Foot Switch for me thanks.
I eat/drink at the radio in between cq's. You don't want those sounds
going out on the air.
There are also the other in-shack noises, upstairs noises, family
noises/communications, etc. Those don't belong on the air either.
When I operate SO2R, TWO Foot Switches are imperative. One for each
foot - left foot, left radio, right foot, right radio. LOL!
I used to use VOX and a boom mic early in my contesting "career" but
gave it up after a few years. Too many issues and inconveniences.
You have to use what makes the most sense to your operating style and
increases efficiency. The ability to begin or end a transmission
cleanly is paramount to me. Operating VOX does not allow that. In fact,
tripping the VOX (even with proper anti-vox setting) slows me down due
to inadvertent noises, moving headset, etc. which trips the vox right
when I am trying to copy a callsign.
Yes, there are issues with foot switches. They slide around, they
sometimes fall apart when in use. The instep of my foot can spasm and
ache terribly from constant use. These are all manageable - in fact, I
have even fixed a footswitch while I was operating and logging. I have
standard cheapie "Radio Shack" style footswitch which will slide but I
boxed it in so that it has rigid boundaries now and stays in place. The
other footswitch is very heavy and has TWO pedals which allows me to
separately control two radios with it. It sever slides or wears out.
The instep issue is a bigger problem that is mitigated by occasionally
standing up and stretching out my leg and foot while I operate.
Standing up and stretching out is important to do anyway and relieves
the tension and improves blood flow.
I always find it interesting to read the various opinions on what
equipment ops use and why they use it or don't use it. We are all
different and therefore have different experiences and preferences.
73
Bob, KQ2M Proud footswitch user LOL!
On 2022-11-12 09:17, Joe wrote:
I never had luck using Vox,
But probably mainly because of my method of talking when running a
Phone contest.
I talk very quietly. I don't stress my Voice. It just drives me crazy
to hear these guys screaming in their Mics.
Umm there is a Mic Gain control! Hello?
Then they wonder why 8 hours later they sound like an old sailor and
don't have a voice anymore.
I have been in Multi stations where a OP that is 12 feet away is
talking sooo loud that he is over driving my radio past the ALC
window!
But with my voice levels being sooo low VOX operation is late on the
attack and often miss the first letter, and or keeps dropping out like
a SSB version of QSK. Or even worse to stop the QSK effect then the
hang time is too long and you miss the first part of replies.
Foot switch is the only way I will do a Phone contest.
Joe WB9SBD / W9ET
On 11/11/2022 3:39 PM, Steve Wojton NN2NN wrote:
Personally, I like using a foot switch. It prevents any of my salty
language from going out over the air when I get frustrated! 😂 To each
his own.
Steve NN2NN
Sent from my iPhone
On Nov 11, 2022, at 11:02 AM, Yuri<ve3dz@rigexpert.net> wrote:
While I find myself in disagreement with Bill on many topics outside
HAM Radio :-) in this case I am 100% with him.
Though I keep some variety of them, I personally never used foot
switches for the last 7-8 years in the Phone Contests. Properly
adjusted VOX in your radio would do the job just fine, including
amplifier PTT control.
73, Yuri VE3DZ
On 11/10/2022 12:30 PM, Bill kollenbaum - K4XS via CQ-Contest wrote:
Why worry about a foot switch unless you're doing MM etc. The
switch ties you down and is just one more thing to worry about.
Much easier to VOX...been doing it for 45 years.
Bill V31XX/K4XS
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