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microHAM CW Keyer

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Andrew Catanzaro

microHAM CW Keyer

I purchased a microHAM CW Keyer and have had instant success with it connected to the K2/100 and KAT100.
Although there is a dedicated cable for the K2, there was no K2 in the software radio pull-down menu. I selected
the Kenwood TS-2000 and changed the baud to 4000. Both VFO's and the mode show up in the microHAM
Router software and in my logging program. The keyer is just excellent with the best Morse I've ever heard
coming out of a computer. It seems to have the excellent manual keying characteristics of my previously favorite
keyer, the Idiom Press CMOS 4, but it is far superior in being RF proof. I have had problems with the CMOS 4
locking up when operating 100 watts with a vertical wire right outside my operating position. The microHAM keyer
doesn't mind this environs at all. There is no issue with RS-232 connectivity.

Andy W9NJY
K2 2651
KX1 1139
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Stewart Baker

Re: microHAM CW Keyer

Many thanks for your reply Andy.
I am looking to replace a homebrew copy of the RigBlaster, but it seems to me
that the microkeyer will do a lot more. Reading your reply I now think the you
have the USB keyer.

73
Stewart G3RXQ

On Wed, 26 Oct 2005 07:04:39 -0500, Andrew Catanzaro wrote:

> I purchased a microHAM CW Keyer and have had instant success with it
> connected to the K2/100 and KAT100.
>
> Although there is a dedicated cable for the K2, there was no K2 in the
> software radio pull-down menu. I selected
> the Kenwood TS-2000 and changed the baud to 4000. Both VFO's and the mode
> show up in the microHAM
> Router software and in my logging program. The keyer is just excellent with
> the best Morse I've ever heard
> coming out of a computer. It seems to have the excellent manual keying
> characteristics of my previously favorite
> keyer, the Idiom Press CMOS 4, but it is far superior in being RF proof. I
> have had problems with the CMOS 4
> locking up when operating 100 watts with a vertical wire right outside my
> operating position. The microHAM keyer
> doesn't mind this environs at all. There is no issue with RS-232
> connectivity.
>
> Andy W9NJY
> K2 2651
> KX1 1139

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Post to: [hidden email]
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Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
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Andrew Catanzaro

Re: microHAM CW Keyer

Right, I have the CW Keyer. But it still interfaces with the K2 and passes
along band and mode data to the computer. It simulates two COM ports, one
for radio data and the other for CW keying. So the full microHAM unit that
supports
data modes would work fine connected to the K2 data line without
modification.
The microHAM keyer has a K1EL keyer chip in the unit, which gets rid
of all the timing issues of USB ports. No matter how busy the
microprocessor
is in your computer, the CW KEYER sends perfectly timed code, and
it's a little more accurate than the keyer in the K2 itself. Rather than
the
computer generating code, it tells the keyer (I think in ASCII text) what
to send. As a stand alone unit, with just paddles connected, it is an
excellent unit, and to my ears, sounds more precise than the K2's internal
keyer.
So with the RigBlaster equivalent, you get the data modes and a
good keyer to boot.

73,
Andy

----- Original Message -----
From: "Stewart Baker" <[hidden email]>
To: "Andrew Catanzaro" <[hidden email]>; <[hidden email]>
Sent: Wednesday, October 26, 2005 8:16 AM
Subject: Re: microHAM CW Keyer

Many thanks for your reply Andy.
I am looking to replace a homebrew copy of the RigBlaster, but it seems to
me
that the microkeyer will do a lot more. Reading your reply I now think the
you
have the USB keyer.

73
Stewart G3RXQ

On Wed, 26 Oct 2005 07:04:39 -0500, Andrew Catanzaro wrote:

> I purchased a microHAM CW Keyer and have had instant success with it
> connected to the K2/100 and KAT100.
>
> Although there is a dedicated cable for the K2, there was no K2 in the
> software radio pull-down menu. I selected
> the Kenwood TS-2000 and changed the baud to 4000. Both VFO's and the mode
> show up in the microHAM
> Router software and in my logging program. The keyer is just excellent
> with
> the best Morse I've ever heard
> coming out of a computer. It seems to have the excellent manual keying
> characteristics of my previously favorite
> keyer, the Idiom Press CMOS 4, but it is far superior in being RF proof.
> I
> have had problems with the CMOS 4
> locking up when operating 100 watts with a vertical wire right outside my
> operating position. The microHAM keyer
> doesn't mind this environs at all. There is no issue with RS-232
> connectivity.
>
> Andy W9NJY
> K2 2651
> KX1 1139