Dan is right...it now comes down to personal "touch". K can be squeezed (both paddles held and let go at the 2nd dash) or dit-inserted (while holding dash, tap dit then let go).
Dan's chart shows "dit inserted" paddle movement. I "squeeze" my K's and this is where the difference between the two modes bites the A user... Mode A K "squeezed" looks like this. Dah lever: DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH Dit lever: DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT Keys Daaaaaaah di Daaaaah A mode A user squeezing a K in Mode B looks like this: Dah lever: DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH Dit lever: DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT <<<<must let go of dit paddle sooner to avoid last dit. Keys Daaaaaaah di Daaaaah dit The 2nd example is really how a B moder would send a C but if he sat at A mode keyer he'd only get a K! It's going from one mode to the other that causes mistakes...neither mode is bad. B allows for less finger motion I believe and perhaps if it was available when I first learned iambic keying I would prefer it. I actually mix sqeeze with dot and dash insertion fingering nowadays because it seems to generate the correct letters most of the time for me. Whatever floats your boat. When the Orion first came out it ONLY offered Mode B. There were enough complaints to cause them to add mode A in an early firmware update. We are a nation divided! Code vs No Code, Bugs vs straight keys on SKN and now A'ers vs B'ers. LOL. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dan Barker" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Elecraft" <elecraft@mailman.qth.net> Sent: Wednesday, January 25, 2006 5:55 PM Subject: RE: [Elecraft] k2 iambic modes > That's not how a K is sent. A K is a dah with a dit-insert. I think the > fru-fru _MAY_ be that it's difficult to slap the key to B, but you can to A. > However, if you are squeeze keying, either will work - AFTER you learn the > timing. > > > Mode A K: > dah: DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH > dit: DIT > keys: Daaaaaaah dit daaaaaaah > > Mode B K: > dah: DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH > dit: DIT > keys: Daaaaaaah dit daaaaaaah > > Interesting, THESE are identical. The limits of where you can let go of the > DAH paddle probably differ, but the "normal" K is the same in both A and B. > Hold the DAH for the duration of the letter. Stick in a dit sometime before > the end of the first dah. > > Maybe mode B will create an additional dah output if you release the dah > inside the letter. I don't know, because that's not squeeze (iambic) keying. > That's just wrong. > > Dan > > <snip> > But if you only want a 'K', you have to let go during the dit (or a > little after, depending on the mode B implementation). > </snip> > > _______________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > You must be a subscriber to post to the list. > Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): > http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm > Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
