[Elecraft] Straight Key on my K2

[Don Wilhelm]

Carter,

There are several possibilities for hooking up a straight key to the K2.
If you want to retain the use of paddles, try the connections shown on page
95 of the manual (be certain you have auto-detect turned on in the menu).
Adapting to the existing plug is an exercise I leave to your own resources.

If you don't mind plugging and unplugging the straight key to exchange it
with paddles, then just change the plug to a 3.5mm stereo plug - if you wire
the handkey to both the tip and ring, then you can use it with the
auto-detect as above.  There was a proper stereo plug supplied with your K2
kit parts.

You can also wire the handkey only to the tip of the stereo plug, but you
nust change the K2 menu to 'INP Hand' or you will get a string of dots when
you press the key.  This is the most positive method should you find trouble
with the auto-detect feature.  You can also wire the handkey to both the tip
and ring as above and use this method - the K2 internal keyer will ignore
the normal dash connection on the ring of the plug when in INP Hand.

Take your pick - there have been some reports that auto-detect sometimes
gives a string of dots or dashes, and my thoughts are that it may be caused
by contact bounce at the handkey, so keep the contacts clean if you use that
method - dragging a clean piece of non-glossy paper while holding a slight
pressure on the key is usually enough to clean and slightly burnish the
contacts, and I have seen reports that a tiny drop of a contact treatment
stuff (I think it is called DeOxIt, but my memory is fuzzy).

That is about the extent of my information on connecting a hand key to the
K2.

73,
Don W3FPR


> -----Original Message-----
>
> Hi Everybody,
> I want to use my Bencher STRAIGHT KEY with my old Elecraft K2.
> Can you folks tell me what I have to do?
> My paddles work just great, but I wanted to try out my straight
> key. It has
> a 1/4" phono plug on its cable...
> TIA, and 73,
>
> Carter
>