[CQ-Contest] Mini Keyboards

[Dale Martin]

Some time back, there was a thread concerning mini (as opposed
to small) keyboards.  The referenced keyboard in that thread seemed 
to be lacking in many respects. 

Our local, Webster, Texas (nr Houston), electronics parts outlet 
(curiously named Electronics Parts Outlet) recently received a 
shipment of mini keyboards.  I bought one ($45) and used in 
during my limited time in WPX this weekend.  It worked great.  
Where the old 101-key keyboard filled the keyboard drawer, the 
short keyboard leaves rooms for (1) a remote VFO control box
(a la the Model 301 for you Omni VI owners) and (2) my Brown 
Brothers Paddles.  While I didn't get to use the paddles this 
weekend, having the the remote VFO knob right next to the 
keyboard made operating much more comfortable. 

The keyboard has 81 keys. All but the top row are standard 
size keys.  The top row are about 2/3 the size of the standard 
keys, and contains ESC, F1-F10 (F11 and F12 are fn+F1 and 
fn+F2), num lock, prt sc, scroll, pause, insert and delete.  

While I haven't tried out all the functions and operations with it,
everything I have used on it seems work work just fine.  The keys
have a nice feel to them: light, but not so light that you will tend to 
inadvertently do a keystroke by simply resting your fingers on the
keys.  It's small size lets me clear some more stuff of my desktop 
(my goal is to put one of those micro-gauge trains on the desktop 
for diversion during slow contest periods. )

Mfr: BTC CE (made in Taiwan)
Model: 5100 Mini Keyboard, version 1.02

73,

Dale Martin, KG5U
kg5u at hal-pc.org
http://www.hal-pc.org/~kg5u


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