[Elecraft] Real Radios Don't Need Computers!

[Bill Tippett]

         Great post Ed!  It precisely summarizes my
feelings about digital modes (other than the *original*
digital mode).  Life is too short for additional computer
hassles beyond what it takes to keep my everyday
computers running.  Flex-Radio guys may say "Real
radios don't have knobs" but I say "Real radios don't
need computers!"  :-)

 >My main Ham radio interest is CW contesting and also, as of three years ago,
RTTY contesting.  Occasionally, I'll chase an interesting DXpedition and
several times I've tried to get PSK working well enough to make one QSO with
them.  But, not normally operating PSK, I've never gotten it fully working
here and the effort for one QSO has been more than I was willing to invest.

         Given what I know about your computer background,
excellent RTTY contesting results (he wins lots of these for
those of you who don't follow contests), I'm amazed at your
last sentence which summarizes my feelings exactly for non-CW
digital modes..."the effort for one QSO has been more than I
was willing to invest."

 >Had the K3 been available to me, I would have simply turned it on, set the
frequency, set bandwidth and tapped MODE into DATA mode.  Next, I would have
held DATA MD and then rotated VFO-B to select FSK (and VFO-B to select 45
bps), held TEXT DEC and rotated VFO-B to select ON, and finally selected the
tones by holding PITCH and rotating VFO-A to select a 915 Hz Mark tone with
a 170 Hz shift.  I then would have tuned in N8S, tapping CWT to enable the
FSK tuning indicator if desired, and their FSK text would have scrolled
across the VFO-B display area.  Easy!  Wonderful!  And, there's more!

         Why wouldn't you store this setup in one of the Mx
memories?  I assume it may have to do with the above
parameters not all being available to store, but that's
just a little more flash memory isn't it?  :-)

                                 73,  Bill  W4ZV