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[N2SR]

Relays are rated for 2M cycles. This is not very much if full QSK is used. Likely need to replace after few years of service if use that mode daily.

Years ago I added up the cycles needed to make a QSO in the CQWW CW contest, if you were a run station.  A vacuum relay ended up being rated for about 30,000 contest contacts.

My Acom 2000A is 1999 vintage.  No failures and the amp has been used in many a CW contest with many Qs over that period. 

(watch. it'll fail tomorrow). 

[KD6VXI]

Relays are rated for 2M cycles. This is not very much if full QSK is used. Likely need to replace after few years of service if use that mode daily.

Years ago I added up the cycles needed to make a QSO in the CQWW CW contest, if you were a run station.  A vacuum relay ended up being rated for about 30,000 contest contacts.

So about a half hour for someone like W3LPL

Tongue in cheek, of course.

--Shane
WP2ASS / ex KD6VXI

[AE0Q]

Relays are rated for 2M cycles. This is not very much if full QSK is used. Likely need to replace after few years of service if use that mode daily.

Years ago I added up the cycles needed to make a QSO in the CQWW CW contest, if you were a run station.  A vacuum relay ended up being rated for about 30,000 contest contacts.

My Acom 2000A is 1999 vintage.  No failures and the amp has been used in many a CW contest with many Qs over that period. 

But how many is "many" ?  If "Many" is a few thousand a year, that's still a lot of years :-)

[N2SR]

Relays are rated for 2M cycles. This is not very much if full QSK is used. Likely need to replace after few years of service if use that mode daily.

Years ago I added up the cycles needed to make a QSO in the CQWW CW contest, if you were a run station.  A vacuum relay ended up being rated for about 30,000 contest contacts.

My Acom 2000A is 1999 vintage.  No failures and the amp has been used in many a CW contest with many Qs over that period. 

But how many is "many" ?  If "Many" is a few thousand a year, that's still a lot of years :-)

At least 2000 Qs per contest.  Add a similar number for each SSB contest. 

And it's not a linear relationship.  Many more CQs were sent than Qs that were logged.   

[KD6VXI]

Relays are rated for 2M cycles. This is not very much if full QSK is used. Likely need to replace after few years of service if use that mode daily.

Years ago I added up the cycles needed to make a QSO in the CQWW CW contest, if you were a run station.  A vacuum relay ended up being rated for about 30,000 contest contacts.

My Acom 2000A is 1999 vintage.  No failures and the amp has been used in many a CW contest with many Qs over that period. 

But how many is "many" ?  If "Many" is a few thousand a year, that's still a lot of years :-)

At least 2000 Qs per contest.  Add a similar number for each SSB contest. 

And it's not a linear relationship.  Many more CQs were sent than Qs that were logged.

Would be nice if you could hold the relay in while doing a CQ, then go QSK when you are operating.

Save a few cycles at least.

--Shane
WP2ASS / ex KD6VXI

[N2SR]

Would be nice if you could hold the relay in while doing a CQ, then go QSK when you are operating.

Save a few cycles at least.

--Shane
WP2ASS / ex KD6VXI

That's called VOX. 

I have never used QSK in a contest, and I do not know anyone who does.  It's not necessary. 

[VE7RF]

Relays are rated for 2M cycles. This is not very much if full QSK is used. Likely need to replace after few years of service if use that mode daily.

Years ago I added up the cycles needed to make a QSO in the CQWW CW contest, if you were a run station.  A vacuum relay ended up being rated for about 30,000 contest contacts.

My Acom 2000A is 1999 vintage.  No failures and the amp has been used in many a CW contest with many Qs over that period. 

But how many is "many" ?  If "Many" is a few thousand a year, that's still a lot of years :-)

At least 2000 Qs per contest.  Add a similar number for each SSB contest. 

And it's not a linear relationship.  Many more CQs were sent than Qs that were logged.

Would be nice if you could hold the relay in while doing a CQ, then go QSK when you are operating.

Save a few cycles at least.

--Shane
WP2ASS / ex KD6VXI

Dead simple.  Just depress the footswitch, which will override the QSK.

I have tried QSK several times...and just hate it with a passion.  Listening to band noise and other crap...in between me sending dots and dashes drives me nuts.

[KD6VXI]

Would be nice if you could hold the relay in while doing a CQ, then go QSK when you are operating.

Save a few cycles at least.

--Shane
WP2ASS / ex KD6VXI

That's called VOX. 

I have never used QSK in a contest, and I do not know anyone who does.  It's not necessary.

I don't think you'll get many calls while in the process of calling CQ.  Hence me stating that it would be nice to save the cycles during a CQ, then be able to switch back during a contact to full QSK.

Replacing vac relays in almost all amplifiers isn't very fun. 

I didn't realize people used voice activated keying during CW ~~

I don't use CW so I really don't have a dog in this fight.  Just thinking outside the box trying to save a bit of relay.

--Shane
WP2ASS

[VE7RF]

Would be nice if you could hold the relay in while doing a CQ, then go QSK when you are operating.

Save a few cycles at least.

--Shane
WP2ASS / ex KD6VXI

That's called VOX. 

I have never used QSK in a contest, and I do not know anyone who does.  It's not necessary.

I don't think you'll get many calls while in the process of calling CQ.  Hence me stating that it would be nice to save the cycles during a CQ, then be able to switch back during a contact to full QSK.

Replacing vac relays in almost all amplifiers isn't very fun. 

I didn't realize people used voice activated keying during CW ~~

I don't use CW so I really don't have a dog in this fight.  Just thinking outside the box trying to save a bit of relay.

--Shane
WP2ASS

Vox cw = 'semi break in'.  Everybody calls it  vox cw, since all the xcvr makers also called it vox cw.  Back eons ago, footswitches  were not the norm.

I sent a note off to Linemaster in CT, seeing if they can make a domed, circular footswitch with 2 x microswitches inside...and staggered...with a 20-30 msec delay between em.   Then one cable to the xcvr, and a 2nd cable to the amplifier.  In slo-mo, depress the footswitch slowly, and the tr relays in the amp are keyed 1st, then the xcvr.   Let up on the footswitch, and xcvr unkeys 1st, then the TR relays in the amp.   Done that way, there is no way to hotswitch the tr relays in the amp, when using a footswitch.   Without the 2 x cable setup, and talking into the mic... before u hit the footswitch, you will hot switch the tr relays in the amp every time.  My MK-V has 1/2 power coming out of it, just 11 msecs after hitting the PTT/footswitch. (tone applied to the mic jack / patch input). I don't want any power coming out of the xcvr till relays in the amp are fully on. 

[N2SR]

I don't think you'll get many calls while in the process of calling CQ.  Hence me stating that it would be nice to save the cycles during a CQ, then be able to switch back during a contact to full QSK.

Replacing vac relays in almost all amplifiers isn't very fun. 

I didn't realize people used voice activated keying during CW ~~

I don't use CW so I really don't have a dog in this fight.  Just thinking outside the box trying to save a bit of relay.

--Shane
WP2ASS

With most radios, you need to have VOX enabled to transmit, unless you like using a foot switch.  I don't.  Don't have one, don't need one.

Enable VOX, short two wires together (ie: straight key) radio goes into transmit.  Stop transmitting, then after VOX delay ends, radio returns to receive.   

Amplifier follows along, because the radio's TX GND connection is holding the amplifier in XMT.  Once VOX delay ends, TX GND is pulled up, and amp returns to receive. 

With QSK, VOX is not necessary. 

My typical CW CQ message during a contest is CQ N2SR N2SR.  That's 4 seconds at 36 wpm.  Or enough to get spotted by the RBN. 

We're not talking CQ CQ CQ WP2ASS WP2ASS WP2ASS CQ CQ CQ WP2ASS WP2ASS WP2ASS K K K at 20 wpm or less.

To reiterate, I do not use QSK.  And I don't use a foot switch.  Don't need to use either. 

I make plenty of Qs in CW contests. 

To circle back, the amplifier also goes into XMT during SSB using the same vacuum relay.  ;-)

[VE7RF]

Vox cw = 'semi break in'.  Everybody calls it  vox cw, since all the xcvr makers also called it vox cw.  Back eons ago, footswitches  were not the norm.

I sent a note off to Linemaster in CT, seeing if they can make a domed, circular footswitch with 2 x microswitches inside...and staggered...with a 20-30 msec delay between em.   Then one cable to the xcvr, and a 2nd cable to the amplifier.  In slo-mo, depress the footswitch slowly, and the tr relays in the amp are keyed 1st, then the xcvr.   Let up on the footswitch, and xcvr unkeys 1st, then the TR relays in the amp.   Done that way, there is no way to hotswitch the tr relays in the amp, when using a footswitch.   Without the 2 x cable setup, and talking into the mic... before u hit the footswitch, you will hot switch the tr relays in the amp every time.  My MK-V has 1/2 power coming out of it, just 11 msecs after hitting the PTT/footswitch. (tone applied to the mic jack / patch input). I don't want any power coming out of the xcvr till relays in the amp are fully on. 

On the MK-V (this feature is NOT on my 1000-D), the MK-V, on CW mode only, has a digital delay on CW, and the delay can be anywhere from 0-30 msecs. Adjustable in 1 msec increments. Done that way, so nothing gets truncated. Used on amplifiers with real slow TR relays, like the older ameritron amps, with the 3PDT mech relays...(15 msec operate time)...or the 3PDT mech relay in my L4B's ( 17 msecs).... or every other old amp that used a 3PDT mech relay. On these older amps, the digital delay is set for 20-30 mescs.

On VOX  SSB, there is RF coming out of both the MK-V and the 1000-D way too fast. My fix for that is to use the TX inhibit lead in both the xcvrs.  The ...'electronic ground' in either xcvr is used to key an opto isolator, and the opto isolator keys the TR relays in the amplifier.  Meanwhile, the oem yaesu spst mech relay (intended to key the TR relay's in amplifiers, whose keying requirements exceed the ..'electronic ground' capability of the xcvr) is  re-used to instead grnd the TX inhibit lead in the xcvr.  Until the TX inhibit lead in either yaesu gets a grnd, zero watts comes out of either xcvr.   The spst oem mech relay in the MK-B operates in 5 msecs (15 msecs in the 1000-D). The 5 msec operate delay from that spst oem mech relay in the MK-V is ample time to ensure the vac relays in my modified L4B's operate 1st..... b4 RF is applied.  However, that 5 msec delay is not long enough, if the oem  3PDT mech TR relay is still being used in the amplifier. Even the longer 15 msec delay in the same relay in the 1000-D is not long enough for 15-17 msec 3PDT TR relay's in older amps.  In those cases, an adjustable, external 0-30 msec electronic delay has to be used.

[VE7RF]

I came up with yet another method to activate the VOX on SSB, with a slight delay for RF coming out of the xcvr...and still activate the TR relays in the amplifier...1st.  On my  Behringer DEQ-2496 rack mount audio processor, there is TWO outputs for each channel.  Either of these 2 x outputs can be delayed, in .02 msec  (20 microsecond) increments...from 0-3000 msecs.  I use the NON delayed (real time) output to activate the VOX on the MK-V (via patch input).  Meanwhile the delayed output (typ 2-20 msecs)  is eventually fed directly into the analog BM input in the MK-V (new RCA jack installed on rear apron of the MK-V).  Mic gain on MK-V is set at 'zero' (oem yaesu mic pre-amp not used). Final drive level on the last piece of rack gear is precisely set to the correct level, then fed (through an external 20 db pad) then into the analog BM input.

This scheme has been thoroughly tested, and works...but with a caveat. It works only if using a loudspeaker.  IF using headphones, AND monitor turned on,  you will hear yourself..twice, in your ears. Once through bone conduction in real time..and a 2nd time (delayed by 2-30 msecs) through the headphones.  With 2-5 msec delay, it's a non issue, but anything more that 5 msecs, it is an issue.

This is yet another easy method to ensure the TR relays in the amplifier get a head start, and fully operate, when using VOX  SSB.

[W9AC]

First, I'm not a contester but this is my understanding: to economize on the number of relay cycles, I believe many contest ops use a form of CW PTT where the rig to amp line unkeys instantly when a called message buffer ends.  This is different than semi-break-in where there's always some amount of delay after the last CW element is sent.  The idea is to have the benefit of QSK at the end of each exchange but not intra-exchange. This allows the op to engage in fast CW exchanges like QSK but with only a fraction of the relay wear and chatter.

In the 1980s and '90s, PC contest cards were popular to achieve this objective.  With this feature enabled, if you were using RTS to key the actual CW dits and dahs, then DTR remained in a key down state until the CW buffer completed.  Today, the problem is easily solved with a WinkyerUSB device working with logging software. 

Paul, W9AC