Re: [Elecraft] FT8 - was "On Second Thought, I'll Take The Stairs"

[Lynn W. Taylor, WB6UUT]

But apparently, according to other posts on this list, DXing and CW is 
Amateur Radio, and if you don't have fun doing that, you aren't really a 
ham.


Oh well.

73 -- Lynn

On 7/12/20 6:32 PM, Lynn W. Taylor, WB6UUT wrote:

I was trying to remember JS8CALL -- thanks for the reminder.

The best thing about this hobby is that there are so many options and so 
many different things you can do.


David, in my off-list message, I was thinking of JS8CALL.

73 -- Lynn

On 7/12/20 6:18 PM, Lyn Norstad wrote:

Enter JS8Call.

All the technology of FT8, plus all of the conversationality of CW, 
RTTY and SSB rolled into one.


If you haven't tried it, you really should.  It's developer, Jordan 
Sherer (KN4CRD) has done a terrific job with it and I am honored to 
have been a part of the beta team almost since day one.


http://js8call.com/

73
Lyn, W0LEN


-Original Message-
From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net 
[mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of David Gilbert

Sent: Sunday, July 12, 2020 7:40 PM
To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Subject: [Elecraft] FT8 - was "On Second Thought, I'll Take The Stairs"


Well, the fact is that the coding and processing behind modes like FT8
doesn't have to be as rigid as is implemented in WSJT-X.  It only
requires that information be sent and received in time frames, and those
time frames are simply a function of three variables ... bandwidth,
rate, and number of characters in the message frame.  It would be
possible to change any of those, such as widening the bandwidth to
increase the number of characters for the same time frame.

It would also be possible to send text but have it converted to CW on
the other end.  Or even to key CW that gets converted to text before
transmission ... i.e., CW to CW except with significantly better S/N
performance.  If the user was willing to live with a narrow bandwidth
single conversation format, clock synchronization isn't even really
needed.   And if we were willing to live with a single conversation
format, there would be no point in cramming everyone into 2.4 KHz and we
could spread out like we do for every other mode.

I'm no expert, but I think that the coding could have enough error
checking to allow busted message frames to be printed (or converted to
CW) ... although of course with errors.  The extra error processing
would reduce the character count, though, all other things being equal.

The point is that the digital signal processing behind FT8 is extremely
powerful and could be adapted to other user formats with a lot more
flexibility than we have with FT8.  The hams who just dismiss FT8 out of
hand really don't understand the broader weak signal applicability of it.

73,
Dave   AB7E

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Re: [Elecraft] FT8 - was "On Second Thought, I'll Take The Stairs"

[David Gilbert]

First of all, there is no comparison between the cost of what you just 
described and the cost of the software required to provide what I 
hypothesized.  Secondly, what I hypothesized would stack on top of what 
you described without conflict.


So I'm afraid I really don't understand the point of your post.

73,
Dave   AB7E



On 7/12/2020 8:47 PM, WILLIE BABER wrote:
There is a way to improve the signal to noise of the CW signal.  It is 
called the yagi or beam antenna.


The tower, guy system, beam, feedline, connectors, and switching, all 
have considerable appeal for some of us, the same as a good paddle, or 
a K3 radio.


My four towers and yagis were built by me--solo on the tower--and I do 
relate to my antenna system in the same way I do to my German-crafted 
cw paddle (even though I did not build it).


The details about how to do anything is subject to standards about 
how, exactly, to do it (and without harming yourself or others).


Of course you could decide that an egg is an egg no matter what you do 
to it (I have seen some tower systems that I would not climb).


I had several tower Elmers starting with Dave Bunte, k9fn, who put up 
my first tower, a BX tower, at the tall height of 32 feet.
I was fearful of that 32 foot tower.  Now I routinely go above 100 
feet with two towers at 130 feet.  I turn 70 years old in September.


If I had more than 4 acres I would have gone to 160 feet, for the sake 
of 80 meters.


We all have our limitations (4 acres in my case but a ponderosa 
compared to many others) as well as our different ways of making art 
but, like a good omelet, the love of art is what makes life so 
pleasant, and far less dangerous.


73, Will, wj9b





CWops #1085
CWA Advisor levels II and III
http://cwops.org/


On Sunday, July 12, 2020, 7:07:32 PM PDT, Wayne Burdick 
 wrote:




> On Jul 12, 2020, at 6:57 PM, David Gilbert > wrote:

>
> Think of it this way ... CW works fine as both a contest mode, DXing 
mode, and conversational mode. Underlaying CW with a well configured 
digital signal processing scheme like that which is under FT8, except 
with a different user interface than either WSJT-X or JS8,  could be 
equally versatile but with maybe 6-8 db better S/N ... possibly by an 
even greater margin if the decoding allowed errors instead of being 
all or nothing.



Except that (a) you don't have to know CW, and (b) you don't need a 
key. There goes 73% of its charm :)


Wayne
N6KR




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Re: [Elecraft] FT8 - was "On Second Thought, I'll Take The Stairs"

[WILLIE BABER]

There is a way to improve the signal to noise of the CW signal.  It is called 
the yagi or beam antenna.
The tower, guy system, beam, feedline, connectors, and switching, all have 
considerable appeal for some of us, the same as a good paddle, or a K3 radio.
My four towers and yagis were built by me--solo on the tower--and I do relate 
to my antenna system in the same way I do to my German-crafted cw paddle (even 
though I did not build it).
The details about how to do anything is subject to standards about how, 
exactly, to do it (and without harming yourself or others).
Of course you could decide that an egg is an egg no matter what you do to it (I 
have seen some tower systems that I would not climb). 
I had several tower Elmers starting with Dave Bunte, k9fn, who put up my first 
tower, a BX tower, at the tall height of 32 feet. I was fearful of that 32 foot 
tower.  Now I routinely go above 100 feet with two towers at 130 feet.  I turn 
70 years old in September.
If I had more than 4 acres I would have gone to 160 feet, for the sake of 80 
meters.
We all have our limitations (4 acres in my case but a ponderosa compared to 
many others) as well as our different ways of making art but, like a good 
omelet, the love of art is what makes life so pleasant, and far less dangerous.
73, Will, wj9b





CWops #1085
CWA Advisor levels II and III
http://cwops.org/ 

On Sunday, July 12, 2020, 7:07:32 PM PDT, Wayne Burdick  
wrote:  
 
 
> On Jul 12, 2020, at 6:57 PM, David Gilbert  wrote:
> 
> Think of it this way ... CW works fine as both a contest mode, DXing mode, 
> and conversational mode.  Underlaying CW with a well configured digital 
> signal processing scheme like that which is under FT8, except with a 
> different user interface than either WSJT-X or JS8,  could be equally 
> versatile but with maybe 6-8 db better S/N ... possibly by an even greater 
> margin if the decoding allowed errors instead of being all or nothing.


Except that (a) you don't have to know CW, and (b) you don't need a key. There 
goes 73% of its charm :)

Wayne
N6KR



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[Elecraft] Elecraft CW Net Report

[kevinr]

Good Evening,

Twenty meters was surprising.  Brian came on early with a very loud 
signal.  Dave and Roy were both weaker than normal.  Easy copy because 
the band was not as noisy.  John did have the noise of a storm covering 
him even though his signal was good too.  Jim had a great signal but was 
about to melt from 104 degree heat. His pool was calling him.


Forty meters was not like the last three weeks.  It had noise on it.  A 
storm well off in the distance, not the dead quiet of before.  The QSB 
had a 3 s-unit range but copy was good.



  On 14050.5 kHz at 2200z:

K0DTJ - Brian - CA

K4TO - Dave - KY

K6XK - Roy - IA

NO8V - John - MI

W6JHB - Jim - CA


  On 7047.5 kHz at z:

K0DTJ - Brian - CA

K6PJV - Dale - CA

WM5F - Dwight - ID


Between nets I went out on the deck.  It had warmed up enough for the 
butterflies to start working the clover.  One of them flew up into a fir 
tree.  That drew my eye to a smaller than normal hummingbird.  In shades 
of gray.  An immature hummingbird learning how to fly.  I'm not sure 
which species.  There are two here: Rufous and Anna's, both small, both 
colorful.  This one was a study by Ansel Adams, "Hummingbird in a shaft 
of light".  Maybe I can see it as it gains its adult plumage.


Until next week stay cool, drink your fluids, get on the air, 73

   Kevin.  KD5ONS


Do, or do not, there is no try.

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Re: [Elecraft] FT8 - was "On Second Thought, I'll Take The Stairs"

[Wayne Burdick]

> On Jul 12, 2020, at 6:57 PM, David Gilbert  wrote:
> 
> Think of it this way ... CW works fine as both a contest mode, DXing mode, 
> and conversational mode.  Underlaying CW with a well configured digital 
> signal processing scheme like that which is under FT8, except with a 
> different user interface than either WSJT-X or JS8,  could be equally 
> versatile but with maybe 6-8 db better S/N ... possibly by an even greater 
> margin if the decoding allowed errors instead of being all or nothing.


Except that (a) you don't have to know CW, and (b) you don't need a key. There 
goes 73% of its charm :)

Wayne
N6KR



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Re: [Elecraft] FT8 - was "On Second Thought, I'll Take The Stairs"

[David Gilbert]

Not quite.  I'm aware of JS8 and tried it more than a year ago, but it 
still has much of the rigidity of the WSJT-X user interface and isn't as 
basic as I think would be desirable.


Think of it this way ... CW works fine as both a contest mode, DXing 
mode, and conversational mode.  Underlaying CW with a well configured 
digital signal processing scheme like that which is under FT8, except 
with a different user interface than either WSJT-X or JS8,  could be 
equally versatile but with maybe 6-8 db better S/N ... possibly by an 
even greater margin if the decoding allowed errors instead of being all 
or nothing.


I'm not saying text-to-CW is the only way to reap the benefit of modern 
digital signal processing ... only using it as an example.


People only interested in a contact will probably always prefer 
WSJT-X/FT8 because it does that very well, but both contesting and rag 
chewing could really use a different (simpler) structure while still 
utilizing the superior weak signal peformance of modern digital signal 
processing.  I guarantee that it is possible to do so.


73,
Dave   AB7E


On 7/12/2020 6:18 PM, Lyn Norstad wrote:

Enter JS8Call.

All the technology of FT8, plus all of the conversationality of CW, RTTY and 
SSB rolled into one.

If you haven't tried it, you really should.  It's developer, Jordan Sherer 
(KN4CRD) has done a terrific job with it and I am honored to have been a part 
of the beta team almost since day one.

http://js8call.com/

73
Lyn, W0LEN


-Original Message-
From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net 
[mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of David Gilbert
Sent: Sunday, July 12, 2020 7:40 PM
To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Subject: [Elecraft] FT8 - was "On Second Thought, I'll Take The Stairs"


Well, the fact is that the coding and processing behind modes like FT8
doesn't have to be as rigid as is implemented in WSJT-X.  It only
requires that information be sent and received in time frames, and those
time frames are simply a function of three variables ... bandwidth,
rate, and number of characters in the message frame.  It would be
possible to change any of those, such as widening the bandwidth to
increase the number of characters for the same time frame.

It would also be possible to send text but have it converted to CW on
the other end.  Or even to key CW that gets converted to text before
transmission ... i.e., CW to CW except with significantly better S/N
performance.  If the user was willing to live with a narrow bandwidth
single conversation format, clock synchronization isn't even really
needed.   And if we were willing to live with a single conversation
format, there would be no point in cramming everyone into 2.4 KHz and we
could spread out like we do for every other mode.

I'm no expert, but I think that the coding could have enough error
checking to allow busted message frames to be printed (or converted to
CW) ... although of course with errors.  The extra error processing
would reduce the character count, though, all other things being equal.

The point is that the digital signal processing behind FT8 is extremely
powerful and could be adapted to other user formats with a lot more
flexibility than we have with FT8.  The hams who just dismiss FT8 out of
hand really don't understand the broader weak signal applicability of it.

73,
Dave   AB7E



On 7/12/2020 4:53 PM, Lynn W. Taylor, WB6UUT wrote:

Yeah, great, reliable at or below the noise floor, but if all you're
doing is meeting the somewhat arbitrary minimum that defines a QSO,
what's the point?

I mean seriously, can you even ask about the weather?  Just say "hi?"

Meh.

I'm fine with typing, but I want a real live person typing back, and
if we can type back and forth for an hour, that's great.

73 -- Lynn

On 7/12/20 2:33 PM, Wayne Burdick wrote:

The argument for digital modes like FT8 is that they're reliable at
or below the noise floor, making it possible to work lots of DX even
if solar conditions are very poor. Simplicity of protocol is a side
effect of this design.

_


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Re: [Elecraft] On Second thought ,,,,,,

[Donald Schliesser]

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Re: [Elecraft] FT8 - was "On Second Thought, I'll Take The Stairs"

[Lynn W. Taylor, WB6UUT]

I was trying to remember JS8CALL -- thanks for the reminder.

The best thing about this hobby is that there are so many options and so 
many different things you can do.


David, in my off-list message, I was thinking of JS8CALL.

73 -- Lynn

On 7/12/20 6:18 PM, Lyn Norstad wrote:

Enter JS8Call.

All the technology of FT8, plus all of the conversationality of CW, RTTY and 
SSB rolled into one.

If you haven't tried it, you really should.  It's developer, Jordan Sherer 
(KN4CRD) has done a terrific job with it and I am honored to have been a part 
of the beta team almost since day one.

http://js8call.com/

73
Lyn, W0LEN


-Original Message-
From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net 
[mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of David Gilbert
Sent: Sunday, July 12, 2020 7:40 PM
To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Subject: [Elecraft] FT8 - was "On Second Thought, I'll Take The Stairs"


Well, the fact is that the coding and processing behind modes like FT8
doesn't have to be as rigid as is implemented in WSJT-X.  It only
requires that information be sent and received in time frames, and those
time frames are simply a function of three variables ... bandwidth,
rate, and number of characters in the message frame.  It would be
possible to change any of those, such as widening the bandwidth to
increase the number of characters for the same time frame.

It would also be possible to send text but have it converted to CW on
the other end.  Or even to key CW that gets converted to text before
transmission ... i.e., CW to CW except with significantly better S/N
performance.  If the user was willing to live with a narrow bandwidth
single conversation format, clock synchronization isn't even really
needed.   And if we were willing to live with a single conversation
format, there would be no point in cramming everyone into 2.4 KHz and we
could spread out like we do for every other mode.

I'm no expert, but I think that the coding could have enough error
checking to allow busted message frames to be printed (or converted to
CW) ... although of course with errors.  The extra error processing
would reduce the character count, though, all other things being equal.

The point is that the digital signal processing behind FT8 is extremely
powerful and could be adapted to other user formats with a lot more
flexibility than we have with FT8.  The hams who just dismiss FT8 out of
hand really don't understand the broader weak signal applicability of it.

73,
Dave   AB7E

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Re: [Elecraft] Wayne's Story - "On Second Thought, I'll Take The Stairs"

[Lynn W. Taylor, WB6UUT]

With all due respect, Rick, that argument works both ways.

I see why people would want to go on a DXpedition.  It's quite an adventure.

I can understand certificate hunting, DXCC and all of that.

I get the people who are totally into linking VHF/UHF via the Internet.

There is a vast amount of fun building radios, and there are similar 
"homebrew" opportunities.  I know, I've done a lot of homebrew software.


Then there is slow-scan TV, and in some metropolitan areas, fast-scan TV.

I spent many an evening Transmitter Hunting, but to many driving around 
on a rainy night with a 4 element 2m quad sticking out the window is 
excessive.


I got my Extra so I could become a Volunteer Examiner.

I know I've left out a lot, but it's all important to the hobby.  Every 
single niche and variation.


I'm simply not attracted to FT-8.

I understand that someone has taken the ideas behind the low bandwidth 
encoding and etc. and turned it into something you can chat through, and 
that sounds like fun to me.


As usually, YMMV.

73 -- Lynn

On 7/12/20 5:32 PM, Rick NK7I wrote:

You’ve just defined the vast majority of DX (and DXpedition in particular) 
contacts.

That doesn’t make less a part of ham radio.

Rick NK7I

Email spiel Czech corruptions happen


On Jul 12, 2020, at 4:54 PM, Lynn W. Taylor, WB6UUT 
 wrote:

... but if all you're doing is meeting the somewhat arbitrary minimum that 
defines a QSO, what's the point?

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Re: [Elecraft] FT8 - was "On Second Thought, I'll Take The Stairs"

[Lyn Norstad]

Enter JS8Call.

All the technology of FT8, plus all of the conversationality of CW, RTTY and 
SSB rolled into one.

If you haven't tried it, you really should.  It's developer, Jordan Sherer 
(KN4CRD) has done a terrific job with it and I am honored to have been a part 
of the beta team almost since day one.

http://js8call.com/

73
Lyn, W0LEN


-Original Message-
From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net 
[mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of David Gilbert
Sent: Sunday, July 12, 2020 7:40 PM
To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Subject: [Elecraft] FT8 - was "On Second Thought, I'll Take The Stairs"


Well, the fact is that the coding and processing behind modes like FT8 
doesn't have to be as rigid as is implemented in WSJT-X.  It only 
requires that information be sent and received in time frames, and those 
time frames are simply a function of three variables ... bandwidth, 
rate, and number of characters in the message frame.  It would be 
possible to change any of those, such as widening the bandwidth to 
increase the number of characters for the same time frame.

It would also be possible to send text but have it converted to CW on 
the other end.  Or even to key CW that gets converted to text before 
transmission ... i.e., CW to CW except with significantly better S/N 
performance.  If the user was willing to live with a narrow bandwidth 
single conversation format, clock synchronization isn't even really 
needed.   And if we were willing to live with a single conversation 
format, there would be no point in cramming everyone into 2.4 KHz and we 
could spread out like we do for every other mode.

I'm no expert, but I think that the coding could have enough error 
checking to allow busted message frames to be printed (or converted to 
CW) ... although of course with errors.  The extra error processing  
would reduce the character count, though, all other things being equal.

The point is that the digital signal processing behind FT8 is extremely 
powerful and could be adapted to other user formats with a lot more 
flexibility than we have with FT8.  The hams who just dismiss FT8 out of 
hand really don't understand the broader weak signal applicability of it.

73,
Dave   AB7E



On 7/12/2020 4:53 PM, Lynn W. Taylor, WB6UUT wrote:
> Yeah, great, reliable at or below the noise floor, but if all you're 
> doing is meeting the somewhat arbitrary minimum that defines a QSO, 
> what's the point?
>
> I mean seriously, can you even ask about the weather?  Just say "hi?"
>
> Meh.
>
> I'm fine with typing, but I want a real live person typing back, and 
> if we can type back and forth for an hour, that's great.
>
> 73 -- Lynn
>
> On 7/12/20 2:33 PM, Wayne Burdick wrote:
>> The argument for digital modes like FT8 is that they're reliable at 
>> or below the noise floor, making it possible to work lots of DX even 
>> if solar conditions are very poor. Simplicity of protocol is a side 
>> effect of this design.
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[Elecraft] FT8 - was "On Second Thought, I'll Take The Stairs"

[David Gilbert]

Well, the fact is that the coding and processing behind modes like FT8 
doesn't have to be as rigid as is implemented in WSJT-X.  It only 
requires that information be sent and received in time frames, and those 
time frames are simply a function of three variables ... bandwidth, 
rate, and number of characters in the message frame.  It would be 
possible to change any of those, such as widening the bandwidth to 
increase the number of characters for the same time frame.


It would also be possible to send text but have it converted to CW on 
the other end.  Or even to key CW that gets converted to text before 
transmission ... i.e., CW to CW except with significantly better S/N 
performance.  If the user was willing to live with a narrow bandwidth 
single conversation format, clock synchronization isn't even really 
needed.   And if we were willing to live with a single conversation 
format, there would be no point in cramming everyone into 2.4 KHz and we 
could spread out like we do for every other mode.


I'm no expert, but I think that the coding could have enough error 
checking to allow busted message frames to be printed (or converted to 
CW) ... although of course with errors.  The extra error processing  
would reduce the character count, though, all other things being equal.


The point is that the digital signal processing behind FT8 is extremely 
powerful and could be adapted to other user formats with a lot more 
flexibility than we have with FT8.  The hams who just dismiss FT8 out of 
hand really don't understand the broader weak signal applicability of it.


73,
Dave   AB7E



On 7/12/2020 4:53 PM, Lynn W. Taylor, WB6UUT wrote:
Yeah, great, reliable at or below the noise floor, but if all you're 
doing is meeting the somewhat arbitrary minimum that defines a QSO, 
what's the point?


I mean seriously, can you even ask about the weather?  Just say "hi?"

Meh.

I'm fine with typing, but I want a real live person typing back, and 
if we can type back and forth for an hour, that's great.


73 -- Lynn

On 7/12/20 2:33 PM, Wayne Burdick wrote:
The argument for digital modes like FT8 is that they're reliable at 
or below the noise floor, making it possible to work lots of DX even 
if solar conditions are very poor. Simplicity of protocol is a side 
effect of this design.

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Re: [Elecraft] Wayne's Story - "On Second Thought, I'll Take The Stairs"

[Rick NK7I]

You’ve just defined the vast majority of DX (and DXpedition in particular) 
contacts. 

That doesn’t make less a part of ham radio. 

Rick NK7I

Email spiel Czech corruptions happen

> On Jul 12, 2020, at 4:54 PM, Lynn W. Taylor, WB6UUT 
>  wrote:
> 
> ... but if all you're doing is meeting the somewhat arbitrary minimum that 
> defines a QSO, what's the point?
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Re: [Elecraft] Wayne's Story - "On Second Thought, I'll Take The Stairs"

[Jim Rhodes]

The truly great thing about amateur radio is that there are so very many
things that an operator can do. Since I retired and downsized to an
apartment with no tower or beam in an urban environment I find myself using
those very weak signal modes. Still have the KPA500 and KAT500, but using
that kind of power in an apartment is just not "neighbor friendly" so I am
saving them in case I decide to move back to a less congested area or find
a place I can set up a remote station. In the mean time there are those
digital modes that I can get on and make some Qs on. Please do not
denigrate these modes because there are a lot of people in similar
situations. Yes, I would love to crank up the juice, spin the beam around
and pound the green keys in plain old RTTY, but it just ain't happening
right now. So let me make a few Qs now and then and remember when I had a
"real ham station" making "real contacts". And if you don't like it I don't
give a (insert your least favorite term here) what you think. Have a nice
day.

On Sun, Jul 12, 2020, 18:54 Lynn W. Taylor, WB6UUT <
kx...@coldrockshotbrooms.com> wrote:

> Yeah, great, reliable at or below the noise floor, but if all you're
> doing is meeting the somewhat arbitrary minimum that defines a QSO,
> what's the point?
>
> I mean seriously, can you even ask about the weather?  Just say "hi?"
>
> Meh.
>
> I'm fine with typing, but I want a real live person typing back, and if
> we can type back and forth for an hour, that's great.
>
> 73 -- Lynn
>
> On 7/12/20 2:33 PM, Wayne Burdick wrote:
> > The argument for digital modes like FT8 is that they're reliable at or
> below the noise floor, making it possible to work lots of DX even if solar
> conditions are very poor. Simplicity of protocol is a side effect of this
> design.
> __
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Re: [Elecraft] Wayne's Story - "On Second Thought, I'll Take The Stairs"

[Lynn W. Taylor, WB6UUT]

Yeah, great, reliable at or below the noise floor, but if all you're 
doing is meeting the somewhat arbitrary minimum that defines a QSO, 
what's the point?


I mean seriously, can you even ask about the weather?  Just say "hi?"

Meh.

I'm fine with typing, but I want a real live person typing back, and if 
we can type back and forth for an hour, that's great.


73 -- Lynn

On 7/12/20 2:33 PM, Wayne Burdick wrote:

The argument for digital modes like FT8 is that they're reliable at or below 
the noise floor, making it possible to work lots of DX even if solar conditions 
are very poor. Simplicity of protocol is a side effect of this design.

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Re: [Elecraft] "On second thought, I'll take the stairs."

[Bill Frantz]

I sympathise with Andy's view, but there's another way of 
looking at it:


Suppose you like tha ancient art of conversation with strangers, 
which I do. In fact, I'm doing it now. Now, what strangers do 
you want to select from? There are the people next to you in 
line at the airport (or at least there were BC). There are the 
people on long distance trains. etc.


But to select for people who are interested and knowledgable 
about radio communications, other hams are a pretty good choice. 
And what better place to find them than on the air?


Yes, you can find them on this list, and we are blessed with 
some true experts. But what happens here is more like letter 
writing than conversation. For conversation you need faster 
response. Pick up a mic, key, or an interactive digital mode and 
have a conversation.


73 Bill AE6JV

In this case CW, PSK, RTTY, SSB, FM etc. etc. etc. are close to 
the end itself.


On 7/12/20 at 5:51 PM, a.dur...@msn.com (Andy Durbin) wrote:

I see CW as a "means to an end" and, for me, the "end" is 
chasing DX.   If the DX is working CW I'll call them with CW.  
If they are working FT8 then I'll call them with FT8.  It now 
seems far more likely that the DX I need is working FT8 and not 
CW.  Despite that, in my 8.5 years chasing DX as a "K", I have 
more DX confirmed using CW than with digital or phone.


I still can't have a CW conversation at more than about 14 wpm 
and never rag-chew.  No problem reading my own call at 35 wpm 
though, so happy to chase DX at that speed if that's the speed 
the DX wants to work.


CW is just the "means".  If I want a conversation I can use Skype.



---
Bill Frantz| Re IOT: "How many access control systems 
does it take

www.pwpconsult.com | to change a light bulb?" - Dean Tribble

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[Elecraft] "On second thought, I'll take the stairs."

[Andy Durbin]

I'm as old as many here but, unlike most here,  I left amateur radio for 40 
years after my initial teenage enthusiasm as a "G3".   My 15-17 wpm copy 
capability and a reasonable fist with an English WT-8A were completely lost.  
When I started over I had to learn the alphabet almost from scratch.

I see CW as a "means to an end" and, for me, the "end" is chasing DX.   If the 
DX is working CW I'll call them with CW.  If they are working FT8 then I'll 
call them with FT8.  It now seems far more likely that the DX I need is working 
FT8 and not CW.  Despite that, in my 8.5 years chasing DX as a "K", I have more 
DX confirmed using CW than with digital or phone.

I still can't have a CW conversation at more than about 14 wpm and never 
rag-chew.  No problem reading my own call at 35 wpm though, so happy to chase 
DX at that speed if that's the speed the DX wants to work.

CW is just the "means".  If I want a conversation I can use Skype.

73,
Andy, k3wyc

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[Elecraft] WTB: K2

[ROBIN J KIDD]

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Re: [Elecraft] Wayne's Story - "On Second Thought, I'll Take The Stairs"

[Wayne Burdick]

Hi Tony,

> Tony Estep wrote:
> 
> I've tried FT8 and even WiresX, but neither one seems much like radio. The
> digital qso via an internet gateway seems particularly pointless, sorta
> like a zoom call with a completely random person. 

Now there's a new one. It'll take me awhile to shake this image :)

The argument for digital modes like FT8 is that they're reliable at or below 
the noise floor, making it possible to work lots of DX even if solar conditions 
are very poor. Simplicity of protocol is a side effect of this design.

But it begs the question: Is nearly effortless DXing all ham radio is about?

If at least some part of your on-air time is more visceral, more tangible, then 
-- some of us argue -- the overall experience can be more fulfilling.

Wayne
N6KR

---

Elecraft: Full-contact ham radio


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Re: [Elecraft] "On second thought, I'll take the stairs."

[Courtney Krehbiel]

Very well done Wayne!  For what it's worth, when someone asks me why ham radio 
and CW in the era of cell phones and internet, I usually ask them the question 
"Why do people buy sailboats?".  It's a great way to start the conversation, 
and I usually see lights go on.  As you eloquently illustrated, there's a lot 
of charm and fun to be had by taking the old traditional paths rather than the 
freeway.  It requires a lot of knowledge and skill to be a good CW operator or 
a sailor in a wind powered vessel.  

Cheers and 73,

  -- Courtney  KD6X

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Sent: Sunday, July 12, 2020 8:56 AM
To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Subject: Elecraft Digest, Vol 195, Issue 11

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Re: [Elecraft] Wayne's Story - "On Second Thought, I'll Take The Stairs

[Tony Estep]

On Sun, Jul 12, 2020 at 3:52 PM Jim Ewing  wrote:

> ...people who can express their love and
> talent for cw...

=
Yep. Well, we all have a life history with radio. Mine began with a
real-life crystal set, the kind with a chunk of galena and a whisker and a
coil wound over an oatmeal box. Later, a Meissner regen receiver. Still
later, my first transmitter was all home-brew, 6146 final -- worked the
world with it and a Hallicrafters SX-96.
I've tried FT8 and even WiresX, but neither one seems much like radio. The
digital qso via an internet gateway seems particularly pointless, sorta
like a zoom call with a completely random person. I guess I'm just old.
73,
Tony KT0NY
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Re: [Elecraft] "On second thought, I'll take the stairs."

[Macy monkeys]

I'm all for learning CW but I hope those who graduate take it further than just 
the midweek CWT and weekend contests. I enjoy a good CW raghew and those are 
becoming mighty rare.

John K7FD

> On Jul 12, 2020, at 1:18 PM, "weave...@usermail.com"  
> wrote:
> 
> Hi Steve,
> Welcome to the ham community. If you are interested in CW operation I 
> encourage you to look at the CW Academy sponsored CWOps at CWops.org. There 
> is a program to carry you from beginner to 25 WPM with proper instruction 
> along the way. That KX3 is a great radio for CW or any other mode you wish to 
> pursue.
> 
> 73,
> Bill WE5P
> 
> Comfortably Numb
> 
>> On Jul 12, 2020, at 16:11, Steve Belunek  wrote:
>> 
>> Hi Wayne,
>> 
>> As a new ham, having just joined this list and excitedly awaiting my first 
>> HF rig (a KX3), I really appreciate this perspective. 
>> 
>> I had considered whether to pursue getting into HF and DX, and what radio in 
>> general could offer over more "instant-gratification" forms of communication 
>> like SMS. What I kept coming back to is the excitement of learning and 
>> figuring new things out, the challenge of making contact, and the human 
>> element.
>> 
>> I feel like quick and easy texting has made conversation disposable, I 
>> remember when email was a once-a-day transmission via modem… or you had to 
>> write an actual letter to reach someone… the content of the transmission was 
>> far more considered, precisely because it took time and effort… and I think 
>> that effort made the message even more appreciated by the recipient.
>> 
>> When I was younger, my physics teacher gave me a shortwave radio… I must 
>> have spent hours tuning that dial listening to voice transmissions and 
>> strange beeps and boops. Then I got busy with a career working in computers. 
>> I am definitely a tinkerer and gadget geek.
>> 
>> Fast forward to today, I’ve re-discovered radio, got my license and my 
>> VHF/UHF HT… and I’m still intrigued by those far away signals… who’s out 
>> there sending them, and where are they coming from? 
>> 
>> 73,
>> Steve 
>> KM6ZNZ
>> 
>> 
>>> On Jul 12, 2020, at 8:07 AM, Wayne Burdick  wrote:
>>> 
>>> I have a friend about my age who got into amateur radio only a few years 
>>> ago. Like many of us, he was enthusiastic about the technology. Intrigued 
>>> with DX. 
>>> 
>>> I showed him my station; we talked endlessly about gear. Later, I helped 
>>> him put up a simple wire antenna.
>>> 
>>> Then, when his license arrived, he dove straight into FT8 and didn't look 
>>> back. Within days, he'd worked all states, then DXCC. He'd bag a few rare 
>>> ones over a light lunch, then pat his laptop on the back and congratulate 
>>> his software app for its near-mythical ability to extract weak signals out 
>>> of noise. 
>>> 
>>> Within weeks, he'd mastered everything there was to know about this 
>>> glorious new hobby. 
>>> 
>>> Point. Click.
>>> 
>>> In this new world order, those of us who took the longer, slower path to 
>>> ionospheric enlightenment -- and who still occasionally enjoy making waves 
>>> by hand -- often fail to explain why. 
>>> 
>>> I had failed to explain it to my friend. Even as hints of his boredom crept 
>>> in, creating an opening, the best argument I'd made for trying CW was that 
>>> he could do it without a computer. Coming in a weak second was the notion 
>>> that CW was the original digital mode. For obvious reasons, I didn't bother 
>>> with the classic argument about CW's signal-to-noise advantage over SSB. 
>>> 
>>> I had all but given up. 
>>> 
>>> Then, in a moment of delayed clarity, I decided on a different approach. I 
>>> invited him to a weekday brunch. A bit of an escape. He willingly took the 
>>> bait.
>>> 
>>> On the appointed day, arriving at his workplace, I bypassed the lobby's 
>>> glistening elevators and climbed the four flights of stairs to his office. 
>>> I insisted we take the stairs down, too. 
>>> 
>>> "Why?" he asked. "And how'd you get up here so fast?" 
>>> 
>>> I pointed out that I always chose stairs, when possible. That's why I 
>>> wasn't out of breath. We hustled down, jockeying for position, and emerged 
>>> on the ground floor invigorated by the effort.
>>> 
>>> "So, where are we going?" he asked. We'd been to every overrated 
>>> twenty-dollar burger venue at least twice.
>>> 
>>> I replied that we'd be going someplace we'd never tried. My kitchen. 
>>> 
>>> When we arrived, I put him to work chopping onions and broccoli and 
>>> squeezing oranges while I whipped eggs into a froth and grated Swiss 
>>> cheese. We ate our omelettes outside, in full sun and a cool breeze. 
>>> 
>>> "What's for desert?" he asked. "Isn't there a frozen yogurt place a 
>>> two-minute drive from here?"
>>> 
>>> I had something else in mind. Back in the kitchen, I handed him a water 
>>> bottle, then strapped on a small pack I'd prepared earlier. 
>>> 
>>> We walked a mile or so through my neighborhood, admiring the houses' varied 
>>> 

Re: [Elecraft] Wayne's Story - "On Second Thought, I'll Take The Stairs

[hawley, charles j jr]

I've been riding a motorcycle for 50 years...now I know why. 
I did read Pirsig's book when it was first published, but didn't remember this. 
I did remember that his friend rode a BMW and Pirsig made shims for the BMW's 
handlebar mounts out of a beer can, but was careful to never tell his friend, 
John I think, where the shims came from.

Jack BMW Motorcycles
Chuck KE9UW
c-haw...@illinois.edu

Sent from my iPad

> On Jul 12, 2020, at 3:51 PM, Jim Ewing  wrote:
> 
> Relevant to what Wayne said is this quote from Pirsig:
> 
> *“That's all the motorcycle is, a system of concepts worked out in steel.
> There's no part in it, no shape in it, that is not out of someone's mind
> [...] I've noticed that people who have never worked with steel have
> trouble seeing this—that the motorcycle is primarily a mental phenomenon.*
> They associate metal with given shapes—pipes, rods, girders, tools,
> parts—all of them fixed and inviolable., and think of it as primarily
> physical. But a person who does machining or foundry work or forger work or
> welding sees "steel" as having no shape at all. Steel can be any shape you
> want if you are skilled enough, and any shape but the one you want if you
> are not. Shapes, like this tappet, are what you arrive at, what you give to
> the steel. Steel has no more shape than this old pile of dirt on the engine
> here. *These shapes are all of someone's mind. That's important to see.*
> The steel? Hell, even the steel is out of someone's mind. There's no steel
> in nature. Anyone from the Bronze Age could have told you that. All nature
> has is a potential for steel. There's nothing else there.”
> ― Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry
> Into Values 
> 
> So, it's important to see a main reason why these radios are so excellent;
> because they come from the minds of people who can express their love and
> talent for cw in radio circuits, just as eloquently as Wayne does in his
> story.
> 
> Jim N4TMM
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Re: [Elecraft] "On second thought, I'll take the stairs."

[Morgan Bailey, II]

This is excellent.
>
>
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[Elecraft] Wayne's Story - "On Second Thought, I'll Take The Stairs

[Jim Ewing]

Relevant to what Wayne said is this quote from Pirsig:

*“That's all the motorcycle is, a system of concepts worked out in steel.
There's no part in it, no shape in it, that is not out of someone's mind
[...] I've noticed that people who have never worked with steel have
trouble seeing this—that the motorcycle is primarily a mental phenomenon.*
They associate metal with given shapes—pipes, rods, girders, tools,
parts—all of them fixed and inviolable., and think of it as primarily
physical. But a person who does machining or foundry work or forger work or
welding sees "steel" as having no shape at all. Steel can be any shape you
want if you are skilled enough, and any shape but the one you want if you
are not. Shapes, like this tappet, are what you arrive at, what you give to
the steel. Steel has no more shape than this old pile of dirt on the engine
here. *These shapes are all of someone's mind. That's important to see.*
The steel? Hell, even the steel is out of someone's mind. There's no steel
in nature. Anyone from the Bronze Age could have told you that. All nature
has is a potential for steel. There's nothing else there.”
― Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry
Into Values 

So, it's important to see a main reason why these radios are so excellent;
because they come from the minds of people who can express their love and
talent for cw in radio circuits, just as eloquently as Wayne does in his
story.

Jim N4TMM
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Re: [Elecraft] "On second thought, I'll take the stairs."

[weave...@usermail.com]

Hi Steve,
Welcome to the ham community. If you are interested in CW operation I encourage 
you to look at the CW Academy sponsored CWOps at CWops.org. There is a program 
to carry you from beginner to 25 WPM with proper instruction along the way. 
That KX3 is a great radio for CW or any other mode you wish to pursue.

73,
Bill WE5P

Comfortably Numb

> On Jul 12, 2020, at 16:11, Steve Belunek  wrote:
> 
> Hi Wayne,
> 
> As a new ham, having just joined this list and excitedly awaiting my first HF 
> rig (a KX3), I really appreciate this perspective. 
> 
> I had considered whether to pursue getting into HF and DX, and what radio in 
> general could offer over more "instant-gratification" forms of communication 
> like SMS. What I kept coming back to is the excitement of learning and 
> figuring new things out, the challenge of making contact, and the human 
> element.
> 
> I feel like quick and easy texting has made conversation disposable, I 
> remember when email was a once-a-day transmission via modem… or you had to 
> write an actual letter to reach someone… the content of the transmission was 
> far more considered, precisely because it took time and effort… and I think 
> that effort made the message even more appreciated by the recipient.
> 
> When I was younger, my physics teacher gave me a shortwave radio… I must have 
> spent hours tuning that dial listening to voice transmissions and strange 
> beeps and boops. Then I got busy with a career working in computers. I am 
> definitely a tinkerer and gadget geek.
> 
> Fast forward to today, I’ve re-discovered radio, got my license and my 
> VHF/UHF HT… and I’m still intrigued by those far away signals… who’s out 
> there sending them, and where are they coming from? 
> 
> 73,
> Steve 
> KM6ZNZ
> 
> 
>> On Jul 12, 2020, at 8:07 AM, Wayne Burdick  wrote:
>> 
>> I have a friend about my age who got into amateur radio only a few years 
>> ago. Like many of us, he was enthusiastic about the technology. Intrigued 
>> with DX. 
>> 
>> I showed him my station; we talked endlessly about gear. Later, I helped him 
>> put up a simple wire antenna.
>> 
>> Then, when his license arrived, he dove straight into FT8 and didn't look 
>> back. Within days, he'd worked all states, then DXCC. He'd bag a few rare 
>> ones over a light lunch, then pat his laptop on the back and congratulate 
>> his software app for its near-mythical ability to extract weak signals out 
>> of noise. 
>> 
>> Within weeks, he'd mastered everything there was to know about this glorious 
>> new hobby. 
>> 
>> Point. Click.
>> 
>> In this new world order, those of us who took the longer, slower path to 
>> ionospheric enlightenment -- and who still occasionally enjoy making waves 
>> by hand -- often fail to explain why. 
>> 
>> I had failed to explain it to my friend. Even as hints of his boredom crept 
>> in, creating an opening, the best argument I'd made for trying CW was that 
>> he could do it without a computer. Coming in a weak second was the notion 
>> that CW was the original digital mode. For obvious reasons, I didn't bother 
>> with the classic argument about CW's signal-to-noise advantage over SSB. 
>> 
>> I had all but given up. 
>> 
>> Then, in a moment of delayed clarity, I decided on a different approach. I 
>> invited him to a weekday brunch. A bit of an escape. He willingly took the 
>> bait.
>> 
>> On the appointed day, arriving at his workplace, I bypassed the lobby's 
>> glistening elevators and climbed the four flights of stairs to his office. I 
>> insisted we take the stairs down, too. 
>> 
>> "Why?" he asked. "And how'd you get up here so fast?" 
>> 
>> I pointed out that I always chose stairs, when possible. That's why I wasn't 
>> out of breath. We hustled down, jockeying for position, and emerged on the 
>> ground floor invigorated by the effort.
>> 
>> "So, where are we going?" he asked. We'd been to every overrated 
>> twenty-dollar burger venue at least twice.
>> 
>> I replied that we'd be going someplace we'd never tried. My kitchen. 
>> 
>> When we arrived, I put him to work chopping onions and broccoli and 
>> squeezing oranges while I whipped eggs into a froth and grated Swiss cheese. 
>> We ate our omelettes outside, in full sun and a cool breeze. 
>> 
>> "What's for desert?" he asked. "Isn't there a frozen yogurt place a 
>> two-minute drive from here?"
>> 
>> I had something else in mind. Back in the kitchen, I handed him a water 
>> bottle, then strapped on a small pack I'd prepared earlier. 
>> 
>> We walked a mile or so through my neighborhood, admiring the houses' varied 
>> architecture, ending up (as planned) at a local park festooned with 
>> blackberry bushes. The most accessible branches had been picked clean, but 
>> with teamwork and persistence we were able to gather several large handfuls 
>> of fat, ripe berries, which we devoured on the spot. 
>> 
>> We'd been poked and scratched but didn't care. 
>> 
>> "Doesn't brunch usually end with 

Re: [Elecraft] "On second thought, I'll take the stairs."

[Steve Belunek]

Hi Wayne,

As a new ham, having just joined this list and excitedly awaiting my first HF 
rig (a KX3), I really appreciate this perspective. 

I had considered whether to pursue getting into HF and DX, and what radio in 
general could offer over more "instant-gratification" forms of communication 
like SMS. What I kept coming back to is the excitement of learning and figuring 
new things out, the challenge of making contact, and the human element.

I feel like quick and easy texting has made conversation disposable, I remember 
when email was a once-a-day transmission via modem… or you had to write an 
actual letter to reach someone… the content of the transmission was far more 
considered, precisely because it took time and effort… and I think that effort 
made the message even more appreciated by the recipient.

When I was younger, my physics teacher gave me a shortwave radio… I must have 
spent hours tuning that dial listening to voice transmissions and strange beeps 
and boops. Then I got busy with a career working in computers. I am definitely 
a tinkerer and gadget geek.

Fast forward to today, I’ve re-discovered radio, got my license and my VHF/UHF 
HT… and I’m still intrigued by those far away signals… who’s out there sending 
them, and where are they coming from? 

73,
Steve 
KM6ZNZ


> On Jul 12, 2020, at 8:07 AM, Wayne Burdick  wrote:
> 
> I have a friend about my age who got into amateur radio only a few years ago. 
> Like many of us, he was enthusiastic about the technology. Intrigued with DX. 
> 
> I showed him my station; we talked endlessly about gear. Later, I helped him 
> put up a simple wire antenna.
> 
> Then, when his license arrived, he dove straight into FT8 and didn't look 
> back. Within days, he'd worked all states, then DXCC. He'd bag a few rare 
> ones over a light lunch, then pat his laptop on the back and congratulate his 
> software app for its near-mythical ability to extract weak signals out of 
> noise. 
> 
> Within weeks, he'd mastered everything there was to know about this glorious 
> new hobby. 
> 
> Point. Click.
> 
> In this new world order, those of us who took the longer, slower path to 
> ionospheric enlightenment -- and who still occasionally enjoy making waves by 
> hand -- often fail to explain why. 
> 
> I had failed to explain it to my friend. Even as hints of his boredom crept 
> in, creating an opening, the best argument I'd made for trying CW was that he 
> could do it without a computer. Coming in a weak second was the notion that 
> CW was the original digital mode. For obvious reasons, I didn't bother with 
> the classic argument about CW's signal-to-noise advantage over SSB. 
> 
> I had all but given up. 
> 
> Then, in a moment of delayed clarity, I decided on a different approach. I 
> invited him to a weekday brunch. A bit of an escape. He willingly took the 
> bait.
> 
> On the appointed day, arriving at his workplace, I bypassed the lobby's 
> glistening elevators and climbed the four flights of stairs to his office. I 
> insisted we take the stairs down, too. 
> 
> "Why?" he asked. "And how'd you get up here so fast?" 
> 
> I pointed out that I always chose stairs, when possible. That's why I wasn't 
> out of breath. We hustled down, jockeying for position, and emerged on the 
> ground floor invigorated by the effort.
> 
> "So, where are we going?" he asked. We'd been to every overrated 
> twenty-dollar burger venue at least twice.
> 
> I replied that we'd be going someplace we'd never tried. My kitchen. 
> 
> When we arrived, I put him to work chopping onions and broccoli and squeezing 
> oranges while I whipped eggs into a froth and grated Swiss cheese. We ate our 
> omelettes outside, in full sun and a cool breeze. 
> 
> "What's for desert?" he asked. "Isn't there a frozen yogurt place a 
> two-minute drive from here?"
> 
> I had something else in mind. Back in the kitchen, I handed him a water 
> bottle, then strapped on a small pack I'd prepared earlier. 
> 
> We walked a mile or so through my neighborhood, admiring the houses' varied 
> architecture, ending up (as planned) at a local park festooned with 
> blackberry bushes. The most accessible branches had been picked clean, but 
> with teamwork and persistence we were able to gather several large handfuls 
> of fat, ripe berries, which we devoured on the spot. 
> 
> We'd been poked and scratched but didn't care. 
> 
> "Doesn't brunch usually end with champagne?" he wondered aloud, admiring his 
> wounds.
> 
> Not this time. I pulled out two bottles of craft beer that I'd obtained from 
> a neighbor in trade for repairing his ancient home stereo. Carlos had spent 
> years crafting an American pilsner to die for, sweating every detail, 
> including iconic, hand-painted labels. 
> 
> My friend accepted the bottle, then tried in vain to remove the cap. Not a 
> twist-off.
> 
> "Opener?" he said. 
> 
> I handed him a small pocket knife, an antique without specialty blades. He 
> soon 

Re: [Elecraft] "On second thought, I'll take the stairs."

[Bill Johnson]

Wayne,

As I constantly tell myself, never to late or too old to learn.  Your stories 
tells a lot.  I am encouraged to use CW more 

72 & 73,
Bill
K9YEQ
FT'er for K2, KX1, KX3, KXPA100,  KAT500, W2, etc. 

-Original Message-
From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net  On 
Behalf Of Wayne Burdick
Sent: Sunday, July 12, 2020 1:50 PM
To: John 
Cc: Elecraft Reflector 
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] "On second thought, I'll take the stairs."

Hi John,

Thanks for bringing Carl and Jerry to my attention. I'd never heard of until 
now (born too late, apparently). Here's a fascinating article about these 
fictional characters, from Popular Science, circa 1960:

   http://www.copperwood.com/carlandjerry.htm

73,
Wayne
N6KR


> On Jul 12, 2020, at 8:56 AM, John  wrote:
> 
> Thanks Wayne.
> 
> Reminded me of Carl and Jerry.
> 
> 73.
> 
> John.
> 
> ve7day.
> 
> 
> On 12/07/2020 8:07 a.m., Wayne Burdick wrote:
>> I have a friend about my age who got into amateur radio only a few years 
>> ago. Like many of us, he was enthusiastic about the technology. Intrigued 
>> with DX.
>> 
>> I showed him my station; we talked endlessly about gear. Later, I helped him 
>> put up a simple wire antenna.
>> 
>> Then, when his license arrived, he dove straight into FT8 and didn't look 
>> back. Within days, he'd worked all states, then DXCC. He'd bag a few rare 
>> ones over a light lunch, then pat his laptop on the back and congratulate 
>> his software app for its near-mythical ability to extract weak signals out 
>> of noise.
>> 
>> Within weeks, he'd mastered everything there was to know about this glorious 
>> new hobby.
>> 
>> Point. Click.
>> 
>> In this new world order, those of us who took the longer, slower path to 
>> ionospheric enlightenment -- and who still occasionally enjoy making waves 
>> by hand -- often fail to explain why.
>> 
>> I had failed to explain it to my friend. Even as hints of his boredom crept 
>> in, creating an opening, the best argument I'd made for trying CW was that 
>> he could do it without a computer. Coming in a weak second was the notion 
>> that CW was the original digital mode. For obvious reasons, I didn't bother 
>> with the classic argument about CW's signal-to-noise advantage over SSB.
>> 
>> I had all but given up.
>> 
>> Then, in a moment of delayed clarity, I decided on a different approach. I 
>> invited him to a weekday brunch. A bit of an escape. He willingly took the 
>> bait.
>> 
>> On the appointed day, arriving at his workplace, I bypassed the lobby's 
>> glistening elevators and climbed the four flights of stairs to his office. I 
>> insisted we take the stairs down, too.
>> 
>> "Why?" he asked. "And how'd you get up here so fast?"
>> 
>> I pointed out that I always chose stairs, when possible. That's why I wasn't 
>> out of breath. We hustled down, jockeying for position, and emerged on the 
>> ground floor invigorated by the effort.
>> 
>> "So, where are we going?" he asked. We'd been to every overrated 
>> twenty-dollar burger venue at least twice.
>> 
>> I replied that we'd be going someplace we'd never tried. My kitchen.
>> 
>> When we arrived, I put him to work chopping onions and broccoli and 
>> squeezing oranges while I whipped eggs into a froth and grated Swiss cheese. 
>> We ate our omelettes outside, in full sun and a cool breeze.
>> 
>> "What's for desert?" he asked. "Isn't there a frozen yogurt place a 
>> two-minute drive from here?"
>> 
>> I had something else in mind. Back in the kitchen, I handed him a water 
>> bottle, then strapped on a small pack I'd prepared earlier.
>> 
>> We walked a mile or so through my neighborhood, admiring the houses' varied 
>> architecture, ending up (as planned) at a local park festooned with 
>> blackberry bushes. The most accessible branches had been picked clean, but 
>> with teamwork and persistence we were able to gather several large handfuls 
>> of fat, ripe berries, which we devoured on the spot.
>> 
>> We'd been poked and scratched but didn't care.
>> 
>> "Doesn't brunch usually end with champagne?" he wondered aloud, admiring his 
>> wounds.
>> 
>> Not this time. I pulled out two bottles of craft beer that I'd obtained from 
>> a neighbor in trade for repairing his ancient home stereo. Carlos had spent 
>> years crafting an American pilsner to die for, sweating every detail, 
>> including iconic, hand-painted labels.
>> 
>> My friend accepted the bottle, then tried in vain to remove the cap. Not a 
>> twist-off.
>> 
>> "Opener?" he said.
>> 
>> I handed him a small pocket knife, an antique without specialty blades. He 
>> soon discovered it could not be used to remove the cap directly. He looked 
>> at me with a bemused expression, no doubt wondering what I had up my sleeve 
>> this time.
>> 
>> I pointed out that we were surrounded by white oaks, a species known for its 
>> hard wood. He got the message, smiled, and began hunting. Within seconds 
>> he'd collected a small fallen branch. I watched as he used the 

Re: [Elecraft] K2 LCD Backlight Diffuser

[Don Wilhelm]

Barry,

The new backlight assembly was Wayne's creation which became necessary 
when the one piece backlight became unavailable.  Murray has one of the 
older assemblies.
Follow the instructions that shipped with your K2.  Be certain to read 
and heed the errata pages.


73,
Don W3FPR

On 7/12/2020 3:12 PM, barry halterman wrote:
I too am building a K2, sn 7954. They are using a LED bar for the back 
light with a spacer instead of the cut off pcb material. The diffuser 
ends have cutouts that sit on the LED bars. Wonder where Elecraft 
found these gems

Barry



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Re: [Elecraft] K2 LCD Backlight Diffuser

[barry halterman]

I too am building a K2, sn 7954. They are using a LED bar for the back
light with a spacer instead of the cut off pcb material. The diffuser ends
have cutouts that sit on the LED bars. Wonder where Elecraft found these
gems
Barry

On Sun, Jul 12, 2020, 1:23 PM Don Wilhelm  wrote:

> Murray,
>
> Those diffuser leads should just touch the top of the board since 2
> spacers are 1/8 inch and the leads are also 1/8 inch.  Solder them from
> the top of the board - being careful so the iron does not touch anything
> but the leads and the solder pads.
>
> If the leads do not touch the solder pads, sand down a spacer so that it
> does just touch.  If there are rough spots on the spacers, sand them off.
>
> 73,
> Don W3FPR
>
> On 7/12/2020 1:02 PM, zk2boy wrote:
> > I am just getting around to building my K2 that I purchased in 2008.
> > I've been busy. But I'm having fun now!
> >
> > I have  the K2 Owner's Manual Revision G, May 29, 2007. I also have
> > Errata sheet Rev. G-1, Dec. 12, 2007.
> >
> > In the Front Panel section, page 27, the original instruction advises to
> > use two spacers at each end when installing the LCD backlight diffuser
> > to keep the diffuser exactly 1/8" above the PC board. The Errata sheet
> > clarifies to use the spacers but remove them after soldering the
> > diffuser into place.
> >
> > The issue is that the two spacers are 1/8" thick. The diffuser leads are
> > exactly 1/8" long. This means with the spacers in place, the diffuser
> > leads don't actually reach the solder holes. The lead ends are suspended
> > just above the holes. If I actually manage to line everything up and use
> > rubber bands to hold all in place while I solder (good luck!), the
> > solder would need to bridge up to the ends of the diffuser leads for the
> > soldered connections to hold. This doesn't seem like a good practice.
> >
> > Is there a newer errata sheet? Or am I not understanding this correctly?
> >
> > Murray
> > VA1CQ
> >
> > __
> > Elecraft mailing list
> > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> > Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net
> >
> > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> > Message delivered to donw...@embarqmail.com
> __
> Elecraft mailing list
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>
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> Message delivered to kthre...@gmail.com
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[Elecraft] Remember all the Elecraft Nets

[Paul Van Dyke]

We have various ones ... stretch and meet others.
   Propagation means it all changes..
   Put a copy up in your shack
   Paul - KB9AVO


   The Elecraft Nets
--
   20 Meter SSB Elecraft Net
   Sunday  14.3035 +/- kHz at 1800Z

   40 Meter SSB Elecraft Net
   Sunday  7.280 kHz at 18:45z

   20 Meter CW Elecraft Net
   Sunday 14.050.5 kHz at 2200z:

   40 Meter CW Elecraft Net
   Sunday 7.047.5 kHz at z:

   80 Meter SSB Elecraft Net
   Sunday Night  3.940+/- at 01:00z

Hope to "hear" you
Paul   KB9AVO
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Re: [Elecraft] "On second thought, I'll take the stairs."

[Bill Steffey NY9H]

wow  ...  he is so young !!!   I am so old,,,

I was just browsing thru several months of 1955 Pop electronics and 
reading the Carl & Jerry stories.


Here are ALL the PE magazines starting in 1954

https://worldradiohistory.com/Popular-Electronics-Guide.htm

Of course they save the world, with elecrtonics.


bill


On 7/12/2020 2:49 PM, Wayne Burdick wrote:

Hi John,

Thanks for bringing Carl and Jerry to my attention. I'd never heard of until 
now (born too late, apparently). Here's a fascinating article about these 
fictional characters, from Popular Science, circa 1960:

http://www.copperwood.com/carlandjerry.htm

73,
Wayne
N6KR



On Jul 12, 2020, at 8:56 AM, John  wrote:

Thanks Wayne.

Reminded me of Carl and Jerry.

73.

John.

ve7day.


On 12/07/2020 8:07 a.m., Wayne Burdick wrote:

I have a friend about my age who got into amateur radio only a few years ago. 
Like many of us, he was enthusiastic about the technology. Intrigued with DX.

I showed him my station; we talked endlessly about gear. Later, I helped him 
put up a simple wire antenna.

Then, when his license arrived, he dove straight into FT8 and didn't look back. 
Within days, he'd worked all states, then DXCC. He'd bag a few rare ones over a 
light lunch, then pat his laptop on the back and congratulate his software app 
for its near-mythical ability to extract weak signals out of noise.

Within weeks, he'd mastered everything there was to know about this glorious 
new hobby.

Point. Click.

In this new world order, those of us who took the longer, slower path to 
ionospheric enlightenment -- and who still occasionally enjoy making waves by 
hand -- often fail to explain why.

I had failed to explain it to my friend. Even as hints of his boredom crept in, 
creating an opening, the best argument I'd made for trying CW was that he could 
do it without a computer. Coming in a weak second was the notion that CW was 
the original digital mode. For obvious reasons, I didn't bother with the 
classic argument about CW's signal-to-noise advantage over SSB.

I had all but given up.

Then, in a moment of delayed clarity, I decided on a different approach. I 
invited him to a weekday brunch. A bit of an escape. He willingly took the bait.

On the appointed day, arriving at his workplace, I bypassed the lobby's 
glistening elevators and climbed the four flights of stairs to his office. I 
insisted we take the stairs down, too.

"Why?" he asked. "And how'd you get up here so fast?"

I pointed out that I always chose stairs, when possible. That's why I wasn't 
out of breath. We hustled down, jockeying for position, and emerged on the 
ground floor invigorated by the effort.

"So, where are we going?" he asked. We'd been to every overrated twenty-dollar 
burger venue at least twice.

I replied that we'd be going someplace we'd never tried. My kitchen.

When we arrived, I put him to work chopping onions and broccoli and squeezing 
oranges while I whipped eggs into a froth and grated Swiss cheese. We ate our 
omelettes outside, in full sun and a cool breeze.

"What's for desert?" he asked. "Isn't there a frozen yogurt place a two-minute drive 
from here?"

I had something else in mind. Back in the kitchen, I handed him a water bottle, 
then strapped on a small pack I'd prepared earlier.

We walked a mile or so through my neighborhood, admiring the houses' varied 
architecture, ending up (as planned) at a local park festooned with blackberry 
bushes. The most accessible branches had been picked clean, but with teamwork 
and persistence we were able to gather several large handfuls of fat, ripe 
berries, which we devoured on the spot.

We'd been poked and scratched but didn't care.

"Doesn't brunch usually end with champagne?" he wondered aloud, admiring his 
wounds.

Not this time. I pulled out two bottles of craft beer that I'd obtained from a 
neighbor in trade for repairing his ancient home stereo. Carlos had spent years 
crafting an American pilsner to die for, sweating every detail, including 
iconic, hand-painted labels.

My friend accepted the bottle, then tried in vain to remove the cap. Not a 
twist-off.

"Opener?" he said.

I handed him a small pocket knife, an antique without specialty blades. He soon 
discovered it could not be used to remove the cap directly. He looked at me 
with a bemused expression, no doubt wondering what I had up my sleeve this time.

I pointed out that we were surrounded by white oaks, a species known for its 
hard wood. He got the message, smiled, and began hunting. Within seconds he'd 
collected a small fallen branch. I watched as he used the knife to fashion a 
few inches of it into a passable bottle opener. We popped the caps, toasted his 
new-found skill, and traded stories of our misspent youths.

"Oh, one more thing," I said.

I pulled a KX2 out of my pack, along with two lengths of wire. Of course he 
knew everything there was to know about Elecraft, and me, so he wasn't 
surprised when I also 

Re: [Elecraft] "On second thought, I'll take the stairs."

[Wayne Burdick]

Hi John,

Thanks for bringing Carl and Jerry to my attention. I'd never heard of until 
now (born too late, apparently). Here's a fascinating article about these 
fictional characters, from Popular Science, circa 1960:

   http://www.copperwood.com/carlandjerry.htm

73,
Wayne
N6KR


> On Jul 12, 2020, at 8:56 AM, John  wrote:
> 
> Thanks Wayne.
> 
> Reminded me of Carl and Jerry.
> 
> 73.
> 
> John.
> 
> ve7day.
> 
> 
> On 12/07/2020 8:07 a.m., Wayne Burdick wrote:
>> I have a friend about my age who got into amateur radio only a few years 
>> ago. Like many of us, he was enthusiastic about the technology. Intrigued 
>> with DX.
>> 
>> I showed him my station; we talked endlessly about gear. Later, I helped him 
>> put up a simple wire antenna.
>> 
>> Then, when his license arrived, he dove straight into FT8 and didn't look 
>> back. Within days, he'd worked all states, then DXCC. He'd bag a few rare 
>> ones over a light lunch, then pat his laptop on the back and congratulate 
>> his software app for its near-mythical ability to extract weak signals out 
>> of noise.
>> 
>> Within weeks, he'd mastered everything there was to know about this glorious 
>> new hobby.
>> 
>> Point. Click.
>> 
>> In this new world order, those of us who took the longer, slower path to 
>> ionospheric enlightenment -- and who still occasionally enjoy making waves 
>> by hand -- often fail to explain why.
>> 
>> I had failed to explain it to my friend. Even as hints of his boredom crept 
>> in, creating an opening, the best argument I'd made for trying CW was that 
>> he could do it without a computer. Coming in a weak second was the notion 
>> that CW was the original digital mode. For obvious reasons, I didn't bother 
>> with the classic argument about CW's signal-to-noise advantage over SSB.
>> 
>> I had all but given up.
>> 
>> Then, in a moment of delayed clarity, I decided on a different approach. I 
>> invited him to a weekday brunch. A bit of an escape. He willingly took the 
>> bait.
>> 
>> On the appointed day, arriving at his workplace, I bypassed the lobby's 
>> glistening elevators and climbed the four flights of stairs to his office. I 
>> insisted we take the stairs down, too.
>> 
>> "Why?" he asked. "And how'd you get up here so fast?"
>> 
>> I pointed out that I always chose stairs, when possible. That's why I wasn't 
>> out of breath. We hustled down, jockeying for position, and emerged on the 
>> ground floor invigorated by the effort.
>> 
>> "So, where are we going?" he asked. We'd been to every overrated 
>> twenty-dollar burger venue at least twice.
>> 
>> I replied that we'd be going someplace we'd never tried. My kitchen.
>> 
>> When we arrived, I put him to work chopping onions and broccoli and 
>> squeezing oranges while I whipped eggs into a froth and grated Swiss cheese. 
>> We ate our omelettes outside, in full sun and a cool breeze.
>> 
>> "What's for desert?" he asked. "Isn't there a frozen yogurt place a 
>> two-minute drive from here?"
>> 
>> I had something else in mind. Back in the kitchen, I handed him a water 
>> bottle, then strapped on a small pack I'd prepared earlier.
>> 
>> We walked a mile or so through my neighborhood, admiring the houses' varied 
>> architecture, ending up (as planned) at a local park festooned with 
>> blackberry bushes. The most accessible branches had been picked clean, but 
>> with teamwork and persistence we were able to gather several large handfuls 
>> of fat, ripe berries, which we devoured on the spot.
>> 
>> We'd been poked and scratched but didn't care.
>> 
>> "Doesn't brunch usually end with champagne?" he wondered aloud, admiring his 
>> wounds.
>> 
>> Not this time. I pulled out two bottles of craft beer that I'd obtained from 
>> a neighbor in trade for repairing his ancient home stereo. Carlos had spent 
>> years crafting an American pilsner to die for, sweating every detail, 
>> including iconic, hand-painted labels.
>> 
>> My friend accepted the bottle, then tried in vain to remove the cap. Not a 
>> twist-off.
>> 
>> "Opener?" he said.
>> 
>> I handed him a small pocket knife, an antique without specialty blades. He 
>> soon discovered it could not be used to remove the cap directly. He looked 
>> at me with a bemused expression, no doubt wondering what I had up my sleeve 
>> this time.
>> 
>> I pointed out that we were surrounded by white oaks, a species known for its 
>> hard wood. He got the message, smiled, and began hunting. Within seconds 
>> he'd collected a small fallen branch. I watched as he used the knife to 
>> fashion a few inches of it into a passable bottle opener. We popped the 
>> caps, toasted his new-found skill, and traded stories of our misspent youths.
>> 
>> "Oh, one more thing," I said.
>> 
>> I pulled a KX2 out of my pack, along with two lengths of wire. Of course he 
>> knew everything there was to know about Elecraft, and me, so he wasn't 
>> surprised when I also pulled out the rig's attachable keyer paddle. We threw 
>> 

Re: [Elecraft] "On second thought, I'll take the stairs."

[Wayne Burdick]

Hi JC,

Thanks for the note on CWOPS. I hope to sign up for this myself.

73,
Wayne
N6KR


> On Jul 12, 2020, at 10:38 AM, W6IPA  wrote:
> 
> Wayne,
> 
> This is great - however, here is how anyone can help train more CW operators. 
> I am still a beginner in CW, so I’m not yet feeling “competent". But I’m sure 
> this list has plenty of them. I received this from CWOPS’ CW Academy recently:
>> For a number of reasons, we are having an enormous number of students 
>> signing up for the Sep/Oct 2020 semester. We are anticipating somewhere in 
>> the neighborhood of 600 to 700 plus students. As it now stands, we are very 
>> short of competent advisors. We currently have around 75 advisors and with 
>> our target of approximately five or six students per advisor class, we 
>> really could use about 40 to 50 more advisors.
>> 
>> To that end, we see you are not signed up to take or teach a class this 
>> fall. Would you be willing to teach one or more Beginner, Basic, or 
>> Intermediate classes in September??
>> 
>> The curriculum is pretty much laid out and we will be glad to provide an 
>> orientation and answer any questions you may have. The commitment is only 
>> two nights per week of your choosing for a few hours. Check it out at 
>> cwops.org/cw-academy/cw-academy-options/
>> 
>> You do not have to be a member of CWops to be an advisor; just a willingness 
>> to give back and help fellow CW’ers move forward.
>> 
>> Your help is appreciated, 
>> CWA Management
>> 
>> 
> 
> JC/W6IPA

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Re: [Elecraft] KX3 power out

[Edward R Cole]

I also have the KX3 with 2m module and ATU.

My understanding is Auto is used to tune the antenna but you then 
switch to MAN to operate after the ATU tunes to your antenna (my 
KXPA100/KXTA100 works the same way).


My original 2m module (kit) did not reach full output so I returned 
the module to Elecraft and they fixed it.  But I still only see 2.5w 
output on my Bird meter with 25C element into Bird load.   My guess 
the Bird is off calibration though 5% of 25 is 1.25w, so it could be 
just the limit of the Bird's accuracy.  I use it to drive a 60w MOT 
amp that only needs 2w drive so all good.  My KX3 only outputs 12w on 
HF but I haven't upgraded firmware so maybe that would increase to 
15w.  No matter as the KXPA100 only requires about 5.5w drive for 
100w out on 80-10m and 8w provides 80w on 6m (which is normal).


I think the ATU is kind of fussy at times and I have to redo the 
tuning to have it work right.  I usually trust the power & SWR meter 
on the KXPA100 for day to day use.


I have two Bird meters (one is permanently in my 2m-eme antenna 
line).  A couple years ago I discovered the calibration limits 
of  Bird elements when using a 250E element to measure my 150w 1296 
amp.  It only read 125w.  But the element is rated for 400-1000 MHz 
and falls off above that (which explains the low reading).


I now have a 600w amp on 1296 and use directional couplers and my 
HP432A mw power meter.  The 250E and 500E are grossly inaccurate at 1296.


BTW Bird dummy loads can be found on e-bay and other ham lists.  They 
are rated to 1000 MHz.


73, Ed - KL7UW
  http://www.kl7uw.com
Dubus-NA Business mail:
  dubus...@gmail.com 


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Re: [Elecraft] "On second thought, I'll take the stairs."

[W6IPA]

Wayne,

This is great - however, here is how anyone can help train more CW operators. I 
am still a beginner in CW, so I’m not yet feeling “competent". But I’m sure 
this list has plenty of them. I received this from CWOPS’ CW Academy recently:
> For a number of reasons, we are having an enormous number of students signing 
> up for the Sep/Oct 2020 semester. We are anticipating somewhere in the 
> neighborhood of 600 to 700 plus students. As it now stands, we are very short 
> of competent advisors. We currently have around 75 advisors and with our 
> target of approximately five or six students per advisor class, we really 
> could use about 40 to 50 more advisors.
> 
> To that end, we see you are not signed up to take or teach a class this fall. 
> Would you be willing to teach one or more Beginner, Basic, or Intermediate 
> classes in September??
> 
> The curriculum is pretty much laid out and we will be glad to provide an 
> orientation and answer any questions you may have. The commitment is only two 
> nights per week of your choosing for a few hours. Check it out at 
> cwops.org/cw-academy/cw-academy-options/ 
> 
> You do not have to be a member of CWops to be an advisor; just a willingness 
> to give back and help fellow CW’ers move forward.
> 
> Your help is appreciated, 
> CWA Management
> 
> 

JC/W6IPA
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Re: [Elecraft] Elecraft K1 power realignment

[Don Wilhelm]

Al,

You will have to remove the ATU.  Install the jumper in band board J8 
between pins 1 and 8.


If your K1 does not have a "K1/ATU" switch next to the BNC jack, you 
will have to re-install R36 on the bottom of the board - it should have 
been left with one leg still soldered.


The lack of R36 connection is likely what is causing the difference 
between the OUT parameter and the actual power out.


Be certain you connect a dummy load - do not use an antenna.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 7/12/2020 6:00 AM, W4RAM wrote:

I want to realign the output of my K1, the radio has an internal antenna
tuner. The reason is because I check the radio is not coming out with the
proper power (test performed with dummy load and PWR-SWR meter Daiwa). "OUT"
is at 2.0W, and I can see, on the power meter, 1W.
I proceeded by removing the antenna tunner module, to be able to access L1,
... L6 (filter board for 40/20 mts band). However after this, when I try to
calibrate the RF filters, I can only get 0.1 W when I put the K1 in tune
mode. I check again the "OUT", and I stay 2W.
If I reinstall the internal antenna tuner, the radio returns to the initial
behavior (only 1W when "OUT" has been set to 2.0W).
Can someone guide me on how I should perform the power realignment process?.


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Re: [Elecraft] K2 LCD Backlight Diffuser

[Don Wilhelm]

Murray,

Those diffuser leads should just touch the top of the board since 2 
spacers are 1/8 inch and the leads are also 1/8 inch.  Solder them from 
the top of the board - being careful so the iron does not touch anything 
but the leads and the solder pads.


If the leads do not touch the solder pads, sand down a spacer so that it 
does just touch.  If there are rough spots on the spacers, sand them off.


73,
Don W3FPR

On 7/12/2020 1:02 PM, zk2boy wrote:
I am just getting around to building my K2 that I purchased in 2008. 
I've been busy. But I'm having fun now!


I have  the K2 Owner's Manual Revision G, May 29, 2007. I also have 
Errata sheet Rev. G-1, Dec. 12, 2007.


In the Front Panel section, page 27, the original instruction advises to 
use two spacers at each end when installing the LCD backlight diffuser 
to keep the diffuser exactly 1/8" above the PC board. The Errata sheet 
clarifies to use the spacers but remove them after soldering the 
diffuser into place.


The issue is that the two spacers are 1/8" thick. The diffuser leads are 
exactly 1/8" long. This means with the spacers in place, the diffuser 
leads don't actually reach the solder holes. The lead ends are suspended 
just above the holes. If I actually manage to line everything up and use 
rubber bands to hold all in place while I solder (good luck!), the 
solder would need to bridge up to the ends of the diffuser leads for the 
soldered connections to hold. This doesn't seem like a good practice.


Is there a newer errata sheet? Or am I not understanding this correctly?

Murray
VA1CQ

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[Elecraft] K2 LCD Backlight Diffuser

[zk2boy]

I am just getting around to building my K2 that I purchased in 2008. 
I've been busy. But I'm having fun now!


I have  the K2 Owner's Manual Revision G, May 29, 2007. I also have 
Errata sheet Rev. G-1, Dec. 12, 2007.


In the Front Panel section, page 27, the original instruction advises to 
use two spacers at each end when installing the LCD backlight diffuser 
to keep the diffuser exactly 1/8" above the PC board. The Errata sheet 
clarifies to use the spacers but remove them after soldering the 
diffuser into place.


The issue is that the two spacers are 1/8" thick. The diffuser leads are 
exactly 1/8" long. This means with the spacers in place, the diffuser 
leads don't actually reach the solder holes. The lead ends are suspended 
just above the holes. If I actually manage to line everything up and use 
rubber bands to hold all in place while I solder (good luck!), the 
solder would need to bridge up to the ends of the diffuser leads for the 
soldered connections to hold. This doesn't seem like a good practice.


Is there a newer errata sheet? Or am I not understanding this correctly?

Murray
VA1CQ

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Re: [Elecraft] K2 Af Gain potmeter

[Dave Van Wallaghen]

Hi Jo's,

As Don stated, it is probably a bad pot which are pretty far and few 
between since the AF gain mod years ago. You can simply order another one 
from Elecraft here: https://elecraft.com/pages/parts-mod-kits


The Elecraft part number is E520003. Hope this helps.

73,
Dave, W8FGU
On July 12, 2020 12:30:47 Don Wilhelm  wrote:


Jos,

If you can find another control with the same shaft length and
footprint, You can use it.

I suspect that you had a defective one - after the AF Gain Wiring was
changed (and incorporated onto the boards after SN 3000) the number of
AF Gain potentiometers that became scratchy dropped to almost nothing.

I recommend just getting another from Elecraft.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 7/12/2020 4:44 AM, Jos Weitenberg wrote:

I build my K2 in the winter 2018/2019 with serialnumber 7850.
The transceiver works very well, but the af gain potmeter sound scratchy now.
My question is, is this normal after such a short time of use ?

Where can I get a decent potentiometer, because if I replace it with the 
same one, I think I will have the same problem again in 2 years.

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Re: [Elecraft] K2 Af Gain potmeter

[Don Wilhelm]

Jos,

If you can find another control with the same shaft length and 
footprint, You can use it.


I suspect that you had a defective one - after the AF Gain Wiring was 
changed (and incorporated onto the boards after SN 3000) the number of 
AF Gain potentiometers that became scratchy dropped to almost nothing.


I recommend just getting another from Elecraft.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 7/12/2020 4:44 AM, Jos Weitenberg wrote:

I build my K2 in the winter 2018/2019 with serialnumber 7850.
The transceiver works very well, but the af gain potmeter sound scratchy now.
My question is, is this normal after such a short time of use ?

Where can I get a decent potentiometer, because if I replace it with the same 
one, I think I will have the same problem again in 2 years.


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Re: [Elecraft] "On second thought, I'll take the stairs."

[Bill Frantz]

I love Wayne's story, which demonstrates how much more value you 
get from mastering activities that involve some difficulty. As 
others have pointed out, it is very well written too. However, 
sometimes those arguments don't work.



When that happens, my favorite argument is: And how do you ask 
for 5 units of type O+ blood on FT4/8?


I use FT4/8 frequently, but it always seems a bit like cheating 
because there is no good answer to the above question. 
Contesting and DXing started as practice for emergency 
communications, which is the reason many people give for getting 
their licenses. Emergency modes should allow for the above message.


As an example, when operating in Field Day, it is legal (I 
think) to use a cell phone as a link to an Internat based time 
server. Does this make sense for an EmComm based event? One can 
argue about GPS based time sync or high stability clocks, but 
modes that require time sync seem fragile in an emergency 
situation. What happens if a CME has taken out the GPS?


The good news is I made many CW contacts, along with some PSk31, 
RTTY, and voice contacts which don't have these problems.


73 Bill AE6JV

On 7/12/20 at 11:07 AM, n...@elecraft.com (Wayne Burdick) wrote:

Within weeks, he'd mastered everything there was to know about 
this glorious new hobby.

Point. Click.

In this new world order, those of us who took the longer, 
slower path to ionospheric enlightenment -- and who still 
occasionally enjoy making waves by hand -- often fail to 
explain why.
I had failed to explain it to my friend. Even as hints of his 
boredom crept in, creating an opening, the best argument I'd 
made for trying CW was that he could do it without a computer. 
Coming in a weak second was the notion that CW was the original 
digital mode. For obvious reasons, I didn't bother with the 
classic argument about CW's signal-to-noise advantage over SSB.

---
Bill Frantz| Can't fix stupid, but   | Periwinkle
(408)348-7900  | duct tape can muffle the| 150 Rivermead 
Road #235

www.pwpconsult.com | sound... - Bill Liebman | Peterborough, NY 03458

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Re: [Elecraft] "On second thought, I'll take the stairs."

[Michael Downs]

Nice story Wayne. I’m 75 going on extinction. I always take the stairs too and 
I walk three to four miles a day. Keeps the mind clear and the fist strong. 73 
& good DX

Mike KS7D 
Sent from my iPhone
www.ks7d.com

> On Jul 12, 2020, at 11:26 AM, Jim Sheldon  wrote:
> 
> Outstanding story Wayne!  You're not the only one that has a ham friend like 
> that either.  Sometimes I get a bit frustrated when people ask me about the 
> hobby and why I only operate CW and my explanation falls on deaf ears.  I 
> think I will have to try your approach to the situation and see if I can't 
> get a few more interested.
> 
> The stairs are another thing though - LOL.  I'm 78 now with a very bad knee 
> and don't walk or climb stairs very well any more (though I do still try) and 
> I'm afraid most of the new hams I know that fit this category would leave me 
> behind very quickly - hi hi.
> 
> I learned to copy CW as a "Morse Intercept Operator" in the US Army back in 
> 1961, later taught myself to send with both a keyer and bug (I still prefer 
> the mechanical bug), got my ham license in 1963 and have never looked back.  
> Still use CW 99.5 percent of the time and only use phone when absolutely 
> necessary (mostly on the VHF/UHF FM repeaters).
> 
> Jim Sheldon, W0EB
> 
> 
> -- Original Message --
> From: "Wayne Burdick" 
> To: "Elecraft Reflector" 
> Sent: 7/12/2020 10:07:59 AM
> Subject: [Elecraft] "On second thought, I'll take the stairs."
> 
>> I have a friend about my age who got into amateur radio only a few years 
>> ago. Like many of us, he was enthusiastic about the technology. Intrigued 
>> with DX.
>> 
>> I showed him my station; we talked endlessly about gear. Later, I helped him 
>> put up a simple wire antenna.
>> 
>> Then, when his license arrived, he dove straight into FT8 and didn't look 
>> back. Within days, he'd worked all states, then DXCC. He'd bag a few rare 
>> ones over a light lunch, then pat his laptop on the back and congratulate 
>> his software app for its near-mythical ability to extract weak signals out 
>> of noise.
>> 
>> Within weeks, he'd mastered everything there was to know about this glorious 
>> new hobby.
>> 
>> Point. Click.
>> 
>> In this new world order, those of us who took the longer, slower path to 
>> ionospheric enlightenment -- and who still occasionally enjoy making waves 
>> by hand -- often fail to explain why.
>> 
>> I had failed to explain it to my friend. Even as hints of his boredom crept 
>> in, creating an opening, the best argument I'd made for trying CW was that 
>> he could do it without a computer. Coming in a weak second was the notion 
>> that CW was the original digital mode. For obvious reasons, I didn't bother 
>> with the classic argument about CW's signal-to-noise advantage over SSB.
>> 
>> I had all but given up.
>> 
>> Then, in a moment of delayed clarity, I decided on a different approach. I 
>> invited him to a weekday brunch. A bit of an escape. He willingly took the 
>> bait.
>> 
>> On the appointed day, arriving at his workplace, I bypassed the lobby's 
>> glistening elevators and climbed the four flights of stairs to his office. I 
>> insisted we take the stairs down, too.
>> 
>> "Why?" he asked. "And how'd you get up here so fast?"
>> 
>> I pointed out that I always chose stairs, when possible. That's why I wasn't 
>> out of breath. We hustled down, jockeying for position, and emerged on the 
>> ground floor invigorated by the effort.
>> 
>> "So, where are we going?" he asked. We'd been to every overrated 
>> twenty-dollar burger venue at least twice.
>> 
>> I replied that we'd be going someplace we'd never tried. My kitchen.
>> 
>> When we arrived, I put him to work chopping onions and broccoli and 
>> squeezing oranges while I whipped eggs into a froth and grated Swiss cheese. 
>> We ate our omelettes outside, in full sun and a cool breeze.
>> 
>> "What's for desert?" he asked. "Isn't there a frozen yogurt place a 
>> two-minute drive from here?"
>> 
>> I had something else in mind. Back in the kitchen, I handed him a water 
>> bottle, then strapped on a small pack I'd prepared earlier.
>> 
>> We walked a mile or so through my neighborhood, admiring the houses' varied 
>> architecture, ending up (as planned) at a local park festooned with 
>> blackberry bushes. The most accessible branches had been picked clean, but 
>> with teamwork and persistence we were able to gather several large handfuls 
>> of fat, ripe berries, which we devoured on the spot.
>> 
>> We'd been poked and scratched but didn't care.
>> 
>> "Doesn't brunch usually end with champagne?" he wondered aloud, admiring his 
>> wounds.
>> 
>> Not this time. I pulled out two bottles of craft beer that I'd obtained from 
>> a neighbor in trade for repairing his ancient home stereo. Carlos had spent 
>> years crafting an American pilsner to die for, sweating every detail, 
>> including iconic, hand-painted labels.
>> 
>> My friend accepted the bottle, then tried in 

Re: [Elecraft] "On second thought, I'll take the stairs."

[David Herring]

Wayne,

You know from our previous conversations that I am a writer as well. I so 
appreciate reading a good story that’s well written.

What takes a well written story from good to great is its effectiveness, that 
is, when the story causes the reader to move or act. 

I caught myself a few moments ago digging out my paddles with thoughts of 
dusting off my CW skills…

Nicely done!

73,
David - N5DCH



> On Jul 12, 2020, at 9:56 AM, John  wrote:
> 
> Thanks Wayne.
> 
> Reminded me of Carl and Jerry.
> 
> 73.
> 
> John.
> 
> ve7day.
> 
> 
> On 12/07/2020 8:07 a.m., Wayne Burdick wrote:
>> I have a friend about my age who got into amateur radio only a few years 
>> ago. Like many of us, he was enthusiastic about the technology. Intrigued 
>> with DX.
>> 
>> I showed him my station; we talked endlessly about gear. Later, I helped him 
>> put up a simple wire antenna.
>> 
>> Then, when his license arrived, he dove straight into FT8 and didn't look 
>> back. Within days, he'd worked all states, then DXCC. He'd bag a few rare 
>> ones over a light lunch, then pat his laptop on the back and congratulate 
>> his software app for its near-mythical ability to extract weak signals out 
>> of noise.
>> 
>> Within weeks, he'd mastered everything there was to know about this glorious 
>> new hobby.
>> 
>> Point. Click.
>> 
>> In this new world order, those of us who took the longer, slower path to 
>> ionospheric enlightenment -- and who still occasionally enjoy making waves 
>> by hand -- often fail to explain why.
>> 
>> I had failed to explain it to my friend. Even as hints of his boredom crept 
>> in, creating an opening, the best argument I'd made for trying CW was that 
>> he could do it without a computer. Coming in a weak second was the notion 
>> that CW was the original digital mode. For obvious reasons, I didn't bother 
>> with the classic argument about CW's signal-to-noise advantage over SSB.
>> 
>> I had all but given up.
>> 
>> Then, in a moment of delayed clarity, I decided on a different approach. I 
>> invited him to a weekday brunch. A bit of an escape. He willingly took the 
>> bait.
>> 
>> On the appointed day, arriving at his workplace, I bypassed the lobby's 
>> glistening elevators and climbed the four flights of stairs to his office. I 
>> insisted we take the stairs down, too.
>> 
>> "Why?" he asked. "And how'd you get up here so fast?"
>> 
>> I pointed out that I always chose stairs, when possible. That's why I wasn't 
>> out of breath. We hustled down, jockeying for position, and emerged on the 
>> ground floor invigorated by the effort.
>> 
>> "So, where are we going?" he asked. We'd been to every overrated 
>> twenty-dollar burger venue at least twice.
>> 
>> I replied that we'd be going someplace we'd never tried. My kitchen.
>> 
>> When we arrived, I put him to work chopping onions and broccoli and 
>> squeezing oranges while I whipped eggs into a froth and grated Swiss cheese. 
>> We ate our omelettes outside, in full sun and a cool breeze.
>> 
>> "What's for desert?" he asked. "Isn't there a frozen yogurt place a 
>> two-minute drive from here?"
>> 
>> I had something else in mind. Back in the kitchen, I handed him a water 
>> bottle, then strapped on a small pack I'd prepared earlier.
>> 
>> We walked a mile or so through my neighborhood, admiring the houses' varied 
>> architecture, ending up (as planned) at a local park festooned with 
>> blackberry bushes. The most accessible branches had been picked clean, but 
>> with teamwork and persistence we were able to gather several large handfuls 
>> of fat, ripe berries, which we devoured on the spot.
>> 
>> We'd been poked and scratched but didn't care.
>> 
>> "Doesn't brunch usually end with champagne?" he wondered aloud, admiring his 
>> wounds.
>> 
>> Not this time. I pulled out two bottles of craft beer that I'd obtained from 
>> a neighbor in trade for repairing his ancient home stereo. Carlos had spent 
>> years crafting an American pilsner to die for, sweating every detail, 
>> including iconic, hand-painted labels.
>> 
>> My friend accepted the bottle, then tried in vain to remove the cap. Not a 
>> twist-off.
>> 
>> "Opener?" he said.
>> 
>> I handed him a small pocket knife, an antique without specialty blades. He 
>> soon discovered it could not be used to remove the cap directly. He looked 
>> at me with a bemused expression, no doubt wondering what I had up my sleeve 
>> this time.
>> 
>> I pointed out that we were surrounded by white oaks, a species known for its 
>> hard wood. He got the message, smiled, and began hunting. Within seconds 
>> he'd collected a small fallen branch. I watched as he used the knife to 
>> fashion a few inches of it into a passable bottle opener. We popped the 
>> caps, toasted his new-found skill, and traded stories of our misspent youths.
>> 
>> "Oh, one more thing," I said.
>> 
>> I pulled a KX2 out of my pack, along with two lengths of wire. Of course he 
>> knew everything there was to 

Re: [Elecraft] "On second thought, I'll take the stairs."

[John]

Thanks Wayne.

Reminded me of Carl and Jerry.

73.

John.

ve7day.


On 12/07/2020 8:07 a.m., Wayne Burdick wrote:

I have a friend about my age who got into amateur radio only a few years ago. 
Like many of us, he was enthusiastic about the technology. Intrigued with DX.

I showed him my station; we talked endlessly about gear. Later, I helped him 
put up a simple wire antenna.

Then, when his license arrived, he dove straight into FT8 and didn't look back. 
Within days, he'd worked all states, then DXCC. He'd bag a few rare ones over a 
light lunch, then pat his laptop on the back and congratulate his software app 
for its near-mythical ability to extract weak signals out of noise.

Within weeks, he'd mastered everything there was to know about this glorious 
new hobby.

Point. Click.

In this new world order, those of us who took the longer, slower path to 
ionospheric enlightenment -- and who still occasionally enjoy making waves by 
hand -- often fail to explain why.

I had failed to explain it to my friend. Even as hints of his boredom crept in, 
creating an opening, the best argument I'd made for trying CW was that he could 
do it without a computer. Coming in a weak second was the notion that CW was 
the original digital mode. For obvious reasons, I didn't bother with the 
classic argument about CW's signal-to-noise advantage over SSB.

I had all but given up.

Then, in a moment of delayed clarity, I decided on a different approach. I 
invited him to a weekday brunch. A bit of an escape. He willingly took the bait.

On the appointed day, arriving at his workplace, I bypassed the lobby's 
glistening elevators and climbed the four flights of stairs to his office. I 
insisted we take the stairs down, too.

"Why?" he asked. "And how'd you get up here so fast?"

I pointed out that I always chose stairs, when possible. That's why I wasn't 
out of breath. We hustled down, jockeying for position, and emerged on the 
ground floor invigorated by the effort.

"So, where are we going?" he asked. We'd been to every overrated twenty-dollar 
burger venue at least twice.

I replied that we'd be going someplace we'd never tried. My kitchen.

When we arrived, I put him to work chopping onions and broccoli and squeezing 
oranges while I whipped eggs into a froth and grated Swiss cheese. We ate our 
omelettes outside, in full sun and a cool breeze.

"What's for desert?" he asked. "Isn't there a frozen yogurt place a two-minute drive 
from here?"

I had something else in mind. Back in the kitchen, I handed him a water bottle, 
then strapped on a small pack I'd prepared earlier.

We walked a mile or so through my neighborhood, admiring the houses' varied 
architecture, ending up (as planned) at a local park festooned with blackberry 
bushes. The most accessible branches had been picked clean, but with teamwork 
and persistence we were able to gather several large handfuls of fat, ripe 
berries, which we devoured on the spot.

We'd been poked and scratched but didn't care.

"Doesn't brunch usually end with champagne?" he wondered aloud, admiring his 
wounds.

Not this time. I pulled out two bottles of craft beer that I'd obtained from a 
neighbor in trade for repairing his ancient home stereo. Carlos had spent years 
crafting an American pilsner to die for, sweating every detail, including 
iconic, hand-painted labels.

My friend accepted the bottle, then tried in vain to remove the cap. Not a 
twist-off.

"Opener?" he said.

I handed him a small pocket knife, an antique without specialty blades. He soon 
discovered it could not be used to remove the cap directly. He looked at me 
with a bemused expression, no doubt wondering what I had up my sleeve this time.

I pointed out that we were surrounded by white oaks, a species known for its 
hard wood. He got the message, smiled, and began hunting. Within seconds he'd 
collected a small fallen branch. I watched as he used the knife to fashion a 
few inches of it into a passable bottle opener. We popped the caps, toasted his 
new-found skill, and traded stories of our misspent youths.

"Oh, one more thing," I said.

I pulled a KX2 out of my pack, along with two lengths of wire. Of course he 
knew everything there was to know about Elecraft, and me, so he wasn't 
surprised when I also pulled out the rig's attachable keyer paddle. We threw 
one wire in the closest tree and laid the other on the ground.

He didn't have to ask whether I'd brought a laptop.

We listened to CW signals up and down 20 meters, which was open to Europe at 
the time. As he tuned in each station, I copied for him using pencil and paper. 
He'd learned Morse code, but only at very slow speeds.

After making a contact, I set the internal keyer speed to 10 words per minute 
and dialed power output to zero, for practice purposes, then showed him how to 
use the paddle. He smiled as he got the hang of it. Sending the full alphabet 
was a challenge, but he got there. The KX2 decoded and displayed his keying, 

Re: [Elecraft] "On second thought, I'll take the stairs."

[David Thompson via Elecraft]

Morning Wayne,

From one writer to another, that was a very nice piece! Like Elecraft radios, 
it was well-crafted and had just the right amount of “stuff.”

I’ve been a ham for a little more than a year. I’ve worked quite a few stations 
using FT8 — because that is about all I can do here at the house. If have S7-S9 
noise because of ancient power equipment in my neighborhood. Phone is out of 
the question. So it was FT8 if I wanted to play radio at home.

Most of my ops are portable. I go out on weekends or during the week when I 
can, set up a portable station, and talk to other operators. I’m a little shy, 
so I’m not much of a ragchewer. But I like the contests, QSOPs, and working 
special event stations.

Last fall I enrolled in the CW Academy and completed Basic and Beginner. One of 
the mentors is running an ad hoc Intermediate class this summer. I’m up to 
about 10wpm now and continue practicing to get my copy speed up. I’m not good 
enough (yet) to run a frequency, but that’s my goal.

There have been many times I just sat at the rig, in the field, and tuned the 
bands… just listening to the other stations. I find something comforting in 
knowing there are these operators out there, communicating in a simple fashion 
using a relatively simple technology.

I’m hearing a few slow-code stations talking on 40m many evenings. If I’m home, 
I turn my web browser to one of the websdr sites and listen. 

On Wednesdays I can sometimes hear a few stations during the CWTs at home. I’ve 
even worked a few of them from home, with my slow, clumsy fist. 

I really dislike listening to stations on my home rig, an upgraded K3. Because 
of the noise, when I use NB/NR to get a better SNR, the tone is chopped up and 
does not sound pleasant to the ear, as it should. But it gives me the chance to 
work a couple of stations and it’s only an hour at a time, so I can tolerate it 
that long.

But I am enjoying my radios. I don’t mind working portable at all. The weather 
is often nice here in northern Nevada and I like the outdoors.

I am also enjoying the CW mode. In many respects I’m something of a purist and 
the CW mode appeals to that part of my personality. There is something clean 
about the tone of CW and well-sent More Code is quite musical.

I also prefer the stairs…

73 de AG7TX

David Thompson, AG7TX
Jack of All Trades
Master of None
dbthomp...@me.com




> On Jul 12, 2020, at 08:07, Wayne Burdick  wrote:
> 
> I have a friend about my age who got into amateur radio only a few years ago. 
> Like many of us, he was enthusiastic about the technology. Intrigued with DX. 
> 
> I showed him my station; we talked endlessly about gear. Later, I helped him 
> put up a simple wire antenna.
> 
> Then, when his license arrived, he dove straight into FT8 and didn't look 
> back. Within days, he'd worked all states, then DXCC. He'd bag a few rare 
> ones over a light lunch, then pat his laptop on the back and congratulate his 
> software app for its near-mythical ability to extract weak signals out of 
> noise. 
> 
> Within weeks, he'd mastered everything there was to know about this glorious 
> new hobby. 
> 
> Point. Click.
> 
> In this new world order, those of us who took the longer, slower path to 
> ionospheric enlightenment -- and who still occasionally enjoy making waves by 
> hand -- often fail to explain why. 
> 
> I had failed to explain it to my friend. Even as hints of his boredom crept 
> in, creating an opening, the best argument I'd made for trying CW was that he 
> could do it without a computer. Coming in a weak second was the notion that 
> CW was the original digital mode. For obvious reasons, I didn't bother with 
> the classic argument about CW's signal-to-noise advantage over SSB. 
> 
> I had all but given up. 
> 
> Then, in a moment of delayed clarity, I decided on a different approach. I 
> invited him to a weekday brunch. A bit of an escape. He willingly took the 
> bait.
> 
> On the appointed day, arriving at his workplace, I bypassed the lobby's 
> glistening elevators and climbed the four flights of stairs to his office. I 
> insisted we take the stairs down, too. 
> 
> "Why?" he asked. "And how'd you get up here so fast?" 
> 
> I pointed out that I always chose stairs, when possible. That's why I wasn't 
> out of breath. We hustled down, jockeying for position, and emerged on the 
> ground floor invigorated by the effort.
> 
> "So, where are we going?" he asked. We'd been to every overrated 
> twenty-dollar burger venue at least twice.
> 
> I replied that we'd be going someplace we'd never tried. My kitchen. 
> 
> When we arrived, I put him to work chopping onions and broccoli and squeezing 
> oranges while I whipped eggs into a froth and grated Swiss cheese. We ate our 
> omelettes outside, in full sun and a cool breeze. 
> 
> "What's for desert?" he asked. "Isn't there a frozen yogurt place a 
> two-minute drive from here?"
> 
> I had something else in mind. Back in the kitchen, I handed 

Re: [Elecraft] "On second thought, I'll take the stairs."

[Macy monkeys]

Great way to start a discussion on an otherwise lackluster Sunday! I'm even 
more of an reactionary  No personal computers attached to my rigs. And I've 
given up paddles and keyers for cooties. I'm hopelessly lost in the past!!

John K7FD

> On Jul 12, 2020, at 8:07 AM, Wayne Burdick  wrote:
> 
> I have a friend about my age who got into amateur radio only a few years ago. 
> Like many of us, he was enthusiastic about the technology. Intrigued with DX. 
> 
> I showed him my station; we talked endlessly about gear. Later, I helped him 
> put up a simple wire antenna.
> 
> Then, when his license arrived, he dove straight into FT8 and didn't look 
> back. Within days, he'd worked all states, then DXCC. He'd bag a few rare 
> ones over a light lunch, then pat his laptop on the back and congratulate his 
> software app for its near-mythical ability to extract weak signals out of 
> noise. 
> 
> Within weeks, he'd mastered everything there was to know about this glorious 
> new hobby. 
> 
> Point. Click.
> 
> In this new world order, those of us who took the longer, slower path to 
> ionospheric enlightenment -- and who still occasionally enjoy making waves by 
> hand -- often fail to explain why. 
> 
> I had failed to explain it to my friend. Even as hints of his boredom crept 
> in, creating an opening, the best argument I'd made for trying CW was that he 
> could do it without a computer. Coming in a weak second was the notion that 
> CW was the original digital mode. For obvious reasons, I didn't bother with 
> the classic argument about CW's signal-to-noise advantage over SSB. 
> 
> I had all but given up. 
> 
> Then, in a moment of delayed clarity, I decided on a different approach. I 
> invited him to a weekday brunch. A bit of an escape. He willingly took the 
> bait.
> 
> On the appointed day, arriving at his workplace, I bypassed the lobby's 
> glistening elevators and climbed the four flights of stairs to his office. I 
> insisted we take the stairs down, too. 
> 
> "Why?" he asked. "And how'd you get up here so fast?" 
> 
> I pointed out that I always chose stairs, when possible. That's why I wasn't 
> out of breath. We hustled down, jockeying for position, and emerged on the 
> ground floor invigorated by the effort.
> 
> "So, where are we going?" he asked. We'd been to every overrated 
> twenty-dollar burger venue at least twice.
> 
> I replied that we'd be going someplace we'd never tried. My kitchen. 
> 
> When we arrived, I put him to work chopping onions and broccoli and squeezing 
> oranges while I whipped eggs into a froth and grated Swiss cheese. We ate our 
> omelettes outside, in full sun and a cool breeze. 
> 
> "What's for desert?" he asked. "Isn't there a frozen yogurt place a 
> two-minute drive from here?"
> 
> I had something else in mind. Back in the kitchen, I handed him a water 
> bottle, then strapped on a small pack I'd prepared earlier. 
> 
> We walked a mile or so through my neighborhood, admiring the houses' varied 
> architecture, ending up (as planned) at a local park festooned with 
> blackberry bushes. The most accessible branches had been picked clean, but 
> with teamwork and persistence we were able to gather several large handfuls 
> of fat, ripe berries, which we devoured on the spot. 
> 
> We'd been poked and scratched but didn't care. 
> 
> "Doesn't brunch usually end with champagne?" he wondered aloud, admiring his 
> wounds.
> 
> Not this time. I pulled out two bottles of craft beer that I'd obtained from 
> a neighbor in trade for repairing his ancient home stereo. Carlos had spent 
> years crafting an American pilsner to die for, sweating every detail, 
> including iconic, hand-painted labels. 
> 
> My friend accepted the bottle, then tried in vain to remove the cap. Not a 
> twist-off.
> 
> "Opener?" he said. 
> 
> I handed him a small pocket knife, an antique without specialty blades. He 
> soon discovered it could not be used to remove the cap directly. He looked at 
> me with a bemused expression, no doubt wondering what I had up my sleeve this 
> time. 
> 
> I pointed out that we were surrounded by white oaks, a species known for its 
> hard wood. He got the message, smiled, and began hunting. Within seconds he'd 
> collected a small fallen branch. I watched as he used the knife to fashion a 
> few inches of it into a passable bottle opener. We popped the caps, toasted 
> his new-found skill, and traded stories of our misspent youths.
> 
> "Oh, one more thing," I said.
> 
> I pulled a KX2 out of my pack, along with two lengths of wire. Of course he 
> knew everything there was to know about Elecraft, and me, so he wasn't 
> surprised when I also pulled out the rig's attachable keyer paddle. We threw 
> one wire in the closest tree and laid the other on the ground.
> 
> He didn't have to ask whether I'd brought a laptop.
> 
> We listened to CW signals up and down 20 meters, which was open to Europe at 
> the time. As he tuned in each station, I copied 

Re: [Elecraft] "On second thought, I'll take the stairs."

[Jim Sheldon]

Outstanding story Wayne!  You're not the only one that has a ham friend 
like that either.  Sometimes I get a bit frustrated when people ask me 
about the hobby and why I only operate CW and my explanation falls on 
deaf ears.  I think I will have to try your approach to the situation 
and see if I can't get a few more interested.


The stairs are another thing though - LOL.  I'm 78 now with a very bad 
knee and don't walk or climb stairs very well any more (though I do 
still try) and I'm afraid most of the new hams I know that fit this 
category would leave me behind very quickly - hi hi.


I learned to copy CW as a "Morse Intercept Operator" in the US Army back 
in 1961, later taught myself to send with both a keyer and bug (I still 
prefer the mechanical bug), got my ham license in 1963 and have never 
looked back.  Still use CW 99.5 percent of the time and only use phone 
when absolutely necessary (mostly on the VHF/UHF FM repeaters).


Jim Sheldon, W0EB


-- Original Message --
From: "Wayne Burdick" 
To: "Elecraft Reflector" 
Sent: 7/12/2020 10:07:59 AM
Subject: [Elecraft] "On second thought, I'll take the stairs."


I have a friend about my age who got into amateur radio only a few years ago. 
Like many of us, he was enthusiastic about the technology. Intrigued with DX.

I showed him my station; we talked endlessly about gear. Later, I helped him 
put up a simple wire antenna.

Then, when his license arrived, he dove straight into FT8 and didn't look back. 
Within days, he'd worked all states, then DXCC. He'd bag a few rare ones over a 
light lunch, then pat his laptop on the back and congratulate his software app 
for its near-mythical ability to extract weak signals out of noise.

Within weeks, he'd mastered everything there was to know about this glorious 
new hobby.

Point. Click.

In this new world order, those of us who took the longer, slower path to 
ionospheric enlightenment -- and who still occasionally enjoy making waves by 
hand -- often fail to explain why.

I had failed to explain it to my friend. Even as hints of his boredom crept in, 
creating an opening, the best argument I'd made for trying CW was that he could 
do it without a computer. Coming in a weak second was the notion that CW was 
the original digital mode. For obvious reasons, I didn't bother with the 
classic argument about CW's signal-to-noise advantage over SSB.

I had all but given up.

Then, in a moment of delayed clarity, I decided on a different approach. I 
invited him to a weekday brunch. A bit of an escape. He willingly took the bait.

On the appointed day, arriving at his workplace, I bypassed the lobby's 
glistening elevators and climbed the four flights of stairs to his office. I 
insisted we take the stairs down, too.

"Why?" he asked. "And how'd you get up here so fast?"

I pointed out that I always chose stairs, when possible. That's why I wasn't 
out of breath. We hustled down, jockeying for position, and emerged on the 
ground floor invigorated by the effort.

"So, where are we going?" he asked. We'd been to every overrated twenty-dollar 
burger venue at least twice.

I replied that we'd be going someplace we'd never tried. My kitchen.

When we arrived, I put him to work chopping onions and broccoli and squeezing 
oranges while I whipped eggs into a froth and grated Swiss cheese. We ate our 
omelettes outside, in full sun and a cool breeze.

"What's for desert?" he asked. "Isn't there a frozen yogurt place a two-minute drive 
from here?"

I had something else in mind. Back in the kitchen, I handed him a water bottle, 
then strapped on a small pack I'd prepared earlier.

We walked a mile or so through my neighborhood, admiring the houses' varied 
architecture, ending up (as planned) at a local park festooned with blackberry 
bushes. The most accessible branches had been picked clean, but with teamwork 
and persistence we were able to gather several large handfuls of fat, ripe 
berries, which we devoured on the spot.

We'd been poked and scratched but didn't care.

"Doesn't brunch usually end with champagne?" he wondered aloud, admiring his 
wounds.

Not this time. I pulled out two bottles of craft beer that I'd obtained from a 
neighbor in trade for repairing his ancient home stereo. Carlos had spent years 
crafting an American pilsner to die for, sweating every detail, including 
iconic, hand-painted labels.

My friend accepted the bottle, then tried in vain to remove the cap. Not a 
twist-off.

"Opener?" he said.

I handed him a small pocket knife, an antique without specialty blades. He soon 
discovered it could not be used to remove the cap directly. He looked at me 
with a bemused expression, no doubt wondering what I had up my sleeve this time.

I pointed out that we were surrounded by white oaks, a species known for its 
hard wood. He got the message, smiled, and began hunting. Within seconds he'd 
collected a small fallen branch. I watched as he used the knife to fashion a 
few inches of 

Re: [Elecraft] "On second thought, I'll take the stairs."

[David Bunte]

Wayne -

That was one of the most beautiful stories I have heard in years... not
just because it was about ham radio, but because it was about so much
more... and wonderfully crafted as well. Many thanks for sharing.

Dave - K9FN (90 some percent CW with my K-Line)

On Sun, Jul 12, 2020 at 11:10 AM Wayne Burdick  wrote:

> I have a friend about my age who got into amateur radio only a few years
> ago. Like many of us, he was enthusiastic about the technology. Intrigued
> with DX.
>
> I showed him my station; we talked endlessly about gear. Later, I helped
> him put up a simple wire antenna.
>
> Then, when his license arrived, he dove straight into FT8 and didn't look
> back. Within days, he'd worked all states, then DXCC. He'd bag a few rare
> ones over a light lunch, then pat his laptop on the back and congratulate
> his software app for its near-mythical ability to extract weak signals out
> of noise.
>
> Within weeks, he'd mastered everything there was to know about this
> glorious new hobby.
>
> Point. Click.
>
> In this new world order, those of us who took the longer, slower path to
> ionospheric enlightenment -- and who still occasionally enjoy making waves
> by hand -- often fail to explain why.
>
> I had failed to explain it to my friend. Even as hints of his boredom
> crept in, creating an opening, the best argument I'd made for trying CW was
> that he could do it without a computer. Coming in a weak second was the
> notion that CW was the original digital mode. For obvious reasons, I didn't
> bother with the classic argument about CW's signal-to-noise advantage over
> SSB.
>
> I had all but given up.
>
> Then, in a moment of delayed clarity, I decided on a different approach. I
> invited him to a weekday brunch. A bit of an escape. He willingly took the
> bait.
>
> On the appointed day, arriving at his workplace, I bypassed the lobby's
> glistening elevators and climbed the four flights of stairs to his office.
> I insisted we take the stairs down, too.
>
> "Why?" he asked. "And how'd you get up here so fast?"
>
> I pointed out that I always chose stairs, when possible. That's why I
> wasn't out of breath. We hustled down, jockeying for position, and emerged
> on the ground floor invigorated by the effort.
>
> "So, where are we going?" he asked. We'd been to every overrated
> twenty-dollar burger venue at least twice.
>
> I replied that we'd be going someplace we'd never tried. My kitchen.
>
> When we arrived, I put him to work chopping onions and broccoli and
> squeezing oranges while I whipped eggs into a froth and grated Swiss
> cheese. We ate our omelettes outside, in full sun and a cool breeze.
>
> "What's for desert?" he asked. "Isn't there a frozen yogurt place a
> two-minute drive from here?"
>
> I had something else in mind. Back in the kitchen, I handed him a water
> bottle, then strapped on a small pack I'd prepared earlier.
>
> We walked a mile or so through my neighborhood, admiring the houses'
> varied architecture, ending up (as planned) at a local park festooned with
> blackberry bushes. The most accessible branches had been picked clean, but
> with teamwork and persistence we were able to gather several large handfuls
> of fat, ripe berries, which we devoured on the spot.
>
> We'd been poked and scratched but didn't care.
>
> "Doesn't brunch usually end with champagne?" he wondered aloud, admiring
> his wounds.
>
> Not this time. I pulled out two bottles of craft beer that I'd obtained
> from a neighbor in trade for repairing his ancient home stereo. Carlos had
> spent years crafting an American pilsner to die for, sweating every detail,
> including iconic, hand-painted labels.
>
> My friend accepted the bottle, then tried in vain to remove the cap. Not a
> twist-off.
>
> "Opener?" he said.
>
> I handed him a small pocket knife, an antique without specialty blades. He
> soon discovered it could not be used to remove the cap directly. He looked
> at me with a bemused expression, no doubt wondering what I had up my sleeve
> this time.
>
> I pointed out that we were surrounded by white oaks, a species known for
> its hard wood. He got the message, smiled, and began hunting. Within
> seconds he'd collected a small fallen branch. I watched as he used the
> knife to fashion a few inches of it into a passable bottle opener. We
> popped the caps, toasted his new-found skill, and traded stories of our
> misspent youths.
>
> "Oh, one more thing," I said.
>
> I pulled a KX2 out of my pack, along with two lengths of wire. Of course
> he knew everything there was to know about Elecraft, and me, so he wasn't
> surprised when I also pulled out the rig's attachable keyer paddle. We
> threw one wire in the closest tree and laid the other on the ground.
>
> He didn't have to ask whether I'd brought a laptop.
>
> We listened to CW signals up and down 20 meters, which was open to Europe
> at the time. As he tuned in each station, I copied for him using pencil and
> paper. He'd learned Morse code, 

[Elecraft] "On second thought, I'll take the stairs."

[Wayne Burdick]

I have a friend about my age who got into amateur radio only a few years ago. 
Like many of us, he was enthusiastic about the technology. Intrigued with DX. 

I showed him my station; we talked endlessly about gear. Later, I helped him 
put up a simple wire antenna.

Then, when his license arrived, he dove straight into FT8 and didn't look back. 
Within days, he'd worked all states, then DXCC. He'd bag a few rare ones over a 
light lunch, then pat his laptop on the back and congratulate his software app 
for its near-mythical ability to extract weak signals out of noise. 

Within weeks, he'd mastered everything there was to know about this glorious 
new hobby. 

Point. Click.

In this new world order, those of us who took the longer, slower path to 
ionospheric enlightenment -- and who still occasionally enjoy making waves by 
hand -- often fail to explain why. 

I had failed to explain it to my friend. Even as hints of his boredom crept in, 
creating an opening, the best argument I'd made for trying CW was that he could 
do it without a computer. Coming in a weak second was the notion that CW was 
the original digital mode. For obvious reasons, I didn't bother with the 
classic argument about CW's signal-to-noise advantage over SSB. 

I had all but given up. 

Then, in a moment of delayed clarity, I decided on a different approach. I 
invited him to a weekday brunch. A bit of an escape. He willingly took the bait.

On the appointed day, arriving at his workplace, I bypassed the lobby's 
glistening elevators and climbed the four flights of stairs to his office. I 
insisted we take the stairs down, too. 

"Why?" he asked. "And how'd you get up here so fast?" 

I pointed out that I always chose stairs, when possible. That's why I wasn't 
out of breath. We hustled down, jockeying for position, and emerged on the 
ground floor invigorated by the effort.

"So, where are we going?" he asked. We'd been to every overrated twenty-dollar 
burger venue at least twice.

I replied that we'd be going someplace we'd never tried. My kitchen. 

When we arrived, I put him to work chopping onions and broccoli and squeezing 
oranges while I whipped eggs into a froth and grated Swiss cheese. We ate our 
omelettes outside, in full sun and a cool breeze. 

"What's for desert?" he asked. "Isn't there a frozen yogurt place a two-minute 
drive from here?"

I had something else in mind. Back in the kitchen, I handed him a water bottle, 
then strapped on a small pack I'd prepared earlier. 

We walked a mile or so through my neighborhood, admiring the houses' varied 
architecture, ending up (as planned) at a local park festooned with blackberry 
bushes. The most accessible branches had been picked clean, but with teamwork 
and persistence we were able to gather several large handfuls of fat, ripe 
berries, which we devoured on the spot. 

We'd been poked and scratched but didn't care. 

"Doesn't brunch usually end with champagne?" he wondered aloud, admiring his 
wounds.

Not this time. I pulled out two bottles of craft beer that I'd obtained from a 
neighbor in trade for repairing his ancient home stereo. Carlos had spent years 
crafting an American pilsner to die for, sweating every detail, including 
iconic, hand-painted labels. 

My friend accepted the bottle, then tried in vain to remove the cap. Not a 
twist-off.

"Opener?" he said. 

I handed him a small pocket knife, an antique without specialty blades. He soon 
discovered it could not be used to remove the cap directly. He looked at me 
with a bemused expression, no doubt wondering what I had up my sleeve this 
time. 

I pointed out that we were surrounded by white oaks, a species known for its 
hard wood. He got the message, smiled, and began hunting. Within seconds he'd 
collected a small fallen branch. I watched as he used the knife to fashion a 
few inches of it into a passable bottle opener. We popped the caps, toasted his 
new-found skill, and traded stories of our misspent youths.

"Oh, one more thing," I said.

I pulled a KX2 out of my pack, along with two lengths of wire. Of course he 
knew everything there was to know about Elecraft, and me, so he wasn't 
surprised when I also pulled out the rig's attachable keyer paddle. We threw 
one wire in the closest tree and laid the other on the ground.

He didn't have to ask whether I'd brought a laptop.

We listened to CW signals up and down 20 meters, which was open to Europe at 
the time. As he tuned in each station, I copied for him using pencil and paper. 
He'd learned Morse code, but only at very slow speeds. 

After making a contact, I set the internal keyer speed to 10 words per minute 
and dialed power output to zero, for practice purposes, then showed him how to 
use the paddle. He smiled as he got the hang of it. Sending the full alphabet 
was a challenge, but he got there. The KX2 decoded and displayed his keying, 
providing confirmation. 

We'd blown through his allotted lunch break by a factor of three, so it 

[Elecraft] Elecraft K1 power realignment

[W4RAM]

I want to realign the output of my K1, the radio has an internal antenna
tuner. The reason is because I check the radio is not coming out with the
proper power (test performed with dummy load and PWR-SWR meter Daiwa). "OUT"
is at 2.0W, and I can see, on the power meter, 1W.
I proceeded by removing the antenna tunner module, to be able to access L1,
... L6 (filter board for 40/20 mts band). However after this, when I try to
calibrate the RF filters, I can only get 0.1 W when I put the K1 in tune
mode. I check again the "OUT", and I stay 2W.
If I reinstall the internal antenna tuner, the radio returns to the initial
behavior (only 1W when "OUT" has been set to 2.0W).
Can someone guide me on how I should perform the power realignment process?.

Thank you

Al
W4RAM



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[Elecraft] K2 Af Gain potmeter

[Jos Weitenberg]

I build my K2 in the winter 2018/2019 with serialnumber 7850.
The transceiver works very well, but the af gain potmeter sound scratchy now.
My question is, is this normal after such a short time of use ?

Where can I get a decent potentiometer, because if I replace it with the same 
one, I think I will have the same problem again in 2 years.


73’s Jos PA3HGX 
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