[CQ-Contest] Re: Headset (w/ mic) Tips

[n4si at pobox.com]

I agree with Walt, K8CV; John had a good answer. I disagree in a 
couple of areas, however:

> The Radio Shack per se is not the solution, but is a calibration
> point on value. 

I think the Heil is the calibration point on value. You plunk down a 
wad (I don't want to argue "how big") of cash, you take home a 
working piece of equipment that does everything advertised, and 
probably everything you need. All the other options discussed involve 
tradeoffs: less money/more work, spend here/save there. The Heil is 
the complete package.

> The tradeoff between time and money is an individual choice, but
> you learn more when you choose the time intensive solution.

I agree, but I'm not sure how much there is to learn about building 
contest headsets from commercial parts. I would rather spend my time 
learning about high power RF so I can figure out what those guys on 
the AMPS reflector are arguing about.

> It wasn't fun because it was a fast Renault--it was fun because 
> it was a challenge and fun because of the looks he got at the
> stop lights and fun because he learned something.  (And maybe 
> it was fun because it made others ask "why the heck would
> somebody bother to do that?")  

A good point, and one to which I fell prey during the aforementioned 
college years. A considerable amount of thought went in to the 
prospect of taking the "327" wings off the family Chevy in the hopes 
of smoking a Dodge Dart 6 at the next light.

In all fairness to both of us, John, I wasn't looking at this from 
the same perspective you were. You were seeing the ham radio, let's 
build something, experiment point of view, while I was looking at it 
from the "I need some stuff, let me get the best/easiest to use/most 
value" point of view.

All those points are arguable, and I don't want to. But thanks for 
the interesting response.

73, Rod N4SI
    The DXer formerly known as N9AKE
         (c) 5 November, 1996


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