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Reviews For: Palstar CW50A Keyer

Category: Keyers & CW Keyboards

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Review Summary For : Palstar CW50A Keyer
Reviews: 8MSRP: 119.95
Description:
The new microprocessor based CW50A features tone, volume and speed controls. The CW50A works with all tube and solid state rigs and is powered by either a 9V battery or an AC adaptor(supplied). Since there is a built in sidetone and speaker system in the keyer it can also be used as a practice keyer for training purposes. It may be used with straight or hand keys,semi-automatic and bug or squeeze keyers. Adjustment of volume of sidetone and pitch is available on the front panel. The front panel and top cover are powdercoated.

Unique feature: reed relay mute circuit so that the keyer can be used with the R30C Palstar receiver when used as a stand alone. This provides a convenient muting function for a receiver when using a separate transmitter. All connecting cables, plugs and wall transformer are included.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.palstar.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
1284.6
XX0XX Rating: 2023-02-23
Big price! Decent mechanics, hokey electrically. Low on features Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Firstly, the Palstar CW50A does what it says on the tin (which isn’t much). (I bought mine used with the intent to improve my CW with a paddle.)

It is a reasonably well built electronic keyer with no features whatsoever (e.g. memory) which today sells for ridiculous price ($379). Gag! Not even one CW memory for the price!

However, it certainly does not, I repeat does not, deserve a 5-star review. It is a competent product with mediocre performance at a jaw dropping price.

Its sole unique feature is that a paddle (single or double) can be used along with a straight key. The paddle is plugged into the front of the unit and the straight key is plugged into the back panel (both are 0.25” jacks). Thus, if you prefer, you can effortlessly switch between a straight key and a paddle. Whoopie dooo!

There are a lot of claims here about contact debouncing but every decent electronic keyer does this.

Similarly, Palstar says that it will key any transmitter, including the old tube “boat anchors.” And, I don’t doubt it’s capability. However, several similar products designed to key any CW transmitter are available to accomplish the same task. And, they are both smaller and dramatically cheaper too! By way of example, the “Universal Keying Adapter” available from Hamgadgets (as featured in 2008 ARRL Handbook for Radio Communications) is more capable while being drastically smaller and cheaper (available in kit form too).

Advantageously, the Palstar keyer comes in a heavy-duty aluminum box with the controls, switches and connections nicely apportioned. It’s not flimsy and it will take a lot of abuse before capitulation.

However, when you open the box there is some disappointment. Most noticeably, the speaker is glued to the top of the housing. Yuck! It really looks hokey, considering the advertising and price. And, there is no grill cloth over the speaker. There are about a dozen holes (5mm, almost 0.25”) drilled into the top of the housing (on the right side) to vent the audio from the speaker directly underneath. Any debris or dust will fall onto the speaker (yes, likely it can be shaken out too). The speaker can be replaced but it will be a messy job (but doable).

Another mechanical disappointment is the mounting of the 9V battery holder. While there are 4 holes aligned for affixing screws, Palstar decided not to apply the effort (cost reduction). A small loop of poorly soldered wire replaces the 4 screws. The added weight of using a 9V battery (which most people probably don’t) will likely mechanically stress the battery holder if there is a lot of motion or vibration. And, it just looks bad.

The final mechanical comment is that the machining of the holes on the chassis and cover do not align well. You have to apply pressure to forcibly align the screws.

Now on to the electrical comments.

The PC board is well laid-out and spacious. There is a layer of green protective coating. All the components with the exception of the speaker are mounted on the board (including all the switches and connectors). What strikes you immediately is that there are more electro-mechanical components (switches, jacks, connectors) than circuit components.

When looking at the schematic, what the humongous price tag buys you is one 16-pin DIP IC, 5 transistors, a 5V regulator, 1 diode, a handful of resistors (potentiometers) and a small audio transformer. All the transistors are associated with the TX keying function. It’s really done on the cheap! Palstar didn’t even invest in few audio transistors! The speaker is driven directly by a square wave from the IC (through a small transformer). Although it doesn’t (at least for me) have a consequential impact on the CW sidetone, the audio is (as expected) quite distorted. Maybe it doesn’t make a big difference, but for this price I expect a good sine wave oscillator and a magnificent sidetone. What I get is adequate but disappointing.

It's also the best (and most expensive) code practice oscillator you can buy! ;-)

So in conclusion, the Palstar CW50A does what it says on the tin. It’s a compact, decent mechanical design and an adequate but mediocre electrical design. Low on features and big on price. As for functionality and design, it’s a poor value.
K5ICW Rating: 2022-04-29
Bounce,Bounce, De-bounce ! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I recently bought a Begali Intrepid semi- automatic key ( bug ). What a great bug !!!

I have used it on a 6 month old Ts-890s and a new Elecraft K-4. In both cases I received unfavorable keying reports. Both radios produced distortions on my sent CW signal. The culprit is " key bounce." where mechanical ringing ( think ringing a bell) enters the fancy circuitry and results in distortion.

The fix is simple. Use a mechanical relay between the key and the transceiver's key input. I purchased the the Palstar CW50A Keyer which has a mechanical relay that eliminates the bounce issue.
Dx Engineering virtually delivered it overnight by Federal Express.

The keyer works with a paddle , a bug, or a straight key.

The keyer is A+ in all departments. I

i did have to open the keyer and change a jumper to accommodate the Kenwood ts 890s.

73
Hank
K5ICW
K8PD Rating: 2020-09-03
Quality Product - Solid Performer Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The CW50A offers a solidly built unit that has all the features most CW operators require without a bunch of features that are seldom used. The user interface is very intuitive and easy to use. The adjustable side tone pitch and volume with a top mounted speaker is a nice addition. Construction is first rate and the appearance is very attractive.

There is a lot of flexibility of interface that includes support for QSK, receiver muting, and keying modern transceivers as well as vintage boat anchor rigs. It can be battery powered from a single 9V battery or from the station's 12VDC supply making it a good choice for QRP operation from remote locations as well as fixed operation.

Overall I couldn't be more pleased ... This one's a keeper.
VE3GNU Rating: 2013-01-20
Quality keyer Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Was looking for an additional, but alternate keyer for my QRP kit-rigs---none of which have built-in keyers. The accessible controls on the front panel are particularly handy and useful---especially the 'tune' button. This keyer has two 'key' inputs---i.e. paddle on front, and 'straight key' in the back---and the entire unit is powered by a 9 volt battery. Quality construction throughout---worthy of the Palstar name.
VE7IG Rating: 2012-05-25
Very good! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have never used memories in keyers and they have just complicated what otherwise would have been a simple device and I was also very happy to find a good keyer without buttons along the top! During one portable IOTA operation I accidently put a log book on top of the keyer with the buttons and reset it resulting in half an hour of work with the manual in dim light inside a tent when I should have been working the pileup. This keyer sounds good, keys very nicely and is perfect for my requirements.
K9SQG Rating: 2009-07-09
A1 quality Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Received the Palstar CW50A keyer as a Christmas gift in 2008. It is a great match for my Drake station. All the features I would ever want, and then some; no projected need for memories.

A pleasure to use, very easy and intuitive. Build quality is typical Palstar, excellent. Smooth operation throughout.

Only nits are inaccuracies about grid block and cathode keying in the manual, and the lack of grill cloth for the speaker which is easy to add. Regardless, it still gets a rating of 5. This is definately a keeper!
N6NKN Rating: 2007-05-04
Tops The Competition Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought this keyer to compliment my new K8RA paddle. In design and execution it is head and shoulders above the other "junk". You can see Palstar took as much care in building this keyer as they do in their much more costly products.

The previous review by KN7T told me all I needed to know and the reputation of the Palstar products sealed the deal.

Thank You KN7T.

Rick ( N6NKN )
KN7T Rating: 2005-06-29
A nice piece at a reasonable price Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I purchased this unit as an upgrade from my previous MFJ unit. The new CW50A keyer interested me because it has a receiver mute output built right into the rear panel. It also has rear panel outputs for grid block or cathode keying so it is compatible with any radio. What struck me most about this unit after receiving it is the extremely high quality construction - I removed the top cover to peer inside and the circuit board is a work of art. The layout is uncluttered and the instruction manual shows you the various locations of the jumpers and what options are available for the radio mute port, etc. The front panel controls are silky smooth and have a positive feel. The front panel controls are volume, speed, and sidetone pitch. The paddle input is also conveniently located on the front panel as well as the power-on LED. The keyer has another input on the rear panel for a straight key or a bug. I have a "Y" cable attached to that input and connected both a straight key AND a bug as well as a set of paddles connected to the front panel input. There are several switches on the rear panel that let you select iambic mode (A or B), an option to use a single lever paddle and auto spacing. There are also two rear panel adjustable controls, one for character spacing and the other for character weighting. As shipped, the unit comes with all of the necessary cables, connectors, and even a wall wart power supply. The unit also came equipped from the factory with a 9V battery already installed so it's ready to use right out of the box. During initial set-up I did run across a bit of a "gotcha" - I hooked up the keyer to my radio using an existing cable that I was using with my other keyer. The RCA style plug on one end had a slightly shorter center pin than a normal plug of that type. Unfortunately, the center pin was not long enough to contact the mating portion of the output jack installed in the keyer. The end result was that the keyer wouldn't key the radio and I was left scratching my head as to why. After a few minutes of examination and troubleshooting I compared the supplied RCA connectors with the one I was trying to use and the reason for the problem became readily apparent. So, it is worth checking to make sure that you have an RCA plug with a standard length center pin in order to avoid this problem. If you use the connectors supplied with the keyer then there's no issue at all.

After a couple of evenings of use, I'm really liking this keyer, especially the layout of the controls, the ease of use, and the fact that there are no internal adjustments requiring the removal of the cover or having to insert a tool through the cover to make an adjustment. I'm a CW nut so anything that improves the CW experience for me gets my vote. The only thing so far that I would say I didn't totally like about the keyer is the clicking noise that the reed relay inside the keyer makes. The reed relay is part of the receiver mute output circuitry. If I decide that I really don't like it, I'll probably just put a small piece of insulation over it to quiet it down - easy enough to do. Eventually, I'll use the receiver mute output in conjunction with my Collins 75S-1 receiver to provide second band receive when using my IC-765.

Some folks may not like the fact that this keyer has no memories but that wasn't a concern for me. I think this unit is a quality piece of hardware and a worthwhile addition to any serious CW operator's set-up.