Keying TS-480 with Win-Test and Winkeyer USB

[W1NN]

Hello,

I have a TS-480 with a set of RRC-1258MKII.  It is all set up and working fine.  I am able to send pretty good CW using a paddle plugged into the Control RRC. 

The next thing I would like to do is set up to operate contests from my Vista laptop on which Win-Test contest software and k1EL's Winkeyer USB is installed.  This setup works fine with several non-remote radios I have tried it with.  Below I describe my unsuccessful effort to make this work.

The manual on page 65 states: 

Quote:

USB – Control-RRC:

A PC with straight-key functionality can be used to perform the keying, alone or in
combination with a CW-paddle. To activate keying the PC could use the DTR signal in the
virtual USB COM-port delivered by the RRC USB device. The PC control works in parallel with
the CW-paddle so it is possible to shift between PC-keying and the CW-paddle without
changing the configuration.

Unquote

I really don't understand the second sentence in the above paragraph very well.  There is no diagram showing how to hook into the USB, but here's what I did:  I connected the output of the Winkeyer USB (two wires) to pins 3 and 4 of the USB jack on the Control RRC (I also tried pins 2 and 4).  Then in IO Settings in the Control RRC software, I checked "yes" to "USB as DTR CW" and saved my change.  Then I tried sending a message from Win-Test running on my laptop but it does not work.  I'm guessing that there are other steps I need to take, but I can't figure out what they might be.   I have not made any changes in the Radio RRC settings but I wonder if this could be the problem.     

Can anyone tell me what I am doing wrong?  Or is there an easier way to accomplish my goal of sending CW using Win-Test contest software?  (Note;  the laptop I am using uses Vista and has only USB ports.  I do have access to an XP computer which has a serial port and N1MM contest software if that would be somehow easier to use.)

Thanks in advance for any guidance and assistance.

73,  Hal W1NN   
   

[sm2o]

Hi

You can not connect the USB port together, as both the winkeyer and the RRC are SSB devices, and devices can not talk to each other. One must be a Host. to use the USB in the RRC to key you must go via the virtual driver in the pc, Meaning that in your software you have to select the RRC virtual driver as output for CW keying. Im not sure if its possible with win key but it's possible in most logging software like N1MM etc.

If that's not possible you can use IN0 in the IO connector as a keyer input, probably there is a key output  on your keyer which you can connect to the IN0.

73 de mike

[ab7r]

Good afternoon!

I tried keying my K3 from DXLabs and N1MM using the COM5 (rrc virtual port) which is controlling the software.  The K3 PTT-KEY menu is set to RTS-DTR and the software is set to use DTR for CW keying on COM5.  But it does not work.  I see in the RRC webserver page it has an option for DTR and RTS use for COM0 but not for COM2.

Is it going to be possible to do this?

Thanks
Greg
AB7R

[I4GAD Enrico]

I'm using with satisfaction a CW keying program (CWTYPE) running on my WINDOWS XP LapTop hooked through the USB (Virtual port, in my case COM16) to the RRC Control. In the program setup I've choosen KEY/PTT Port Type -> COM Port via Windows API,  KEY->DTR,   PTT->None .
If some heavy program runs on background, I noticed time to time unregular keying sequences, but it happens rarely. CWTYPE is an excellent program also when I'm at home in front of my main rig whre I use MicroKEYER MKII interfaces and WinKey.
Enrico I4GAD

[M0BPQ]

I use my winkey (built into a microham MKII) via IN0 and it works just fine. I must admit that I built this before the USB keying was available, so but I am unliekly to change it now! However making a custom cable for the DB37 was a pain......
73
Steve
M0BPQ