[1000mp] MP Key Clicks

Thu, 10 Jan 2002 17:45:47 -0500

IMHO, with my MP, I consider the keying on the soft side, both with the
infernal keyer and my 1972-vintage WB4VVF TTL combinatorial logic keyer.  At
QRQ I think it starts to get a bit mushy. This, to the ear. I have
compensated, or tried to, by varying the keying weight now and then, but
frankly I like standard 3:1 CW and don't like to hear it doctored.  So, I
put up with my MP's softness.   My standard of comparison is the TS930S,
which I think put out some of the nicest sounding CW produced in the modern
era. I therefore have no plans to soften it still further :-)  I have used
about 4 other MPs and of those that I have heard on the other end, they all
are soft.

Again, IMHO and with my MP.  I would listen to your MP (with amp if you use
one) at a distance somehow and make up your own mind.

73,

Gary W2CS

> -----Original Message-----
> From: [email protected]
> [mailto:[email protected]]On Behalf Of Tom (xmission)
> Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2002 10:06 AM
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: [1000mp] MP Key Clicks
>
>
> Hello CW Friends,
>
> I have had my MP for almost 2 years now, and of course I love it.
>  99.44% CW
> for me!
>
> I have observed some chat over the past year or two about key
> clicks on the
> MP.  And now Inrad has come out with a key click mod.  So there
> appear to be
> three choices relative to key clicks:
>
> 1)  Do nothing.
> 2) Implement the W8JI mod (http://www.w8ji.com/Click/3653).
> 3) Buy the Inrad mod (http://www.qth.com/inrad/).
>
> So I'm looking for some feedback from you MP-ers.  I have never
> heard anyone
> say that my signal has a click problem.  But of course all CW signals
> produce sin(x)/x sidebands at some level, so it's just a matter of the
> tradeoff between a crisp dit and unwanted sidebands.  Does the situation
> vary a great deal from one MP to another (some have bad clicks, and others
> are pretty good)?  Or are they all the same, and it's just a matter of how
> picky the owner is?  Or is it influenced in some way by the kind of
> electronic keyer you use (internal vs. Brand X external)?
>
> I want to have a clean signal, but I don't want to have a really "soft" CW
> keying waveform that's hard to copy for a good QRQ QSO.  For those of you
> who think a mod is worthwhile, is the extra complexity of the
> W8JI mod worth
> the extra work as compared with the Inrad mod?
>
> So, opinions, please, about choices 1, 2 and 3 above, plus other
> editorials
> comments based on your experience and observations.
>
> Best of 73,
> Tom / W7GT
>
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