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K2/Writelog computer interface

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w1awb

K2/Writelog computer interface

Although not a big contester as a rule, last weekend I had a lot of fun
working the New England QSO Party using Writelog. I was working mostly CW
and doing most everything manually. It was pointed out to me I should be
using a lot of the automatic message features in Writelog. This is fine with
me but I'm confused as to what I need to do to key my K2 with the computer.
Do I have to have more outboard stuff? I have NO SSB module so using PTT is
out of the question. With K2 Remote I can key the K2 and send CW with my
keyboard just using the normal computer connection. Is this possible with
Writelog or any other program? I tried it with MixW but no luck. I wonder if
I'm just configuring my programs wrong. I'm very hazy on this aspect of the
hobby. Any info would be much appreciated. Thanks!
Andy W1AWB

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Mark J. Schreiner

Re: K2/Writelog computer interface

Good question, Andy. I started to investigate this last night actually and found the keying using the interface from the computer RS232 port to the KIO2 with K2Remote much better than the keying using a keying circuit built into a DB9 connector and using Log-EQF. I've only used the keying circuit one other time and wasn't pleased with it then either, although the convenience was nice, just not very smooth CW. I used a laptop originally and my desktop compuker last night, so I can't blame it on something with the serial port itself. The common things were the keying interface built into the DB9 connector and the logging program. Are there any other contest logging programs out there that use the same keying as is used with K2Remote? Maybe it is a configuration issue for me with Log-EQF.

Oh, let me explain my complaint on the keying. The timing seemed choppy. Some characters were not sent correctly, actually sounded like another character, for instance, my callsign, NK8Q sometimes gets sent okay and other times sounds like NO8Q or something like that. Other times it seems to have longer pauses between characters so it isn't real smooth. I figured maybe it was just at the speed I was operating, about 20 to 25 WPM, so I slowed it down to 13 to 16 WPM and still noticed the same thing.

I would use K2Remote during the contest this weekend (MAQP) if it had memories built in, but would be nicer to have an integrated logging program that keys the K2 better. Also, Log-EQF doesn't fully support the MAQP, but I created my own multipliers list for the contest. Only thing I would have to do manually for scoring is adjust the score for mobile contacts.

Any ideas that I can try before the contest this weekend?

Mark, NK8Q
K2 4786

>From: Andy Bullington <[hidden email]>
>Date: Wed May 11 13:11:24 CDT 2005
>To: [hidden email]
>Subject: [Elecraft] K2/Writelog computer interface

>Although not a big contester as a rule, last weekend I had a lot of fun
>working the New England QSO Party using Writelog. I was working mostly CW
>and doing most everything manually. It was pointed out to me I should be
>using a lot of the automatic message features in Writelog. This is fine with
>me but I'm confused as to what I need to do to key my K2 with the computer.
>Do I have to have more outboard stuff? I have NO SSB module so using PTT is
>out of the question. With K2 Remote I can key the K2 and send CW with my
>keyboard just using the normal computer connection. Is this possible with
>Writelog or any other program? I tried it with MixW but no luck. I wonder if
>I'm just configuring my programs wrong. I'm very hazy on this aspect of the
>hobby. Any info would be much appreciated. Thanks!
> Andy W1AWB
>
>

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k6mr

Re: K2/Writelog computer interface

In reply to this post by w1awb

If you are running a Windows NT based OS (NT/2000/XP),
the cw timing problem is an artifact of Windows. I
believe K2Remote gets around this by using the built
in ascii -> cw command that is in the K2 firmware.
Unfortunately none of the logging programs I've tried
support this feature.

The best solution so far seems to be WinKey: this is
a small (and cheap) external keyer that connects to a
serial port. Both Writelog and N1MM Logger support
WinKey, and it works good. It can be powered from the
serial port and has a separate speed control so it can
also be used without the logger interface.

Ken K6MR

--- [hidden email] wrote:

> Good question, Andy. I started to investigate this
> last night actually and found the keying using the
> interface from the computer RS232 port to the KIO2
> with K2Remote much better than the keying using a
> keying circuit built into a DB9 connector and using
> Log-EQF. I've only used the keying circuit one
> other time and wasn't pleased with it then either,
> although the convenience was nice, just not very
> smooth CW. I used a laptop originally and my desktop
> compuker last night, so I can't blame it on
> something with the serial port itself. The common
> things were the keying interface built into the DB9
> connector and the logging program. Are there any
> other contest logging programs out there that use
> the same keying as is used with K2Remote? Maybe it
> is a configuration issue for me with Log-EQF.
>
> Oh, let me explain my complaint on the keying. The
> timing seemed choppy. Some characters were not sent
> correctly, actually sounded like another character,
> for instance, my callsign, NK8Q sometimes gets sent
> okay and other times sounds like NO8Q or something
> like that. Other times it seems to have longer
> pauses between characters so it isn't real smooth.
> I figured maybe it was just at the speed I was
> operating, about 20 to 25 WPM, so I slowed it down
> to 13 to 16 WPM and still noticed the same thing.
>
> I would use K2Remote during the contest this weekend
> (MAQP) if it had memories built in, but would be
> nicer to have an integrated logging program that
> keys the K2 better. Also, Log-EQF doesn't fully
> support the MAQP, but I created my own multipliers
> list for the contest. Only thing I would have to do
> manually for scoring is adjust the score for mobile
> contacts.
>
> Any ideas that I can try before the contest this
> weekend?
>
> Mark, NK8Q
> K2 4786
>
> >From: Andy Bullington <[hidden email]>
> >Date: Wed May 11 13:11:24 CDT 2005
> >To: [hidden email]
> >Subject: [Elecraft] K2/Writelog computer interface
>
> >Although not a big contester as a rule, last
> weekend I had a lot of fun
> >working the New England QSO Party using Writelog. I
> was working mostly CW
> >and doing most everything manually. It was pointed
> out to me I should be
> >using a lot of the automatic message features in
> Writelog. This is fine with
> >me but I'm confused as to what I need to do to key
> my K2 with the computer.
> >Do I have to have more outboard stuff? I have NO
> SSB module so using PTT is
> >out of the question. With K2 Remote I can key the
> K2 and send CW with my
> >keyboard just using the normal computer connection.
> Is this possible with
> >Writelog or any other program? I tried it with MixW
> but no luck. I wonder if
> >I'm just configuring my programs wrong. I'm very
> hazy on this aspect of the
> >hobby. Any info would be much appreciated. Thanks!
> > Andy W1AWB
> >
> >
> _______________________________________________
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>
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>

Jim Brown-10

Re: K2/Writelog computer interface

In reply to this post by w1awb

On Wed, 11 May 2005 14:11:24 -0400, Andy Bullington wrote:

>Any info would be much appreciated.

Writelog keys the K2 VERY nicely using their serial port method.
To make it work, you need to make a very simple interface.

1) Pin 4 of the serial cable (from the computer) thru a 1K
resistor to the base of a generic NPN (I use a 2N4123 because I
have a lot of them, but any general purpose NPN will work).

2) Collector of the transistor to both sides of the key jack
through diodes (just as you would do with a straight key, per the
manual).

3) Emitter of the transistor to the shell of the key jack.

You can now use both your paddle and the computer to key the
radio. Very nice in a contest.

Several measures will eliminate the RF feedback that often results
if you use the standard K2 serial cable. What I've described below
is good for at least 1 kW into a long wire antenna running right
next to the rig!

1) Use shielded twisted-pair cable, NOT the parallel conductor
cable that comes with (or at least did come with) the standard K2
serial interface. Braid shield is better if you can find it. Use
one twisted pair for each signal line. That is, one pair for pin
2, one pair for pin 3, and one pair for pin 4.

2) Connect the shield to the shell of the DB9 on each end, NOT to
pin 5 of the DB9. I don't make any connection to the pin 5's -- I
connect signal returns to the shell of the DB9's too.

Jim Brown K9YC

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Don Wilhelm-3

RE: K2/Writelog computer interface

> -----Original Message-----
> Writelog keys the K2 VERY nicely using their serial port method.
> To make it work, you need to make a very simple interface.
>
> 1) Pin 4 of the serial cable (from the computer) thru a 1K
> resistor to the base of a generic NPN (I use a 2N4123 because I
> have a lot of them, but any general purpose NPN will work).
>
> 2) Collector of the transistor to both sides of the key jack
> through diodes (just as you would do with a straight key, per the
> manual).
>
> 3) Emitter of the transistor to the shell of the key jack.
>
> You can now use both your paddle and the computer to key the
> radio. Very nice in a contest.
>

Jim and all,

If you have the physical space, use two transistors - base and emitters in
parallel, conect one collector to the dash input and the other to the dot
input - the diodes can be eliminated since the transistors take care of
switching the dot and dash inputs at the same time. It would also eliminate
the problem caused by higher diode forward voltage that was mentioned on the
reflector late last week.

73,
Don W3FPR
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