I think it would be helpful if QST started putting key click data in their
product test reports. I think this has been suggested to them already
by W8JI, et al. Also, I recall some articles appearing in the literature
talking about phase noise performance (it might have been by K1GQ)
about the time those low serial number TS-940S were terrorizing the
bands with excessive TX phase noise in the mid 80's. A good article in
QST on key clicks and how to minimize them coupled with key click
data in QST test reports would go a long way towards raising awarness
among the general ham population much in the same way that people
started paying attention to phase noise in the mid 80's. If the marketing
types start to get deluged at their hamfest booths with people asking
about key click performance, then they might start to take notice. Who
knows, maybe some smart marketing guy will realize that the fix is
cheap, and that they can use the newly found superior click performance
of their rigs to differentiate their product from the competition (like the
way Ten-Tec markets the superior phase noise of the Omni 6).
BTW, is Chip, K7JA still with Yaesu marketing? Has anyone brought
these issues to his attention?
73 de Mike, W4EF.................................
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