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[ct-user] LPT Keying Cable? Problem

To: <ct-user@contesting.com>
Subject: [ct-user] LPT Keying Cable? Problem
From: k2qmf@juno.com (k2qmf@juno.com)
Date: Fri, 04 Aug 2000 14:09:47 EDT

I would also like to find out just what was the fix!!

73,  Ted  K2QMF

On Fri, 4 Aug 2000 09:48:08 -0400 "Dallas Carter" <ludal@dmv.com> writes:
>
>
>> I missed it.
>>
>> What is the solution ?
>>
>> What was positive - what was negative ??
>>
>> After all of this, please share the details.
>>
>> Robert E. Naumann
>> N5NJ / V26O
>
>I have seen several requests for a repeat of the suggestions that I 
>provided
>with regard to Franks keying problem.  Hope this reprint of the 
>message to
>him sheds some light on the solution.  W3PP...
>
>Frank, I think I have read most of the responses to your query, and 
>your
>responses to them.  I take it you are still in a quandry as to what 
>the
>problem is.  I am not the worlds best theorist, and usually just apply
>emperical solutions, so forgive me if I am not theoretically pure in 
>my
>comments.
>It would seem to me that first you  must determine whether the problem 
>lies
>in the s/w, computer, interface or the radio.  Here is the process 
>that I
>would adopt, then I will provide, what I believe is background, 
>explaining
>some relativily common problems.
>
>    Unplug the keying interface from the radio.  With an ohm meter on 
>the x1
>ohms scale, connect one lead to the keyed element (ring or tip) and 
>the
>other to the sleeve of the phone plug.  Send a message and note if the 
>meter
>moves to the rythm of morse.  You may have to reverse the leads.
>            If the meter is moving, you know that the s/w and computer 
>are
>ok, and that the interface is doing something.  You have obviously 
>checked
>to see that shorting these two points together while connected to the 
>radio,
>keys the radio.  If so, then it is the interface that, while working, 
>is not
>sufficient to key your radio.  I will explain this later.
>
>    If the meter is not moving, put the meter on a low voltage, ie 
>10vdc
>scale, and put the black lead on the emitter lead of the transistor in 
>the
>interface, and the red lead on the computer side of the base resistor. 
> Send
>another message and check to see if the meter reads the keying 
>voltage.  If
>it is, then you have again confirmed that the s/w and computer are ok. 
> If
>not, then you need to check out that computer & s/w.
>
>    In both cases above, if the meter is responding, the problem lies
>between the computer and the radio, or, the interface.  As I recall, 
>the
>interface is an NPN transistor with a base resistor of 1K or so that 
>is
>connected to an LPT pin (the keying source).  The emitter is grounded, 
>and
>the collector is connected to the radio key line.  The base resistor 
>limits
>base current so that you dont burn up the transistor, and as the 
>voltage on
>the base goes positive, the transistor turns on, shorting the 
>collecter to
>ground, keying the rig.  Collector voltage (VCC) is provided by the 
>rig, and
>is normally plus 12 vdc.  Here is the point...   If the Beta (gain) of 
>the
>transistor is low, and the base resistor is too high, there will not 
>be
>enough base current to turn on the transistor.  This may also be a 
>function
>of the radio limiting the collector current and/or voltage.  If this 
>is what
>you are seeing, lower the value of the base resistor and see if that
>corrects the problem, else try a different transistor.
>
>    I have eight interfaces that I use here.  Some of them will key my
>FT-1000MP's but not all of my TS-940's.  One in particular would not 
>key a
>guest ops 940, and for the contest I just swapped it out with the 
>cable from
>one of my 940's.  I ultimately got it to work on his rig by changing 
>the
>base resistor.  His 940 keying circuit aparently takes more keying 
>current
>than my other rigs.  One more thing.  If you dont see the voltage at 
>the LPT
>pin, first suspect that the transistor base is not grounded.  It may 
>be that
>the computers lpt port is not wired like most.  Should be easy to 
>check that
>and find a ground source.  This is by no means a complete trouble 
>shooting
>effort that I have outlined for you, but I hope it gives you some 
>ideas.
>
>    very 73,
>Dallas  W3PP
>
>
>
>--
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>

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