OT: foot switch - why?
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I have a Line Master 632-S which is decades old. I used when I used
to do M/M contesting (multi-op, multi-transmitter). You could probably drive a tank over it without damaging it. When lots of op's all talk at once and they are in close proximity to each other, you can't use vox. Which begs the question...why do folks use a foot switch from home if they are the only one in the room? I use vox. de Doug KR2Q _______________________________________________ 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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DOUGLAS ZWIEBEL wrote:
> [...] > Which begs the question...why do folks use a foot switch from home if > they are the only one in the room? I use vox. When you have young children. :-) 73, Mike ab3ap _______________________________________________ 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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In reply to this post by DOUGLAS ZWIEBEL
With a foot-switch ... even on CW ... I'm in control
and if I want to pause I'm not met with "noise" when I take a breath ... either when talking or keying CW. Put another way ... I use VOX -and- the foot-switch at the same time ... provides total flexibility. The foot switch is faster that VOX T/R, too. 73! Ken Kopp - K0PP [hidden email] _______________________________________________ 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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In reply to this post by DOUGLAS ZWIEBEL
Well. I can think of a few reasons:
Keeps the family dog from becoming a radio personality when the mail carrier or some other delivery person comes up to the door I like the positive control - a foot switch lets me make sure the PTT is closed when I want the transmitter on, and open when I want the transmitter to be off// VOX sometimes activates, or fails to activate, at inopportune times - and you have to keep fiddling with it A foot switch is a lot easier to use, in my opinion, than a microphone mounted switch or "press bar" I could probably think of a few others, but I'll let others take over now. 73 _ Jim, KL7CC Registered Fuddy-Duddy DOUGLAS ZWIEBEL wrote: > > Which begs the question...why do folks use a foot switch from home if > they are the only one in the room? I use vox. > > > _______________________________________________ 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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If the vox is set properly you dont have the problem of noises keying it.
Set it so only your voice will key when an inch or so from the mic. Most people have it so sensitive that a voice in the next room will key the vox, so it does pick up kids in the next room. Jim K4JAF ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jim Wiley" <[hidden email]> To: "Elecraft Reflector" <[hidden email]> Sent: Friday, March 21, 2008 6:30 PM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] OT: foot switch - why? > Well. I can think of a few reasons: > > Keeps the family dog from becoming a radio personality when the mail > carrier or some other delivery person comes up to the door > > > I like the positive control - a foot switch lets me make sure the PTT is > closed when I want the transmitter on, and open when I want the > transmitter to be off// > > > VOX sometimes activates, or fails to activate, at inopportune times - and > you have to keep fiddling with it > > > A foot switch is a lot easier to use, in my opinion, than a microphone > mounted switch or "press bar" > > I could probably think of a few others, but I'll let others take over now. > > 73 > > > _ Jim, KL7CC > > Registered Fuddy-Duddy > > > > > > DOUGLAS ZWIEBEL wrote: >> >> Which begs the question...why do folks use a foot switch from home if >> they are the only one in the room? I use vox. >> >> >> > _______________________________________________ > 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 _______________________________________________ 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 |
Re: OT: foot switch - why?
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In reply to this post by Jim Wiley-2
All good reasons. My #1 reason, though, is that I've never used a VOX that
didn't suck. The VOX in my TS-2000 sucks big-time. In fact, the VOX gain is so limited, you can't even turn it up high enough so it works with a standard Heil HC-4/5 mic element -- though the mic gain through the transmitter's speech amplifier has plenty of reserve range. (Go figure. Brilliant design.) If VOX worked the way it is supposed to work -- trips instantly on the first hint of sound from the speaker's mouth, stays engaged through normal conversational speech, drops off cleanly when the speaker stops talking -- I'd probably be using it, though even then, not during a contest, either phone or CW. (You need precise T/R control.) I'm waiting to see if the K3's VOX is as cool as everybody has said it is! My ideal T/R for casual operating: a perfectly-located (and easily relocatable) touch pad/button with a toggle-on/off function, large enough not be missed, and with a green/red backlight for Receive/Transmit states. I'd probably stick it on the keyboard for most modes, since I use computer logging 100% of the time for all my operating. I would still use a footswitch for contesting, though. Bill W5WVO Jim Wiley wrote: > Well. I can think of a few reasons: > > > Keeps the family dog from becoming a radio personality when the mail > carrier or some other delivery person comes up to the door > > > I like the positive control - a foot switch lets me make sure the PTT > is closed when I want the transmitter on, and open when I want the > transmitter to be off// > > > VOX sometimes activates, or fails to activate, at inopportune times - > and you have to keep fiddling with it > > > A foot switch is a lot easier to use, in my opinion, than a microphone > mounted switch or "press bar" > > > I could probably think of a few others, but I'll let others take over > now. > > 73 > > > _ Jim, KL7CC > > Registered Fuddy-Duddy > > > > > > DOUGLAS ZWIEBEL wrote: >> >> Which begs the question...why do folks use a foot switch from home if >> they are the only one in the room? I use vox. >> >> >> > _______________________________________________ > 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 _______________________________________________ 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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In reply to this post by Jim Cox
IMHO, the real reason for a foot switch is timing. When running high
rates in a phone contest, you can't set the VOX delay and hang time well enough to drop the PTT soon enough without chopping up in the middle of speaking (or yelling, as it were). With a foot switch, I can key, do the exchange, and drop the PTT exactly as fast as I need to without relay switching, cut outs, etc.. If I tried to do it via VOX, the hangtime at the end would be wasting time as well, not to mention making copy more difficult on the other end, and shortening the life of amplifier relays, etc.. I think this is the case regardless of VOX implementation, the K3 has nice VOX and all, but I still much prefer a foot switch for SSB contesting. For casual SSB ragchewing, VOX is just fine though. -Jeff N6GQ On Fri, Mar 21, 2008 at 4:52 PM, Jim Cox <[hidden email]> wrote: > If the vox is set properly you dont have the problem of noises keying it. > Set it so only your voice will key when an inch or so from the mic. Most > people have it so sensitive that a voice in the next room will key the vox, > so it does pick up kids in the next room. > Jim K4JAF > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Jim Wiley" <[hidden email]> > To: "Elecraft Reflector" <[hidden email]> > Sent: Friday, March 21, 2008 6:30 PM > Subject: Re: [Elecraft] OT: foot switch - why? > > > > Well. I can think of a few reasons: > > > > Keeps the family dog from becoming a radio personality when the mail > > carrier or some other delivery person comes up to the door > > > > > > I like the positive control - a foot switch lets me make sure the PTT is > > closed when I want the transmitter on, and open when I want the > > transmitter to be off// > > > > > > VOX sometimes activates, or fails to activate, at inopportune times - and > > you have to keep fiddling with it > > > > > > A foot switch is a lot easier to use, in my opinion, than a microphone > > mounted switch or "press bar" > > > > I could probably think of a few others, but I'll let others take over now. > > > > 73 > > > > > > _ Jim, KL7CC > > > > Registered Fuddy-Duddy > > > > > > > > > > > > DOUGLAS ZWIEBEL wrote: > >> > >> Which begs the question...why do folks use a foot switch from home if > >> they are the only one in the room? I use vox. > >> > >> > >> > > _______________________________________________ > > 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 > > _______________________________________________ > 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 > 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 |
Re: [Bulk] Re: OT: foot switch - why?
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In reply to this post by Bill VanAlstyne W5WVO
Bingo!
In the analog world getting a VOX to work properly was a difficult task. It required an audio delay line. In todays DSP world VOX should be perfect. The problem is that there are no minimum standards for a VOX. People got used to VOX's that took a half second or more of audio to activate and added another second of delay to keep the transmitter on to avoid repeating the process. BT on CW was replaced with Ahhhhh on phone. After all this is just how VOX works, isn't it? A VOX can be designed and built that will follow speech without losing as much as a millisecond of audio and have full QSK, activating the receiver between words and even some syllables. The user set delay becomes one of preference not one of necessity to reduce lost chunks of speech. The problem is really one of cost and price. How many would be willing to pay more for a well designed VOX. Not many. I find the VOX on my K2 to be useless. I will bet that the majority of people think it is just fine. If Elecraft had not included a VOX then the multitudes, and especially the reviewers, would have been criticizing them for building a radio without a VOX. So add a VOX that will satisfy 60 or 70 percent of the users and keep costs and the end price down. Those of us who view high quality and high performance as desirable over a multitude of features are in the minority. Just look at most consumer electronics. Thirty years ago I was in the home audio industry for a few years. Ten years ago I decided that I wanted a new stereo system. Was I in for a shock! First of all there were very few manufacturers that even built a stereo receiver. Everything on the market was for "surround sound." Then the specs; The audio specs on the average surround sound receiver were worse than the worst of the stereo receivers from 20 years earlier. I bought a high priced Rotel stereo receiver just to get the average specs of the receivers of two decades earlier. Most people want all the bells and whistles and fancy displays they can get for the lowest price possible. Most features are never even used, and few people even notice the lack of performance or bugs. If they do, they just live with it. After all that is just the way these things work... Ask a cell phone dealer for the MDS or IMD specs of a cell phone. Even though the radio performance is essential, the specs only list the number of pixels in the camera or the number of bytes of storage for MP3's and ring tones. Thank you Elecraft for catering to those of us who value quality and performance. From what I have read about the K3 VOX, it would appear that Elecraft has gotten it right. Now if they could just get back to refining the K2.... Let's see add a new VOX and noise blanker and updated firmware and fix the synthesizer clicks and.... The K2 may not be perfect but it is still my choice over any other radio made except perhaps for a K3. 73, Darrell VA7TO K2 #5093 On Friday 21 March 2008 16:58, Bill W5WVO wrote: > All good reasons. My #1 reason, though, is that I've never used a VOX that > didn't suck. -- Darrell Bellerive Amateur Radio Stations VA7TO and VE7CLA Grand Forks, British Columbia, Canada _______________________________________________ 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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In reply to this post by Jeff Kinzli N6GQ
> IMHO, the real reason for a foot switch is timing. When
> running high rates in a phone contest, you can't set the VOX > delay and hang time well enough to drop the PTT soon enough > without chopping up in the middle of speaking (or yelling, as > it were). ... Until the K3 came along with KK7P's DSP and VOX firmware. I used the K3 VOX for the entire 24 hours of 2007 Sweepstakes with no misses (and, no yelling). Incredibly smooth and responsive. 73, Ed - W0YK _______________________________________________ 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 |
Re: [Bulk] Re: OT: foot switch - why?
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In reply to this post by Darrell Bellerive-2
> On Friday 21 March 2008 16:58, Bill W5WVO wrote: > >> All good reasons. My #1 reason, though, is that I've never used a VOX that >> didn't suck. >> How about the fact that a foot switch leaves both hands free? I once worked as a mobile phone/paging/answering service operator, and let me tell you, you quickly gain an appreciation for foot switches. Try working a mobile caller, taking a phone call and logging calls on paper all at once sometime, it's REALLY tough if you have a hand switch, and don't even mention VOX when you are between two other operators with speakers and telephones, not to mention conversation. For Ham radio, it leaves both hands free for the computer or logging, and works a treat for me!! 73 de John W4CWZ -- "The real proof that there is intelligent life in outer space is that they haven't come here." _______________________________________________ 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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