QRP

When the QRP operator gets serious about CW

(This article ran in Worldradio, May 2001)

This might sound a little weird, but I had the good fortune of having my CMOS Super Keyer III turn to toast a couple of months ago.

During a particularly grueling death match between an antenna and a newly completed QRP transceiver, it seems that a backwash of RF played havoc with the keyer's multi-talented chip. This fancy little CPU decided that from there on, sending a non-stop string of dots at about 60 words-per-minute was about all it was going to do. I tried booting the power to the keyer. I tried a full frontal lobotomy by engaging all of the Super Keyer III's functions simultaneously. Nada.

Sometimes the best course is to concede defeat and start over. In this case, that meant ordering a new kit from Idiom Press of Geyserville, CA, and swapping out the dead board for a newly built, updated version of the kit designed by Jeffrey Russell, KCØQ and Conway Southard, NØII.

For the serious QRP CW operator, there are few keyers that can match the performance of the CMOS Super Keyer III. And at about $60, you get a dizzying array of features that will put you in great shape for everything from casual QRP ragchewing to down-and-dirty high-energy contest operation.

The Super Keyer III is no newcomer to the brass-pounding scene. The Idiom Press kit was featured in an article in the American Radio Relay League's QST magazine back in the '90s. Since then I suspect hundreds, perhaps thousands, have been built and are continuing to get a workout on the bands today.

The fact that an old CW guy like me would insist on a direct replacement when things went wrong is testimony to the value of this station accessory. For its price, features, ease of operation and versatility there's no better keyer kit on the market.

Keying speed is controlled with a panel-mounted potentiometer. The rest of the functions are accessed through a combination of the operator's keyer paddle and six panel mounted toggle switches. An enclosure, the switches, potentiometer, monitor speaker and panel-mounted jacks are not included in the Idiom Press kit. But you can get them all in one visit to your area Radio Shack or parts house.

The toggle switches when used individually or in combination with each other do most of the Super Keyer III's duties.

For example, each of the switches can activate an imbedded message. Say the band is quiet and your arm is going limp sending CQ. With the Super Keyer III you could activate a pre-recorded CQ message that automatically repeats after taking a pause for you to listen: "CQ CQ CQ de KI6SN KI6SN CQ CQ CQ de KI6SN K" followed by a pause of, letÕs say six seconds. Unless you touch the switches or the keyer paddle, the message repeats. And repeats. And repeats.

With room for six basic messages and 12 "blanketed" messages totaling 1,530 characters, you can see that this unit has tremendous application for both the rag chewer and the contester.

I've particularly enjoyed using the Super Keyer III during the ARRL's November Sweepstakes contest. Virtually all of the contest exchange information can be pre-loaded into the keyer's memories - including the QSO number. After you've had QSO number one, the keyer will automatically send "NR 2" on the next contact; "NR 3" on the one after that, and so on up to 9,999. If for some reason a contest contact goes bust, simply pressing two designated toggle switch simultaneously will decrease the QSO counter by one, so you're back in alignment.

In past November Sweepstakes I've run dozens of contacts without ever touching the keyer paddle. All of the information was exchanged with the other station by simply pressing the right memory switches in the proper order.

In addition to looping, as in the case of the repeating CQ, the keyer can also be programmed to pause automatically to allow you to insert certain information. For example, you'd like to load into the Super Keyer III the basic first exchange in a ragchew contact: the other station's RST, your QTH and your name. An embedded message can be loaded with all that information, including a pause after the RST to allow you to send "579," or whatever the other station's readability, strength and tone is. After you've sent those numbers via your keyer paddle, the Super Keyer III can automatically continue sending the rest of the message - your QTH, name, etc.

As you can see, this unit can put a lot of ease into your CW operation, sending perfect CW all the while.

There's a sidetone monitor that can be turned on or off, and can be adjusted to any audio tone between 500 and 900 Hz. If you want to use a straight key, just tell the Super Keyer III to override the keyer function. And if you're left handed and want the DITS produced from the right side of your keyer paddle, simply pressing two designated toggle switches simultaneously will reverse the paddle.

The keyer features automatic or real-time character spacing, depending on the operator's preference. Keyer weighting can be adjusted to best match your transceiver's characteristics - the higher the weight, the heavier the CW sound.

There's even a TUNE function for when you want to key-down for short periods to adjust antenna tuning, for example.

OK, you've been using an Accukeyer for many years and really like its sound. Do you have to give that up with the Super Keyer III? No. The CPU chip has an emulation function that mirrors the characteristics of various versions of the Accukeyer and Curtis keyer chips. Is that neat, or what?

With the exception of the off-board switches, input/output and keyer paddle jacks, and monitor speaker, the CMOS Super Keyer III kit comes complete - including a high quality silk screened printed circuit board. A handful of resistors, capacitors, switching transistors, an eight-pin chip and a 2 MHz timing crystal surround a 40-pin CPU chip that is the brains of the operation.

While this kit can easily be built in an afternoon, it may be somewhat challenging for the homebrewing newcomer. The keyer chip alone needs to be handled with extreme care and conscientious grounding at the workbench. One spark of static electricity to the CPU unseated in its socket can render the keyer useless.

In the KI6SN version, I opted to have both internal and external power options. The Super Keyer III operates on 3.5 to 5.5 volts DC. A bank of three AA batteries serves as the internal supply. I also run off my operating position's 12-volt supply, using a 5-volt regulator to drop the B+ before reaching the kit's PC board. I am frequently asked what keyer I'd recommend. For the serious CW operator with a range of operating interests, I donÕt think you can go wrong with the CMOS Super Keyer III.

To order, send a check or money order to: Idiom Press, P.O. Box 1025, Geyserville, CA 95441. Each kit is $58 postpaid to addresses in the United States; $60 postpaid via small parcel airmail. Orders from outside the U.S., add $2 shipping. California residents add 7.5 percent sales tax.

- Richard Fisher, KI6SN, our "high-powered" QRP columnist can be reached by mail sent to: 1940 Wetherly Way, Riverside, CA 92506, or by e-mail to: ki6sn@aol.com.