[Elecraft] CQ WWCW

[Donald Nesbitt]

I wanted to get familier with the contest logger program by N1MM
(http://www.n1mm.com) and so ventured forth as a single operator (SO), QRP
(set the pwr control at 4.5 watts) single band (20 meters only - slug it out
with the big boys!) entrant with K2 #2028.  The N1MM Logger is an extremely
powerful contesting program and - it's now free !  Once I got the hang of
the program, it was very easy to use.

Antennas - 20 meter delta loop in "the old oak tree" and a 20 meter double
zepp at about 30 degrees from vertical toward the northwest.  Power:  4.5
watts.  Operating time - about 10 hours total.  Results:  107 contacts, 22
zones, 71 countries.  Score:  25,575 points.  All in all, I was quite
pleased with my "humbling" results.  Not what it used to be with a KW and
stacked 20 meter monobanders topping 125' - but - hey, this was flashlight
power to a bunch of wire deep in the heart of the big guns!

If you are interested in seeing how I interfaced the K2 with the computer
and the N1MM Logger software, please visit my web site at:
http://home.bellsouth.net/p/pwp-zut  Click on "Photo Albums" at the top of
the page and you can see a few pictures along with a brief description of
each.  I used the method described on page 92 "CW Operation" (Figure 8-1) of
the K2 manual to connect the computer keying circuit to my keyer paddle so I
could use both.  It worked perfectly.  The actual "interface" was a bare
bones one transistor design.  The "Help" section of the N1MM Logger program
provides simple information on interfacing and WM2U's site
(http://www.qsl.net/wm2u/interface.html) includes not only "sound card
interfacing" [not needed for CW keying] but "com" port keying as well.  It
is an excellent reference to this mysterious world.

My little haywired scheme worked perfectly with the N1MM Logger program -
BUT - when I went back to my usual logging program (XMLog - quite a nice
program with K2 support) I discovered that strange things happened when I
left the simple keying interface connected to my paddle.  The quick fix was
indeed "quick" - disconnect the clip leads!  Surely there is a more elegant
fix.  As usual, mice type, no financial interest, etc, etc.  YMMV  Have fun
'73 es gud dx  --don n4hh K2 #2028