[Elecraft] K3 Rig Keying/Rig Control through microHAM USB CW Ke...

Fri Jun 19 08:22:24 EDT 2009

Two keys here (pad pun?)

1.  A  USB>Serial Cable talks to the K3 and N1MM.  When you first plug one 
in,  the software may assign the K3 a port number higher than 8.  N1MM won't 
 recognize it.  You must re-assign an unused port number to the USB that is 
 8 or less and then use that port number in the N1MM Config Ports menu.  To 
 re-assign a port number look under Control Panel>System>Device  
Manager>Ports and look for an entry like "Prolific USB-Serial Bridge  (Com14).  Right 
click>Properties>Port Settings and choose a lower  port number.

Alternatively, with the MicroHam router program, you can  create a port to 
use.  Select Virtual Port in the blue bar of the MH router  screen and then 
Create.  It must unused (check in the Windows Device  Manager to see the 
ports already taken) and be lower than 8.  It will  appear in Control 
Panel>System>Device Manager>Ports as an Eltima  Virtual Serial Port.  Since the port 
is created by the MH program, you  should start MH before you start N1MM.

2.  Keying is done through a  second Eltima Virtual Serial Port you create 
using the MH software.  In the  N1MM Configure>Ports menu, you select that 
port, radio none, check the CW box  (because this is the port that will 
control CW) and hit the set button.  On  the screen that appears check the box 
WinKey   

When you are  done, N1MM is using two ports - one for rig control and one 
for  keying.

This advice applies to DxLab and I am sure other logging/keying  programs 
as well.  I have found computer keying the K3 through the MH  devices to be 
very reliable and accurate.

Buck
k4ia
K3  #101

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
---

From:  N1MMLogger at yahoogroups.com [mailto:N1MMLogger at yahoogroups.com] On 
Subject:  [N1MM] K3 Rig Keying/Rig Control with N1MM and microHAM USB  CW
Keyer

Joe, Richard, et al:

Let me be quick to point out that  what follows may not
necessarily be either correct or optimum.  There  are a couple of settings
that are candidates  for deletion from the  procedure.  But I can tell you 
it
does work
with K3 #095 V3.11/2.15,  microHAM USB CW Keyer #120 with Router 4.0.5, and
N1MM V9.3.1.

1. The  K3 was connected to the laptop by an Elecraft USB-to-serial adapter
cable  which, upon first use, was assigned COM Port 12.

2. Using Device Manager  (Properties/Port Settings/Advanced), I manually
reassigned its default COM  Port to a low number that N1MM could handle (COM
7).

3. The microHAM  keyer is connected to the laptop with its supplied 
interface
cable from the  USB port on the keyer to a vacant USB connector on the
laptop.

4. The  keyer is also connected to the K3 Key In line by a cable from the
phono CW  jack on the keyer.

5. The K3 is set to 38,400 Baud and the Config Menu  PTT-KEY settings are
OFF-OFF.

6. microHAM USB Device Router was used  to create a new virtual port. I
chose COM 4.  This step seriously  confused me because the new COM Port
showed up in Device Manager, not under  Ports (COM & LPT) as do virtual 
ports
from LP-PAN
bridge, but as a new  line item called ELTIMA Virtual Serial Ports. 

7. Router Ports settings,  top-to-bottom, are: none; none/DTR; none/DTR; COM
4.
I do not know why it  says that COM4 is "Open at 1200 8N1".

8. N1MM Configurer/Hardware is  selected to COM 4/none, with the CW box
checked, and is set to DTR Always ON;  RTS Always OFF.   This is the port
through which rig keying  signals, initiated by the logging program, are
generated by the microHAM  keyer and sent to the K3.  Also, the Winkey box 
is
checked.

9.  N1MM Configurer/Hardware is also set to COM 7/Elecraft K3/38400 n81/
DTR-RTS  OFF-OFF.  COM 7 is the rig control port.

10. N1MM Configurer Winkey  Pin 5 is selected to Function PTT.  Don't ask
why.

With N1MM, I  now have:

1. Keying via the paddles, speed controlled by the  pot;

2. Keying via keyboard, speed controlled by the pot; 

3.  Messages on the Function keys that I can change under N1MM;

4. Rig  control; and

5.  Control over keying characteristics via the Router  control panel.

Here's what I learned:

1. I still do not like  computers nor, for that matter, rig
keying.

2. This configuration will  not work if one does not first turn
on the router;

The Halifax Amateur  Radio Club will be very appreciative of
the contributions of those here on  the N1MM reflector who pleasantly kept
after me until, like the proverbial  monkey, I managed to strike a 
sufficient
number of keys and make a sufficient  repeated number of mouse clicks that I
eventually wrote N1MM K3 Rig Keying  for Dummies.

I now have the station on battery power in case the mains  fail,
and I'm working on a plan to get all the hardware, still connected and  with
all software running, from here and now to Field Day, without every  having
been shut down. After Field Day, I'll start examining some of the  above
settings to see whether or not they are relevant, then I am disabling  rig
keying and going back to contesting by hand, which is where the real fun  is
for me.

Thanks a lot, guys.  Really.

73,

Gary,  VE1RGB

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