[CQ-Contest] Contest Keyers

[TOMK5RC at aol.com]

Alas, I fear it is time to retire my Curtis CK1 and CK2 keyers.
Any consensus on what bulletproof keyer to use for contests?
Logikey? W9XT? Others?
With most functions coming from the computer, the demands
on the keyer are far less than in the past, but I don't need anything
that is unreliable.
Any collectors interested in CK1 and CK2 keyers? I have
two of each.

Tom, K5RC
aka NV7A


--
CQ-Contest on WWW: http://lists.contesting.com/_cq-contest/
Administrative requests: cq-contest-REQUEST at contesting.com


>From Silver Ward" <hwardsil1 at mindspring.com  Fri Sep 28 15:23:10 2001
From: Silver Ward" <hwardsil1 at mindspring.com (Silver Ward)
Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2001 15:23:10 +0100
Subject: [CQ-Contest] Output pad for running QRP?
References: <4.2.0.58.20010927231558.00ad8780 at pop.mw.mediaone.net>
Message-ID: <003e01c14829$1ae5a080$872079a5 at ward>


> At 07:58 AM 9/27/01 -0700, KEN SILVERMAN wrote:
> >What is the best way to attenuate the output of a 100w transceiver to
> >achieve 5w output?  My current radio puts out around 10 watts when the
level
> >is at the minimum.
>
> Ken,
>
> The VHF guys sometimes introduce a fixed negative voltage on the
> transceiver's ALC jack to reduce the power output to drive
> transverters.  We just did this a couple weeks ago here at K8CC with an
> IC-756 and a Downeast Microwave 222 MHz transverter and it seemed to work
fine.
>
> 73,
>
> Dave/K8CC

Use a 9V battery with the positive terminal connected to ground and a 10k
pot with the ALC port connected to the pot's wiper.  It will last a LONG
time and you can lower your power to almost completely nil.  This is how I
set my power output to 5W on my FT-990 and IC-735.  Note that the autotuners
may not work well at the low power settings - they need at least 10W to work
with.

Another method is to use one of the numerous variants of the ICL766x chips
to generate a -12V from the +12V outputs common on HF xcvrs (I know the
1000MP has one).  If you are careful wiring it up and put it in a little
metal box, there will be no switching harmonics to worry about and no
battery, either.  You could also put it inside the radio and put a
pot/switch combo on the back panel.

73, Ward N0AX


--
CQ-Contest on WWW: http://lists.contesting.com/_cq-contest/
Administrative requests: cq-contest-REQUEST at contesting.com