[CQ-Contest] Foot switches

[Kelly Taylor]

Hi all,

I noted with interest Richard's query about the FS2 footswitch and Dale's
piano man solution. Interesting.

I noticed the FS2 has the hinge at the heel. Although it seems to make
sense, it's always seemed more fatiguing to my legs to have the switch in
that position than to simply use my toes since the other way requires moving
muscles all the way up to the knee.

Has anyone ever experimented with non-footswitch, non-VOX alternatives? As a
touch typist, the heel of my hand never strays too far from the keyboard but
like Dale, I've been frustrated by having to reposition the footswitch in
the middle of a run.

Perhaps it's worth trying something that can serve both as an ergonomic tool
(to keep the heel of your hand in the right position) and as a PTT device. I
hate VOX. Or perhaps a shoe like some bank tellers wear that contains a
switch to set off the holdup alarm. Not sure if those are even in use
anymore.

Perhaps a pressure sensor on the back of the operating chair. LBTT, as it
were. (Lean Back To Talk.) I often tend to lean back when CQing anyway.

Then again, there's always the clapper. Clap once, PTT on, clap twice, PTT
off!

OK, that last one was TIC (tongue in cheek). Also, anyone ever come up with
a useful function for additional switches on the fs? Mine (a Wollensack
dicating machine unit from Fair Radio Sales) has the main body of the
footswitch as one (in my case, PTT) switch and two switches at each side. It
seems neat, but it also seems that any additional functions would have to be
closely related to the act of PTTing, since you're likely to do that by
mistake anyway when you go for the other switches.

Any thoughts?

73, kelly
ve4xt