[Orion] Re: [TenTec] Re: A test of Orion's external CW keying

[Grant Youngman]

> All to save a couple of dollars on an analog keyer chip...

I think it has more to do with the manner in which ALL of the  
functions ar controlled -- which of course includes turning on the 
transmitter.  Even with a separate keyer chip, the CPU would still 
get engaged to actually transmit the code element.  So there may 
not be much difference -- unless you frequently spin the dial while 
transmitting a string of dits :-)

As for keyer chips ... I have yet to find any vendor's internal keyer 
worth the 50 cents to put it in, even though it's like Mom and apple 
pie to have one.  Now if the vendors would build something in like 
the LogiKeyer --- that would be a different story ...

Randomness.  If I were to plug in my big Kent pump key and send a 
string of dits, I wonder whether the randomness component in my 
brain sending dits vs. the Orion's CPU timing would prevail :-)

Grant/NQ5T