[Elecraft] Clipping first element of CW - K3/KPA-1500

[K9MA]

Don,

I use an external vacuum relay for compatibility with my old tube 
amplifiers. The whole system long predates the KPA1500, and I still 
sometimes use the tube amplifier. The system also includes small relays 
for switching receiving antennas and protecting the receiver. However, 
even without relays, in QSK there's sound from the receiver between 
characters, of course, which I sometimes prefer not to listen to. This 
works fine with the K3, as in QSK/VOX mode closing the PTT circuit 
simply keeps it in transmit mode. My old FT-1000D doesn't work that way, 
and it's a pain: if you close the PTT circuit in QSK mode, you get a 
carrier. I'm glad the K3 doesn't work that way.

73,
Scott K9MA




On 4/24/2019 09:12, Don Wilhelm wrote:
> Scott,
>
> What do you mean by "if I get tired of all the racket"?
> The Elecraft gear is all electronic switching for T/R, so no relay 
> clacking racket.  That is true for ALL Elecraft gear, even the oldest K2.
>
> That may not be true for your old tube amplifiers, but the original 
> question was about a K3 and a KPA1500, so no relay clacking could be 
> present.
>
> 73,
> Don W3FPR
>
> On 4/24/2019 9:52 AM, K9MA wrote:
>> I know this will seem incredible to the software purists, but I have 
>> an actual mechanical "switch" in series with the PTT line. The K3 is 
>> always in QSK mode, but if I get tired of all the racket, I can just 
>> turn on the PTT. That seems to work flawlessly with the KPA1500, as 
>> well as my old tube amplifiers. (There's another switch in the keying 
>> line, just in case the computer goes nuts. Of course, that could 
>> NEVER happen.)
>>
>> 73,
>> Scott K9MA
>>

-- 
Scott  K9MA

k9ma at sdellington.us