[UK-CONTEST] Keyboard delays - CC CW 15/6 (longish)

[Clive Whelan]

An interesting corollary to the discussion is the mechanism for switching
the PTT in non QSK applications.

Those of you who use Writelog may have seen my recent thread on the subject
on the WL reflector. I have been bugged for ages by a finite delay in
returning to rx. As Stewart pointed out, this might cause me to respond to
M4AFF, except that I know his call, and the brain would kick in with auto
correction! This wasn't always the case with less well known calls of
course.

The cause-in WL at least- was allowing PTT control over the COM port, but
crucially in software, which resulted in a finite delay of the kind
described above. The solution was still to use COM port control, but using
the RTS line to hardware switch the PTT, which results in no detectable
delay. This is truly a revelation. Other loggers may experience this problem
too.

What about QSK you ask? Well I am a long time proponent of the mode, going
back to 1978 and an original Ten-Tec xcvr of the era. However, imo,it has
limited applicability in contests, especially when using amplifiers ( vacuum
relays have finite life), and more especially when running SO2R, when for
the most part one is simply not listening on radio A when it is
transmitting. As Bob/AGN previously pointed out, the use of the paddle in
such a scenario is in any case dangerous, as it can result in transmitting
on the wrong radio.

Some of these procedures are anathema to OF operators like myself, but we
simply do have to change with the times, or we suffer the fate of the
dinosaurs; after all there are non-contest weekends-allegedly!

73


Clive
GW3NJW

P.S. If you intend to use an ICOM7400 or 756PRO to key your amplifier, be
careful, talk to me first!