[Elecraft] Who needs Sidetone??

[Bill W5WVO]

Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:

> I find it strange to hear "sidetone" on a phone rig. None of the
> radios that I've used professionally do that. It's been almost ten
> years since I last operated a commercial system, so maybe things are
> changing but, if so, it's very, very new.

Possibly. But the sidetone is there specifically for those who wear 
tight-fitting headphones when operating. It's not a question of listening to 
your signal critically; it's just a matter of trying to recreate the 
experience of hearing yourself talk in a manner as close to "normal" as 
possible while wearing a headset that excludes ambient sounds.

Could you get used to operating phone with a tight headset and no sidetone? I 
suppose so -- but I've been around for a while myself, and I can remember my 
old-time solution for this problem: Don't wear a headset when operating phone!

My guess is that the increase in "serious" multi-op contest operation, along 
with the ready availability of ham-ready headsets like the Heil models, have 
led to a preference on the part of many ops to wear headsets when operating 
phone. I hardly ever use a loudspeaker for either phone or CW. Personal 
preference, of course, but it sure helps intelligibility on weak signals. I 
set the phone sidetone on my rig at such a level that I can tell that I'm 
talking and it feels natural, not so loud that I can "listen to myself".

Bill / W5WVO