Elecraft

Re: K3 choppy CW

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K7TV

Re: K3 choppy CW

Andy,

Thanks for your input, it is helpful to me. Sorry if this is too much OT,
but I see an additional benefit in the WinKeyer in that it lets you use
paddles. I don't know how deep into contest-land I will go, but at this
point it feels like cheating to use the keyboard, even though it is much
less stressful than paddles. Not yet familiar with N1MM, I simply assume
that you can't use paddles with it unless you have the WinKeyer. Anyone
please correct me if I am wrong.

73,
Erik

> Julius,
> Though we're now drifting off topic from Elecraft, WinKey USB works fine
> on my Vista laptop keying my K3. It also has the advantage of not tying up
> any serial ports, since it runs off the USB port (the driver creates a
> "virtual" serial port). You can also use it for PTT, thus avoiding using
> another serial port for that function.
> 73,andy, ae6y

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K7TV

Re: K3 choppy CW

Group, I am sorry to harp on this, but it seems someone thought I was not
thinking I could key the K3 directly when using N1MM. Of course one could do
that. But I was assuming that running through N1MM would give me a specific
benefit: Not to have to enter callsigns and exchange info twice (once to
transmit, once to log). To me it seems obvious that any contest logging
program should do this; after e.g. a callsign has been entered through the
keyboard, there is no ambiguity about it, and the program should transmit it
as well as log it. Now N1MM claims to be integrated with WinKeyer, so my
expectation is that I should be able to do the same using the paddles to
enter the callsign. Admittedly, that involves some CW decoding in software,
but if I select the type of data item by selecting an input field by mouse
on the screen, the program should have a leg up for a good guess, which I
could verify by one glance, and the exchange information would probably be
generated automatically anyway.

Before I put more time into this, would somebody familiar with N1MM please
let me know if any of my expectations are unrealistic.

Thanks in advance,

Erik K7TV

> Andy,
>
> Thanks for your input, it is helpful to me. Sorry if this is too much OT,
> but I see an additional benefit in the WinKeyer in that it lets you use
> paddles. I don't know how deep into contest-land I will go, but at this
> point it feels like cheating to use the keyboard, even though it is much
> less stressful than paddles. Not yet familiar with N1MM, I simply assume
> that you can't use paddles with it unless you have the WinKeyer. Anyone
> please correct me if I am wrong.
>
> 73,
> Erik

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Julius Fazekas n2wn

Re: K3 choppy CW

In reply to this post by K7TV

Hi Erik,

I haven't, I'm still using Win2K predominately on my contest computer. So far my experiences have bee negative with Vista, but that may be as much due to our IT Department "making things safe".

One of the gents in our contest group has put it on Vista, but he had to get some help to do so. The K1EL Yahoo group is very helpful if you run into any problems.

Don't get me wrong, it's a good piece of equipment and I know more folks who haven't had problems than those of us who did, but it is a possibility, so take your time with the driver install.

The kit is a quick and easy build.

Cheers,
Julius

Julius Fazekas
N2WN

Tennessee Contest Group
http://www.k4ro.net/tcg/index.html

Tennessee QSO Party
http://www.tnqp.org/

Elecraft K2/100 #4455
Elecraft K3/100 #366

--- On Thu, 2/26/09, Erik N Basilier <[hidden email]> wrote:

> From: Erik N Basilier <[hidden email]>
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 choppy CW
> To: "Julius Fazekas n2wn" <[hidden email]>, [hidden email]
> Date: Thursday, February 26, 2009, 2:47 PM
> Julius,
>
> Thanks for the heads-up. I did order the USB version, and
> just assumed that it would not be a problem since so many
> people have said good things about them. Did you install
> successfully on Vista 32?
>
> 73,
> Erik K7TV
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Julius Fazekas
> n2wn" <[hidden email]>
> To: <[hidden email]>
> Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2009 12:42 PM
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 choppy CW
>
>
> >
> > Eric,
> >
> > Something to keep in mind with the WKUSB keyer, at
> least the one I installed
> > two years ago, is that the driver installation can be
> very unforgiving. I,
> > and others, had a heck of a time with them IF one
> doesn't EXACTLY follow the
> > installation instructions. Read, read and read again
> before doing
> > anything... Once installed the unit seems bulletproof.
> >
> > This may not hold true with the latest models. I just
> bought a new one, for
> > mobile use with my K2.
> >
> > Hope to catch you in the contests.. soon to be RTTY
> enabled here (FSK of
> > course) ;o)
> >
> > 73,
> > Julius
> >
> >

Julius Fazekas
N2WN

Tennessee Contest Group
http://www.k4ro.net/tcg/index.html

Tennessee QSO Party
http://www.tnqp.org/

Elecraft K2 #4455
Elecraft K3/100 #366
Elecraft K3/100

Julius Fazekas n2wn

Re: K3 choppy CW

In reply to this post by Andy Faber

Hi Andy,

No argument on the advantages/disadvantages of using WKUSB with the K3. But you don't "have" to have it, even with a USB to serial interface.

Too, I haven't any experience with Vista and WKUSB, so can't make an experienced comment on that combo.

My experiences with loading the drivers is simply noted to save someone else the headache some of us have had...

Cheers,
Julius

Julius Fazekas
N2WN

Tennessee Contest Group
http://www.k4ro.net/tcg/index.html

Tennessee QSO Party
http://www.tnqp.org/

Elecraft K2/100 #4455
Elecraft K3/100 #366

--- On Thu, 2/26/09, Andrew Faber <[hidden email]> wrote:

> From: Andrew Faber <[hidden email]>
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 choppy CW
> To: "Erik N Basilier" <[hidden email]>, "Julius Fazekas n2wn" <[hidden email]>, [hidden email]
> Date: Thursday, February 26, 2009, 2:53 PM
> Julius,
> Though we're now drifting off topic from Elecraft,
> WinKey USB works fine on my Vista laptop keying my K3. It
> also has the advantage of not tying up any serial ports,
> since it runs off the USB port (the driver creates a
> "virtual" serial port). You can also use it for
> PTT, thus avoiding using another serial port for that
> function.
> 73,andy, ae6y
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Erik N
> Basilier" <[hidden email]>
> To: "Julius Fazekas n2wn"
> <[hidden email]>;
> <[hidden email]>
> Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2009 11:47 AM
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 choppy CW
>
>
> > Julius,
> >
> > Thanks for the heads-up. I did order the USB version,
> and just assumed that
> > it would not be a problem since so many people have
> said good things about
> > them. Did you install successfully on Vista 32?
> >
> > 73,
> > Erik K7TV
> >
> > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Julius
> Fazekas n2wn" <[hidden email]>
> > To: <[hidden email]>
> > Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2009 12:42 PM
> > Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 choppy CW
> >
> >
> >>
> >> Eric,
> >>
> >> Something to keep in mind with the WKUSB keyer, at
> least the one I
> >> installed
> >> two years ago, is that the driver installation can
> be very unforgiving. I,
> >> and others, had a heck of a time with them IF one
> doesn't EXACTLY follow
> >> the
> >> installation instructions. Read, read and read
> again before doing
> >> anything... Once installed the unit seems
> bulletproof.
> >>
> >> This may not hold true with the latest models. I
> just bought a new one,
> >> for
> >> mobile use with my K2.
> >>
> >> Hope to catch you in the contests.. soon to be
> RTTY enabled here (FSK of
> >> course) ;o)
> >>
> >> 73,
> >> Julius
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> ______________________________________________________________
> > 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

Julius Fazekas
N2WN

Tennessee Contest Group
http://www.k4ro.net/tcg/index.html

Tennessee QSO Party
http://www.tnqp.org/

Elecraft K2 #4455
Elecraft K3/100 #366
Elecraft K3/100

Julius Fazekas n2wn

Re: K3 choppy CW

In reply to this post by K7TV

Erik,

No you can use the paddles with N1MM and just the K3. The K1EL is for computer generated CW.

Some of us have a hard enough time typing, tuning, using a key AND keeping up a decent rate ;o)

For casual contesting, without using computer generated CW, you really don't need WKUSB, the paddles will do it.

Julius Fazekas
N2WN

Tennessee Contest Group
http://www.k4ro.net/tcg/index.html

Tennessee QSO Party
http://www.tnqp.org/

Elecraft K2/100 #4455
Elecraft K3/100 #366

--- On Thu, 2/26/09, Erik N Basilier <[hidden email]> wrote:

> From: Erik N Basilier <[hidden email]>
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 choppy CW
> To: "Andrew Faber" <[hidden email]>, "Julius Fazekas n2wn" <[hidden email]>, [hidden email]
> Date: Thursday, February 26, 2009, 3:20 PM
> Andy,
>
> Thanks for your input, it is helpful to me. Sorry if this
> is too much OT, but I see an additional benefit in the
> WinKeyer in that it lets you use paddles. I don't know
> how deep into contest-land I will go, but at this point it
> feels like cheating to use the keyboard, even though it is
> much less stressful than paddles. Not yet familiar with
> N1MM, I simply assume that you can't use paddles with it
> unless you have the WinKeyer. Anyone please correct me if I
> am wrong.
>
> 73,
> Erik
>
>
> > Julius,
> > Though we're now drifting off topic from
> Elecraft, WinKey USB works fine on my Vista laptop keying my
> K3. It also has the advantage of not tying up any serial
> ports, since it runs off the USB port (the driver creates a
> "virtual" serial port). You can also use it for
> PTT, thus avoiding using another serial port for that
> function.
> > 73,andy, ae6y

Julius Fazekas
N2WN

Tennessee Contest Group
http://www.k4ro.net/tcg/index.html

Tennessee QSO Party
http://www.tnqp.org/

Elecraft K2 #4455
Elecraft K3/100 #366
Elecraft K3/100

Richard Ferch

Re: K3 choppy CW

In reply to this post by Robert Mccormack

Erik,

Yes, you can use paddles with the WinKeyer, and IMHO the big advantage of a
WinKeyer for this is that the paddles are integrated with computer CW. That
is, if the computer is sending CW, a touch of the paddle instantly stops
outgoing computer-generated CW so you can carry on with the paddle. If you
find you hit the wrong function key and it starts sending CQ whan you wanted
to send TU, for example, you can just grab the paddle and send TU and that
will abort the unwanted message. You can also use a paddle plugged directly
into the back of the K3, but that is not integrated in the sense that CW
input from the paddle and from the computer are wire-Ored inside the radio,
i.e. if you key the paddle while the computer is sending, all you get is a
mess. You have to hit ESC first to stop the computer-generated CW before
carrying on with the paddle.

One of the things you are looking for, if I understand correctly, is to be
able to enter information into N1MM Logger using the paddle. This is *not*
possible. There is no CW decoder in the Logger. Even if there were, paddle
input into the WinKeyer is not passed back to the computer, it only goes
forward to the radio. As a result, the paddle is not usable for entering
logged data.

For that matter, when you send free-form CW from the keyboard by typing into
the Ctrl+K window, that information is not entered into the log either. If
you want information to be logged, you have to type it into the appropriate
box in the Entry window, and then the function key message macros can
incorporate that information when they are sent.

One other convenience feature of the WKUSB is that it can be used as a
stand-alone keyer without computer control. You can power it either from a
battery or from a USB port without any transfer of data from the computer.
So you can use it without firing up the logging program, e.g. if you are
randomly tuning the band and hear someone you want to work. In this mode,
without software controlling it, the WKUSB has four programmable memory
buttons. Warning: these four memory buttons cannot be used when the WKUSB is
under computer control - you have to use messages programmed into the
software instead. This limitation is programmed into the WinKeyer.

You can also use the memory buttons on the K3, but one peculiarity is that
these have lower priority than computer or paddle input, so you cannot use
the memory buttons to interrupt computer CW. You have to hit ESC first (or
touch the WinKeyer's paddle) before using the K3's memories. This makes them
less useful than having the same messages programmed into function keys in
N1MM Logger.

HTH.

73,
Rich VE3KI

______________________________________________________________
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Post: mailto:[hidden email]

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Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html