Steve Bonine wrote:
Bill Horne wrote:

I'll let you in on a secret: I think manufacturers put keyers in their
rigs because every ham who has forgotten the code wants to think that
he'll hook up an iambic key someday and win the CW SS.

I'm afraid that the majority of today's hams simply don't care. But if
you mentioned any one aspect of ham radio -- DX, contesting, public
service -- you could say the same thing. The _majority_ of hams don't
care.

I wonder if there is any one aspect of the hobby that the majority do
care about.

It is a interesting question, Steve. I suspect not. There are so many
different aspects and unfortunately some of them are at odds. If I had
to perform only one aspect of the hobby it would be homebrewing. But my
favorite activities are Homebrewing, PSK31, and contesting in that
order. Most everyone else would answer differently.

But to coin a phrase "Its all good!"


What's the single most popular activity in ham radio? Based
on our local group, I'd have to say "drinking coffee with the gang."

Hehe, we've nicknamed our local repeater the "Food Repeater". It is
pretty busy, but we do spend a lot of time talking about where to get
together for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, coffee, snacks..... well
you get the idea.

Like the lottery, they're selling a dream: if the chip were omitted
without telling anyone, I doubt 99% of hams would notice. ;-)

You mean put the jack on the back for the key, but don't connect it to
anything? Yeah, I think you're probably right. Problem is, someone
from that 1% would hook up a paddle, find that it didn't work, and
inform the 99%. Then there would be an excuse to rant, and people who
don't even own a paddle would be vociferously roasting the manufacturer.

Minor quibble... Do you really think it is that high a number? Keeping
in mind that that roughly half of all hams are Technicians that probably
wouldn't be expected to know. But of General and above, I would think
that most would notice.

At any rate, it isn't that expensive or space hogging an addition, and
it has uses beyond transmitting CW Morse - tuning and Morse practice.

The rigs are meant to be versatile, I mean I have USB capability on 40
meters and below, and LSB above that. There are other things that are
likely used much less than a keyer.

On a related subject, There was a new Ham trying to sell a Icom IC-7000
(I Want, I Want!)on QRZ Because he said it didn't perform well and he
was tired of it. Several other Hams tried to get him to say exactly what
wasn't working with it, and it ended up that he just didn't understand
how to work an HF radio. The thing with HF rigs is that they are
definitely NOT plug and play. That's what I love about them, but new
guys and gals coming from the HT world of repeaters need a lot of
Elmering. And we should be doing it.

- 73 de Mike N3LI -