[Elecraft] Ultimate System

Mon Dec 8 08:17:14 EST 2014

Stan.

I felt the same way, having returned to Ham Radio after 20 years away (shame 
on me!!!).

I still feel the same way in some circumstances and I still hand write my 
QSOs and transfer to a computer log later. One reason for this is that I 
don't believe in using one media to prop-up another. i.e. The Internet to 
prop-up Ham Radio. Ham Radio is quite capable of standing on its own two 
feet, but it takes some work on our part. This seems to be part of the 
problem - the World is getting lazy. However, as in all things, progress 
must be made and I truly welcome such enhancements as DSP, high quality 
filters, transistors replacing tubes and my one major indulgence - an 
auto-tuner (apart from the one in my K3).

I suppose that if all of this extra 'stuff' had been available in the very 
early days, we would all have accepted it as part of the scene and looked 
for new challenges to occupy our time.

One of my immediate issues is that my shack is at present and old kitchen 
cabinet in a corner of my workshop and there's no room for computers and no 
hard-wired broadband. It's also getting too cold to be out there for long, 
so I'm moving everything indoors, but I have to finish building the 
purpose-built room first. Perhaps I will accept some of the "must have" 
add-ons more readily when there's space to lay them out where they're 
comfortable to use.

One further issues is with keyers. Back in the days when I was very active, 
I built my own iambic paddle and keying circuitry. Having practised with 
that and used it for many years, I guess that the muscle memory is still 
with me, and I'm finding it quite difficult to reliably use a more 
up-to-date keyer in mode A. ( never liked mode B and dot stores anyway). 
It's probably purely a timing issue that I have to re-learn. My old keyer 
made the decision which dot or dash to send next right at the point that the 
previous character had finished sending and only if one or more paddles was 
still being held. There doesn't seem to be a modern equivalent. Mode A is 
the nearest, but seems to make the decision what to send next (or not at 
all) before the last character has finished sounding. My issue is in letting 
go one or more paddles at the correct time, which is in milliseconds, so 
that extra unwanted dits or dahs aren't sent. I really don't want to go back 
to a straight key, but it would seem that progress in this case is a 
hindrance. :-(

73,

Alan. G4GNX

-----Original Message----- 
From: stan levandowski
Sent: Monday, December 08, 2014 2:43 AM
To: Orville
Cc: Elecraft
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Ultimate System

In January 2014 I took a look at my station - all that equipment, all
those keys, all those cables -- lots of physical "stuff" between me and
the ham radio I used to enjoy and almost as much software. All I really
needed was my KX3, a wire antenna, pencil and paper and a bug or Cootie.

So I put my CW Machine in a freezer bag and stuck it up on a shelf.  I
bought an ARRL paper log book and a fancy-schmantzy .5 mm lead pencil.
I divorced myself from LoTW and eQSL and noted "QSL via Mail Only" on
QRZ. Then I downloaded my HRD log and scratched HRD from my computer.
Finally I moved the computer out of the shack.  I was "Looking for an
Echo" of my youth in the 60s; a simpler time.  I was going to hand log
all my contacts, exchange "real" QSL cards, only use my bug and 'swiper
and turn my back on all the technology and interfaces that I held
responsible for my discontent.

Well, that lasted nine months.  It was the biggest mistake I've ever
made in ham radio.

Thankfully, the CW Machine's non-volatile memory still contained my old
log records and ARRL's LoTW Help Desk helped me get back into the fold.
The computer is back in the shack and I'm now reconnected with the
technology aids that really do add so much value and facility.

The only "good" that came from this experience was the ultimate
realization that it's not 1960 and I can't go home anymore.  I'm stuck
in the 21st Century whether I like it or not.

73,
Stan WB2LQF

On Sun, Dec 07, 2014 at 06:01 PM, Orville wrote:

> Or possibly consider the method I use which does more than any other 
> product
> currently available on the market, including contest serial number
> generation, ultimatic keying, bug emulation, self-contained log book, rtty
> function, call sign lookups to QRZ, automatic ADIF generation and updates 
> to
> eQSL and LoTW, and much more, All this is through the wonder of my Nr. 2
> pencil and a Big Chief tablet in conjunction with my PC and K3.
>
> (This system does not require any software updates to my K-line which
> currently exceeds all my needs and expectations.)
>
>
> 73,
>
> K5VWW
>
>
>
>
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