[CQ-Contest] [WriteLog] K1EL Winkeyer USB Problems

[jmaass at k8nd.com]

G'day Rick:

No, the Winkeyer USB is an integrated solution. It uses the WK2 chip, 
and the USB is integrated onto the single board. BTW, the newer ones 
have no battery jumper to confuse the dozey tourists - it was replaced 
by a diode scheme to switch automagically from USB power to battery 
power when the cable is removed. 

Down here, any dongle is one more dongle (plus cable) to fail from the 
salt air. Often the connectors are the place where salt corrosion 
builds. Also, in our small shack, the four station positions take up a 
lot of space, and space is valuable!

All Winkeyers are up and running. Now to clean up the keyer paddles of 
their year's worth of corrosion!


73,   Jeff PJ2/K8ND



Quoting Rick Karlquist <richard at karlquist.com>:
> jmaass at k8nd.com wrote:
> >
>  Winkeyer is recognized by Wiindows as a "USB Serial Port" when plugged in. 
> >  Yes, the correct port is slected for each (COM3 in this case).  This is
>
> Am I correct in concluding that the so-called USB Winkey is actually
> nothing more than a serial Winkey combined with a serial to USB converter,
> with all its associated problems?  I don't see how this is any advantage
> at all over using a plain serial Winkey and a serial to USB dongle,
> except maybe less clutter. 
>
> IMHO, what we really need is a true USB Winkey interface. 
>
> Rick N6RK
>