[HomeBrew] RE: VEC-201K CW Keyer Kit- WA7SKT

[Alan Carter]

Subject: HomeBrew Digest, Vol 29, Issue 4
Date: Mon, 19 Jun 2006 04:01:05 -0400 (EDT)

Today's Topics:

   1. VEC-201K CW Keyer Kit (Loren Moline WA7SKT)

From: "Loren Moline WA7SKT" <lmoline at hotmail.com>
To: homebrew at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [HomeBrew] VEC-201K CW Keyer Kit
Date: Sun, 18 Jun 2006 17:31:04 -0700

Hello Friends,

Quite a while back I bought a Vectronics VEC-201K CW Keyer Kit and
after I built it I had some problems so did some troubleshooting,
replaced the keyer chip, and problem was still there.

Here is whats going on. When you power up the keyer everything works
fine and after a short time the sidetone dies but the keyed line
still works. If you power down and back up...sidetone works again
for short time and then dies. Today I also discovered that when the
sidetone dies the changed parametes in the program go back to
default but the keyed line still works.

All voltages on thec chip are the same even after this sidfetoine
fails. The keyer chip is a PIC12C671 and it is being operated at a
regulated 5 volts. Because the replacement chip did the same as the
original I believe it must be a program glitch or something.

Has anyone else ever built this keyer and had the same problem?

Thanks!
Loren

REPLY:  Loren, I am sorry to have nothing but negative to report to you.  I 
have built four different Vectronics kits in recent years; all were 
disasters.  Your model was not among them.  That comes with 44 years of kit 
building, too.  Another brand would be better.  AC6V will likely have 
something for you on his site.

73 es GL de Alan W5EAC