Last week microHAM introduced their new USB micro KEYER. I have been testing it
and yesterday found a problem with FSK keying using Windows XP Pro. The unit
tested perfectly on FSK under Windows 98se here and microHAM had tested FSK
under Windows XP Home with success. But XP Pro apparently handles some things
differently and FSK did not work satisfactorily.
microHAM sent me a patch today (the very next day!) and I am pleased to say they
fixed the FSK problem under XP Pro overnight. To me, that's quality stuff.
I'm happy to report that CW keying under the faster Pentium 4 machine was
impressive. The CW was much more crisp than when used on the slow 200 mhz
Pentium I machine used in NAQP although CW was quite usable on the slow machine.
And it's understandable that this would be more important. The USB micro KEYER
should be more attractive to users which have PC's with limited COM ports (or no
COM ports) and this means new PC's using faster processors and Windows XP
(especially laptops).
Keep an eye on http://www.rttycontesting.com/microham/mk.htm as I continue my
testing. I will update this page after every test (the page is dated when
updates occur). I'm not looking forward to testing audio switching and SSB but
I will do so because of my interest in this product. Now if I can only find a
microphone somewhere in the shack! hi
This weekend is SARTG RTTY and I will use the USB micro KEYER on one of my
radios/PC's and I am very much hoping to win although it will be tough. Only
K1IU has ever won this contest from the USA (in 1995, see
http://www.rttycontesting.com/records/sartg.html). If I wasn't confident of
this product, I wouldn't be using it to try to win one of the only major
contests I have yet to capture on RTTY (WAE RTTY is the other).
73,
Don AA5AU
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