[WT-support] wkusb lite and ptt (Bob Wilson, N6TV)

[Jan Kuhne]

Hi Bob,

thanks for the reply, sounds like a pretty good explanation to me

>
> But, this will probably make no difference if you are using a WinKey 2
> chip, because the documentation says:  "In WK2, PTT is always enabled and
> there is no reason to turn it off since it is a separate output now. The
> PTT enable bit is not used and is ignored by WK2."

exactly


>
> Which radios are you using?  If you are using an Elecraft K3 or FlexRadio,
> the "CW/PTT keying circuit" is built right in to the radio.
TS850+FT897. The stuff got always bigger as i extended it to SO2R,  
headphone switching etc.

>
> Consider selling the WKUSB LITE since you don't need it at all with
> Win-Test.  You could connect a paddle directly to each radio (two paddles,
> one per radio), and use the internal keyer of the radio for manual sending.
>  This gives you more flexibility for SO2R too, since Win-Test doesn't
> immediately move the WinKey paddles to the second radio when you press
> "CapsLock" or "Shift," and Win-Test doesn't define independent CW speed per
> radio.
>
> On the other hand, you may need to build a lockout circuit since Win-Test
> cannot prevent simultaneous transmission by both radios when you are using
> a paddle to each.
as I do most of my operating in temporary field day style setups, i  
prefer not to have the most up to date notebook with me. With that,  
already printer port keying was sometimes on the edge so using a WK  
when moving to USB sounded good, never tried it with the FT232  
converters. I'd need another one anyway because with only RTS&DTR  
available to control all the stuff two of them are already blocked for  
headphone+active radio+ptt switching, so I think I'll stick to the WK  
and workaround the PTT stuff in hardware. Don't use the paddle anymore  
as with the current configuration, there is no way to to tell the  
external So2R box whether I want to use the manual keyer on R1 or R2,  
at least not without a manual switch. maybe I'll upgrade to an OTRSP  
based solution, but right now I don't use the stuff too often anyway.

73's and thanks again for the help,

Jan