[WT-support] R: R: WinKey for PTT in SSB ?

[HB9CAT]

Bob,

 

FYI, at K3LR there are no Winkeys or external DVKs or CW keyers.  Real COM
ports or parallel ports are used for all software-generated CW and PTT
functions, and PC sound cards for voice keying.  Internal radio keyers are
used for sending with the paddles.  This is a simple, extremely reliable
solution that works very well.  Unlike N1MM Software, Win-Test rarely has
problems sending well-timed CW via real serial or parallel ports, so you
really don't need a Winkey at all.

 

I'm in fact looking for a reliable solution for portable VHF contest
operations; but I read some recommendations discouraging from keying CW
directly through the LPT/COM port, appearently CW wouldn't be clean because
of CPU/IRQ/whatever. According to your experience this doesn't seem to be an
issue.

 

My past experience with that (K1EA / N1MM) has always been positive, so I'll
probably follow your advice, skip the Winkey and steer PTT & CW with the
LPT.

 

73

 

Marco HB9CAT

 

Da: support-bounces at f5mzn.org [mailto:support-bounces at f5mzn.org] Per conto
di Bob Wilson, N6TV
Inviato: sabato, 23. luglio 2011 09:36
A: support at win-test.com
Oggetto: Re: [WT-support] R: WinKey for PTT in SSB ?

 

On Fri, Jul 22, 2011 at 10:19 PM, HB9CAT <hb9cat at thezollingers.org> wrote:

Actually the Win-test Ctrl-T command (tune) triggers PTT through the Winkey
in SSB as well.

 

It does!  Very interesting.

 

Assuming we can live with the KEY line closed during SSB TX (which is the
case for me), that would actually be the solution. E.g. Win-Test to send
"Ctrl-T" during SSB DVK transmission.

 

Well I just tried writing a script to do that, but it doesn't work.  It
closes the PTT line OK, but no audio is output by the Win-Test Internal DVK.
The same thing happened when I sent software PTT ON/OFF commands to my K3
instead of trying to simulate Ctrl-T.

 

The problem seems to be that if Win-Test sees no PTT line defined, it will
never output any audio from the Internal DVK.

 

Perhaps if you define a "dummy" PTT signal on a disconnected serial port,
that will make the Win-Test DVK happy, and custom software commands (via LUA
script) can do the actual PTT ON/OFF.  Ctrl-T in a script doesn't work so
well because it always displays a "tune" pop-up window with a big STOP
button, which is undesirable.  It does close the Winkey PTT line though.

 

In the meantime I'm triggering SSB PTT through a parallel port, but I have
to deal with 2 PTT lines, which I would prefer to avoid.

 

The WinKey was designed for CW only, not SSB.  It keeps the PTT timing
internal, so that the PTT always closes before the CW signal is output.
That PTT timing will not work  for SSB.

 

My suggestion would be to abandon the Winkey completely for PTT, and just
use a single LPT port or a single Serial port for both CW and PTT, using the
Win-Test CW timing.  For paddles, use the internal keyer of your radio if it
supports both paddle and straight key inputs, or an external CW keyer wired
in parallel if it does not.

 

FYI, at K3LR there are no Winkeys or external DVKs or CW keyers.  Real COM
ports or parallel ports are used for all software-generated CW and PTT
functions, and PC sound cards for voice keying.  Internal radio keyers are
used for sending with the paddles.  This is a simple, extremely reliable
solution that works very well.  Unlike N1MM Software, Win-Test rarely has
problems sending well-timed CW via real serial or parallel ports, so you
really don't need a Winkey at all.

 

73,

Bob, N6TV

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