More than a year ago I published an article here about an early prototype of my “dream” CW keyer (http://www.eham.net/articles/11749), a unique design based on the AVR Butterfly board. My optimistic assessment that it was pretty much finished back then was just that - it took almost another year to really make it everything I had hoped for, and it took the unwavering support of some intrepid collaborators and testers, most notably N0SS, NN0B, I2RTF, PJ2BVU, ON4MAC, and W0JFR. This is the sequel and conclusion of that first article.
Let me first show you a photo of the finished “CW Machine” before we look at the detail (you can tell that I'm really proud of it :-)

The CW Machine is really much more than a memory keyer. In a nutshell it combines:
An electronic keyer with iambic A/B modes and analogue / digital speed control. In addition a bug mode and straight key hook up are supported.
A memory keyer with 30 variable length messages with a combined total of up to 12,800 characters - more than most memory keyers and certainly more than enough for typical recorded messages. Messages can be chained and they can be interrupted and resumed at any point.
A real time clock and calendar that is primarily used for …
A semi-automatic logger that keeps the usual information for up to 12,000 QSOs in non-volatile memory. This logger can also be used for SSB QSOs.
An instant search of the log for a previous QSO when you start a contact. Even with thousands of QSOs in the log that search will typically take about half a second and will barely interrupt your normal pace.
Two “personalities” that can be switched instantly. Each personality has a set of messages, a call, and a name associated with it. I use the second personality for German language messages, but it could also be used for /P operations where you might have different messages, or for that second ham in your family.
Intelligent messages that automatically insert calls, names, or the QTH of the other station, in addition to all the usual functions like delayed repeat, serial numbering, local speed-up etc. Since the keyer “knows” if a previous QSO with a station is in the log, it can modify messages if that is the case. (It always gives me a kick when the keyer instantly responds with the name of another operator, even if the last QSO was years ago.)
A user friendly configuration and information system using an LCD display and a joystick for navigation.
A comfortable (optional) Windows program, the CW Machine Manager, that turns the CW Machine into a full featured keyboard keyer with an unlimited type-ahead buffer, message templates that can be inserted with F-keys, and much more. In addition it manages all configuration aspects of the keyer and allows the bi-directional exchange of QSO information with all logging programs that support the ADIF format. It can also download and install software updates for the keyer and the Windows program itself from the Internet.
The keyer itself and the companion Windows program have features and functions that far exceed anything that can be presented here, so this article will be more about the development history than the detailed functionality. However, you can download the handbooks for both the CW Machine and the CW Machine Manager and peruse all the technical details, including schematics and printed circuit board layouts, if you want to build a CW Machine yourself.
After having proven the general concept using the prototype, the first goal that I set for myself was to create a neat hardware package for the circuitry required by the keyer. That first article got me into contact with Tom, N0SS, and Steve, NN0B, among others. Tom has a lot of experience designing printed circuit boards, and together and through many iterations we developed a “carrier” board that the AVR Butterfly plugs into. (In case you haven't read the first article: the AVR Butterfly is the $20 microprocessor board that is at the heart of the CW Machine) While the prototype shown in the first article required substantial modifications to the AVR Butterfly, the final design in essence requires you to only solder a couple of headers to the AVR Butterfly that mate with corresponding pins on the carrier board. The AVR Butterfly and the carrier board form a compact sandwich:

The carrier board provides regulated power and the components to interface the AVR Butterfly to a paddle, a keyboard/keypad, and a transceiver. After Tom and I had experimented with a few board layouts that he produced manually (in amazing quality, I have to say), we eventually created the later versions of the printed circuit board using the (excellent and free) schematic-and-layout software from Express PCB to create truly professional boards. The layout of the latest board, at actual size, is shown in the CW Machine handbook, in addition to the bill of materials for all the components that go onto it. We went through quite a few iterations until we were able to squeeze everything into a compact single-layer design that you could replicate using commonly available photo-sensitized printed circuit board material.
The resulting “Butterfly sandwich”, in one version or another, was used by all of us to refine the software. Mine logged several hundred real QSOs during that process.
In its most compact configuration (there are several options) the CW Machine requires a paddle and a numeric keypad to control all functions. It quickly became apparent, however, that it would be nice to hook it up to a computer to expand the functionality in some situations. Jean-Claude, PJ2BVU, who had contacted me after that first article, developed the first version of a Windows program to manage the configuration of the CW Machine and to import ADIF logs created by other logging programs into the keyer. Eventually it turned out, however, that a complete graphical user interface is best developed in close integration with the code that resides in the keyer itself, and I decided to develop a Windows program, the CW Machine Manager, myself. Since the Windows program and the keyer are “talking” to each other, a special communication protocol had to be designed, and for the tricky debugging of that I used a HP4951C protocol analyzer. (thanks to eBay, a device that would have cost thousands of dollars a couple of years ago can now be had in perfect condition for about $50 - nobody seems to need them anymore …) I discovered and re-discovered skills that I didn't even remember I had :-) But in the end the keyer and Windows cooperated very nicely. The CW Machine becomes a full function keyboard keyer with this program, and it also allows you to exchange the keyer log with other logging programs and perform many other functions described in the handbook. I had kept my log for quite a while in DXKeeper, and, using the import capability of the CW Machine Manager program, I now have a log in the keyer that reaches several years back, long before the CW Machine keyer was even a dream.
When you look at the “Butterfly sandwich” you see a connector strip on the left, and quite a few wires and connectors are actually dangling off of it. Creating a nice cabinet for this keyer is a major challenge for a hobbyist because it has to have many differently shaped holes and cut-outs - ten of them, to be precise. I talked to Michel, ON4MAC, maker of some fine keys, who provided a first solution based on a standard cabinet. But eventually I got Piero, I2RTF of Begali Key fame, to bring his expertise to this venture. And the result is something that I could never have done myself. He produced an aluminum-cast cabinet with a special face plate and all the right holes and cut-outs that is built like the proverbial tank. It presents the LCD display at an angle to you so that it is always perfectly readable, and it even has room for a 9V battery that slides in through a “drawer “ on one side, that could power the complete keyer through a field day. The keyer in that cabinet is what you see in the first photo, and that is what has been on my operating table for several months now.
The CW Machine IS really finished now. Of course, there will be minor enhancements and creative ideas for improved software functions, and future versions can easily be downloaded and installed from the Internet. But for all practical purposes it has survived in its current form on my operating table for many hundred QSOs by now. Countless minor bugs and gremlins have been fixed (the current version is 1.5.42 …), but nothing major has surfaced for months.
The main thing that remains unsolved is how to make the whole package available to a larger audience. Maybe this article, again, raises the interest of someone who has the experience and the resources to distribute it as a “real” product or a kit. I think the CW Machine would deserve it, and it would certainly be more than a match for any memory keyer on the market. But I have no idea if there are enough CW aficionados like myself out there to justify the effort and recoup the expense of such an endeavor. If you want to share some ideas or have questions or suggestions: ulrich@steinberg.cc. And just maybe your own CW Machine will talk to mine on the air one day.
| N2DE | 2006-11-01 | |
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| RE: The Butterfly Is Airborne | ||
| Just a final word before this rolls off the front page: Piero Begali, I2RTF, is working on an even better looking cabinet, made of engraved aluminum alloy (with serial numbers !), that will further simplify the assembly of the CW Machine. It will become a Begali product, initially as a finished product - at a later stage probably as a kit. Reply to a comment by : LU1DZ on 2006-10-26 GREAT JOB...!!! Many thanks for making available this proyect as a kit. Alberto LU1DZ Reply to a comment by : N2DE on 2006-10-24 Before this rolls off the front page into eHam oblivion: I have received a lot of positive feedback, a lot of interest to own one, but little to distribute one as a product. I think that I'll cooperate with Piero Begali to bring it to market - we'll have to see whether as a finished product or as a kit. Check his website http://www.i2rtf.com/html/news.html for progress on this project - and it would probably speed things if you send him a message that you want one ;-) Reply to a comment by : W4SK on 2006-10-23 "You can tell that I'm really proud of it." And rightfully so! -W4SK Reply to a comment by : VK2ICJ on 2006-10-19 Great project I'd order a finished or Kit version if avail. 73 Chris Reply to a comment by : N2DE on 2006-10-18 The status of the software will be determined when it is clear if and how the keyer can be distributed as a generally available product. At this time I have no intention to make the keyer firmware available as source code. It contains techniques that would be of considerable commercial value for many other applications using the Butterfly board. Reply to a comment by : WD4NMQ on 2006-10-18 A great achievement. To echo another's question. Where can firmware be found. Also will it be open source so others can modity, etc. Had to ask, I am a Linux person anyway :-). wd4nmq | ||
| LU1DZ | 2006-10-26 | |
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| RE: The Butterfly Is Airborne | ||
| GREAT JOB...!!! Many thanks for making available this proyect as a kit. Alberto LU1DZ Reply to a comment by : N2DE on 2006-10-24 Before this rolls off the front page into eHam oblivion: I have received a lot of positive feedback, a lot of interest to own one, but little to distribute one as a product. I think that I'll cooperate with Piero Begali to bring it to market - we'll have to see whether as a finished product or as a kit. Check his website http://www.i2rtf.com/html/news.html for progress on this project - and it would probably speed things if you send him a message that you want one ;-) Reply to a comment by : W4SK on 2006-10-23 "You can tell that I'm really proud of it." And rightfully so! -W4SK Reply to a comment by : VK2ICJ on 2006-10-19 Great project I'd order a finished or Kit version if avail. 73 Chris Reply to a comment by : N2DE on 2006-10-18 The status of the software will be determined when it is clear if and how the keyer can be distributed as a generally available product. At this time I have no intention to make the keyer firmware available as source code. It contains techniques that would be of considerable commercial value for many other applications using the Butterfly board. Reply to a comment by : WD4NMQ on 2006-10-18 A great achievement. To echo another's question. Where can firmware be found. Also will it be open source so others can modity, etc. Had to ask, I am a Linux person anyway :-). wd4nmq | ||
| N2DE | 2006-10-24 | |
|---|---|---|
| RE: The Butterfly Is Airborne | ||
| Before this rolls off the front page into eHam oblivion: I have received a lot of positive feedback, a lot of interest to own one, but little to distribute one as a product. I think that I'll cooperate with Piero Begali to bring it to market - we'll have to see whether as a finished product or as a kit. Check his website http://www.i2rtf.com/html/news.html for progress on this project - and it would probably speed things if you send him a message that you want one ;-) Reply to a comment by : W4SK on 2006-10-23 "You can tell that I'm really proud of it." And rightfully so! -W4SK Reply to a comment by : VK2ICJ on 2006-10-19 Great project I'd order a finished or Kit version if avail. 73 Chris Reply to a comment by : N2DE on 2006-10-18 The status of the software will be determined when it is clear if and how the keyer can be distributed as a generally available product. At this time I have no intention to make the keyer firmware available as source code. It contains techniques that would be of considerable commercial value for many other applications using the Butterfly board. Reply to a comment by : WD4NMQ on 2006-10-18 A great achievement. To echo another's question. Where can firmware be found. Also will it be open source so others can modity, etc. Had to ask, I am a Linux person anyway :-). wd4nmq | ||
| W4SK | 2006-10-23 | |
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| RE: The Butterfly Is Airborne | ||
| "You can tell that I'm really proud of it." And rightfully so! -W4SK Reply to a comment by : VK2ICJ on 2006-10-19 Great project I'd order a finished or Kit version if avail. 73 Chris Reply to a comment by : N2DE on 2006-10-18 The status of the software will be determined when it is clear if and how the keyer can be distributed as a generally available product. At this time I have no intention to make the keyer firmware available as source code. It contains techniques that would be of considerable commercial value for many other applications using the Butterfly board. Reply to a comment by : WD4NMQ on 2006-10-18 A great achievement. To echo another's question. Where can firmware be found. Also will it be open source so others can modity, etc. Had to ask, I am a Linux person anyway :-). wd4nmq | ||
| VK2ICJ | 2006-10-19 | |
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| RE: The Butterfly Is Airborne | ||
| Great project I'd order a finished or Kit version if avail. 73 Chris Reply to a comment by : N2DE on 2006-10-18 The status of the software will be determined when it is clear if and how the keyer can be distributed as a generally available product. At this time I have no intention to make the keyer firmware available as source code. It contains techniques that would be of considerable commercial value for many other applications using the Butterfly board. Reply to a comment by : WD4NMQ on 2006-10-18 A great achievement. To echo another's question. Where can firmware be found. Also will it be open source so others can modity, etc. Had to ask, I am a Linux person anyway :-). wd4nmq | ||
| N2DE | 2006-10-18 | |
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| RE: The Butterfly Is Airborne | ||
| The status of the software will be determined when it is clear if and how the keyer can be distributed as a generally available product. At this time I have no intention to make the keyer firmware available as source code. It contains techniques that would be of considerable commercial value for many other applications using the Butterfly board. Reply to a comment by : WD4NMQ on 2006-10-18 A great achievement. To echo another's question. Where can firmware be found. Also will it be open source so others can modity, etc. Had to ask, I am a Linux person anyway :-). wd4nmq | ||
| WD4NMQ | 2006-10-18 | |
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| The Butterfly Is Airborne | ||
| A great achievement. To echo another's question. Where can firmware be found. Also will it be open source so others can modity, etc. Had to ask, I am a Linux person anyway :-). wd4nmq | ||
| N2DE | 2006-10-18 | |
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| RE: The Butterfly Is Airborne | ||
| W8ZNX: "prefer to slap my 60 year old bug" I love my bugs, too, but they can't create or search a log of my qso's. Nothing in this keyer forces you to use the intelligent features that create messages, and you can use it in pretty low-tech mode, including a bug emulation, if that is your preference. But, e.g., calling CQ for extended periods is not my idea of having fun, and at least for that I want a keyer with message capability :-) And being able to respond to an operator whom you have met before with his/her name doesn't sound like a sacrilege either. Reply to a comment by : NI0C on 2006-10-18 W8ZNX wrote: "next step machine made contacts no op prefer to slap a 60 year old bug" To each his/her own. As someone who has been using the K1EL WinKey for several years, I can vouch that there is plenty of operating to be done with refinements such as described in this article. 73, Chuck NI0C Reply to a comment by : N2DE on 2006-10-18 KU2US: I am a ham radio operator from the last century, even from the last millenium - and I suspect you are, too :-) We're not rolling in our graves, yet ... Reply to a comment by : KU2US on 2006-10-17 Bravo! This is what Ham Radio is all about-buildng, experimentation and ingenuity. The old ham radio Ops of the last century are rolling in their graves and smiling. Good Job.. | ||
| NI0C | 2006-10-18 | |
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| RE: The Butterfly Is Airborne | ||
| W8ZNX wrote: "next step machine made contacts no op prefer to slap a 60 year old bug" To each his/her own. As someone who has been using the K1EL WinKey for several years, I can vouch that there is plenty of operating to be done with refinements such as described in this article. 73, Chuck NI0C Reply to a comment by : N2DE on 2006-10-18 KU2US: I am a ham radio operator from the last century, even from the last millenium - and I suspect you are, too :-) We're not rolling in our graves, yet ... Reply to a comment by : KU2US on 2006-10-17 Bravo! This is what Ham Radio is all about-buildng, experimentation and ingenuity. The old ham radio Ops of the last century are rolling in their graves and smiling. Good Job.. | ||
| N2DE | 2006-10-18 | |
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| RE: The Butterfly Is Airborne | ||
| KU2US: I am a ham radio operator from the last century, even from the last millenium - and I suspect you are, too :-) We're not rolling in our graves, yet ... Reply to a comment by : KU2US on 2006-10-17 Bravo! This is what Ham Radio is all about-buildng, experimentation and ingenuity. The old ham radio Ops of the last century are rolling in their graves and smiling. Good Job.. | ||
| N2DE | 2006-10-18 | |
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| RE: The Butterfly Is Airborne | ||
| W9AC: There is RS232 control - that is what the CW Machine Manager program uses. Of course, the communication has to follow a protocol that is specific to the keyer. Your normal input device, if you're not connected to a computer, is a dual-lever paddle, or, with reduced functionality, a (semi) manual key. However, if you were to write a program that "grabs" text from any source, e.g. the Internet, and sends it to the keyer via RS232 and the proper protocol, it would translate it into perfectly timed Morse. In the keyboard keyer function of the CW Machine Manager you can, e.g., enter text erratically and with corrections "in flight", and the result is perfect Morse. Reply to a comment by : W9AC on 2006-10-17 Ulrich: Congratulations. Perhaps I missed it in the dialog somewhere, but does the keyer emulate K1EL Winkey to generate perfectly-timed CW from an erratic input like...the Internet? Also, is there RS-232 or USB control? Tnx! Paul, W9AC Reply to a comment by : N2DE on 2006-10-17 WX1F: Think again: this is a keyer, not a decoder for incoming signals. All the decoding of that is done in your head. What the keyer does is to translate your outgoing dits and dahs into characters, that it then parses for the data that goes into the log. No issues of signal-to-noise ratio here :-) Reply to a comment by : WX1F on 2006-10-17 Let's hope the RX sensitivity is better than all the rest. Every one that I've tried, from black box to totally software driven, needs an S6 or even higher so that you don't just get groups of A's instead of true text!! And yes...I tried different rigs and antennas. (I knew someone was going to ask me that!) Reply to a comment by : NS6Y_ on 2006-10-16 See if you can get an article into QST and have those kits kitted up because the orders will flood in! | ||
| KU2US | 2006-10-17 | |
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| The Butterfly Is Airborne | ||
| Bravo! This is what Ham Radio is all about-buildng, experimentation and ingenuity. The old ham radio Ops of the last century are rolling in their graves and smiling. Good Job.. | ||
| WA2JJH | 2006-10-17 | |
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| The Butterfly Is Airborne | ||
| Nice home brew. Looks nicer than commercial built units. | ||
| W9AC | 2006-10-17 | |
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| RE: The Butterfly Is Airborne | ||
| Ulrich: Congratulations. Perhaps I missed it in the dialog somewhere, but does the keyer emulate K1EL Winkey to generate perfectly-timed CW from an erratic input like...the Internet? Also, is there RS-232 or USB control? Tnx! Paul, W9AC Reply to a comment by : N2DE on 2006-10-17 WX1F: Think again: this is a keyer, not a decoder for incoming signals. All the decoding of that is done in your head. What the keyer does is to translate your outgoing dits and dahs into characters, that it then parses for the data that goes into the log. No issues of signal-to-noise ratio here :-) Reply to a comment by : WX1F on 2006-10-17 Let's hope the RX sensitivity is better than all the rest. Every one that I've tried, from black box to totally software driven, needs an S6 or even higher so that you don't just get groups of A's instead of true text!! And yes...I tried different rigs and antennas. (I knew someone was going to ask me that!) Reply to a comment by : NS6Y_ on 2006-10-16 See if you can get an article into QST and have those kits kitted up because the orders will flood in! | ||
| N2DE | 2006-10-17 | |
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| RE: The Butterfly Is Airborne | ||
| WX1F: Think again: this is a keyer, not a decoder for incoming signals. All the decoding of that is done in your head. What the keyer does is to translate your outgoing dits and dahs into characters, that it then parses for the data that goes into the log. No issues of signal-to-noise ratio here :-) Reply to a comment by : WX1F on 2006-10-17 Let's hope the RX sensitivity is better than all the rest. Every one that I've tried, from black box to totally software driven, needs an S6 or even higher so that you don't just get groups of A's instead of true text!! And yes...I tried different rigs and antennas. (I knew someone was going to ask me that!) Reply to a comment by : NS6Y_ on 2006-10-16 See if you can get an article into QST and have those kits kitted up because the orders will flood in! | ||
| W8ZNX | 2006-10-17 | |
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| RE: The Butterfly Is Airborne | ||
| next step machine made contacts no op prefer to slap a 60 year old bug Mac Reply to a comment by : WX1F on 2006-10-17 Let's hope the RX sensitivity is better than all the rest. Every one that I've tried, from black box to totally software driven, needs an S6 or even higher so that you don't just get groups of A's instead of true text!! And yes...I tried different rigs and antennas. (I knew someone was going to ask me that!) Reply to a comment by : NS6Y_ on 2006-10-16 See if you can get an article into QST and have those kits kitted up because the orders will flood in! | ||
| WX1F | 2006-10-17 | |
|---|---|---|
| RE: The Butterfly Is Airborne | ||
| Let's hope the RX sensitivity is better than all the rest. Every one that I've tried, from black box to totally software driven, needs an S6 or even higher so that you don't just get groups of A's instead of true text!! And yes...I tried different rigs and antennas. (I knew someone was going to ask me that!) Reply to a comment by : NS6Y_ on 2006-10-16 See if you can get an article into QST and have those kits kitted up because the orders will flood in! | ||
| KD5FOY | 2006-10-17 | |
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| RE: The Butterfly Is Airborne | ||
| outstanding!!! we need to have more articles like this on eham Reply to a comment by : OE6CLD on 2006-10-17 Great project! And I still have 2 Butterfly boards to play with ... Just one question - where can I find the firmware and the windows programs? I'm eager to build one! | ||
| OE6CLD | 2006-10-17 | |
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| The Butterfly Is Airborne | ||
| Great project! And I still have 2 Butterfly boards to play with ... Just one question - where can I find the firmware and the windows programs? I'm eager to build one! | ||
| W8WZ | 2006-10-16 | |
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| RE: The Butterfly Is Airborne | ||
| totally awesome!! Good job - and thanks for sharing! Reply to a comment by : N2DE on 2006-10-16 NI0C: Chuck, the band information, like all other configuration parameters, can also be set through the CW Machine Manager program with a simple mouse click. As long as the CW Machine is connected to a computer you rarely have to use the joystick or look at the LCD display. You would still, e.g., use the joystick to activate the tuning function (pulse train or steady carrier) or switch the keyer off - these are not functions of the CW Machine Manager. What makes the CW Machine so versatile is that it can operate completely self contained, off a 9V battery if you want to, and eliminate the need for a computer in many situations. Reply to a comment by : NI0C on 2006-10-16 That's a wonderful feature, then. I would think the way you are periodically downloading the keyer log into a database in the computer is the way most people would want to do it. I'll have to re-read your article and look at the instruction manual to see how band or frequency information is sent to the keyer log. 73, Chuck NI0C Reply to a comment by : N2DE on 2006-10-16 NI0C: Of course - the keyer can export its log in ADIF format, and any logging program that can read ADIF can import it. I continue to keep my log in DXKeeper, because it provides statistics etc. that the keyer itself doesn't have - I just periodically upload the keyer contents in ADIF format. Originally I wanted to implement some log evaluation/statistics functions into the CW Machine Manager, but the many existing programs do a much better job at that than I could hope to do, and they mostly accept ADIF input. Reply to a comment by : NI0C on 2006-10-16 Congratulations on this formidable project! You mentioned that log data could be imported to the keyer, but I wonder if the keyer can export to other logging programs as well. 73, Chuck NI0C Reply to a comment by : N2DE on 2006-10-16 VA3DXV: "if I were a CW guy I'd be all over that" It does the same thing for SSB if you attach a keyboard to enter the information instead of the keypad. It becomes an ultra-reliable logger, with no harddisk to crash or power to fail. Reply to a comment by : VA3DXV on 2006-10-16 That is slick as hell... if I were a CW guy I'd be all over that. Very nice, I hope you do well with it. Reply to a comment by : NS6Y_ on 2006-10-16 See if you can get an article into QST and have those kits kitted up because the orders will flood in! | ||
| N2DE | 2006-10-16 | |
|---|---|---|
| RE: The Butterfly Is Airborne | ||
| NI0C: Chuck, the band information, like all other configuration parameters, can also be set through the CW Machine Manager program with a simple mouse click. As long as the CW Machine is connected to a computer you rarely have to use the joystick or look at the LCD display. You would still, e.g., use the joystick to activate the tuning function (pulse train or steady carrier) or switch the keyer off - these are not functions of the CW Machine Manager. What makes the CW Machine so versatile is that it can operate completely self contained, off a 9V battery if you want to, and eliminate the need for a computer in many situations. Reply to a comment by : NI0C on 2006-10-16 That's a wonderful feature, then. I would think the way you are periodically downloading the keyer log into a database in the computer is the way most people would want to do it. I'll have to re-read your article and look at the instruction manual to see how band or frequency information is sent to the keyer log. 73, Chuck NI0C Reply to a comment by : N2DE on 2006-10-16 NI0C: Of course - the keyer can export its log in ADIF format, and any logging program that can read ADIF can import it. I continue to keep my log in DXKeeper, because it provides statistics etc. that the keyer itself doesn't have - I just periodically upload the keyer contents in ADIF format. Originally I wanted to implement some log evaluation/statistics functions into the CW Machine Manager, but the many existing programs do a much better job at that than I could hope to do, and they mostly accept ADIF input. Reply to a comment by : NI0C on 2006-10-16 Congratulations on this formidable project! You mentioned that log data could be imported to the keyer, but I wonder if the keyer can export to other logging programs as well. 73, Chuck NI0C Reply to a comment by : N2DE on 2006-10-16 VA3DXV: "if I were a CW guy I'd be all over that" It does the same thing for SSB if you attach a keyboard to enter the information instead of the keypad. It becomes an ultra-reliable logger, with no harddisk to crash or power to fail. Reply to a comment by : VA3DXV on 2006-10-16 That is slick as hell... if I were a CW guy I'd be all over that. Very nice, I hope you do well with it. Reply to a comment by : NS6Y_ on 2006-10-16 See if you can get an article into QST and have those kits kitted up because the orders will flood in! | ||
| NI0C | 2006-10-16 | |
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| RE: The Butterfly Is Airborne | ||
| Ulrich: Afetr re-reading your article, I saw that you mentioned "bi-directional exchange of QSO information with all logging programs that support the ADIF format". I'm sorry I missed that on the first read. I downloaded the CW Machine manual and saw that the joystick control is used to change bands in the QSO log. I would think that the CW Machine could take the place of a laptop computer for small portable operations and Dxpeditions. 73, Chuck NI0C Reply to a comment by : NI0C on 2006-10-16 That's a wonderful feature, then. I would think the way you are periodically downloading the keyer log into a database in the computer is the way most people would want to do it. I'll have to re-read your article and look at the instruction manual to see how band or frequency information is sent to the keyer log. 73, Chuck NI0C Reply to a comment by : N2DE on 2006-10-16 NI0C: Of course - the keyer can export its log in ADIF format, and any logging program that can read ADIF can import it. I continue to keep my log in DXKeeper, because it provides statistics etc. that the keyer itself doesn't have - I just periodically upload the keyer contents in ADIF format. Originally I wanted to implement some log evaluation/statistics functions into the CW Machine Manager, but the many existing programs do a much better job at that than I could hope to do, and they mostly accept ADIF input. Reply to a comment by : NI0C on 2006-10-16 Congratulations on this formidable project! You mentioned that log data could be imported to the keyer, but I wonder if the keyer can export to other logging programs as well. 73, Chuck NI0C Reply to a comment by : N2DE on 2006-10-16 VA3DXV: "if I were a CW guy I'd be all over that" It does the same thing for SSB if you attach a keyboard to enter the information instead of the keypad. It becomes an ultra-reliable logger, with no harddisk to crash or power to fail. Reply to a comment by : VA3DXV on 2006-10-16 That is slick as hell... if I were a CW guy I'd be all over that. Very nice, I hope you do well with it. Reply to a comment by : NS6Y_ on 2006-10-16 See if you can get an article into QST and have those kits kitted up because the orders will flood in! | ||
| NI0C | 2006-10-16 | |
|---|---|---|
| RE: The Butterfly Is Airborne | ||
| That's a wonderful feature, then. I would think the way you are periodically downloading the keyer log into a database in the computer is the way most people would want to do it. I'll have to re-read your article and look at the instruction manual to see how band or frequency information is sent to the keyer log. 73, Chuck NI0C Reply to a comment by : N2DE on 2006-10-16 NI0C: Of course - the keyer can export its log in ADIF format, and any logging program that can read ADIF can import it. I continue to keep my log in DXKeeper, because it provides statistics etc. that the keyer itself doesn't have - I just periodically upload the keyer contents in ADIF format. Originally I wanted to implement some log evaluation/statistics functions into the CW Machine Manager, but the many existing programs do a much better job at that than I could hope to do, and they mostly accept ADIF input. Reply to a comment by : NI0C on 2006-10-16 Congratulations on this formidable project! You mentioned that log data could be imported to the keyer, but I wonder if the keyer can export to other logging programs as well. 73, Chuck NI0C Reply to a comment by : N2DE on 2006-10-16 VA3DXV: "if I were a CW guy I'd be all over that" It does the same thing for SSB if you attach a keyboard to enter the information instead of the keypad. It becomes an ultra-reliable logger, with no harddisk to crash or power to fail. Reply to a comment by : VA3DXV on 2006-10-16 That is slick as hell... if I were a CW guy I'd be all over that. Very nice, I hope you do well with it. Reply to a comment by : NS6Y_ on 2006-10-16 See if you can get an article into QST and have those kits kitted up because the orders will flood in! | ||
| N2DE | 2006-10-16 | |
|---|---|---|
| RE: The Butterfly Is Airborne | ||
| NI0C: Of course - the keyer can export its log in ADIF format, and any logging program that can read ADIF can import it. I continue to keep my log in DXKeeper, because it provides statistics etc. that the keyer itself doesn't have - I just periodically upload the keyer contents in ADIF format. Originally I wanted to implement some log evaluation/statistics functions into the CW Machine Manager, but the many existing programs do a much better job at that than I could hope to do, and they mostly accept ADIF input. Reply to a comment by : NI0C on 2006-10-16 Congratulations on this formidable project! You mentioned that log data could be imported to the keyer, but I wonder if the keyer can export to other logging programs as well. 73, Chuck NI0C Reply to a comment by : N2DE on 2006-10-16 VA3DXV: "if I were a CW guy I'd be all over that" It does the same thing for SSB if you attach a keyboard to enter the information instead of the keypad. It becomes an ultra-reliable logger, with no harddisk to crash or power to fail. Reply to a comment by : VA3DXV on 2006-10-16 That is slick as hell... if I were a CW guy I'd be all over that. Very nice, I hope you do well with it. Reply to a comment by : NS6Y_ on 2006-10-16 See if you can get an article into QST and have those kits kitted up because the orders will flood in! | ||
| NI0C | 2006-10-16 | |
|---|---|---|
| RE: The Butterfly Is Airborne | ||
| Congratulations on this formidable project! You mentioned that log data could be imported to the keyer, but I wonder if the keyer can export to other logging programs as well. 73, Chuck NI0C Reply to a comment by : N2DE on 2006-10-16 VA3DXV: "if I were a CW guy I'd be all over that" It does the same thing for SSB if you attach a keyboard to enter the information instead of the keypad. It becomes an ultra-reliable logger, with no harddisk to crash or power to fail. Reply to a comment by : VA3DXV on 2006-10-16 That is slick as hell... if I were a CW guy I'd be all over that. Very nice, I hope you do well with it. Reply to a comment by : NS6Y_ on 2006-10-16 See if you can get an article into QST and have those kits kitted up because the orders will flood in! | ||
| N2DE | 2006-10-16 | |
|---|---|---|
| RE: The Butterfly Is Airborne | ||
| VA3DXV: "if I were a CW guy I'd be all over that" It does the same thing for SSB if you attach a keyboard to enter the information instead of the keypad. It becomes an ultra-reliable logger, with no harddisk to crash or power to fail. Reply to a comment by : VA3DXV on 2006-10-16 That is slick as hell... if I were a CW guy I'd be all over that. Very nice, I hope you do well with it. Reply to a comment by : NS6Y_ on 2006-10-16 See if you can get an article into QST and have those kits kitted up because the orders will flood in! | ||
| W6TH | 2006-10-16 | |
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| RE: The Butterfly Is Airborne | ||
| . Very good electronics and extremely useful. Should be a great demand for such. W6TH .: Reply to a comment by : N2DE on 2006-10-16 AB9LZ: That is part of the functionality. It'll also pick up name, qth, rst, qsl_via, comment from the stream that you send with your paddle to create a complete log record with the ususal information. The start and end times and dates are, of course, automatically inserted from the real time clock. When you send a call at the beginning of a new contact it'll do a look-up which gives it access to a previously extisting log record for that station, allowing it to insert the name and qth into smart messages, and to display the date of the last qso plus name and qth on the LCD. Reply to a comment by : AB9LZ on 2006-10-16 Way cool, lemme get this straight, when I send a call (with a paddle) that is not my own it'll decode that call and do a log lookup/create. If so, a really nice bit of programming there. 73 Mark. Reply to a comment by : N3OX on 2006-10-16 Nice work! That would be good for /P; looks like it's a lot more rugged than a laptop for logging chores. Very cool. Dan Reply to a comment by : K0BG on 2006-10-16 This is a very interesting project, and exemplifies the true essence of amateur radio; If you can't find what you want, of what you can find doesn't fill the bill, then make it yourself. In other words, home brew what you need. Plato's words were never truer! Necessity is the mother of invention. You have good reason to be proud. The other interesting part of the project is the international cooperation you were able to garner. And one, which proves itself over and over through the vehicle of amateur radio. Alan, KØBG www.k0bg.com Reply to a comment by : NS6Y_ on 2006-10-16 See if you can get an article into QST and have those kits kitted up because the orders will flood in! | ||
| K9FV | 2006-10-16 | |
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| RE: The Butterfly Is Airborne | ||
| That is IMPRESSIVE!!! I just might would enjoy building one of those - from a kit of course. Congrats on a job well done. 73 de Ken H> Reply to a comment by : N2DE on 2006-10-16 AB9LZ: That is part of the functionality. It'll also pick up name, qth, rst, qsl_via, comment from the stream that you send with your paddle to create a complete log record with the ususal information. The start and end times and dates are, of course, automatically inserted from the real time clock. When you send a call at the beginning of a new contact it'll do a look-up which gives it access to a previously extisting log record for that station, allowing it to insert the name and qth into smart messages, and to display the date of the last qso plus name and qth on the LCD. Reply to a comment by : AB9LZ on 2006-10-16 Way cool, lemme get this straight, when I send a call (with a paddle) that is not my own it'll decode that call and do a log lookup/create. If so, a really nice bit of programming there. 73 Mark. Reply to a comment by : N3OX on 2006-10-16 Nice work! That would be good for /P; looks like it's a lot more rugged than a laptop for logging chores. Very cool. Dan Reply to a comment by : K0BG on 2006-10-16 This is a very interesting project, and exemplifies the true essence of amateur radio; If you can't find what you want, of what you can find doesn't fill the bill, then make it yourself. In other words, home brew what you need. Plato's words were never truer! Necessity is the mother of invention. You have good reason to be proud. The other interesting part of the project is the international cooperation you were able to garner. And one, which proves itself over and over through the vehicle of amateur radio. Alan, KØBG www.k0bg.com Reply to a comment by : NS6Y_ on 2006-10-16 See if you can get an article into QST and have those kits kitted up because the orders will flood in! | ||
| VA3DXV | 2006-10-16 | |
|---|---|---|
| RE: The Butterfly Is Airborne | ||
| That is slick as hell... if I were a CW guy I'd be all over that. Very nice, I hope you do well with it. Reply to a comment by : NS6Y_ on 2006-10-16 See if you can get an article into QST and have those kits kitted up because the orders will flood in! | ||
| N2DE | 2006-10-16 | |
|---|---|---|
| RE: The Butterfly Is Airborne | ||
| AB9LZ: That is part of the functionality. It'll also pick up name, qth, rst, qsl_via, comment from the stream that you send with your paddle to create a complete log record with the ususal information. The start and end times and dates are, of course, automatically inserted from the real time clock. When you send a call at the beginning of a new contact it'll do a look-up which gives it access to a previously extisting log record for that station, allowing it to insert the name and qth into smart messages, and to display the date of the last qso plus name and qth on the LCD. Reply to a comment by : AB9LZ on 2006-10-16 Way cool, lemme get this straight, when I send a call (with a paddle) that is not my own it'll decode that call and do a log lookup/create. If so, a really nice bit of programming there. 73 Mark. Reply to a comment by : N3OX on 2006-10-16 Nice work! That would be good for /P; looks like it's a lot more rugged than a laptop for logging chores. Very cool. Dan Reply to a comment by : K0BG on 2006-10-16 This is a very interesting project, and exemplifies the true essence of amateur radio; If you can't find what you want, of what you can find doesn't fill the bill, then make it yourself. In other words, home brew what you need. Plato's words were never truer! Necessity is the mother of invention. You have good reason to be proud. The other interesting part of the project is the international cooperation you were able to garner. And one, which proves itself over and over through the vehicle of amateur radio. Alan, KØBG www.k0bg.com Reply to a comment by : NS6Y_ on 2006-10-16 See if you can get an article into QST and have those kits kitted up because the orders will flood in! | ||
| AB9LZ | 2006-10-16 | |
|---|---|---|
| RE: The Butterfly Is Airborne | ||
| Way cool, lemme get this straight, when I send a call (with a paddle) that is not my own it'll decode that call and do a log lookup/create. If so, a really nice bit of programming there. 73 Mark. Reply to a comment by : N3OX on 2006-10-16 Nice work! That would be good for /P; looks like it's a lot more rugged than a laptop for logging chores. Very cool. Dan Reply to a comment by : K0BG on 2006-10-16 This is a very interesting project, and exemplifies the true essence of amateur radio; If you can't find what you want, of what you can find doesn't fill the bill, then make it yourself. In other words, home brew what you need. Plato's words were never truer! Necessity is the mother of invention. You have good reason to be proud. The other interesting part of the project is the international cooperation you were able to garner. And one, which proves itself over and over through the vehicle of amateur radio. Alan, KØBG www.k0bg.com Reply to a comment by : NS6Y_ on 2006-10-16 See if you can get an article into QST and have those kits kitted up because the orders will flood in! | ||
| N3OX | 2006-10-16 | |
|---|---|---|
| RE: The Butterfly Is Airborne | ||
| Nice work! That would be good for /P; looks like it's a lot more rugged than a laptop for logging chores. Very cool. Dan Reply to a comment by : K0BG on 2006-10-16 This is a very interesting project, and exemplifies the true essence of amateur radio; If you can't find what you want, of what you can find doesn't fill the bill, then make it yourself. In other words, home brew what you need. Plato's words were never truer! Necessity is the mother of invention. You have good reason to be proud. The other interesting part of the project is the international cooperation you were able to garner. And one, which proves itself over and over through the vehicle of amateur radio. Alan, KØBG www.k0bg.com Reply to a comment by : NS6Y_ on 2006-10-16 See if you can get an article into QST and have those kits kitted up because the orders will flood in! | ||
| N8KG | 2006-10-16 | |
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| RE: The Butterfly Is Airborne | ||
Where do I place my order? What's the cost? Makes my MFJ keyboard look very outdated. But I sure do like my CW. de N8KG Reply to a comment by : NS6Y_ on 2006-10-16 See if you can get an article into QST and have those kits kitted up because the orders will flood in! | ||
| K8MHZ | 2006-10-16 | |
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| RE: The Butterfly Is Airborne | ||
| Very Nice! Thanks for sharing your project with us. Eham needs more articles like this. Reply to a comment by : NS6Y_ on 2006-10-16 See if you can get an article into QST and have those kits kitted up because the orders will flood in! | ||
| K0BG | 2006-10-16 | |
|---|---|---|
| RE: The Butterfly Is Airborne | ||
| This is a very interesting project, and exemplifies the true essence of amateur radio; If you can't find what you want, of what you can find doesn't fill the bill, then make it yourself. In other words, home brew what you need. Plato's words were never truer! Necessity is the mother of invention. You have good reason to be proud. The other interesting part of the project is the international cooperation you were able to garner. And one, which proves itself over and over through the vehicle of amateur radio. Alan, KØBG www.k0bg.com Reply to a comment by : NS6Y_ on 2006-10-16 See if you can get an article into QST and have those kits kitted up because the orders will flood in! | ||
| W2RDD | 2006-10-16 | |
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| RE: The Butterfly Is Airborne | ||
| Very inspiring to see that sort of undertaking. Reply to a comment by : KG4RUL on 2006-10-16 A nicely engineered and packaged device! Dennis KG4RUL Reply to a comment by : NS6Y_ on 2006-10-16 See if you can get an article into QST and have those kits kitted up because the orders will flood in! | ||
| KG4RUL | 2006-10-16 | |
|---|---|---|
| RE: The Butterfly Is Airborne | ||
| A nicely engineered and packaged device! Dennis KG4RUL Reply to a comment by : NS6Y_ on 2006-10-16 See if you can get an article into QST and have those kits kitted up because the orders will flood in! | ||
| NS6Y_ | 2006-10-16 | |
|---|---|---|
| The Butterfly Is Airborne | ||
| See if you can get an article into QST and have those kits kitted up because the orders will flood in! | ||