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Reviews For: Idiom Press/Ham Supply Logikit CMOS 4 Morse Code Keyer

Category: Keyers & CW Keyboards

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Review Summary For : Idiom Press/Ham Supply Logikit CMOS 4 Morse Code Keyer
Reviews: 94MSRP: 99.95 - 139.95
Description:
The CMOS 4 is the little brother to the world famous K-5 Keyer. Unmatched feature list, with the best operator interface available. Additional features include: greater protection against voltage spikes, lightning etc.; all stainless hardware; internal volume control; updated enclosure design; 3-AAA cells will run Keyer for months, or accepts 9-12 volts DC. See Website for full and complete details.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.hamsupply.com/cmos-4-keyer/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00944.9
VE1RGB Rating: 2005-07-14
First rate! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I just had to write a review of the Logikit CMOS-4 because I am so very, very pleased with that tool. It's every bit as good as the ad in NCJ says it is!

The kit went together without incident and my only minor complaint in that regard is the modification to the battery pack. While I appreciate that the new jumper wire has been added to improve reliability, it is difficult to implement neatly and without melting the plastic (and I am an experienced kit builder). A good deal of caution is warranted as the assembly instructions – which are very good and of high quality like those of Elecraft -- point out.

I read the operating documentation cover to cover, twice, without the keyer in front of me, and that provided me with enough information to be able to actually do real things with a sophisticated keyer from the first moment I tried it. That's a real tribute to the writers of the technical material and to the designers of the firmware who have made the keyer very intuitive. Within minutes I was able to do advanced things, like introducing a little additional space between the "V" and "E" of my call sign, using the /Gd feature. The manual says to try the Auto-space function: you might like it. Well I tried it, and yes, I like it! So much capability in the keyer; so easy to use. Incidentally, my comfortable operating speed went instantly from 31 to 33 WPM so, again, another one of the product claims is quite justified.

The CMOS-4 is hands-down the best of any of the programmable keyers I've ever used, and now the CMOS-4 sits proudly next to my pair of Elecraft K2/100s and my Schurr Profi-2 paddles. I value all three equally. So far as I am concerned, I now have the perfect contesting station.

W8AJS Rating: 2005-07-04
Wow Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Purchased CMOS 4 kit at the Dayton Hamvention this year.It went together smooth as silk and I am impressed.Ive used many keyers thru the years and this one has them all beat.
KC0SOG Rating: 2005-06-29
Nice kit Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Well this was the first significant kit I have built. It took me two evenings and I had to redo a lot of stuff since I'm not too good at soldering. But the kit was forgiving, instructions clear, and I got it to work. Just don't look inside..Hi Hi. This key is packed with features and it will certainly help me improve and get faster on CW.

Doug.
KK6OQ Rating: 2005-06-06
Perfect Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I was getting tired of my IC-740's electronic keyer skipping a beat once in awhile and with Field Day coming up started to look around for other options.

After reading the reviews here at eHam, went with the CMOS-4 and wonder why I didn't do so sooner. The product shipped fast, even though everyone at Idiom Press went to Dayton. I have put together other kits, like the NorCal QRP Sierra, so have some experience, but this is a very easy kit with excellent documentation.

The fun part is operating with this keyer. Such a generous portion of features in a very small package. Works like a dream. Every CW Op should own one or two.
M0MRR Rating: 2005-05-06
Another excellent product by Idiom Press Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
When I was researching noise problems I read the reviews on the Idiom Press SCAF-1 filter and eventually bought a kit. After a very good experience with the product and after sales service, I looked at what else Idiom Press sold. I saw that the eham reviews relating to CMOS-4 Keyer were very high and constantly updated. As CW is a mode that I have recently been enjoying I decided to buy another Idiom product.

Again I had a long 2 1/2 week wait for the kit to arrive after ordering it. Again Idiom Press despatched the kit the day I ordered it – Royal mail is just slow.

This CMOS-4 kit was very easy to assemble and about 5 hours after I started construction I plugged in the batteries. I was happy to hear a confirmation ‘OK’ in CW through the keyer's internal speaker. The keyer does exactly what the sales brochure states and within a short time I hooked it up to my paddle and FT-897. (my FT-897 does have an inbuilt keyer, but like other features of the rig e.g. dsp for noise and bandpass it is ok......... but not brilliant).

In using the CMOS-4 keyer I really like the ability to vary my CW during the middle of a qso simply by turning the front dial. No menu systems to worry about. I can very easily speed up or slow down when working another station. Storing messages is really easy to do and saves some time with the standard CQ calls etc. You just have to press one of the 4 push buttons on top of the unit. Having an internal oscillator and speaker and powered by internal batteries means I can practice sending CW anytime I want, without the need to switch the rig on.

I guess the CMOS-4 keyer is probably designed for someone a bit more proficient than myself in CW, however its’ another well made kit that’s easy to assemble and simple to use. I am again happy with an Idiom Press product. The keyer is physically the same size as the SCAF-1 filter and the two compliment each other on my desk.
KI0RP Rating: 2005-03-31
Highly recommended! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I recently bought the CMOS-4 keyer kit from Idiom Press of Grants Pass, OR (www.idiompress.com), and this is just to let everyone know how great it is. It originally caught my attention because of the speed change dial on the front. My current radio, with its menu system, makes changing CW speeds fairly complicated, and I wanted the luxury of easy, on-the-fly speed adjustments. I really appreciate that feature of the keyer, but it has so many other wonderful features that it's clear some experienced CW operators put a lot of thought into the design. Some of these features are: easy paddle reversal, several methods of entering Tune mode, speeds from 5-60 WPM, and a VERY versatile message/memory system that can use embedded commands (e.g., you can change CW speeds in the middle of a recorded message). And the operating manual is excellent.

The kit, too, was very well thought out. Although I wouldn't recommend it for an unsupervised first-time builder (they assume SOME electronic construction knowledge), the separate kit manual was very thorough and easy to follow. The keyer went together in only two evenings of relaxed kitbuilding, and the first time I applied power, it worked beautifully.

I would highly recommend the CMOS-4 to any serious, or even casual, CW operator.

----------------------
Earlier 5-star review posted by KI0RP on 2005-03-31

I recently bought the CMOS-4 keyer kit from Idiom Press of Grants Pass, OR (www.idiompress.com), and this is just to let everyone know how great it is. It originally caught my attention because of the speed change dial on the front. My current radio, with its menu system, makes changing CW speeds fairly complicated, and I wanted the luxury of easy, on-the-fly speed adjustments. I really appreciate that feature of the keyer, but it has so many other wonderful features that it's clear some experienced CW operators put a lot of thought into the design. Some of these features are: easy paddle reversal, several methods of entering Tune mode, speeds from 5-60 WPM, and a VERY versatile message/memory system that can use embedded commands (e.g., you can change CW speeds in the middle of a recorded message). And the operating manual is excellent.

The kit, too, was very well thought out. Although I wouldn't recommend it for an unsupervised first-time builder (they assume SOME electronic construction knowledge), the separate kit manual was very thorough and easy to follow. The keyer went together in only two evenings of relaxed kitbuilding, and the first time I applied power, it worked beautifully.

I would highly recommend the CMOS-4 to any serious, or even casual, CW operator.
KM5JH Rating: 2005-02-25
Great Keyer Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I read the good reviews on the LogiKey CMOS4 kit here and decided to order the kit because I needed a keyer for the Bencher paddles I bought. I ordered the Kit on a Friday and had it on Tuesday. The keyer is small and will fit in a small footprint. Board looked clean and screening was good. The instructions were fairly clear but it would be nice to have a few pictures of the board during the various building stages. I built it a couple of evenings for a total of about 5 hours work. Kit went together well. The instructions recommend a few simple modifications concerning the batteries and battery holder. Keyer worked right the first time. The keyer has a ton of features that should please just about anyone. Another note, you have to send very precise code for the embedded commands or you might have a problem programming them. Since I'm not very experienced with iambic paddles, this was an issue for me. Other more experienced cw operators didn't seem to have this problem. I had a few questions and I always received a quick reply from Idiom Press. Fit and finish of the metal case was very nice. I highly recommend this keyer, especially, if your in the market for a kit. Well done Idiom Press... KM5JH
VE3OU Rating: 2005-01-28
Excellent Keyer Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The keyer performs exactly as described, and as the ads say, it does make your "in-board" keyer seem like a poor substitute.
I like the message memories with their "perfectly spaced" CW, and it keys so smoothly.
My TS570D/G keyer was forgotten as soon as I tried this baby! Ham for 48 years, used keyers for 44 of them, this is the best!
K8ND Rating: 2004-12-16
Right Functionality, Right Size, Right Price Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Pretty close to perfect. Still requires batteries or power supply, but perhaps a nuclear fuel cell is in the offing?

If I were to make one improvement, it would be to make the message buttons initiate on make, rather than on break, but that would be difficult to make work with the clever use of buttons and paddle for selecting/setting keyer functions and options.
AB4PP Rating: 2004-11-21
An awesome replacement to an older keyer on the desk! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I ordered the kit and it was here in four days. I assembled it in about 4 hours total time. I took one break to replace a piece I broke in the assembly process and was totally surprised, amazed, and satisfied when I put the batteries in and heard the "OK" from the memory. The instructions are very easy to read, very concise, and make putting the kit together an easy task. I rate it highly in the list of kits I have assembled. The directions were finely tuned and leave little margin for error. My only error was not taking my time in the placement of a single part on the board. The use of a visor, or magnifier, makes the assembly and reading of the parts much easier and saves a lot of time. The tip on the soldering iron should be as small as possible and be able to heat fast and make good solder connections. I have an order in now for the SCAF-1 Filter and am looking forward to putting that one together too.
The small size of the keyer is especially appealing to me for backpacking and the need for only 3 AAA batteries inside the keyer makes for less gear to carry. I also look forward to my next contest to try out all the new features of the imbedded memories. The default settings on the keyer work fine for me and I love the feel of the new buttons on the kit. I have used several other CMOS kits and this one seems to be a real improvement over the others.
Thanks to all who participated in the making and processing of this kit. It was well thought out and a pleasure to assemble.
JohnPaul/AB4PP