[Elecraft] OT about T-R switching with tube rigs vs. Elecraft

[Wallace, Andy]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: tlogan7@cox.net [mailto:tlogan7@cox.net]

> Anyway, dah, it occurred to me that with split 
> TX an RX units like the Drake C twins you would need two 
> antennas.

CCing the List because I do bring up some K-rig points...

Not at all! The idea is you use the same antenna and switch
it between the transmitter and receiver. With the Drakes,
and others, there is a small cable which goes between
the receiver antenna jack and a jack on the transmitter. The 
transmitter has the large SO-239 (UHF) connector which then
goes to the antenna, and when you transmit, the transmitter
does the antenna switching (and receiver muting) back and
forth. 

Even with boatanchor pairs without such switching, there were
external switchboxes (like Johnson's) available. I think MFJ
even has them, now.

I may set up the old TR-4 for Straight Key Night on New Year's.
It's not the TR-4Cw so it doesn't have the 500 Hz filter for 
CW, but if your ears are good the SSB filter is usable. What
is less convenient -- and we all are pretty spoiled with the 
Elecraft rigs -- is that the T-R switching is silent. No relays.
The drawback of relay switching, especially at higher speed CW,
is that the receiver mutes in between your letters and words, and
so if someone steps on your transmission (or you are stepping on 
theirs), you'll never know it. If the other guy sends didahdididit 
because he got a phone call, you won't know it. The Elecraft
break in is very, very nice. Many times I've paused calling a 
station before I was done because he started CQing again, or 
someone else beat me to it, etc. It is nice to be able to hear
what's going on in between your characters. 

The K160RX for the K2 sounds like a neat option -- a separate 
receive antenna jack for running low-noise antennas would be
a new thing for me. How do you folks like it? Is the switching
just as seamless? I am also curious why such a small thing
wasn't included on the K2 main board -- probably lack of room I
would guess. 

The bottom line is, boatanchor rigs can be a lot of fun. What I
said to Tim earlier was that it was a little like driving an
antique car. Doubt I'll have one of those in my lifetime but
telling someone in a QSO that the rig is 40 years old or more
is neat. But they require a lot of tweaking to operate...it sure
is nice to have the K1/KAT1 and not have to "peak the grid,
dip the plate" every 25 kHz. Boatanchors are fun to leave on
one frequency or band, and use for nostalgia. (Yes, I know
the Central Electronics 100V and 200V were broadbanded...very
amazing rigs that needed no tuning.)

Best boatanchor mag out there is Electric Radio. Website
is under construction 

http://www.ermag.com/index.cfm

but the magazine is well worth it if you like tubes. And my experience
has been that there are a lot of boatanchorites which like Elecraft!

-Andy