[CQ-Contest] A portable rig for contesting?

[VR2BrettGraham]

AA4LR added:

>>It is impossible to interface any radio into an existing station
>>using existing equipment that is based on asserting some form
>>of PTT if that radio has no PTT.
>
>Impossible? I don't think so. Inconvenient? Certainly. Difficult? Maybe.

Impossible I believe is a reasonable assessment if a K2 is
to be used in a station where CW PTT is used - I certainly
could not have used a stock K2 for one of the 2-rig bands
at W7RM.  There simply is not a spigot to connect the cable to.
The interlock would not have worked.

Inconvenient or difficult are quite reasonable, too - if either you
give things up, do not need them to begin with or adapt the
station to not use CW PTT.

>>The typical suggestion from Elecraft community of adapting
>>_everything_ to accommodate the K2 when this is not
>>necessary with any other radio since before even my father's
>>& grandfather's SX-71/Viking 2 combo I suspect will not meet
>>with much acceptance here.
>
>The K2 is different from other radios in some ways. Amplifier keying
>is one of those ways. The K2 will assert amplifier keying 20-40ms
>before it begins to produce RF, and it does so without clipping the
>first element.
>
>So, if the goal of CW PTT is to avoid hot-switching the amplifier, it
>is not necessary with the K2.

Good, but hot-switching is not the only concern.

>>Even interrupting the key lines is something that is unacceptable
>>for SO2R - everything is done based on PTT & positive control
>>of RX/TX state.
>
>Everything? Perhaps more explanation would be helpful here.
>
>>I'm curious - who does _not_ use PTT for SO2R for serious
>>operating on CW?  Perhaps we could hear from folks like K5ZD,
>>KQ2M, etc.
>
>An alternative question would be - exactly what function is achieved
>with the CW PTT?

Saving wear-&-tear on pointless T/R transitions, keeping the
operator's attention from being distracted by unneeded bits
of receive by radio that is supposed to be transmitting...

Yes, extend T/R delay to prevent dropping into receive &
then you miss folks who are quick on the key as you are
still in transmit when you do not want or need to be.

I simply cannot use a K2 for HF or VHF with the way I deal
with T/R switching overall & it is the only rig (transceiver or
separate receiver/transmitter) of 14 I have had in my station
from Johnson, National, Hallicrafters, Heathkit, Drake, Yaesu,
Kenwood & ICOM that does not have an external line of some
sort that needs to be asserted in order to go into transmit in CW.

I cannot switch between SSB & CW with the K2 without
having to do something to accommodate it, as I cannot even
plug the same mic/PTT cable in that I use with other radios
without breaking the PTT line that will be asserted.

The K2 is a product that may require one to conform to it &
this is a rather novel concept in consumer electronics.  It need
not be that way & seeing how that CW PTT was never a
hardware issue & supposedly on the list of things that may be
fixed in a subsequent firmware update, it is odd why this is such
a touchy issue.  I worry if perhaps things like this may be
carried on into future products seeing how this verges on what
I would expect of the fervor associated with religion or
something of that nature.

73, VR2BrettGraham