[EIDXA] HELP!!! Need to Borrow a Keyer!!!

[Jason (NR0X)]

Not even close,  man.  I've done way less intelligent things. Last week, I hung my toolbag over the tower leg on a chunk of Rohn-45 I'm building.  Unfortunately,  the toolbag became "nonremovable" after the next section went up! After moving gun pole and ropes and unbolting the tower section,  it finally occurred to me to just cut the dumb sling! 

Happy Connecting. Sent from my Sprint Samsung Galaxy S® 5

-------- Original message --------
From: Richard Heinrich <richard.heinrich at rockwellcollins.com> 
Date: 10/05/2015  8:06 AM  (GMT-06:00) 
To: W0WP <wa0wcr at gmail.com>, Jason Joens <Jason at nr0x.org>, WB8ZRL <wb8zrl at southslope.net>, W0SR <Jim at spencerhills.com> 
Subject: Re: HELP!!! Need to Borrow a Keyer!!! 

OK...
First - thank you to all that responded with offers of keyers.  Jim got to me first and offered me a couple and ultimately dropped them off for me to use.
Well that is only the start of the story...
I am now part of the "mental vacation group".  I have lost my mind, and wherever it has gone, I wish it well and hope that it has a nice relaxing holiday!
In my station I use a K1EL WinKeyer.  It has a USB interface so that I can connect it to the computer - especially for contests where the computer does all the work.  One of the significant features of the keyer is that it has two outputs - this is in support of my single op/two radio (SO2R) configuration.  
For some reason - which I cannot remember - I had removed the cables from the back of the keyer.  It is normal to remove the USB connector to reset the keyer but not the other cables.  
But for some reason I removed the key output for Station 1 and plugged it back into Station 2.  So while I as desperately trying to key the radio with CW it was trying to key a radio that was not connected!!!!
Once I moved the cable about 0.5 inche to the other output port - everything was back to normal!!!
But understand that I did the following:
1)  Took the box apart three times.2)  Used the computer to confirm the software and message memories twice.  This was to confirm that this was not alightning strike or a power spike that killed the keyer.3)  Got out my digital meter to check voltages to see if the Opto Coupler output was fried - only to find out that the 9V batter was dead.  Had to run to the store in the middle of the night to get a battery and install it!4)  Searched high and low for another keyer5)  Sent the desperate plea for a keyer to borrow.
In all about 5 hours of my time and even more when I consider all the time you spent responding and driving around dropping off keyers!
So Jim...  To your question of "did they work"?  Honestly, they never made it out of the bag.  
Damn, I feel quite stupid...
The good news is that I worked T2GC on 160M so yes - the station still works - even with a compromised operator.
Thanks for all your help.  I owe everyone for jumping through hoops for this.
Rick

On Fri, Oct 2, 2015 at 7:34 AM, Richard Heinrich <richard.heinrich at rockwellcollins.com> wrote:
I was too effective in cleaning my shack.  My keyer failed and I don't have a backup.  Bad time for this kind of problem!!!
Does someone have one I could borrow?  Buy?  Just a simple keyer...
Thanks,Rick