On Mon, 2009-06-29 at 16:57 -0400, Richards wrote:
> Thanks guys... actually I have yet to do any CW on the air
> just yet... still learning the alphabet and numbers...
At your stage in learning you don't want the distraction of QSK. Not one
bit. Turn QSK off, let the TR change twice per transmission (beginning
and end). Then the noise won't bother you. I assure the noise of receive
(even without relay clatter) will distract you from hearing what you are
sending and controlling its quality.
>
> I was asking because I wondered whether I would be seeing
> the noise issue when I start making QSOs and, if so, thought
> it would be good to plan ahead, instead of waiting until
> then to figure it out.
QSK is great for working DX in pile ups, you can tell its time to quit
calling if the DX isn't hearing you. QSK is great for traffic handling,
you can tell if the receiving station missed something and needs an
instant fill. Otherwise its really nice to go to transmit mode and not
listen. Your CW skills are not up to receiving and transmitting
simultaneously. Some of us never get there. I date back to when the send
receive switch was a rotary switch and it stayed on transmit until _I_
decided it was time to stop transmitting, AM, SSB, or CW.
>
> Thus, it sounds like I need to learn how to run and adjust
> the QSK circuit. There is a local contester who has both
> the Omni VI and VII in his shack and does a lot of CW ...
> and he seems quite friendly on the air. I will have to
> take him to lunch...
Forget QSK for a year or two.
>
> Thanks for the uptake. I figure it will be hard enough
> making my first CW contacts, so I want to resolve the
> hardware setup and technique ahead of that.
QSK won't help those first contacts, it will add confusion to a
problematic episode. Don't use it.
>
> ========= Richards - K8JHR ================
>
73, Jerry, K0CQ using CW since 1955, am extra since 1958 by FCC tests.
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