A few days ago I decided to build a keyer for my Argosy (I got spoiled
by the one in the Pegasus). I "Googled" up a couple of easy circuits,
but then discovered an eBay vendor who sells keyer kits for just
$17.99. He's Dale, N0XAS, from Omaha, Nebraska. Dale maintains a nifty
website at www.hamgadgets.com where he offers the "PicoKeyer" and
related items.
I ordered my PicoKeyer Thursday night and got it today. That's service!
It went together in about 20 minutes and I just completed my first 40
meter QSO with it and my Vibroplex paddle.
This is a neat, well thought-out little package with excellent assembly
and use instructions. (I ought to know -- I used to work for
Heathkit). It has a built-in memory function with provision for
recording and playing back up to four messages. Speed is controlled by
menu-driven pushbutton command and the little keyer runs off a silver
oxide battery which Dale includes in the kit (!). It would be very easy
to build it into a small enclosure (Altoids box, for instance) or a key
base or -- as I plan to do -- into your rig itself. Right now, it's
just sitting naked next to my paddle. I'll probably wire it into my
Argosy next weekend.
Dale's PicoKeyer is very versatile. Although, as I mentioned, it uses a
menu-driven speed control, a small pot can be wired in to control the
WPM more readily. The excellently produced circuit board also has space
for a voltage regulator in case you wish to run the keyer from external
power (like tapping it from your radio).
If you want an economical but very capable little keyer, the PicoKeyer
is a great buy and N0XAS is a great guy to buy from.
73,
Craig
W3CRR
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