[Novice-Rigs] Keying of VFOs (HETERODYNED IN HOOTERVILLE)

[Ed Swynar]

Good Morning All,

I'm curious as to everyone's success (or LACK thereof, too!) with the keying of their homebrewed VFOs...

I just had a piece published in ER about my HB effort along these lines, but I discovered that changes that I made in my transmitter here recently have necessitated more output from my outboard VFO to properly drive it. Anyway, I upped the ante this morning by doubling the B+ going to the VFO, but now the free-running oscillator can be readily heard (569!) on my receiver all the time.

I'm debating about putting a closed circuit phone jack between the cathode & ground in the cathode follower of my 12AU7A VFO --- I could then bring out a lead from this jack, and either place it parallel with my lead keying the cathodes of the driver & final PA, or,  run it to my T/R switch (just a relay, activated when I go into transmit mode) so that the lead will be grounded ONLY when I send. 

Anyone reading this have any comments along these lines? The extra voltage to the VFO has, indeed, improved the drive level to the HB rig, so I definitely do want to keep the B+ at a higher level, but the "...self-QRM" that came along with it is most assuredly NOT acceptable!
Any & all info re. real-world experiences appreciated, with my thanks in advance...!

~73~ Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ ("Heterodyned In Hooterville")