[Elecraft] K2 keyer

[Joe Hetrick]

Hi David,

On Nov 29, 2009, at 5:43 AM, David Dunn wrote:

> Interested in your remarks Joe, on the K1E. keyer.   Cannot relate  
> to the K2, but I have following comments to makes
> I have used one of those now (K9 model  - in conjunction with my TS  
> 50) for several years and find it the most user friendly keyer I know.

I agree.  I'm quite pleased with it, I just can't quite get the "feel"  
to be the same.  It's pretty close.  I spose I could get the saved  
settings out of wk2mgr and put them up for other folks to try.  I know  
if I switch to other keyers (my ATS3A, PicoKeyer, JacksonHarbor keyer,  
or CMOS II) they all have subtle differences, and since I use my K2  
the most frequently, I'm sort of glued to it.  Maybe I need to learn  
to adapt!

> Since having the K3 now in use for some 9 months, I have been fairly  
> happy with the built in keyer. BUT it does not have auto spacing.  I  
> use iambic A setting a twin paddle and the default ratio of  1.15  
> which seems to be about right

I agree.  I run my K2 that way as well (though, IA-B).  I haven't used  
my K1EL enough to find the auto-spacing making a difference.  I've  
turned it off/on and can't feel a difference.  By default, though, the  
50% weighting seemed to be different than the K2.

I should get more practice, as one of the first thing I did was write  
a K1EL --> Instant Messenger (jabber) gateway that lets me key IM's  
in.  Just for the fun of it!

> I feel the actual indicated speed is perhaps faster than it says and  
> I am happy for a normal conversation at an indicated  19 -22 wpm .
>
> The K1EL   K9 model has more adjustments.  I built a K10 keyer early  
> this year (mainly because I wanted speed change on a pot rather than  
> a menu) but am not happy with that one,  among other things it  
> suffers badly from RF pick up  .I guess fixing that is not going to  
> be too difficult, but so far not tried.
>

I know lots of folks use them and like them.  I was finding that the  
code produced by the simple transistor/diode + RS232 keying when  
contesting just didn't sound very good.  I disliked putting out such  
horrible sounding code (timing issues, etc) and think the K1EL would  
be a good solution for that.  I guess even if I don't find it  
comfortable for daily use, it's still a good contesting solution.   
There is some appeal in having a keyer that feels the same on every  
rig I might use, though.  Maybe I just need more time!

73,

Joe KC0VKN

> 73   David VK3DBD/G3SCD
>
> On Sun, Nov 29, 2009 at 12:38 AM, Joe Hetrick  
> <kc0vkn at bitjanitor.net> wrote:
> For contesting I've gotten a K1EL WinKeyUSB that i've been fussing
> with all week.  I just cannot get it to feel like my K2's internal
> keyer, which I've really come to like.  The closest (and most equally
> comfortable), is probably a Logikey CMOS II I've got.
>
> At anyrate, I thought I'd ask if anyone found the magic combination of
> weight/compensation/etc in the K1EL to make it feel like the K2.
>
> I've discovered that a higher dit/dah (say: 1.333) and increasing the
> weight to 60% seem to help, and then adding a bit of keying
> compensation (2ms), but, there is still just something that just
> doesn't feel right, whether it's 20wpm or 35wpm.
>
> Does anyone have any input, or insight into the K2's keyer that might
> help?
>
> 73,
>
> Joe KC0VKN
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:Elecraft at mailman.qth.net
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>