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Hombrew Handheld PTT Switch suggestions ?

Build it once correctly and forget about it. I would recommend Switch Craft brand switches since you can still buy them new today and they are a well known product. If you go cheap it will fail at the worst possible time. I hate building things twice! I also do not like things that are not durable.
 
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I've used these in the past and they even have a provision for a receive wire if someone is running a Cobra radio.
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MORE POWER!

In my youth, I would agree with the Mo-Power since I was known to put Corvette Engines in Toyota 4x4. I put a Ford 351 into a Ford Ranger 2wd for an Uncle. As a young automotive technician apprentice in Germany, I built some wild straight 6's with composite drives so supercharger and turbochargers along with off the shelf gasoline and diesel parts machined to perfection. In fact I was known to swap cams in parking lots on OHC engines just for a race than go back to a more civil cam for the ride home. Now it takes an act of Congress to get me to change my oil when it is cold out! LOL

As I got older I got lazy and valued durability more than power! LOL

The older I get the more quality control, durability and execution mean to me!

I tell my young twins that just turned 16 all the time "If you do not have time to do it right the first time how are you going to find the time to do it a 2nd time?" I also tell them that a truly lazy man will do it right the first time so he does not have to do it again and again! LOL

Tricker is balancing price versus build quality!!!
 
In my youth, I would agree with the Mo-Power since I was known to put Corvette Engines in Toyota 4x4. I put a Ford 351 into a Ford Ranger 2wd for an Uncle. As a young automotive technician apprentice in Germany, I built some wild straight 6's with composite drives so supercharger and turbochargers along with off the shelf gasoline and diesel parts machined to perfection. In fact I was known to swap cams in parking lots on OHC engines just for a race than go back to a more civil cam for the ride home. Now it takes an act of Congress to get me to change my oil when it is cold out! LOL

As I got older I got lazy and valued durability more than power! LOL

The older I get the more quality control, durability and execution mean to me!

I tell my young twins that just turned 16 all the time "If you do not have time to do it right the first time how are you going to find the time to do it a 2nd time?" I also tell them that a truly lazy man will do it right the first time so he does not have to do it again and again! LOL

Tricker is balancing price versus build quality!!!

Truer words of wisdom have never been uttered! My wife will not let me any where near the riding lawn mower with a wrench. I was teasing her about how slow she drove it and taking too long to mow the grass. I told her I was going to hang a dual turbo system with a intercooler. We had just watched an episode of "Street Outlaws" and she asked some good questions about one of the cars that went from Nitrous to turbo. She told me to stay away from "Her" mower. She caught me looking at turbo chargers on line and she acted like I was really looking bad things! I found a picture of a 871 supercharger and asked her if I could install one. I almost had her convinced until she saw the price.
The 871 would be used on an engine I have been thinking about building for my GMC Blazer. It will be a real Mountain Motor!
 
Okay I'll actually contribute.
There is a micro switch on the edge of the bench.
There is a micro switch inside the desk that can be activated with the knee, much like a sewing machine switch
There is a foot switch
There is a button on the screen via keyboard or touch on the laptops.
I have, had used a wireless PTT. That I haven't used it in years might tell you what I think of that.

In any case I rarely use more than one. All can be disabled with a switch.

Short addendum.
As far as VOX goes I can't seem to use it. I must be broken. For PTT microphones I use a press down bar and never got used to a chicken choker. The lock function has been disabled on all my desk microphones.

Otherwise useless information.
I use cardioid pattern microphones exclusively with one exception. I have an overhead microphone in the shop that is used for computer, intercom, telecoms, and transceivers. It would have ended up in the trash because it hears absolutely everything.This is the one place where it has a use.
The reason for the cardioid pattern is the usual household noise as I have never had an exclusive shack space. I try to limit noise from other than directly in front of the microphone.

There is one accidental effect from all these operating positions. They all sound alike. Other than the garage microphone being a bit down from the others the frequency response is near identical for all .

Anecdotal.
Three of the members here have heard the TS-830S and spoken to me on the phone. That they find very little if any difference between the two I'll give to the Kenwood's audio processing.

Important note.
In all cases the the PTT is the tip of the iceberg when considering T/R switching. There are many good articles on sequencing. Read how ever many of them you need to understand. I only mention this because there are a very few ways a remote PTT can interfere with sequencing. Learn to recognize and deal with out of sequence PTT events. Now this is going to hurt and create a bit of a firestorm. By it's use alone, a carrier operated relay as is found in virtually all 11m amplifiers "hot switches" . This is bad news on so many levels. As power levels go up it gets worse. In many cases physical adjustment of the moving contacts will stagger events enough. Delay circuits will be needed otherwise. The simple fix is to not use a carrier operated relay.

Then...

:)
 

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