HamGadgets Ultra PicoKeyer, Manual

Page 1: ...ws quick QRS QRQ and return to favorite speed Adjustable weight Variable pitch audio sidetone QRSS mode with 1 255 second dots Curtis A or B bug and Ultimatic keying modes Variable letter spacing Tune mode with 50 or 100 duty cycle for easy tuneup Beacon mode with repeat delay up to 255 seconds and optional power on auto start MCW mode for sending audio Morse over voice radios Memory pause command...

Page 2: ... and 60 WPM You may notice that the speed will decrease to 5 WPM as you rotate the knob counter clockwise then suddenly jump to 13 WPM This is a special feature known as Dual Set Speed Two Morse code speed settings are available for your use The current speed is the speed at which the keyer is operating regardless of whether that speed is derived from the speed pot or the menu The stored speed is ...

Page 3: ...e keyer will send two dits using the sidetone only to let you know it decremented the QSO counter To check the current operating speed press buttons 2 4 and at the same time The keyer will announce the currently selected speed in Morse code using the sidetone only To send the contents of the MYCALL memory press the outer two buttons and at the same time To check for a straight key and adjust for s...

Page 4: ...th the message press and hold button 1 again until you hear R Now let s say you think you have a message stored in M1 but you re not sure what it is You want to review the message and possibly change it but you don t want to key the transmitter Here s what you would do 1 Hold down button 1 until you hear K then release the button 2 Tap button 1 The keyer will play the stored message if there is on...

Page 5: ... automatically start whenever power is applied to the keyer store the A command as the first two characters in message 1 This is useful for automatically starting a keyer used as part of a beacon station Remember that you will still need to use B at the end of the message if you want it to repeat To send the QSO number and increment it by one send QI QSO Increment To send the QSO number and NOT in...

Page 6: ...ve the keyer circuit board from the cabinet slide the coin cell battery out of its holder and install the new battery All of your settings and messages will be retained even with no battery power If you should need to replace the battery in your keyer you will need a CR2032 or equivalent lithium cell These are very common and are used in many devices from garage door openers to car remotes to ther...

Page 7: ...egative Your transmitter or transceiver may need either a mono or stereo cable It depends on the rig check your owner s manual for details for connecting a straight key to your transmitter The PicoKeyer s output acts like a straight key so you ll use the method for connecting a straight key Remember to disable the rig s internal keyer if it has one If you intend to use the PicoKeyer with a rig req...

Page 8: ...true MCW Modulated CW mode it s really just an FM transmission with audio Morse code tones sent instead of voice It is a good way though to have a CW practice net using a local repeater with the blessing of the repeater operator of course or a simplex frequency Those participating don t need HF privileges or HF equipment to learn and practice Morse code on the air It is not possible to give detail...

Page 9: ...scroll through items until you release the button Holding or will announce each menu item in turn holding button or will send a dot or dash for each decrement or increment of the selected item s setting To reset the item to its original factory default setting press and release the middle two buttons and at the same time To send the contents of MYCALL 1 if it s set press the outer two buttons and ...

Page 10: ...The keyer will announce the currently set speed You can now tap button 2 to decrease the speed by one WPM or button 3 to increase it Holding either button will continuously increase or decrease the speed with a dot or dash sent at the new speed for each step When the button is released the keyer will again announce the current speed setting Speed may be set from 5 WPM to 60 WPM If you want to retu...

Page 11: ...t setting is no cut numbers LTR SPC Default 0 L Auto letter spacing The keyer will announce the current setting Automatic letter spacing takes effect for messages sent from memory as well as code sent manually with the paddle 0 turns automatic letter spacing off In this mode you control the spacing between letters This is the default setting it is the same way most keyers operate and most operator...

Page 12: ...menu item the keyer will announce DIT Tap the paddle you wish to use as the dot paddle this setting will take effect as soon as you exit the setup menu AUDIO Default Around 2 kHz A Audio Tone The keyer will send a dash at the selected sidetone audio frequency each time or is pressed The default setting is approximately 2000 Hz which gives the loudest audio from the on board speaker DELAY Default 0...

Page 13: ...vise to hold the work is a good idea I use a PanaVise but you can also construct a board holder out of scrap wood and rubber bands If you use a regular bench vise use gentle pressure and something to cushion the vise jaws A pencil to check off each step as you finish it Once you have all of your tools and supplies gathered together you re ready to get started Warm up the iron while you remove the ...

Page 14: ...omponent damage and could even cause the coin cell battery to heat up and burn or explode Step By Step Assembly Instructions Locate the printed circuit board PCB Orient the PCB with the component side the side with the white markings on top and the lettering right side up as you look at it Locate and install the battery clip Make sure the open side of the battery clip faces the edge of the board Y...

Page 15: ...pposite corners flat against the bottom of the PCB to hold the socket in place while you solder Solder all fourteen pins in place Be careful not to use too much heat or too much solder Install the two 2N7000 MOSFET transistors in locations Q1 and Q2 Make sure the flat side of each transistor is facing the direction indicated by the silkscreen printed outline Don t try to push them in too far Leave...

Page 16: ...ns indicated on the component side of the PCB Be sure to get them fully seated and flush against the board There are plastic pins on the bottom that will fit into holes in the PCB when they are pushed all the way in Again it s important to make sure these are properly mounted and straight If they re not lined up right you will have trouble installing the board into the plastic cabinet C3 is used t...

Page 17: ...e it from its protective packaging Note that the flat side is marked with a plus sign This side will be up when the battery is inserted into the battery holder Slide the battery into the battery holder If you have done everything right you should hear the keyer send 73 in Morse code through the speaker Congratulations Your kit is complete Now is a good time to mount your keyer in the cabinet The b...

Page 18: ... Don t panic Email me or just mail the bad part back to me with a note Include your address If you broke it it would be nice to include a couple of bucks to cover the postage and packaging If it was bad when you got it just let me know and I ll send a replacement at no charge including postage I m pretty easy to get along with Q The sidetone audio is too low I can t hear it A You can adjust the si...

Page 19: ...adio s owner manual for the correct wiring for this Q My radio keys up as soon as I touch the paddle and stays keyed until a second or two after I stop sending A You have probably selected MCW mode In this mode the keying output is used for PTT and audio is fed to an FM transmitter for on air code practice with FM radios Check the sidetone or T menu setting Q When I try to use the keyer it doesn t...

Page 20: ...Ultra PicoKeyer 27 January 2017 Firmware V2 2 Page 20 of 21 Schematic Diagram ...

Page 21: ...5 2015 01 20 Fixed message record backspace 8 dits to leave the space after the previous word Fixed use of multiple Snn commands in a message 1 6 2015 03 04 Fixed beacon delays 25 seconds 2 0 2015 05 15 Added MYCALL setting MYCALL consists of two message slots each of which can be any string up to 63 characters Added QRSS mode with dot lengths from 1 to 255 seconds Added support for separate PTT o...