[WT-support] Question about CW weight

[Tom W8JI]

Thanks again Bob,

> Unfortunately it only has a dash/dot ratio control 
> (shortcut = WEIGHT),
> default = 3.0, range is 2.0 to 4.0.  I agree it is not 
> very useful compared
> to a true weighting control that would increase each dot 
> or dash by a fixed
> percentage.

It is not useful at all, it is an error.

There are two things that are useful.

One is a compensation to make up for a rig that truncates 
every element by a fixed time amount regardless of speed.

The second is a weight control to make slower CW cut through 
noise better. At 35 WPM we might want less weight, but at 20 
WPM we might want a little more weight.

Ratio (which is what the weight is really) only makes the CW 
sound abnormal and has no useful functuion unless you want 
to make it sound like a side-swiper paddle or bug.

> Just so I understand your example, "10% weighting" would 
> make a dot 1.1
> bauds long, and a dash 3.3 bauds long, but the space 
> between each dot or
> dash would still be 1.0 bauds long?

The textbook normal weight of a CW signal is 50%. A dot 
would be one time unit on and one off. A dash three time 
units on and one time unit off.

If we wanted to increase weight to 75%, the dot on would be 
1.5 time units and off would be .5 time units. A dash would 
be on 4.5 time units and off .5 time units. A dash is always 
three dot on periods long. The off time is always the same 
between consecutive dots and dashes.

> In normal QRQ contesting (35-40 WPM), I've found keying 
> compensation more
> valuable than a "10% weight" type control.  It seems many 
> rigs shorten a dot
> or dash by a fixed amount, regardless of keying speed.

This does not have that feature either. Weight is a matter 
of getting a heavier or lighter sound. It was reported the 
weight of my signal was too light for a weak signal.

> But at slower (160m?) contesting speeds (20-30 WPM), 
> adding weight could
> certainly be helpful.

It is very helpful but very difficult to do externally.


> I think you're going to seriously have to consider the 
> purchase of a WinKey
> USB device to get exactly what you want, as the developers 
> are focused on
> other areas of the code right now.  LPT/SERIAL CW 
> enhancements don't seem to
> be high on the priority list, since these legacy ports are 
> disappearing from
> all the newer PCs.

So are you saying the WinKey will allow adjustment of weight 
when I am using the function keys to send CW? I do not want 
keying compensation, I can easily build a pulse stretcher 
circuit. I need to adjust weight.

I may not uderstand how WinKey works. I don't see how that 
has anything to do with legacy ports. Somehow the CW has to 
come out as an off and on signal, and if it comes out 
"wrong" when Wintest is sending something I don't see how an 
external device can easily correct it unless it is 
regenerated somehow.

How can WinKey correct or adjust the weight from an external 
input? I don't want keying comensation or ratio, I want a 
weight control that actually adjusts weight and not ratio 
when the function controls are being used.

> Sometimes it's easier to throw hardware at a problem than 
> to risk changing
> the code and breaking something else. That's one of the 
> reasons they decided
> not to risk adding paddle input via LPT to Win-Test even 
> though many (?)
> requested it.

Paddle input has nothing to do with it Bob, and it is very 
difficult (at least as I understand) to fix externally. I 
don't use an external paddle into the computer, I have an 
external keyer in parallel with the computer keying output. 
None of the operators have every wanted to use the computer 
to generate the paddle CW.

What some of the operators want, and what I would like, is a 
weight adjustment. I don't see what that has to do with 
legacy ports and it is a problem very difficult to correct 
externally once the CW weight function is generated wrong.

73 Tom