Iambic mode faux pas

[blake-20]

My new K2 came to life last night.  What fun.  Nothing fancy in build or
alignment, I just followed the manual.  When I finished the final
transmitter alignment task, I couldn't help myself, I sent a quick CQ.
First try came back KO1U from MA--wahoo!

Then I started with the customary RST, name and QTH--disaster struck!  Every
"r" I sent sounded like an "a," every "l" an "r" (if I was lucky and not an
"a" as well).  I immediately realized that I was in Iambic mode A and I've
been raised on mode B.  Boy I felt sheepish, sloppy and embarrassed; my code
was terrible.  The good news is that the firmware has a menu option to get
me to mode B, no external keyer needed.  Tonight, it will be easier.

So how many mode "A"ers are there out there?  Am I the only mode B paddle
pusher?

72
Blake
W7PQ





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[crmabbott]

If I remember right mode A does not kick in on A, N, etc.  It needs letters like C, etc for the mode to fill in the blank or that is what I recall reading.  Did I miss something, because you would never be able to send E, A, N, T, etc.


--
______
_______/ Chuck \_________
| |
| www.aa8vs.org/aa8vs |
================================
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wind; the optimist expects it to
change; the realist adjusts the
sails."
-- William Arthur Ward



-------------- Original message --------------

> My new K2 came to life last night. What fun. Nothing fancy in build or
> alignment, I just followed the manual. When I finished the final
> transmitter alignment task, I couldn't help myself, I sent a quick CQ.
> First try came back KO1U from MA--wahoo!
>
> Then I started with the customary RST, name and QTH--disaster struck! Every
> "r" I sent sounded like an "a," every "l" an "r" (if I was lucky and not an
> "a" as well). I immediately realized that I was in Iambic mode A and I've
> been raised on mode B. Boy I felt sheepish, sloppy and embarrassed; my code
> was terrible. The good news is that the firmware has a menu option to get
> me to mode B, no external keyer needed. Tonight, it will be easier.
>
> So how many mode "A"ers are there out there? Am I the only mode B paddle
> pusher?
>
> 72
> Blake
> W7PQ
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Post to: [hidden email]
> You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
> Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft 
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm 
> Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com 

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[Vic K2VCO]

blake wrote:

> So how many mode "A"ers are there out there?  Am I the only mode B paddle
> pusher?

No, I'm very mode B.  Sometimes I run into a mode A setup at a friend's
shack, field day, etc.  The way I handle it is to pretend the paddle is
a single lever type, and not try to make any characters by squeezing.
It's easier than trying to use mode A!

--
73,
Vic, K2VCO
Fresno CA
http://www.qsl.net/k2vco


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[Mike Harris-9]

G'day,

> So how many mode "A"ers are there out there?  Am I the only mode B
paddle
> pusher?

No.

Regards,

Mike VP8NO


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[Terry Conboy]

At 08:18 AM 2004-08-17, blake wrote:
>So how many mode "A"ers are there out there?  Am I the only mode B paddle
>pusher?

I never could figure out how anyone could send with a mode B keyer.  If you
try to send a 'K' and don't release the dot paddle before the second dash
starts, you get a 'C'.  I can do that at 5 WPM if I concentrate really
hard, but at any higher speed, no luck.

The original Curtis CMOS keyer chip was mode A, and he later made a mode B
(and A/B) chips for all those who were forever cursed by learning to iambic
sending with some of the early TTL iambic keyers from QST.  They had what
became known as "the trailing dot problem" and fixes for their logic were
offered.  I still have one of the original TTL keyers in my collection and
can only use it with a single lever (non-iambic) paddle.  My vacuum tube
keyer from the 1965 Handbook works just as well.

Keep clam,
Terry



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