[Elecraft] K3 - interfacing to N1MM Contest Logging software

[Ian White GM3SEK]

Joe Subich, W4TV wrote:
>
>You have obviously not used N1MM Logger or Writelog as the user can 
>edit calls or other information in the entry window and have the update 
>reflected in macros already in process.

The aim is to respond immediately to the station that has just called. 
Both contesting programs can be configured to start sending CW 
automatically after the first few characters of a callsign have been 
typed in. In reality this does allow the operator to finish typing the 
rest of the callsign, ahead of the computer, so the other station hears 
a very prompt response containing his complete callsign with no glitches 
or hesitations.


>That is a function of the software - and works with either direct (PC 
>generated) or Winkey CW generation.
>
>The developers simply will not consider support for any form of CW 
>generation that does not provide support for that feature or is 
>transceiver specific.  This constant carping for "KY support" is going 
>nowhere - it is a non-starter as far as a major segment of the 
>developer community is concerned.
>
That's correct - we have already passed the Point Of No Return on this 
one. There is no point in software developers attempting to support 
several fragmented subsets of the KY protocol on different rigs (*none* 
of which currently supports the needs of all users) when the WInkey 
protocol is already there and does it all.

Now if the K3 could have built-in support for the Winkey protocol, that 
would be a very different matter! But that's for the future; and in the 
meantime the hardware Winkey option is already available.

I was a very reluctant convert to the Winkey chip, because "Who needs 
yet another paddle-driven keyer? I've already got three, and still only 
one keying hand!"  Instead, I decided to use the Winkey chip in a 
minimalist way as a simple "Morse Modem" - a small dongle that has only 
an ASCII serial input and a Morse output. Used in this way, it needs no 
paddle input or manual speed control; the keying speed is controlled 
entirely by the host software (N1MM) which can also command the chip to 
switch its keying output between two different rigs. The only feature 
lost by not using the Winkey's own paddle inputs is the ability to 
interrupt outgoing CW by touching a paddle - and the Esc key works fine 
for that.



-- 

73 from Ian GM3SEK
http://www.ifwtech.co.uk/g3sek