I received this from a newbie who insists on using a Mac. Looking for feedback
to give him, other than mine. OK CW guys, let’s hear your take on this.
Paul K2DB
As a noob to the whole technical aspects of computer/radio interfacing (and a
die-hard Macintosh user), I have been exploring what seems to be an almost
black art; CW keying from a computer.
Direct keying a radio is the best solution, but it seems that modern computer
OSes (anything that provides preemptive multitasking) and "bit pounding" don't
mix. It is only a matter of time that a person running a low$$ laptop with
Windows and using either a USB to RS-232 or RS-232 direct device will wind up
with CW output that isn't perfect. This wasn't an issue with DOS OSes, which
had direct RS-232 control.
It surprises me that the more experienced contesters have not experienced these
timing issues. Perhaps it is a matter of speed and that if one has a fast
enough box, the timing issues are not apparent.
As a Mac user, this has been a source of frustration, as direct keying is just
not implemented due to an inability to give precise enough control over an
RS-232 device. The usual answer has been using J2A (yuck!) or get a modern
radio with built in USB.
The Solution
I just ordered a K1EL Winkey keyer. This device is essentially a keyer on a
chip. It doesn't rely on precise serial control to time CW elements. It is also
supported by most/all modern platforms (including the "ham hostile" Macintosh.)
I hope to have a positive experience to report, as I plan to implement this
hardware for the WPX CW contest coming up.
As I said at the beginning, this is just the start of an idea and I haven't
begun to experiment. Hopefully, this might be of some interest when I put this
keyer into action and am able to discuss the results. I also need the aid and
input of some more experienced hams to help flesh out my idea.
73,
Andrew, N3LZG
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