[Elecraft] K3: Configuring N1MM to send CW

[David Gilbert]

That simply isn't accurate.  It might be true on a slow computer (or one 
bogged down with other junk) , since N1MM (the author) makes it very 
clear on his web site that he doesn't try to optimize the code for older 
machines, but I've run direct keying from N1MM in many contests over the 
last few years without ever a glitch.  K7ZB and I ran a continuous 48 
hours as a multi/single entry in the CQWW CW contest last November, 
completed over 1500 contacts, and hit the F1 key countless thousands of 
times ... all without any issues.  Keying speeds were typically 26 to 28 
WPM, but often faster.

I know of several other active contesters who have had similar results 
without resorting to Winkey, although it is indeed a very nice piece of 
hardware.

Dave   AB7E



WILLIS COOKE wrote:
> This is a very well known problem.  It has been documented by N1MM and many contest publications.  It is not a problem with N1MM, it is a problem with WINDOWS.  If you change to another version of N1MM or a different logging program, you will have the same trouble.  The usual solution is to purchase and use a WinKeyer.  Virtually all CW contesters 
> have done this.  The other alternative is to revert to DOS and an old unsupported DOS logger.  I am not sure if buying a MAC will help.
>
> The problem is the way that WINDOWS handles interrupts.  It does not give a high enough priority to the serial bus to allow proper keying at anything but very slow speeds.
>
> Willis 'Cookie' Cooke 
> K5EWJ
>
>