[WT-support] Win Key advantage ?

[Bob Wilson, N6TV]

Since you are having no timing troubles sending CW via LPT port pins
(Win-Test does this better than most of the competition), the WinKey offers
few advantages.  If your computer has no serial or parallel ports, and you
don't want to add them, the WinKey USB can be the only solution.

Otherwise, the only important feature the WinKey provides that you cannot
get by other means is keying compensation (increasing the length of every
dot or dash by a fixed amount of ms, which is recommended for some radios,
but not needed for your two Icoms).

I think it would be simple for Win-Test to add a keying compensation (K
factor) setting for CW generated by serial or parallel port, but to date
Win-Test only provides a "weight" dialog, which isn't the same.

I do suggest trying to use two paddles, one per radio, plus the internal
keyer of the radio, instead of the MFJ keyer.  My Icom scripts (
http://bit.ly/wtscripts) will keep the radio's internal keyer in sync. with
Win-Test.  But some people cannot send well using the fixed "Curtis B"
timing of Icom's internal keyer, they need "Curtis A" timing, which is not
an option that Icom supports.

Caution:  if you have one paddle per radio, it's possible to simultaneously
transmit on both radios at the same time, which would violate the rules.  A
fail-safe lockout circuit is recommended in that situation.  With help from
N6KR, I designed one for the K3 (http://bit.ly/K3lockout).  I do not know
if you can do something similar with two Icoms.

73,
Bob, N6TV

On Mon, Sep 28, 2015 at 10:03 AM, Anton Koval, MW0EDX <m0edx at yahoo.com>
wrote:

>
> I have been happily using my WT for CW contests. I also have a very basic
> MFJ keyer connected to the DX DOUBLER just in case i need to send morse
> with the paddle.
>
> I also have the Win Key imported from the USA some time ago. It is just
> collecting dust. I never connected it. I am tempted to sell it on Ebay.
>
> Or is there any advantages of using the Win Key ?
>
>  I am running the advanced SO2R here via the WT and DX Doubler.
>
> Thanks
>
> MW5R
>
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>
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