Tom, W8JI wrote:
"AA4V and W4ZV both had the [INRAD keying improvement] mod put in their
MP's, and both MP's seem only slightly better than before the mod. K6SE
measured a radio both ways, you might ask Earl what he found."
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Before any mods, my FT-1000MP had klix on CW that extended out at least
+/- 2.1 kHz. I installed the INRAD keying improvement mod and that
reduced the klix to about +/- 800 Hz. Then I installed the W8JI key
click mod and that reduced the klix to about +/- 300 Hz.
My tests for klix were done by listening on my TS-830S with 250 Hz xtal
filters and the output of the FT-1000MP adjusted for S9 (50 uV) on the
830's S-meter. Many tnx to W8JI for the info on his click mod for the
MP!
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Tom also wrote:
"VK3ZL reported HE was bothered by keyclicks from K8XXX and W8QID and
others in the ARRL 160. I know I just gave up and left the contest
because I had an up to 20 dB noise floor increase on some frequencies
from clicks.
W3BGN said he was forced to keep moving closer and closer to me by a
VY2's with clicks who was operating above him!!! He wound up 200Hz from
me and 1kHz from the VY2. Of course this made it impossible for me to
work weak Europeans, because any rig 20 over nine will bother weak
signals at that spacing. If the VY2 fixed his rig, all of us could have
operated.
Rather than try to find a spot where there weren't any clicks, I gave up
and went up to 80 meters! Hi Hi.
IMO, this whole thing is getting out of control. When a VK is bothered by
clicks from USA stations, we need to take a look at where we are heading.
After every contest on 160, I get about 20-30 emails asking about click
mods. Maybe we should start asking the radio manufacturers why they can't
do something.
I think if the ARRL disqualified even one or two stations with loud
signals and big clicks, we'd see a big change in a hurry."
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I agree with Tom on all of that. Key click interference during the ARRL
160 contest was really bad, and made it impossible to copy the weaker
stations.
Most of the click generators are presumed to be the FT-1000MP, Mk V, and
Mk V Field transceivers, all of which suffer this malady unless modified
woth the W8JI mod.
N7JW offered install W8JI's click modification in an Arizona N7's
FT-1000MP, but apparently that didn't take place because the N7 appeared
during the contest with klix as bad as ever, spoiiing the contest for
many.
Other things I noticed during the contest were spurious signals from a
number of stations. A KA6 in the SJV section never had spurious signals
in previous 160m contests but this past weekend his signal could be heard
in several 5 kHz segments of the band simultaneously at S9+ level, only
about 20 dB below his actual carrier. The spurious signals sounded like
noise emissions and were perfectly copiable.
Several others were putting out two "clean" signals simultaneously on
different frequencies on the band. The signals were separated by less
than 1 kHz, with the weaker one perhaps only 20 dB down from the primary
signal. These were perhaps from early IC-775DSP's, which are known to
have this problem.
If the ARRL would step in and attempt to "force" the manufacturers build
rigs with better keying circuitry. Better still, if the FCC would
enforce the law about CW bandwidth, it would make 160-meter contesting
and DXing a pleasure for everybody.
73, de Earl, K6SE
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