Mike,
I fully agree with you - mode B still baffles me and causes the infrequent
error. At least with mode A when I press the paddle I'll know what I'll get.
The K-2 has mode A, which is a lifesaver in the pileup. When chasing DX you
don't need the extra character as that is the time they will hear you.
I'm curious about the Jackson Harbor aftermarket pic, I think it also
increases vfo resolution to 10 Hz doesn't it? Please drop me a note off list
as I might wish to upgrade my DSW-II.
Regards,
Joe N9JR
Mike Morrow <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Mode B timing IS much more critical than mode A because if you hold the dit
paddle just a tiny little bit too long in an iambic dah-dit string, you'll get
an unwanted dah, and if you hold the dah paddle just a tiny little bit too long
in an iambic dit-dah string, you'll get an unwanted dit.
With mode A, you only get a dit or dah if you've pushed the dit or dah paddle
for it. To me, that just seems the logical way for a keyer to work. Given that
there is no discernable advantage to mode B, why anyone would want a keyer to
send a character element for which no paddle was depressed has always baffled
me. Historically, mode B arose from a logic flaw in an early electronic keyer
that eventually got advertised as a "feature."
But...If one is just learning iambic keying, I would recommend learning mode
B rather than mode A. Some ham rig manufacturers don't give you the option of
choosing the logical system, and provide mode B only (like Yaesu and Small
Wonder Labs). My SWL DSW units gave me fits because they had only mode B keying
(until Jackson Harbor produced a full-featured keyer with mode A option as a
replacement for the stock PIC in the DSW).
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