[Elecraft] How "clean" is a clean signal?

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

I have absolutely no argument with putting as clean a signal as =
practical on
the air, but there are limits.=20

This is a hobby, and as such I would hate to see any movement that
discouraged the use of anything less than the most expensive, advanced, =
and
complex sort of equipment on the bands.=20

I believe that we need to make sure that we leave room for the one-tube
"bloopers" that may click and chirp a bit as well as the latest =
iteration of
the K2.

I'd hate for anyone to feel badly about haywiring up a little rig or
carefully duplicating a "tuna tin" transmitter because it doesn't =
exhibit
the latest keying characteristics that can only be evaluated with test
equipment costing hundreds of times the cost of the rig. Building and =
using
such equipment is as much a part of Amateur Radio as using the latest
K2/100.

Even when striving for the cleanest possible signal, there are limits to
what one should spend. Even the $60 extra for a tiny improvement in the =
K2
keying characteristics is a considerable sum of money for many ops. I =
know
there's a lot of kidding about convincing the XYL to allow purchases, =
but
the simple fact is that NO Ham should be encouraged to spend money that =
is
needed elsewhere in the household budget or which would be better off
invested for the future. It IS a hobby and deserves a "hobby budget" =
that
fits easily into a larger personal or family financial plan.=20

I hope that the day never comes that an op must feel badly for a signal =
that
might "bloop", "chirp" or even "click" a little bit because it's the =
nature
of the rig or he's still figuring out how to make it work a little
better...or it's what he can afford right now.=20

Frankly, operating some of those old rigs and simple rigs is a lot more
challenging that twirling the knobs on the newer stuff. And it is, in =
the
minds of a lot of us, a lot closer to the heart of what "radio" is all
about.=20

After all, if we want "perfect" interference-free communications, =
there's
always the telephone.=20

Ron AC7AC