Reviews:
 
 Visit eHam.net Product Review page for LP-PAN.

February 2009 QST Product Review of LP-PAN.
 
Reprinted with permission of ARRL.

Manuals (assembly, installation and operation)

Software (links to software for use with LP-PAN)

Useful Links (FAQ, sound card info, User Group, etc.)

Detailed Specs, Performance Measurements, etc.


Ordering:
LP-PAN kits are in stock for all supported radios. The purchase price includes the LP-PAN IF decoder hardware and power cable. Software is available from several sources. Some is freeware, some is not. LP-Bridge is available free for download directly from TelePost. The recommended PowerSDR-IF Stage software is available for download from WU2X. There is no charge for this, but a donation to Scott and his team is recommended. Good software takes a lot of time and effort to develop and maintain.

NOTE: Before ordering, it is recommended that you read the Manual and the Installation Guide. A working knowledge of computers is very desirable. Most users have had no unusual problems setting up the software, but PowerSDR can be a little tricky on some systems, especially for overseas users. Installing the latest drivers for your chosen sound card and your OS is essential to smooth operation. Studying the Sound Card page is recommended, as well as the Setup & Configuration page for your selected sound card. Reading the mail on the LP-PAN User Group can also be quite useful. With hundreds of LP-PAN systems in the field, there are plenty of users who can help if you run into problems. It is also possible to install and check out all the software before even ordering LP-PAN. Just use an audio source such as the output of the K3. The display will only show the center 3kHz of spectrum, and there will be no image rejection, but everything should work properly otherwise.

Order from USA (includes APO, FPO)

Order from outside USA





Price List for US Orders Only:
For orders outside USA, please click here. When asked for call sign, include a note stating rig make and model.
Standard US shipping charge is $10 for Fedex Ground or USPS Priority Mail - 2 to 4 days.

 
Payment can also be made by credit card at 734-455-3716, or regular mail at:

TelePost Inc.
49100 Pine Hill Dr.
Plymouth, MI 48170





Price List for Orders Outside USA:
For orders other than K3, please add a note to the order, stating rig type.

Note: All prices in $USD.

A 1% currency exchange fee will be added to overseas orders, but PayPal generally provides a very good exchange rate. For overseas orders, custom orders or items not shown below, use the following guidelines,or email us for quote. Proper documentation is provided, including correct harmonized code to avoid duties where applicable. Customs documents require an accurate value, and usually copies of the invoice. Please don't ask us to falsify these documents!
 
Canada, Mexico:
LP-PAN kit = $176.75USD
LP-PAN assembled = $227.25USD
USPS Priority Mail, 6-10 days, insured, trackable online... $19USD
USPS Express Mail, 5 days, insured, trackable online... $24USD

Europe:
LP-PAN kit = $176.75USD
LP-PAN assembled = $227.25USD
USPS Priority Mail, 6-10 days, insured, trackable online... $28USD
USPS Express Mail, 5 days, insured, trackable online... $36USD

Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong:
LP-PAN kit = $176.75USD
LP-PAN assembled = $227.25USD
USPS Priority Mail, 6-10 days, insured, trackable online... $29USD
USPS Express Mail, 5 days, insured, trackable online... $32USD

APO:
USPS Priority Mail. Use US Order buttons below (and thanks for your service).

Others: email us for quote.

In general, I recommend Express Mail. I have sent hundreds of LP-100s overseas using Express Mail and have never had a problem. Payment can be made at www.paypal.com. For PayPal address, credit card or other payment methods, email us.


NOTE: PayPal orders are processed immediately, even if shipment is a few weeks away. Credit card orders placed by phone won't be processed until shipment is imminent. 



Manuals:
Note: Older manuals should only be used for assembly of older kits. Once finished, the current manual should be used for setup and operation.

Manual for serial numbers 1-207

Manual for serial numbers 208 -308

Manual for serial numbers 309 - 513

Manual for serial numbers 514 -799

Assembly Manual for serial numbers 800 +
 
Installation, Setup and Operation Manual for latest PowerSDR-IF & LP-Bridge

Current High Resolution schematic



Software downloads (free):

PowerSDR / IF Stage . PowerSDR-IF Stage provides the panadapter and computer control of VFO A & VFO B, band, mute, mode and more. The link takes you to the website of Scott, WU2X, who is the lead programmer of the IF Stage sub version of PowerSDR. PowerSDR/IF allows direct rig control with Kenwood, K3 and Yaesu FT-950/2000.

LP-Bridge LP-Bridge web page. LP-Bridge provides the linking between PowerSDR-IF Stage and the K3 for mode, band, frequency, IF offset, mute and more. It also provides a way to easily share multiple applications, like loggers, CW Skimmer, PSK programs, etc. with the K3 and PowerSDR. All applications have access to the K3 independently and concurrently. LP-Bridge currently only supports the K3, but will support Kenwood and K2 in the near future. For other rigs, use HRD or N4PY as noted below.

Ham Radio Deluxe (HRD) provides limited linking (mode and frequency) between PowerSDR-IF Stage and rigs other than K3, Kenwood and FT950/2000.

Refer to the latest LP-PAN manual for the latest installation and configuration information. Also, for those of you who currently use N4PY software with an Orion or other rig, Carl has expanded his software to provide linking to LP-Bridge. Carl's website is here. (N4PY software is not free.)



Useful Links:

LP-PAN FAQ Important reading to address just what the LP-PAN can and can't do.

LP-PAN User Group Join for latest news, feedback, support, etc. This is the preferred place to post questions and comments on LP-PAN. Please limit use of the Elecraft reflector for LP-PAN specific questions.

System Requirements Recommended minimum PC hardware configurations.

Sound Card Info Please read before deciding on a sound card.

K3 Buffer Mod Simple mod that improves noise floor of panadapter display by reducing loss in the K3 IF output. Not required, but some users have found it well worth the effort. The link takes you the Files section of the LP-PAN User Group. Elecraft now offers a mod kit very similar to this, and has incorportated the mod into current production K3s.

Z10000 buffer kit from Clifton Laboratories (Jack, K8ZOA) to add an IF port to the K2 or Orion. You will find detailed K2 installation information in the Z10000 manual. In addition, Rick VE7TK has posted this paper on Orion modification. HRD and N4PY software also support Orion and LP-PAN. Rick also has this paper on configuring N4PY software with PowerSDR/IF v1.19.35. K2 will be fully supported in LP-Bridge soon, but currently can be controlled using HRD.

IF-2000 Interface board for FT-950/2000, available from RF Space. This is required to use LP-PAN with these radios. This board is a third party product, and was originally designed for use with RF Space's panadapter product. It is successfully being used by a number of LP-PAN users with excellent results. We are looking into creating a more cost effective version of the board, if demand is sufficient.



Frequently Asked Questions:

1. What is LP-PAN?

A direct conversion receiver with quadrature detector to provide I and Q audio signals for connection to a sound card. It is designed to receive a range of frequencies centered on the IF (8.215 MHz for the K3). By using quadrature detection, a total bandwidth almost equal to the sampling rate is obtained, ie. 192 kHz sampling will give almost +/- 96 kHz tuning range.


2. Does LP-PAN require a PC?

Yes. A PC and sound card are required to use LP-PAN. Suggested PC configurations are given above in the General Information section. They are similar to what would be required with any SDR type radio application. The software application does the IQ decoding and provides a spectrum display, second receiver, etc.. Other applications, like CW Skimmer provide other functionality. See Software section above.


3. Will LP-PAN work with a Mac or Linux?

LP-PAN depends on the use of an SDR application. There are a number of these around. The most popular is probably PowerSDR from FlexRadio, which is an open source application, but a quick search doesn't reveal a version for Mac. I don't know what options there are for a CAT interface / logging program using platforms other than Windows. You might consider Wine or Parallels or VMware, or using a dual boot configuration. Make sure your sound card is supported though, especially if it's Firewire based.


4. How does LP-PAN interface to the K3?

It connects to the IF output. You will need the KXV3 option for the K3. The K3 also needs to connect to a PC serial port to provide frequency data to the SDR application if you want the display to show actual tuned frequency. LP-Bridge will allow interfacing the K3 to LP-PAN and several other programs at the same time for full bi-directional serial control from all applications, without adverse interactions, and with very easy configuration in one simple program.


5. Can LP-PAN be used without a serial interface?

Yes. The program can be set up to display relative frequency referenced to an arbitrary center frequency, like 0kHz or 8.215 MHz. To use point and click tuning, or to display actual receive frequency, a serial port connection is required.


6. What software is required for point-and-click tuning with the K3?

This is available using the PowerSDR-IF Stage sub-version that Scott WU2X has written (see discussion earlier on this web page in the Software section). LP-Bridge provides more features and linked parameters, but only works with the K3. Support for K2, Kenwood and FT-2000 will be provided shortly. HRD can be used or other rigs, with fewer supported features, but still provide frequency and mode linking.


7. Is LP-PAN sold as a kit or as an assembled unit?

LP-PAN is available both as a partial kit (with pre-installed SMD parts) or fully assembled unit. Kit builders will need to adjust the input bandpass filter, but I have designed the filters to allow this to be easily done. The resulting adjustment should provide a passband flatness of about 1dB. If the builder wants it better than that, he should buy the assembled unit, which is adjusted for maximum flatness using my HP VNA. I haven't seen any obvious advantage to factory tuning, but it could affect image rejection slightly I suppose.


8. What is required to connect LP-PAN to my K3 and PC?

A 50 ohm coax cable with BNC connectors to connect LP-PAN to the K3 IF output. For audio, a pair of balanced or unbalanced cables with 1/8" mono/stereo phone plugs on the LP-PAN end, and appropriate connector(s) / adapters on the sound card end is required, depending on the sound card. Also, a source of 11-16VDC @ 45mA. LP-PAN is supplied with a power cord with 2.5mm DC connector on one end and tinned leads on the other. It can easily be powered by the accessory 12VDC output of the K3. An RCA "PTT" type jack is provided for muting PowerSDR during transmit. This is only needed if you find that the software muting provided by LP-Bridge isn't fast enough for the modes you use. The Mute input requires a short to ground to mute, and no more than ~ 7VDC when not muted. For safety, an isolated relay or open source transistor driver is recommended.


9. What features does LP-PAN offer besides a spectrum display?

Spectrum/panadapter display is only one feature that can be used with LP-PAN. Features are application dependent, and vary from program to program. I have played mostly with WU2X's IF version of PowerSDR so far. In addition to the panadapter display, I have used LP-PAN as a second receiver for SWL'ing. PowerSDR has a nifty synchronous AM detector that makes SW listening a pleasure. It can also decode digital voice modes and a host of other things. As a receiver, it performs very well. See the performance section above. I have also played a bit with VE3NEA's very clever CW Skimmer program, which allows you to see dozens of decoded CW signals at a time for a section of the band, and it displays callsigns and RST reports for all the stations, plus a decoded message section for the signal you are listening to.


10. Can LP-PAN share a sound card with other applications?

This can be done with the low cost VAC (Virtual Audio Cable) program, but there are a couple problems with this approach. One has to accept resampling of the audio signal and resultant artifacts. Another is that you may want to feed the K3's audio to the other applications instead of LP-PAN's audio. I recommend a dedicated new card for LP-PAN to get maximum bandwidth, resolution and overall performance. All of the recommended sound cards will allow feeding multiple applications with the same sound... for instance CW Skimmer at the same time as PowerSDR.

11. What sound cards give the best performance?

I have only found four good 192kHz cards, with a fourth promising card awaiting testing. The three are the Creative Labs E-MU 0202 external USB sound card, Infrasonic Quartet, E-MU 1212m PCI card pair and it's cousin the 1616m which uses one PCI card and an external interface. All provide 24-bit depth. The 0202 is under $100, the Quartet and 1212m are in the $140 range and the 1616m is quite a bit more expensive. All other cards I saw that claimed to be 192 kHz had problems, or only used that sampling rate for output (playing music, etc.). LP-PAN requires a card that also can "record" at 192 kHz. If you can be happy with a 90 kHz wide display, there are some good 24-bit/96kHz cards around. The M-Audio Audiophile 2496 PCI card works extremely well, and the popular Delta44 is good with one caveat. See the Sound Card Info page for more details. For Firewire interfaces, I have found two acceptable cards. The M-Audio Firewire Audiophile is excellent up to 96 kHz, and the Edirol FA-66 works well up to 192 kHz sampling, but usable display bandwidth is about 150 kHz. There is another caveat as well, and you can read about it on the Sound Card Info page as well.


12. Do I need to be a computer expert to get this all working?

No, but it helps! LP-Bridge is easy to install and use, but PowerSDR is fairly complex, and then there is the issue of installing the sound card drivers, dealing with UAC and permissions if you use Vista, etc. It really helps to thoroughly read the manual in advance of ordering. It would also be a good idea to join the LP-PAN User Group and see what issues people are having getting their systems going. Most problems are Windows or driver related, but everyone seems to get through them with the help of user group members. Many users have no trouble at all.


13. Can LP-PAN be used with rigs other than those listed?

From an RF standpoint, LP-PAN can be used with any rig that has an IF output port with a signal pick off point before any narrow band filtering. The IF also has to be in the HF range, generally 11 MHz or lower. For these reasons, rigs which use an upconverting design with a VHF 1st IF are generally not usable, even if an IF output port is added. Most of these designs have a 20-40 kHz wide "roofing" filter at the 1st IF, which limits the bandwidth available at later, lower IF frequencies. If your rig doesn't have these limitations, but requires the addition of an IF port, Jack Smith, K8ZOA makes a low cost buffer amp PCB available to facilitate this. His website is www.cliftonlaboratories.com.

From a control standpoint, you can control most rigs with a combination of Ham Radio Deluxe and PowerSDR-IF Stage. This will not allow multiple applications to control the K3 simultaneously as you can with LP-Bridge, however, or currently support all linked parameters. Currently, LP-Bridge only works with the K3... with K2, Kenwood (and possibly FT-2000) to come, but there are plans to support other rigs eventually. NEW: Carl, N4PY has modified his software to work with LP-Bridge to allow full support of all LP-Bridge functionality with TenTec Orion and Orion II.

14. Can I use LP-PAN / PowerSDR in countries other than US?

Yes, with the latest version of PowerSDR-IF.


Email me for more info.

73,
Larry N8LP