[Elecraft] cw operating question

[Wallace, Andy]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: John Cooper [mailto:wt5y@gt.rr.com]
>=20
> I had to use the RIT and follow him up and=20
> down while copying it was a little hard but no problem just=20
> need practise.  Is this why their is a RIT button? This guy=20
> was runing a ten tec in CA, Im in TX.=20

Hi, John. If he was running a drifting Ten Tec, it could have
been the 50 watt Ten Tec Scout, which has had a history of
drift problems. It sounds like he wasn't drifting all that
far, but it can happen.=20

Yes! The RIT knob on your rig is perfect for just such a problem.
Switch it on to follow the other guy, if need be. If you like,
mention the drift to him - he may not be aware of it, and
maybe something in his rig is suddenly not working right.=20
Or it could be normal, as in the case of the Scout, and=20
some older vacuum tube ham sets.

You didn't say if you were using a K1 or a K2. Both of
them have RIT and also XIT. With RIT, your transmit freq
(where the other station has tuned YOU in) doesn't change,
but you can follow his signal around, as you found. XIT
is the reverse. Your listening freq doesn't change, but
the transmit one does.=20

I couldn't find a good Web reference just now - maybe another
reader can help with that. Most of the time you'll use RIT,
but in specialized cases you'll use XIT. For instance,=20
DX "pileups" are usually split-frequency operations, where
the DX station is listening on one freq and transmitting on
another.

Example: he is calling CQ on 14010 but ends his CQ with "UP 1."
What this means is that he is transmitting on 14010 but LISTENING
FOR CALLING STATIONS on 14011. So YOU would set up your rig
to receive on 14010 and transmit on 14011. Exactly opposite of
what he did. Where you talk, he listens, and where he talks,
you listen.=20

Now let's say you want to do that with RIT/XIT.=20

1) tune him in on 14010 normally.
2) switch on RIT and tune to 14011.
3) now turn off RIT and turn on XIT.=20
4) You're now listening on 14010 and transmitting on 14011, and
when you call him, he should hear you. (If only DX were that easy.)

I am simplifying things quite a bit.=20

If you have the K2, it has SPLIT function which is a=20
similar process but allows you to move farther
away from the normal tuning frequency than RIT or XIT will do.

For now, get comfortable with RIT and use it if the other guy drifts!

As for being a newbie with a 1x2 call, don't sweat it! I got my
Extra some years back but I kept my 2x3 call, because I have had
it since 1981 and I think it cuts through the static well. :-)

Andy

=20
=20