I am currently trying to up my CW head copy skills and bump my sending speed up a bit. I am taking the LICW club's Advanced 1 class and it is a lot of fun, and a little humbling. It is a challenge for me which is exactly what I need -- a reason to push myself. The only person judging me is me. In this part of my CW world I am doing fine. So, about the come to Jesus meeting.
I have a lot of nice radios. I was nosing around the classified adds and found a Ten Tec Argonaut VI for sale at a reasonable price. I was tempted to buy it. This is when I had the Come to Jesus Meeting. It's amazing how you can rationalize yourself into to needing something. Yes there is a cool factor to own the Argonaut and yes, the QSK is very nice, but do I really need it. Currently, I have a IC-7300 MK2, IC-7200, an IC-705, and a Kenwood TS-590sg to take to the field. I mostly work out of my truck or my micro camper so weight and size is not an issue. Shoot, I even have a buggy to put stuff in and lug it around.
In a moment of clear thinking, I decided to pull out each of my field radios and hook them up and play with them for a few minutes. I made a few contacts at 5-10 watts. I was reminded why I like big radios. One they don't get hot or overheat. Two, their displays are bigger and have more information, and three, the controls are easier to get to. The IC-705 while small still has great ergonomics and its functionality is very similar to the IC-7300and IC-7300MK2.
These radios were a joy to use and they sounded great. The only thing I might be giving up is they all have some relay clatter, but with headphones on (which I normally do), it all but disappears.
Sometimes the hardest thing to hear is the truth. The truth is I have a bunch of fine radios and really have no need for another one (at least not now). I have a trip coming up and it will be the IC-7300MK2's first time out. I loved taking the IC-7300 out, and I expect a similar experience with theMK2.
Where does that leave me? My CW journey is taking me down some different paths. Bugs, Cooties, and Sideswipers along with Iambic twin paddles are in the mix. I decided that using a Bug or a Cootie along with an Iambic Paddle really throws me off, so I won't be trying that for a while. However, I am considering a single paddle sideswiper. It is like an Iambic paddle without the squeeze keying. Supposedly, you make fewer mistakes (I'm all for that).
A tip I learned from one of the LICW instructors was to send using a paddle with one hand and use the other hand for straight keys, bugs, and Cooties. I may have to try that, but not today.
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