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Reviews For: Island Keyer 2

Category: Keyers & CW Keyboards

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Review Summary For : Island Keyer 2
Reviews: 10MSRP: 33
Description:
A contest keyer with 54 memories.
Product is in production
More Info: http://jacksonharbor.home.att.net/ik2.htm
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00104.9
EA3AXM Rating: 2022-03-17
The best keyer Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have this keyer since many years ago. It has a lot of memories and some functionalities not very usual in other keyers like the possibility of making pauses in the middle of a memory (to key the name of the corresponsal for instance) or increasing the pause between letters at some point of the memory to make the code more easily readable (when you send your name or your QTH for instance).
You can connect a paddle to it but also a straight key. This allows me to record the memories using a Winkey device (available in www.k1el.com) connected to the straight key input and a program to type cw code like cwtype. This makes the task easy and avoids mistakes.
The keyer is still available as a kit at www.wb9kzy.com. it's cheap and easy to build if you know how to use a soldering iron. If you order it, I advise you to order version Beta37 or higher because they contain some of the great features not available in previous versions. I own Beta37 version and I haven't found any bug although it's a Beta version.
YS1RS Rating: 2017-03-12
Excellent product! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Easy to assemble. Instructions were OK for me.
Worked well first time.
Has all the functionality you may need and more.
You have to practice using the memories tough. I built it on a long Radio Shack case with buttons for the memories and made attachments for different sizes/types of plug in connectors. Very low power consumption so battery will last long time.
Give it a try. You'll love it!
73, Rob.
YS1RS
W2UP Rating: 2012-12-19
Update to earlier review Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've used this keyer for a number of years now. Before the 10m contest, I unplugged my paddle to make some config changes for the contest. After the contest, when I plugged the paddle back in, it was dead.

I sent Chuck, Wb9KZY, an email asking for some troubleshooting tips, and he responded almost immediately. After several days and no success, Chuck said, "Just send it back. Only charge will be parts."

Within 24 hours of Chuck receiving it, he had it fixed and no charge - it was a ground trace that opened up on the board, possibly from a static charge when I unplugged the paddle (I recall a spark jumping at that time.)

How's that for service?! Besides a great price, this keyer has more features than just about any other keyer out there. As they say on Wall St, I reiterate my STRONG BUY recommendation :.)
K8AEX Rating: 2007-10-04
Excellent Keyer Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This keyer is not only easy to build but out performs my transceiver built in keyer. I have been a cw operator for 45 years and have used various bugs and keyers but none can come close to the code generation of this one!
K8RBW Rating: 2006-07-19
Very Good Keyer Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I ordered and built the unit with the optional six gang switch and KEYALL MOFSET accessories. After purchasing the keyer directly from Chuck, I purchased the supplementary hardware for it that is sold by Morse Express. Morse Express makes no provision in their instructions for the the addtional accesssories, but I had no trouble placing everything snugly in their black project box. I then labeled everything with a Casio label printer with white on clear tape. It is very compact and looks and works great. The memory is huge. The only drawback I can think of is applicable to those of us with arthritis and nerve damage in our sending hand. You have to totally erase a lengthy message you are recording and start from the beginning if you make an error.

I consulted Chuck during the building process. He was very responsive and made numerous useful suggestions. The build (including drilling and labelling the project box, etc.) took me about ten hours. I am a slow builder because I print off all CD instructions, bind them in spiral binders for building and future reference, and read them several times before I commence work.

It is a lot of keyer for the money and designed by a great guy. It is wonderful for portable use.

As a Chicagoan of more than 30 years may I say: "GO DETROIT TIGERS"!!!!

73 de Dick, K8RBW

KT5X Rating: 2004-09-30
Best keyer at any price Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This keyer offers more features, more memories and more programmable aspects than any keyer I have found. It has all the features of the famous and fine Super-Keyer III and then some at a fraction of the price. Chuck, you do great work! P.S. I love your "Son-of-Zerobeat" visual CW zero-beat device, too!
WB4CVZ Rating: 2003-09-29
A Very Good Deal Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I received the kit a few days after I ordered it. It went together very easily in a few hours. Everything else required to complete the keyer is easily obtained from Mouser Electronics or other sources. The keyer is easy to program and a lot of fun to play with!
K8AC Rating: 2002-12-09
Nothing like it for the price! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
As usual, Morse Express had the package on my doorstep in a couple of days. The keyer worked the first time I inserted the batteries and has a most impressive collection of features. I really like the small Radio Shack "stick" box, as it allows me to sit the keyer beside the keying lever for easy access to the memory buttons. The buttons supplied as part of the hardware kit appear to be the good old Radio Shack units with the red buttons, as used on many MFJ pieces. Those can be intermittent at times, but you can fix that by creating a small slot in the black plastic body with a Dremel tool, and then squirting some DeOxit into the inside through the slot. The documentation and construction tips that comes with the keyer kit is well done and complete.

By the way, you really don't need the two miniature pots mentioned to control the keyer weight and sidetone frequency as those are setable via key-entered commands. If you decide you really need the pots, I found that Radio Shack carries a miniature screwdriver-adjust 100K pot that fits on the board perfectly and the cost is just over a dollar per pot.
AE5X Rating: 2002-11-18
Excellent keyer Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I ordered this kit from Morse Express and had it two days later. Built it in a few hours and installed it in a metal case. I also ordered the hardware kit containing the off-board parts: speed pot, memory switches, piezo speaker, battery holder and jacks. I had to replace 1 of the six switches with others from Radio Shack as it made intermittent contact when closed. Other than that, this is an excellent keyer and far, far surpasses the TiCK I'd been using. Can't wait to put it to the real test in this weekend's CQWW contest.

John AE5X
Outdoor QRP & 80m DXing: http://www.ae5x.com

AA1BW Rating: 2002-11-12
Just fantastic Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I ordered the kit about 6 weeks ago. It was here in Hungary in 2 weeks. Put it together in 4 hours including a custom made cabinet. It is just fantastic. I like CW, and it just does all I need. I played for days with the memories, but I just could not fill all with data. I got to like it so much, that ordered another one, and this one is also finished, put into a very small compact cabinet for backpacking, contesting. This is so far the best keyer I have ever seen. Considering the price, you can not beet it.