Darryl:
>One other note. My FT-990 has two keyer jacks, and I found I can
>also use my paddles through an external keyer. This seems simpler than
>another cable to the computer just for paddle keying. Am I missing
>something, some features of the program, or is this acceptable? Thanks to
>everybody again.
>73,
>Darryl, KK5IB
The one desirable 'feature' that you may wish to have, and won't unless
you key THRU TRLog is PTT-prekeying (keying the PTT a few ms prior to
actually SENDING out a signal) which goes a long way to ensure that you
are not 'hot switching' your amplifier on the first DIT/DAH coming out
of your keyer.
Two years ago, at our ARRL DX CW operation from V31TP, we used an
Ameritron AL-811. This amp was NOT comfigured for QSK operation, so
we used it in semi-QSK mode with a somewhat long DELAY setting to
ensure that the amp didn't un-key during low(er) speed CW word spaces.
We had to accept that we'd be hot keying the amp on the LEADING
character element of the first letter sent in each transmission because
we had no way to pre-key the amp. As a result, I'm sure we probably
did some harm to the AL-811's T/R relay, and having to use the longer
than normal delay meant that we almost always truncated (or completely
MISSED) the first element of the other stations reply (because he
replied to us before the delay let up.
THIS YEAR we used the same amp, BUT with TRLog's PTT output keying
the radio (and the radio keying the amp). And we used TRLog's internal
keyer instead of paralleling an external keyer. TRLog ALWAYS keyed the
amp a few ms before it keyed the exciter's CW... this way, the AL-811
T/R relay was always closed before CW was sent. Additionally, we ran
with ZERO DELAY bceause the TRLog PTT circuit OPENS the T/R relay
almost instantaneously following the end of CW sent... thus we NEVER
missed any of the transmission from the responding station. NEAT!
We'll NEVER operate a non-QSK amp again without using TRLogs PTT
features.
73 - Tom Hammond N0SS / V31TH, op. at V31TP 98/99
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