[SD-User] Winkey

[Donald Field]

Pete G3KNU asked about Winkey.

There are several benefits.

1. It is almost impossible to create good CW under Windows XP, as the software is unable to drive the hardware directly. Windows will pass any requests on as and when it gets round to them! So the CW can be jerky. 
2. Winkey has a nice knob on the front to adjust the CW speed - personally, I find this somewhat easier than having to do so from the PC keyboard.
3. In the bad old days, I used to have a traditional keyer in parallel with the PC keying, so that I could send all the standard messages from the keyboard and use the paddle when I wanted to send something non-standard. But the paddle speed and keyboard speed may well be out of synch. With Winkey, everything is sent by the one keyer, whether you use the paddle or the keyboard, so the system is totally seamless.
4. Winkey can also be used a perfectly good stand-alone keyer in its own right, a little bonus.

There are probably other benefits, too!

Don G3XTT