[Elecraft] K2 Cross-mode operation

[Lonnie Juli]

John was good enough to explain how to set up the rig to do this and the
good news is that it works just fine.

Not as easy as on the KX1, but still pretty simple. I went down to the work
bench and changed the filters on 3073 as per his post.

I then attempted to check in to a Canadian phone net. Here's where we
encounter the bad news. Of the several operators on the air, no one could
copy the CW signal. They all heard it (weak, but that's what we're all used
to). They just couldn't copy it. Not at 13 wpm or at 10 wpm. It was more a
matter of capability than propagation.

So perhaps the no code (or less code) future is un-avoidable. If you're ever
in real trouble and somehow signal for help in Morse code, there's a better
chance every day that the operator on the other end won't have a clue on how
to help. Maybe this is the best reason to defend CW only spectrum.

Before every single No-Coder and Know-Coder gets all fired up about this,
I'd like to point out that I'm a mediocre CW op. Not a contester or a super
op, just a ham. I spent the first 20 years or so of my ham history avoiding
CW and I'm not a snob about CW or any other mode. I'll even fire up the amp
and work SSB without feeling guilty. Heck; I use Pactor sometimes!

It's just that simple works and CW is simple, and lightweight, and power
efficient and portable, and works with all sorts of signal devices. It
shouldn't be so much to ask for some minimal proficiency. But the IARU and
so many others feel that it is too much to ask. I've been wrong before, too.

Listen for me on the air, dear friends. We may be the last to speak this
language.

73,
Lonnie
NY2LJ