[TenTec] QSK or not?

[Rick - DJ0IP / NJ0IP]

It's not quite that simple, at least not always.

"IF" your amplifier has a very fast T/R relay, such as a vacuum relay, then
you are correct; a few simple switching transistors and a tiny relay will do
the trick.  But that only works when the main T/R relay is fast enough to
follow CW keying.

If instead you have an amplifier whose T/R relay needs 20 mS to switch, AND
you connect the hand-shaking just as the Ten-Tec keying loop normally works,
the CW is not going to be very smooth.  Timing will get screwed up.  The
open-frame relays are just too slow to do that.  The only way to make them
work is to have hang delay such that they don't need to follow the keying.
The Ten-Tec hand-shaking does not do this.

And then if you have to work with hang delay, you don't need the complexity
of the hand-shaking.  You just need sufficient pre-dit delay and adjustable
hang delay - but you sacrifice true QSK.  
TRUE QSK?  
You never had it in the first place because you did not buy a QSK amplifier!

No matter what you feed a mule or how you treat it, it will never be a race
horse!

(On the other hand, not everybody needs or wants a race horse and mules are
wonderful animals!)

73 - Rick, DJ0IP
(Nr. Frankfurt am Main)

-------------------------
-----Original Message-----
From: TenTec [mailto:tentec-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of
bcarling at cfl.rr.com
Subject: Re: [TenTec] QSK or not?

I have to wonder why some guys will spend $500 for an external accessory to
do QSK with their linear amplifier.  The system in my TT 422 is so simple. A
couple of simple boards and a relay.