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| Reviews Summary for Logikit CMOS 4 Keyer Kit (Complete!) |
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Reviews: 72
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Average rating: 4.9/5
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MSRP: $89.95
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Description: Now - a complete kit - a wonderful 1 or 2 evening project you will use with delight for the rest of your life! All parts are supplied - you need only hand tools, solder and a soldering iron. The small size of this keyer make it the perfect match for the new generation of small transceivers - but don't think you are giving up a lot compared to its sibling, the Logikey K-3- instead of six active memories available at one time you have 4 - but all other operating features of the famous Logikey K3 are retained! This neat little box works perfectly with any HF transceiver available today. Perfect both for home station use AND portable operation - it will run at least a year of normal operation on the built in battery pack, and also accepts 12 volts DC - and you don't need to take the batteries out when used at home!
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All parts are through-hole - no surface mount. Comes complete with a detailed and extensive assembly manual, a complete operator's manual and an extensive tutorial on how to utilize all the features of this marvelous keyer.
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More info: http://www.idiompress.com/cmos4.html
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write your own review of the Logikit CMOS 4 Keyer Kit (Complete!).
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G4HZV
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Rating: 5/5
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Nov 20, 2008 10:51
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Excellent
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Built one of these quite a while ago now. Easy to build and works very well, just like the whole range of Logikey keyers.
One of the buttons failed, so email to Bob and two replacement buttons arrived in a few days - that's after sales service!
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N3DF
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Rating: 5/5
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Nov 20, 2008 10:08
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Very Nice Item
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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I purchased the CMOS-4 preassembled. It is compact, solidly-constructed and attractive. It is very versatile and the provided instructions are clear. I have had no problems with it and cannot think of any additional features that I would like a keyer to have. Highly recommended.
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WM3O
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Rating: 5/5
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May 22, 2008 08:53
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Fun kit to build and an easy to use multi-function keyer
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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As a kit, the instructions were very simple to follow and require only a soldering iron, solder, and a screw driver. I was able to build this in about 2 hours and spent another 2 hours playing with it. The board is laid out reasonable well and the small form factor requires the board to be somewhat compressed. Overall, it's easy to build up and some of the wiring re-routed for a clean look.
Operation wise, I never thought CW could be fun until now - this keyer is a dream to use and for new code guys like me, it makes sending code a snap. It feels so much better than the internal keyer of my 756PROII and has so many more functions. Not sure how useful all the functions will prove to be, but one never knows when they need to setup a beacon or be the fox.
The portable nature of the keyer is a huge plus for QRP style rigs. It makes a great practice oscillator during my lunch break at the office.
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K7UA
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Rating: 5/5
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Jan 14, 2008 14:42
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Great value
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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I already own a K5 and a factory assembled CMOS4. I needed another keyer and thought I would save a few bucks and have a little fun building something. I have not done any kits since the Heathkit days. This is a great product and I had no trouble putting it together. It worked right off. Do a parts inventory before you begin. I picked a capacitor of the correct value, but wrong type and soldered it in. I caught my own error and nothing was really lost. Several capacitors have the same value (.01) and you need to pay attention to the differen types. You absolutely need a good low wattage soldering iron with a fine tip. Don't plan on using your Weller "gun" or something like it. You will burn up the small circuit board. The work is not difficult, but it is rather close. My old eyes needed my reading glasses and a magnifying glass to check things out. I don't know if I would do another kit if I needed another one. Unless you work for $2 per hour, the small price difference will not pay for your assembly time. In either factory assembled or kit form this is a great keyer.
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WD9DUI
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 29, 2007 18:29
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Great Keyer!
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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This is a great kit, went together with ease. I did have a problem with the kit but it was resolved, possible cheap low quality Chinese solder may have caused an issue. The solid support on the phone and taking care of any issues on the spot is very helpful. I have had this keyer for a while now, it has been used with my IC-718 and a RockMite.
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KJ5ES
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Rating: 5/5
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Feb 10, 2007 12:47
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AMAZING KIT!!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Let me start by giving you the bottom line: If you are searching for an amazing keyer that works GREAT, buy this kit!
KIT, PART and INSTRUCTION QUALITY: 10 out of 10
This kit was easy to put together and a great joy to build. Everything in the kit was top-notch. As a final product, it looks PERFECT! It is a perfect size to squeeze into any tight spot in your shack too! I can’t imagine what could be done differently to improve this rating are!
DESIGN and FUNCTION: 10 out of 10
I did a lot of comparison shopping before I decided on this keyer. I looked at just about everything out there from MFJ, as well as other kit makers and vendors. When all the smoke cleared, I chose this as the best balance of value and function. Holy cow did I make the right choice. Let me be honest though, when I first finished the kit I was faced with the daunting task of learning to speak its language. Everything has to be communicated via mores code and key-press combinations. To monitor even the slightest parameter, you have to punch keys and enter Morse functions. At first I didn’t like this too much but hear me on this, once I understood the way it works, I found that this thing is incredible. Every time I thought to myself “gee I wish it did such and such” I would find a way to make it happen!! This keyer is like amazing and mind-bogglingly capable. Every time I use it I am thankful that I bought and built it. Well thought out, well kitted and infinitely capable, this is by far and away the best choice out there for a top quality memory keyer. Period. Buy it, build it and love it!!
CUSTOMER SERVICE: 9.5 out of 10
OK, I am going to nit-pick a little. When I called the company, I expected to hear them say “Idiom Press this is Rob, may I help you?” but what I got was “Hello” and a pause as though I might have reached Idiom or might have reached Jo-Blow and interrupted his nap. Just sort of left me feeling like I wasn’t dealing with a professional outfit. In addition, my shipment was delayed by a week or 10 days due to them having to wait for kit parts to arrive….no problem but I didn’t know this until I called them to see what the hold up was…seems like a preemptive email would have gone a long way to make them look more on-top-of things. In their defense though, I was having email problems during that period and I know for certain that a final-shipment email was rejected by my server. I guess the bottom line was that the sum total of my experience with Idiom customer service just left me feeling a little lost relative to other kit makers I have dealt with.
SUMMARY:
Every time I use it I am thankful that I bought and built it. Well thought out, well kitted and infinitely capable, this is by far and away the best choice out there for a top quality memory keyer. Period. Buy it, build it and love it!!
Steve
KJ5ES
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WA7SCH
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 10, 2006 01:10
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Fun Kit
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Haven't put together a kit in a while and wanted to make sure my soldering iron still worked.
Kit went together very well. The instructions were vaguely reminiscent of the old Heathkit manuals.
Really nicely done PC board and all components were what they were supposed to be.
Mine worked as soon as I put the batteries in. So, I guess my soldering iron still works. :-)
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ZL4JB
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Rating: 5/5
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Jul 3, 2006 18:13
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Great Keyer, & A Blast to Build
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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I got the keyer kit last Christmas and recently built it. I am pretty slow at building and it took me a whole Sunday (8 hrs) to build. I was very impressed when I cranked it up and it went! I had a problem with it and the people at Idiom Press were very helpful (by email) and they helped me to resolve the problem. They even sent me a later email asking how it went and to call on them again if there were any problems. Great service, great product and a ton of fun to build. Most of us do not get any oppurtunity to build something ourselves, so if you are looking for a keyer, I would definately recommend this keyer kit. It is simple to use and easy to program. Give it a go, you won't regret it.
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K0KES
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 17, 2006 11:33
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great keyer
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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I got my keyer cmos4 wired back in July of 2005.Wow can't say enough about how good the keyer performs plus Bob at Idom Press is great to deal with.I love the compensation keying feature for the IC756pro series short dit when using breakin the keyer really cleans it up plus the auto space feature and full-proff memory loading feature.You cant go wrong with any of Idom Press keyers. I also have owned the K3 which has more memorys than you could possibly ever need. Get one you will love it.JOE KØKES
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ZS6RJ
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Rating: 4/5
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Jan 9, 2006 02:14
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Brilliant functionality, but small dry joint problem.
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Time owned: months
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Living in South Africa, I ordered this item specifically based on the reviews I read here, as there were no local agents where I could have a look at one here prior to purchase.
I've used the CMOS 4 for around 5 days now and I agree with all that has been said in terms of functionality - the nicest keyer I've ever had. But....
When I plugged it in and started using it on air for the first time, it went dead on me in the middle of a QSO. My immediate thought was RF affecting the keyer, which I doubted in my shack, but anyway. The unit was totally dead, so I removed a battery, re-inserted it and presto, was back on air. All was fine until about an hour later, when the unit went dead again, but left my rig in a constant state of transmit.
Time for closer inspection. I disassembled the PC boards from the box and discovered that three legs of the main IC holder and two legs of nearby resistors had never beed soldered to the board! After sorting this out, the unit is operating perfectly. This doesn't detract from my satisfaction with the product - after all I consider repairs and construction as a vital part of the hobby and enjoy it as much as making QSO's. But I'm suprised this completed kit got past quality control with five completely unsoldered joints. This could have been a problem for someone who ordered the kit complete and dashed off on a field trip expecting it to work. Hence, the 4/5 rating. 73, Roger, ZS6RJ
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