[Elecraft] K3 QSK Timing

[Andy Durbin]

"So here is what I determined: with 35 wpm dits (or dahs, it doesn't matter) from the internal keyer in Full QSK mode, CONFIG TX DLY = 8 (normal), there is a minimum of 5.6 ms between KEY OUT low and the first whiff of RF. I say minimum, because there is a certain amount of jitter in the length of the element, and the interval is sometimes a bit longer. The interval after RF before KEY OUT goes high is similar."

I made similar measurements on my Kenwood TS-590S with a Rogol DS1054Z.  However, I also captured RX audio on one 'scope channel.   I found the limiting factor for QSK was the time it took the receiver to recover after the internal TR relay had switched.  The practical QSK limit for the TS-590S was about 26 wpm. Any faster than that and the receiver did not "open" between elements.

73,
Andy, k3wyc