CW PTT

Thu Aug 24 09:48:02 EDT 1995

sellington writes:
: 
: >Wouldn't it be great if all developers of CONTEST software provided a PTT 
: >output on CW so we aren't forced to fiddle with CW VOX adjustments which 
: >inevitably truncate the first character, and cause us the miss the 
: >beginning of reply transmissions due the VOX hang time...
: >73!
: >Frank
: >W3LPL
: >donovanf at sgate.com
: 
: With a 50 ms delay (PTT comes on before key closure) to eliminate all
: that crunching when the slow amplifier relays close!  (A constant delay
: added to the key output, not just truncation of the first character.)

The N6TR software has had this from the start.

-- 

George Fremin III
Austin, Texas C.K.U.                        
WB5VZL
512/416-0140
geoiii at bga.com

>From Swanson, Glenn,  KB1GW" <gswanson at arrl.org  Thu Aug 24 15:03:00 1995
From: Swanson, Glenn,  KB1GW" <gswanson at arrl.org (Swanson, Glenn,  KB1GW)
Date: Thu, 24 Aug 95 10:03:00 EDT
Subject: feedback/sensations...
Message-ID: <303C872C at arrl.org>

>...they still want, and some say need, the tactile feedback/sensations...

>Funny how certain types of interfaces between humans and machines just seem
>to be "natural".  Interesting that the interface between the operator and
>the radio would be similarly affected.
>
>Patrick,   WA7VNI........    patd at eskimo.com
 ----------------------------
How true!

  If you've ever driven a car (such as a Bimmer, aka BMW) with truly 
sensitive steering (oversteer), and that at the same time provides plenty of 
feedback from the road/tire/steering-wheel interface, and then drove a big 
fat  American piece of iron (newer models excepted?), you'd intuitively know 
exactly what Patrick is talking about!

  Somehow, I just can't imagine the 'magic' of slowly tuning a VFO across a 
wide open band during a CONTEST being replaced by a PC human/machine 
interface of some sort (mouse, track ball, etc.).  Then again, after going 
through school in the early 70's, hard on the heels of the wild (for some), 
'60s, I never thought there would be such a thing as political 
correctness...

  Guess we'll have to wait and see what the future will bring.

73, Glenn, KB1GW
(Politically correct) Disclaimer: The opinions above are my own, and mine 
alone!

>From km9p at is.net (Bill Fisher, KM9P  Concentric Systems, Inc.)  Thu Aug 24 15:19:53 1995
From: km9p at is.net (Bill Fisher, KM9P  Concentric Systems, Inc.) (Bill Fisher, KM9P  Concentric Systems, Inc.)
Date: Thu, 24 Aug 1995 10:19:53 -0400
Subject: Omni-6 / FT1000 Summary
Message-ID: <199508241419.KAA21745 at mail1.is.net>

Well, not really a summary...

I bought an Omni 6 yesterday.  

My decision is based primarily on two things.

1)  $$$
2) RX

100% of the people that responded (that had used both) said the Omni-6 RX
was as good as the FT1000 (most said better).  Most of the complaints about
the radio have already appeared on the reflector, and most seemed pretty
nit-picky to me. 

73

Bill

---
Bill Fisher, KM9P   -    Concentric Systems, Inc.  

>From Trey Garlough <GARLOUGH at TGV.COM>  Thu Aug 24 15:19:01 1995
From: Trey Garlough <GARLOUGH at TGV.COM> (Trey Garlough)
Date: Thu, 24 Aug 1995 07:19:01 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Modeling and reality
Message-ID: <809273941.478894.GARLOUGH at TGV.COM>

> Anyway, we had tried a high 204BA at 190' & all different heights with other
> 20M yagis over the years, but until 1988 nothing beat the Telrex at 100'
> What happened in 1988?  We moved the repaired Telrex to the top of a 190'
> foot tower.  Wow! Awesome!  Gordon's "Siberian Express" gave new meaning to
> 20M in Texas.  Trey (KKN) did some single op CW tests and mentioned it was
> THE antenna to use whenever possible.  Short or long haul, it was always
> better!!  Must be all the lobes.

What was amazing and new to me about this antenna was especially its
performance during the 0300-0900Z time.  I would put it due north and
the whole world would call in and everything seemed to be coming in
over the pole, not just the European sunrise gang, but everyone.

A VK would call in, so, flash, switch to the antenna pointed at VK,
hmm, nothing.  Switch back to the big north antenna, ahh, there he is,
579.  Same thing with guys in the Indian Ocean.  And the Europeans
were better on this antenna than on the Europe stack too.

And on paths that traditionally seem like high-angle paths, like West
Africa at 2200Z on 20.  Giant pileup for J52US (non-contest), so we
point every beam at him and do a side-by-side-by-side comparison.  We
can't crack the pileup with any antenna but the high one, which gets
through on the first call.

Why did it work so well?  Dunno.  Latitude and Longitude?  Maybe.
Local terrain surrounding the tower.  Maybe.  Worked great for us.
YMMV.

--Trey, WN4KKN/6