W0UN:
>I was also concerned about relay lifetimes when run in full QSK mode by an
active ham. I forget the spec on lifetime but it is was something like 1 or 2
million cycles. At one point (a decade or more ago) I did the
calculations that
showed that a VERY active CW contester would use up the relay lifetimes in
a couple of years or so.
John, we used huge numbers of reed relays in
bed-of-nails PCB test systems at HP. We did a lot
of life-testing and I remember 1M cycles being about
right. Of course this is a different style relay but
it correlates with what you remembered. Also, there
was quite a discussion on the Ten-Tec reflector a
few years back about one of their amps (425?) which
used a vacuum relay. Some very active QRQ guys
reportedly had to change them about once a year.
Knowing the finite lifetime of relays and
knowing that all things electromechanical are much
more likely to fail is the reason I've never used
QSK (except briefly in the early 60's using the
Johnson T-R switch). I've learned to use a foot
switch between letters when I really need to.
73, Bill W4ZV
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