[UK-CONTEST] FT-1000MP - T/R timings

[Chris Tran GM3WOJ]

Hi Dave et al

Your K2 sounds like a great radio - I've not had a chance to use
any of the Elecraft radios yet.  Some operators love QSK, for the
reasons you state, but I'm not a fan of it at all, partly because I
love QRO and all the interesting technical challenges that go with
it !

For me, running an amp. with QSK is a major problem - if you have
an Alpha 87A with PIN diode switching it's much easier, but a
conventional amp. will undergo serious wear and tear if used for
48 hours in QSK mode (correct me if I'm wrong but very few radios
and amps. actually work effective QSK at 30 wpm+ ?)
48 hrs = 2880 mins - assume 40% of the time transmitting
= 1152 mins x 30 wpm = 400000 T/R cycles for the amp. RF relays
= typical vacuum relay wears out after only 2 contests.