[Elecraft] External keyer question...

[Steve Banks]

Rich-

I thought I'd let you (and other reflector readers) know that your recent
suggestion about swapping the MONO plug with a STEREO plug cured my Heathkit
SA-5010-versus-K2 keying problem nicely.

The K2 likes the positive SA-5010 keying line, and signal reports seem to
confirm that all's well with the marriage.  As you noted, even though the K2
"InP HAnd" menu only requires a tip-sleeve contact closure for an external
keyer or straight key, the K2 dislikes a MONO plug for doing that; a STEREO
plug works FB.

To your second (paddle) comment, I like my Schurr Profi-2 paddle very much;
it's pricey, however.  I'd simply urge you you buy the best-quality paddle
you can afford.

In the past I've used a cheap one--which admittedly was never designed for
desktop use in the first place--but I found that even using it only
temporarily was really exasperating.  My fist is not all that great anyway,
and using a cheap paddle just aggravated that problem.  If anything, err on
the side of high quality.

An altogether different question:

On the subject of Heathkits (I like to refurbish them), does anyone on the
reflector know of a possible buy/sell/swap/other source for miscellaneous
Heath hardware?  (Ebay has its limits...)

Specifically, I'm looking for two of the tab-style flat "knobs" (the flat,
quarter-sized ones with the little green thumb tabs) which fit behind the
FINAL and AF GAIN controls on an HW101 I'm reworking.  These two "knobs"
(one selects the SSB/CW filters and the other is situated behind the FINAL
load control) have suffered irrepairable damage, and I'd like to replace
them rather than haywiring else something together.  I've acquired several
other good spares that are often needed for the HW, but the little tab-style
knobs are elusive.

If anyone has any suggestions, feel free to point me at a link or other
source.

Thanks again, Rich for your keyer suggestion.  (And thanks too to Eric for
the bandwith.)

73

Steve Banks
K0PQ
K2 S/N 1599

----------------
Rich's comments:

You mentioned MONO plug. On my K2 it will not key with a MONO plug.  I had
to use a STEREO plug.  I guess the long sleeve holds down the other line and
prevents the CPU from seeing the changes.  I just took a cheap Radio Shack
3.5 M Stereo to RCA and used the one that goes from the tip of the stereo
plug to the center conductor of the RCA, and cut off the other RCA
connector.

Have been using it on my K2 while I decide on which set of paddles to get.
I guess Kent and Bencher are like fords and chevies. To the one that owns
one its the best and the other is junk.  I had all but decided on a KENT and
a fellow ham at work is trying to convince me the Kent is not worth the
difference in price over the Bencher.
---------------