFT) processor that performs a 2048 point FFT in
parallel with the P3’s existing processor for a much
higher frequency resolution per dot on the larger
screen. The P3SVGA also includes an interface for
a future USB option that will permit direct digital
mode operation via the K3 and P3 with data display
on the P3 and P3SVGA screens.

The P3SVGA adds three connectors to the P3 rear
panel: KEYBOARD, EXT. DISPLAY and AUX
DATA. Only the KEYBOARD and EXT.
DISPLAY connectors are active at this time. The
AUX DATA connector is reserved for future use.

The P3SVGA supports the following video
resolutions:

1024 X 768

1280 X 1024

1440 X 900

1920 X 1080

Note that 1440 x 900 will display correctly on
1920 x 1080 monitors.

7

Specifications

I.F. Frequency Range:

455 kHz to 21.7 MHz (usable with frequencies as low as 300 kHz)

Noise Figure:
Blocking Dynamic Range:
Absolute Level Accuracy:
Relative Level Accuracy:
Display Update Rate:
Amplitude Scale:
Span:
Resolution Bandwidth:
Power Requirements:

Weight:
Size:

< 10 dB measured at P3 input typical

> 120 dB (500 Hz bandwidth) typical

± 3 dB plus display resolution after calibration at S9 (-73 dBm)

± 0.1 dB plus display resolution

Selectable 1 Hz to 20 Hz (slower at narrowest spans)

10 dB minimum, 80 dB maximum

2 kHz minimum, 200 kHz maximum

Span / 450, 8 Hz minimum

10 to 15 VDC, 0.5 A maximum without the P3SVGA option; 0.7 A with the
P3SVGA option enabled.

5.5 lbs (2.5 kg)

Enclosure only, 4.0 x 6.1 x 10.0 in., HWD (10.2 x 15.6 x 25.4 cm). With
projections, 4.4 x 6.1 x 11.8 in. (11.2 x 15.6 x 30.0 cm).

8

Customer Service and Support

Technical Assistance

You can send e-mail to [e-mail] and we will respond quickly – typically the same day
Monday through Friday. If you need replacement parts, send an e-mail to [e-mail]

assistance is available from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. Pacific time (weekdays only) at 831-763-4211. Please use e-mail
rather than calling when possible since this gives us a written record of the details of your problem and allows us
to handle a larger number of requests each day.

Repair / Alignment Service

If necessary, you may return your Elecraft product to us for repair or alignment. (Note: We offer unlimited email
and phone support, so please try that route first as we can usually help you find the problem quickly.)

IMPORTANT: You must contact Elecraft before mailing your product to obtain authorization for the

return, what address to ship it to and current information on repair fees and turnaround times. (Frequently we
can determine the cause of your problem and save you the trouble of shipping it back to us.) Our repair location
is different from our factory location in Aptos. We will give you the address to ship your kit to at the time of

repair authorization. Packages shipped to Aptos without authorization will incur an additional shipping charge

for reshipment from Aptos to our repair depot

.

. Telephone

Elecraft 1-Year Limited Warranty

This warranty is effectiv e as o f the date of first con sumer purchase (or if sh ipped from the factory, the date the
product is shipped to the customer). It covers both our kits and fully assembled products. For kits, before requesting
warranty service, you should fully complete the assembly, carefully following all instructions in the manual.

Who is covered: This warranty covers the original owner of the Elecraft product as disclosed to Elecraft at the time

of order. Elecraft products transferred by the purchaser to a third party, either by sale, gift, or other method, who is
not disclosed to Elecraft at the time of original order, are not covered by this warranty. If the Elecraft product is being
bought indirectly for a t hird party, the third party’s name and address must be provided at time of o rder to ensure
warranty coverage.

What is covered: During the first year after date of purchase, Elecraft will replace defective or missing parts free of

charge (post-paid). We will also correct any malfunction to kits or assembled units caused by defective parts and
materials. Purchaser pays inbound shipping to us for warranty repair; we p ay shipping to return the repaired
equipment to you by UPS ground service or equivalent to the continental USA and Canada. For Alaska, Hawaii, and
other destinations outside the U.S. and Canada, actual return shipping cost is paid by the owner.

What is not covered: This warranty does not cover correction of kit assembly errors. It also does not cover

misalignment; repair of damage caused by misuse, negligence, or builder modifications; or any performance
malfunctions involving non-Elecraft accessory equipment. The use of acid-core solder, water-soluble flux solder, or
any corrosive or conductive flux or solvent will void this warranty in its entirety. Also not covered is reimbursement
for loss of use, inconvenience, customer assembly or alignment time, or cost of unauthorized service.

Limitation of incidental or consequential damages: This warranty does not extend to non-Elecraft equipment or

components used in c onjunction with our products. Any su ch repair or replacem ent is the res ponsibility of the
customer. Elecraft will not be liable for any special, indirect, incidental or consequential damages, including but not
limited to any loss of business or profits.

9

Front Panel

This section describes all front panel controls and the liquid crystal display (LCD). Operating instructions are
covered in later sections.

Control Groups

Primary controls (page 11): These keys are hard-

coded with permanent function assignments. They
provide the most important operational features
needed for basic panadapter operation, including
display options, amplitude scaling, frequency
control and markers.

Programmable function keys (page 12): The

function keys may be assigned to any of the
functions in the MENU list. These include less-used
operational features, test functions, and setup and

calibration routines.

10

Display

The 480x272-pixel, color TFT-LCD display is used
both for the panadapter spectrum and waterfall
graphics as well as for general-purpose information
needed by the operator. All graphics and text are

bit-mapped and so are software-defined. The
backlight brightness and the text size can be
changed via a

MENU entry (Page 33).

Primary Controls

POWER Turns the P3 on or off. The P3 may be

configured to turn on automatically whenever
power is applied, such as when it is powered from a
K3 transceiver, by moving a jumper on the rear-

panel I/O board (see Configuration on page 30 for

details.) Holding the POWER switch for more than
10 seconds places the P3 in boot-load mode, ready
to receive new firmware via the RS232 PC
connector. If you do this accidentally, simply cycle
the POWER to restore normal operation.

MKR A and MKR B Selecting one of these

functions causes a marker to appear on the display,
using different colors for A and B. The marker
frequency can be adjusted by turning the

SELECT knob. If the transceiver is a K3 and it is

connected to the P3 via RS232, then tapping the
knob changes the frequency of (QSY) the K3 to that
frequency.

MKR B controls VFO B. The marker colors match

the corresponding VFO cursors to emphasize the

MKR A controls the K3's VFO A and

correspondence. Whichever marker is currently
selected is the one that causes the K3 to QSY. To

return from the last QSY ("undo" function), hold

the

SELECT knob pushbutton.

To turn off

MKR A, tap the key while marker A is

selected. To turn off MKR B, hold the key while

marker B is selected. When a marker is turned back
on after having been turned off, it will come back at
the same frequency unless it is off-screen, in which
case the marker defaults to the center frequency.

When another function that uses the

SELECT

knob is activated, the marker(s) stay visible and
when that other function is de-selected the last
active marker automatically becomes active again.

SPAN Sets the frequency span of the display. The

available range is 2 kHz to 200 kHz. The start and
stop frequencies are displayed at the top (left and
right edge respectively) of the spectrum window.

11

CENTER sets the center frequency of the display,

which is also displayed at the top center of the
spectrum window when in tracking mode. If
MENU:CenterEn is set to OFF, then this function is
disabled for tracking mode. If the transceiver is a
K3, the center frequency defaults to the VFO A
frequency of the K3, but it may be tuned above and
below that value. It will then track any changes in
the K3’s VFO A.

In fixed-tune mode as well, CENTER sets the
center frequency of the display, however it does not
track the K3 VFO but stays at a fixed frequency. If
desired, you can set the center frequency to re­adjust automatically by setting the proper mode in
MENU:FixMode In both fixed and tracking modes,
hold the CENTER key a second time to return the
center frequency to the K3's VFO A frequency.

REF LVL Sets the amplitude reference level of the

display, both spectrum and waterfall. The term
"reference level" means the signal level that
corresponds to the bottom of the spectrum display
and the minimum signal level (dark blue) of the
waterfall. The amplitude labels that appear along
the left edge of the spectrum display may be in dBm
or S-units plus dB over S9, depending on the setting
of MENU:Lvl Mode. If the transceiver is a K3, the
amplitude is that of the signal at the K3 antenna
input, with the state of the K3's attenuator and
preamp taken into account. Tap any key to de-select
the parameter entry.

Menu

MENU Accesses an alphabetical list of functions

(see Menu Functions, page.33). Scroll through the
list with the

SELECT knob and tap the knob to

select an item. For items with only two or three
values, tapping the

SELECT knob toggles

between the parameter values. For other items, you
can turn the

SELECT knob to choose the

parameter value. Tapping the knob a second time
un-selects the item and exits the menu. If you wish
to terminate the item but keep the menu active, tap

MENU. When you wish to exit the menu, tap
MENU again.

Programmable Function Keys

Most menu functions can be assigned to a function
key by tapping or holding the FN1 – FN4 or FN5 –

FN8 key while the menu item is displayed but not

selected. The label for that function key will then
change to the function name (when labels are turned
on with the LABELS key).

LABELS toggles the function key labels on and off.

Note that the function keys are still active even
when the labels are turned off.

SCALE Sets the scale, or range, of both the

spectrum and waterfall displays. For example, "60
dB" means that the bottom of the display is 60 dB
below the top. Tap any key to de-select the
parameter entry.

DISPLAY Toggles between the spectrum, and

combination spectrum/waterfall display modes.

AVERAGE Turns on display averaging and allows

adjustment of the averaging time, in units of the
display update period. To de-select parameter entry

and turn off averaging at the same time, hold the

key a second time. To de-select parameter entry

while leaving averaging turned on, tap the key.

12

Rear Panel Connectors

I.F. Signals: IF IN is a BNC jack that connects to

the intermediate-frequency output connector of the
transceiver (IF OUT on the K3). This should be a
buffered, low-level, high-bandwidth signal from the
receiver that is tapped off at a point before the high­selectivity filters.

IF OUT is a BNC jack that may be connected to

any other device that needs the I.F. output signal
from the transceiver. When the IF OUT switch is in
the ON position, the IF IN signal is directed to a 3
dB splitter whose outputs feed both the P3 and the
IF OUT connector.

for downloading new firmware and for sending and
receiving commands to the P3 and K3 (if
connected). To set the baud rate, refer to the RS232
Menu entry on page 33. The baud rate also may be
set by using the same RS232 command (BR) as for

a K3. Refer to the K3 or P3 Programmer’s
Reference for details. To download firmware to the
K3, see Updating K3 Firmware on page 29.

Power: 10-15 VDC is a standard 2.1 mm barrel

connector for a 10-15 VDC supply. See

Connections on page 5 if you wish to take power

from the K3’s

12VDC OUT jack.

RS232 XCVR is a male DE-9 connector that

connects to the RS232 port on a K3 (if used) using
a standard 9-pin serial extender cable. It should be a
straight-through cable (not a null modem) with a
female connector on one end and male connector on
the other. Note that communications between theK3
and the P3 are always at a data rate of 38400 baud
(see figure below). The K3 baud rate is set
automatically by the P3 and cannot be changed at
the K3.

RS232 PC is a female DE-9 that optionally may be

connected to a personal computer that can be used

RS232 Communications Path through the P3.

The following are present only if the P3SVGA
option is installed:

KEYBOARD: USB jack for a USB keyboard or

thumb drive (mass storage device). Apple

keyboards are not supported at this time.

EXT.DISPLAY: Output to an external SVGA

monitor.

SENSOR and AUX DATA: For future use.

13

Basic Operation

This section covers the fundamentals of P3
operation. Once you're familiar with the P3, please

go on to Advanced Operating Features (page.17).

Using Tap/Hold Switches

Most P3 switches have two options. Tapping

(pressing for less than 1/2 second) activates the

function labeled in white above the switch. Holding

(pressing for more than 1/2 second) activates the
function labeled in yellow below the switch.

Initial Power-Up

 Connect a power supply, I.F. input and

(optionally) an RS232 cable (page 13).

 Press

POWER to turn the P3 on, if it is not on

already. The screen should light and you should
see a spectrum or combined spectrum and
waterfall display. If a K3 is connected via
RS232 you should see the correct frequency at
the top center of the display.

Configuring the Display

Tap DISPLAY to cycle between spectrum and
combined spectrum and waterfall displays.

Hold AVERAGE to turn on averaging and to set the
averaging time constant with the

You can hold AVERAGE again to turn off
averaging or just tap the same key to clear the
parameter-entry text from the display while leaving
averaging enabled.

Hold LABELS to show or hide the function key
labels.

SELECT knob.

There are also several MENU functions that

configure the display, such as LCD Brt (display
brightness), Peak hold, Freeze display, Font size
and Waterfall height.

Using the Menu

Typical Display Showing a Menu Selection.

 Tap
 Turn the SELECT knob to scroll through an

 Tap the
 Most functions have a parameter which can

 Tap the

 Tap
 Some menu items are toggle functions. The

MENU to access the menu.

alphabetical list of available menu functions, as
documented in the Menu Functions section
(page.33).

SELECT knob to select a function.

then be adjusted with the

SELECT knob again to exit the

function.

MENU again to exit the menu.

parameter changes automatically every time
you tap the

SELECT knob.

SELECT knob.

14

Programmable Functions

Adjusting the Frequencies Displayed

Most MENU functions can be assigned to any
programmable function key, FN1 to FN8. Tap or
hold the desired function key while the function is

visible on the display but not selected by tapping

the

SELECT knob. The function name then

becomes the function key label which can be seen if
labels are currently displayed. To un-assign a

function key, select MENU:FN Erase and tap or

hold the function key you wish to erase.

Some menu items are much more useful when
assigned to a function key. Examples are

Freeze display.

and

PEAK assigned to Function Key FN1.

Peak hold

Adjusting the Amplitude

Tap SPAN to adjust the range of frequencies that
can be seen on the display at one time. The start and
stop frequencies are indicated at the top left and
right of the display. They are shown as offsets from
the center frequency in tracking mode and as the
actual RF frequencies in fixed-tune mode.

Hold CENTER to adjust the display center
frequency by turning the
function may be disabled for tracking mode via
MENU:CenterEn.

Hold CENTER again to re-center the display on the
transceiver VFO frequency.

When used with the K3, an RF frequency is shown
at the top center of the display. In tracking mode, it
is the display center frequency, which normally is
the K3 VFO A frequency. In fixed-tune mode it is
always the K3 VFO A frequency. For transceivers
other than the K3 it is the difference between the
center frequency and the current transceiver
frequency, normally zero.

The tic marks that appear along the top and bottom
edges of the spectrum and waterfall widows
indicate RF frequency in integer multiples of 0.5, 1,
2, 5, 10 or 20 kHz, depending upon the span.

SELECT knob. This

Tap REF LVL to adjust the reference level, which
is the signal level that corresponds to the bottom of
the spectrum display and the low-signal level of the
waterfall display. Hold SCALE to adjust the
"vertical gain" of the display. For example if the
reference level is set to -100 dBm and the scale to
30 dB, then the top of the spectrum display is at -70
dBm and the bottom at -100 dBm.

The waterfall display is most useful if the reference
level is adjusted to place the noise level near the
bottom of the display and the scale is adjusted so
that the strongest signals of interest are near the top.

15

Using Markers

Waterfall Markers

Tap MKR A to turn on marker A and allow you to
change the marker frequency by rotating the

SELECT knob. To determine the frequency of a

signal, move the marker so that it overlays the
carrier and read the frequency from the display. For
single sideband signals, place the marker where the
carrier would be if it were transmitted, i.e. on the
lower (left) edge of an upper sideband signal and on
the upper (right) edge of a lower sideband signal.

If a K3 is connected, you can QSY (change the
frequency of) the K3's VFO A to the marker A
frequency by tapping the
return to the previous frequency, hold the knob. To
turn off marker A, tap

Hold MKR B to turn on marker B and allow you to
change the marker frequency by rotating the

SELECT knob. If a K3 is connected, you can

QSY the K3's VFO B to the marker B frequency by
tapping the
previous frequency, hold the knob. To turn off
marker B, hold MKR B again.

To turn off a marker you must first make it active, if
necessary, by tapping MKR A or holding MKR B.
Then tap or hold the key a second time to hide the
marker.

If some other function that uses the
knob is activated, the marker stays on and
automatically becomes active again (you can adjust
it with the knob) when the other function is
terminated. The tap-to-QSY function affects VFO
A if marker A is active and VFO B if marker B is
active.

SELECT knob. To return to the

SELECT knob. To

MKR A again.

SELECT

Select MENU:WfallMkrs. Tapping the

SELECT knob will turn the waterfall markers
on, causing the marker line(s) to travel down into
the waterfall display, or turn the markers off.

Marker A Enabled at 3563 KHz for Both Spectrum

and Waterfall.

Using Cursors

When used with a K3 transceiver, cursors show the
position of the A and B VFOs, The position and
width of each cursor shows the passband being
received. Two cursor shapes may be selected using

MENU:CURSOR, a translucent bar cursor or a “U”

shaped cursor at the bottom of the spectrum display.

When a marker is turned on, it will be at the same
frequency as the last time it was on unless that
frequency is off-screen. In that case the marker is
automatically reset to the display center frequency.
(If you lose a marker off-screen, just turn it off and
on again to return it to the center frequency.)

When you change bands on the K3, the markers are
automatically set at the new center frequency.

For best frequency accuracy, especially when using
narrow spans, perform the frequency calibration
procedure on page 31.

Bar Cursor on Upper Sideband Signal at 14.250 kHz

16

“U” Cursor on Upper Sideband Signal at 14.250 kHz

VFO A has a green cursor and VFO B has a
magenta cursor unless split mode is activated at the
K3. In split mode, the VFO B cursor changes to red
as a reminder that you will transmit on that
frequency. Similarly, if XIT is on, or if split is off
and RIT is on, a new red cursor appears at the
transmit frequency.

Red Bar Cursor Showing Transmit Frequency Above
the Receive Frequency

Whenever a cursor is tuned off-screen a small arrow
of the same color appears at the bottom left or right
of the spectrum window to indicate the direction to
the missing cursor

The VFO B cursor may be turned off using

MENU:VFO B. Tap the knob to select ON or OFF

as desired.

17

How to Set Up and Interpret the P3 Display

There are several options to customize the layout of
your P3 display.
spectrum-only and spectrum-plus-waterfall display.
The height of the waterfall can be adjusted with

MENU:Waterfall. The function (FN) key labels

appear at the bottom of the screen by default. You
can hide them to maximize the screen area by
holding LABELS. The FN keys remain active even
when the labels are hidden. Another trick to
maximize viewing area is to choose a smaller type
font via

MENU:Font.

DISPLAY switches between a

Spectrum Display

The spectrum display on a panadapter is similar to
the display on a laboratory spectrum analyzer. The
horizontal axis is frequency and signal strength is
represented by the vertical height of each signal.
The P3's spectrum display is similar to most in that
the signal height is proportional to the logarithm of
the amplitude, represented in decibels (dB). Each 3
dB represents a doubling of power and 10 dB
means ten times the power.

The vertical scale at the left edge of the spectrum
display may be in units of dBm or S-units, as
selected by MENU:Lvl Mode. The dBm unit
means decibels with respect to one milliwatt. 0
dBm is one milliwatt, +10 dBm is 10 milliwatts, -10
dBm is 1/10 milliwatt and so on. An S9 signal is
normally considered to be 50 microvolts into 50
ohms, which is -73 dBm, an easy number for a ham
to remember! Assuming the standard 6 dB per S­unit, the following table applies.

S-Units Signal Level

S9 -73 dBm

S8 -79 dBm

S7 -85 dBm

S6

S5 -97 dBm

S4 -103 dBm

S3 -109 dBm

S2 -115 dBm

S1 -121 dBm

-91 dBm 6.25 V

50 V

25 V

12.5 V

V

1.56 V

0.78 V

0.39 V

0.2 V

You would expect the S meter on the K3 and the
signal on the P3 display to indicate the same level if
both the K3 and the P3 are properly calibrated,
however there are several reasons why that might
not be the case. One is that the P3 is not affected by
the preamplifier and attenuator in the K3. If the K3

CONFIG:SMTR MD is set to NOR, the S meter

reading changes when you turn on or off the
preamplifier and attenuator. To prevent that,
change the setting to

The noise level will generally be lower on the P3
display compared to the K3 S meter. The reason is
that the effective bandwidth of the P3 is generally
one display pixel, which is approximately span /

450. The smaller the bandwidth, the less noise. For
example, if the span is 45 kHz, the effective P3
bandwidth is 45,000 / 450 = 100 Hz. If the K3
bandwidth is 400 Hz, it will show a 6 dB (one S­unit) higher noise level than the P3.

A similar thing happens with spread-out signals like
SSB. Even at the maximum 200 kHz span, the P3's
effective bandwidth is only about 440 Hz so that
not all the SSB signal is within one pixel. That's
why the P3 tends to read a lower level on SSB
signals than the K3 S meter.

REF LVL (reference level) on the P3 shifts all the

signals up or down. The level that you are adjusting
is the signal level at the bottom of the display,
measured in dBm.

SCALE is used to expand or contract the vertical

scale. Think of it as a vertical gain control. The
scale is defined as the dB difference between the
top and the bottom of the display. For example, if
the reference level is -100 dBm and the scale is 20
dB, then a signal at the top of the display is at -80
dBm. For both REF LVL and SCALE, turning the
knob clockwise makes the signals taller.

The P3 automatically compensates for the
preamplifier and attenuator in the K3. When you
turn them on or off, the signal levels on the P3
should stay the same. If the I.F. output modification
has been done on the K3 (see note at the top of
page 5), the indicated dBm level should be the
signal level at the K3 antenna input. Perhaps
counter-intuitively, this means that if you turn on

ABS.

18