Good Sound Cards for Sound Card Digital - Digital Forum at eHam.net

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eHam.net Forum : Digital : Good Sound Cards for Sound Card Digital

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Good Sound Cards for Sound Card Digital	Reply
by KG6MZS on May 19, 2009	Mail this to a friend!
Hello all; I've always been mystified why brag tapes mention the computer. Who cares about the computer? I want to know what sound cards people are using. Up until now all I've ever run was a FT-100d with a SignaLink USB so the sound card was never an issue. But recently I purchased an Elecraft K3 and suddenly the sound card is a big issue. When I hooked up my HP 1.6 Ghz P4's Soundblaster Audigy Value card to the line in on the K3, I found that the mic gain needed to be set to a value of 3 (out of 60) in order not to show any ALC. There is no "Line Out" on the Soundblaster card, so I'm guessing the speaker output is too hot for my K3. So I'm thinking I would like a quality card for digital modes. Just the name "Soundblaster" doesn't sound like a good thing for a clean digital signal. What sound cards are people using? Especially with the K3? TIA 73 de Eric, KG6MZS

RE: Good Sound Cards for Sound Card Digital	Reply
by AA4PB on May 19, 2009	Mail this to a friend!
Why not use the Signalink-USB? Its hard to beat.

RE: Good Sound Cards for Sound Card Digital	Reply
by KG6AF on May 19, 2009	Mail this to a friend!
QST did a sound card review a while back; the article concluded that any 16-bit sound card was plenty good enough. And here's another vote for the SignaLink USB.

RE: Good Sound Cards for Sound Card Digital	Reply
by NA4IT on May 19, 2009	Mail this to a friend!
Only one... The Signalink USB external sound card and interface. See www.tigertronics.com de NA4IT

RE: Good Sound Cards for Sound Card Digital	Reply
by VE3VID on May 19, 2009	Mail this to a friend!
TIA........if you still have your S/L USB, use that. Then there's no foolin around with internal sound cards. Leave the internal card for Windows/Apple noises and your com software will only look for the SignaLink when you fire up for some PSK RTTY etc. David

RE: Good Sound Cards for Sound Card Digital	Reply
by KG6MZS on May 20, 2009	Mail this to a friend!
Thanks for all the replies. I really love my SignaLink but it looks like the only way to hook it up to the K3 is via the front panel mic jack and I was hoping to save that like I did with the FT100D The other consideration for my set-up is that I got the IF out option for the K3 so that at some point in the future I can use LP-Pan as a panadapter and get a band scope. AFAIK that requires a quality sound card. I was thinking about this one: http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/Audiophile2496.html Right now I am only using the SignaLink's sound card for transmitting. I am using the MON out - which isn't isolated - but that isn't an issue as the K3's line in input supposedly is isolated. This seems to work fine. The Sound Blaster Audigy Value card really doesn't work. When I monitor the signal in the K3 it goes from being barely audible to totally distorted with almost nothing in between. I've got to think that something is systemically wrong with my setup. here is the card: http://bn.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=1&subcategory=873&product=14189 73 de Eric, KG6MZS

RE: Good Sound Cards for Sound Card Digital	Reply
by AA4PB on May 20, 2009	Mail this to a friend!
The Signalink can connect to the radio in the same manner as any other sound card interface. It is not restricted to only the front panel mike connection. I have mine connected to the ACC connector on the back of an Icom. Signalink may not have the technical information or ready made cables yet for the K3 but I am sure you can make up a cable to make it work on the accessory connectors on the back of the K3.

RE: Good Sound Cards for Sound Card Digital	Reply
by KG6MZS on May 22, 2009	Mail this to a friend!
The pin outs for the ACC out are listed in the K3's documentation. I guess I could figure out the jumper pattern and make a cable. But I still need the sound card for the pan adapter. 73 de Eric, KG6MZS

RE: Good Sound Cards for Sound Card Digital	Reply
by VA7CPC on May 22, 2009	Mail this to a friend!
You're not the first person with this problem. When you adjust the output level of the built-in sound card using the Windows Mixer, set _both_ the WAVE and VOLUME controls very low. [And make sure that every other sound source is MUTEd.] The two controls (WAVE and VOLUME) are (conceptually) in series. With WAVE set low, max VOLUME generates a fairly weak signal. Adjusting the VOLUME control should fix your output-level problem. Charles

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