External keyers with K3 - recommended?

[LB3SA]

I have never in my 34 years as a ham used an external keyer and always used either hand pump (old days) or built in keyer in my radios. But I keep hearing folks using external keyers despite built in capabilities.

I am a CW enthusiast and over 95% of my Q's are CW. I do like using memories but find the 4 quick memos in the K3 to be sufficient. I'm not interested in using a keyboard nor display to watch the text.

Does anyone recommend an external keyer even with the K3?? I would rather not hook on external boxes unless it will give me something extra.

If I do, I understand that Logikey and Microkeyer are great products.

[Dave, G4AON]

The internal keyers in my K1, K2 and K3 are fine by me. The reason why
many users prefer an external keyer is it is consistent between
transceivers, especially if you operate as a guest at other stations. If
you stick with one transceiver, and it has a good internal keyer, then I
see no reason to use an external one.

73 Dave, G4AON
----------------

I have never in my 34 years as a ham used an external keyer and always used
either hand pump (old days) or built in keyer in my radios. But I keep
hearing folks using external keyers despite built in capabilities.

I am a CW enthusiast and over 95% of my Q's are CW. I do like using memories
but find the 4 quick memos in the K3 to be sufficient. I'm not interested in
using a keyboard nor display to watch the text.

Does anyone recommend an external keyer even with the K3?? I would rather
not hook on external boxes unless it will give me something extra.

If I do, I understand that Logikey and Microkeyer are great products.

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[Brendan Minish]

On Sun, 2009-03-01 at 01:15 -0800, LB3SA wrote:

> Does anyone recommend an external keyer even with the K3?? I would rather
> not hook on external boxes unless it will give me something extra.


Yes, I use a logikey K-5 with my K3

There are a few advantages, the main one for me is that  using an
external keyer with memories frees up the memory buttons on the radio to
be used as menu shortcut keys

Other advantages
       
Macros, the K-5 supports macros, I find this handy for running pileups .
on 6m for example I use the following macro.
        I send the call, press the M2 button on the keyer
       
        It sends DE EI6IZ UR RST <pauses for me to inters the report>
        LOC IO53HU IO53HU KN
       
        this frees up my hands for logging the contact
       
        I also use a logikey CMOS 4 with my 706 mobile setup, here I use
        macros to send my location without having to load a full new
        memory for each new location.
        My name & QTH memory simply calls memory 4 twice for the QTH so
        I load my QTH into memory4 by sending it once

Banking, I can have multiple groups of memories for different
situations, contesting, rag chewing and 6m operating

Keyer 'feel' the K-5 and CMOS4 both feel exactly the same so I find I
make fewer mistakes than I would if I had to change between the K3 keyer
and the Icom internal keyer

Positioning, it's on the desk right next to the key making speed
adjustments memory access etc very easy

Speed control, with the Logikey keyers I can define the range of the
speed control pot so that I have smooth speed control over the range of
operating speeds that I use

73
Brendan EI6IZ


--
Don‘t complain. Nobody will understand. Or care. And certainly don‘t try
to fix the situation yourself. It‘s dangerous. Leave it to a highly
untrained, unqualified, expendable professional.

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[roncasa]

LB3SA wrote:
>  
>
> Does anyone recommend an external keyer even with the K3?? I would rather
> not hook on external boxes unless it will give me something extra.
>
> If I do, I understand that Logikey and Microkeyer are great products.
>  

(Google) Idiom press. They make the best ones, perfect for CW ops.

Ron
wb1hga

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[Jack Colson]

Actually, I prefer the internal keyer in the K3.  For whatever reason(s)
I tend to make less errors with it as compared to my Idiom press which I
have used for a long time.  Same paddle.  I do use a WinKey via USB for
CW when using N1MM.
FWIW
73 and good luck,
Jack, W3TMZ
----- Original Message -----
From: "ron" <[hidden email]>
Cc: <[hidden email]>
Sent: Sunday, March 01, 2009 1:01 PM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] External keyers with K3

> LB3SA wrote:
>>
>>
>> Does anyone recommend an external keyer even with the K3?? I would
>> rather
>> not hook on external boxes unless it will give me something extra.
>>
>> If I do, I understand that Logikey and Microkeyer are great products.
>>
>
> (Google) Idiom press. They make the best ones, perfect for CW ops.
>
> Ron
> wb1hga
>
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>
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>

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[n7ws]

That's backwards from my experience.  My TS870 has a built in Logikey that works beautifully.

Even though I've been sending the numeral 7 for over 50 years, with the K3 it comes out M S when I try to program the CW memories.


--- On Sun, 3/1/09, Jack Colson <[hidden email]> wrote:

> From: Jack Colson <[hidden email]>
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] External keyers with K3
> To: "ron" <[hidden email]>
> Cc: [hidden email]
> Date: Sunday, March 1, 2009, 11:09 AM
> Actually, I prefer the internal keyer in the K3.  For
> whatever reason(s)
> I tend to make less errors with it as compared to my Idiom
> press which I
> have used for a long time.  Same paddle.  I do use a WinKey
> via USB for
> CW when using N1MM.
> FWIW
> 73 and good luck,
> Jack, W3TMZ
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "ron" <[hidden email]>
> Cc: <[hidden email]>
> Sent: Sunday, March 01, 2009 1:01 PM
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] External keyers with K3
>
>
> > LB3SA wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >> Does anyone recommend an external keyer even with
> the K3?? I would
> >> rather
> >> not hook on external boxes unless it will give me
> something extra.
> >>
> >> If I do, I understand that Logikey and Microkeyer
> are great products.
> >>
> >
> > (Google) Idiom press. They make the best ones, perfect
> for CW ops.
> >
> > Ron
> > wb1hga
> >
> >
> ______________________________________________________________
> > Elecraft mailing list
> > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> > Post: mailto:[hidden email]
> >
> > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> > Please help support this email list:
> http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> >
>
> ______________________________________________________________
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[w0mu]

K1EL Winkey is very good too.  They have a stand alone kit.  Easy to build
and a number of manufacturers are putting them into their products like
Microham.


"A slip of the foot you may soon recover, but a slip of the tongue you may
never get over." Ben Franklin
-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of ron
Sent: Sunday, March 01, 2009 11:02 AM
Cc: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] External keyers with K3

LB3SA wrote:
>  
>
> Does anyone recommend an external keyer even with the K3?? I would
> rather not hook on external boxes unless it will give me something extra.
>
> If I do, I understand that Logikey and Microkeyer are great products.
>  

(Google) Idiom press. They make the best ones, perfect for CW ops.

Ron
wb1hga

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[Dick Dievendorff]

Idiom Press's keyers are superb for use with a paddle. Bob's a good friend,
and I've purchased a couple of the Idiom Press keyers.

If you wish to use keying from a contest logger such as N1MM, WriteLog,
Win-Test and several others, you'll find the K1EL WinKey important because
of its ability to be controlled by a computer program.  The WinKey chip is
incorporated into several microHAM products.

The Elecraft K3 has a fine built-in keyer that can be controlled by a
computer, but it hasn't yet been adopted by many of the contest loggers. You
can use programs such as G4ILO's KComm (http://www.g4ilo.com/kcomm.html) or
the Terminal Page of the K3 Utility to exercise the K3's internal keyer.

Dick, K6KR


-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of ron
Sent: Sunday, March 01, 2009 10:02 AM
Cc: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] External keyers with K3

LB3SA wrote:
>  
>
> Does anyone recommend an external keyer even with the K3?? I would rather
> not hook on external boxes unless it will give me something extra.
>
> If I do, I understand that Logikey and Microkeyer are great products.
>  

(Google) Idiom press. They make the best ones, perfect for CW ops.

Ron
wb1hga

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[Jay Bromley]

I would have to agree on what others have said, but add the following.

For contesting it's  hard to beat the WinKey type keyers since you're
interfacing with a contest program.  Things like speed control and
paddle/WinKey echo.

For rag-chewing it is hard to beat the Cmos III when at the home shack.  No
matter what mode you are hung up on, whether it is mode A, Mode B, auto
space on/off, etc, the Cmos III has something for nearly everyone.  I think
it has ten versions of keyer emulations.

I still think you can homebrew a better Cmos III than the factory built
version.  I have used only one factory version, but since then still prefer
to build homebrew Cmos III's over going with factory built units.  MorseX
still offers both Cmos III kits and factory versions at:
http://www.mtechnologies.com/idiom/index.htm  By building the kit you can
use better push buttons, batteries instead of 12 volt power, make the
cabinet smaller or larger, etc.  However the factory unit may be better for
some folks, it's just not for me.

Both keyers work great on any of the Elecraft rigs, but I have no problem
using the stock internal keyer when out in the field.  I don't like to carry
extra boxes and the stock Elecraft keyer is not bad at all!

73 de jay/w5jay..

>
> I have never in my 34 years as a ham used an external keyer and always
> used
> either hand pump (old days) or built in keyer in my radios. But I keep
> hearing folks using external keyers despite built in capabilities.
>
> I am a CW enthusiast and over 95% of my Q's are CW. I do like using
> memories
> but find the 4 quick memos in the K3 to be sufficient. I'm not interested
> in
> using a keyboard nor display to watch the text.
>
> Does anyone recommend an external keyer even with the K3?? I would rather
> not hook on external boxes unless it will give me something extra.
>
> If I do, I understand that Logikey and Microkeyer are great products.
> --
> View this message in context:
> http://n2.nabble.com/External-keyers-with-K3---recommended--tp2403830p2403830.html
> Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com.

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[Vic K2VCO]

LB3SA wrote:

> Does anyone recommend an external keyer even with the K3?? I would rather
> not hook on external boxes unless it will give me something extra.
>
> If I do, I understand that Logikey and Microkeyer are great products.

The internal keyer in the K3 is no slouch, but I find that the Logikey is more comfortable
  for me -- that is, I seem to make fewer errors than with the internal keyer. Something
subtle about the timing. I set a small amount of compensation (K=2 or K=3 for Logikey
users), to make up for the slight shortening of elements in the K3 when using an external
keyer.

This is entirely a matter of personal preference -- there's nothing wrong with the
internal keyer.
--
73,
Vic, K2VCO
Fresno CA
http://www.qsl.net/k2vco
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[N0tk]

I always used the internal keyer in my Elecraft rigs. I recently built the Winkey USB keyer from K1EL and use it with n1mm logger for contest operations. It's a pretty good standalone keyer as well. Since the K3 has provisions for both a paddle and straight key I use a Bencher paddle to the K3 and a Begali paddle to the Winkeyer which plugs into the straight key jack on the K3.
Dan N0TK

Highlands Ranch, CO


-----Original Message-----
From: LB3SA <[hidden email]>
To: [hidden email]
Sent: Sun, 1 Mar 2009 2:15 am
Subject: [Elecraft]  External keyers with K3 - recommended?








I have never in my 34 years as a ham used an external keyer and always used
either hand pump (old days) or built in keyer in my radios. But I keep
hearing folks using external keyers despite built in capabilities.

I am a CW enthusiast and over 95% of my Q's are CW. I do like using memories
but find the 4 quick memos in the K3 to be sufficient. I'm not interested in
using a keyboard nor display to watch the text.

Does anyone recommend an external keyer even with the K3?? I would rather
not hook on external boxes unless it will give me something extra.

If I do, I understand that Logikey and Microkeyer are great products.
--
View this message in context: http://n2.nabble.com/External-keyers-with-K3---recommended--tp2403830p2403830.html
Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com.

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