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Reviews For: K1EL K42 CW Keyboard

Category: Keyers & CW Keyboards

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Review Summary For : K1EL K42 CW Keyboard
Reviews: 46MSRP: 92.00
Description:
The K42 is the Swiss Army knife of CW keyers, it will provide many hours of CW operation and enjoyment. A
CW keyboard interface, CW reader, iambic paddle keyer, LCD display, and optically isolated keying outputs
are all presented in one compact box. In addition, the K42 will operate many different modes including
QRSS, HSCW, and conventional CW up to 140 WPM.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.k1el.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00464.9
W5RDW Rating: 2010-02-17
Very good product..... Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Easy to build. I was in no hurry and spent a few hours per night as I had time. The instructions have you build a part of the unit and then test that part and then continue on to the next part, test that part and so forth. Your confidence is built up by doing this. A very enjoyable kit to build and test. It worked the first time. As a keyboard, it is really good and it is so nice to just type and the CW is sent. I am a novice at using a keyboard to send CW and this unit does a great job. I just used a spare keyboard I had laying around and it worked fine. As far as decoding CW, it does as advertised. I happened to copy the ARRL bulletin on 17M and it copied it with no problems. Of course, the CW was sent by a computer, but it copied just great at this speed. I then found KP2/3CT working a string of stations and it was fun watching him crank out the qso’s. I would recommend this product.
N6PAZ Rating: 2010-01-18
Fun to build Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Ordered the kit on-line, it came with in a week. The instructions are simple and easy to follow. I checked the parts and measured the resistors, and found one resistor out of tolerance. I replaced the resistor and started building. An easy build kit. Make sure you have a fine tip soldering iron. After assembly and test I put it the unit on the air. It works just like described on their website.
AK4FK Rating: 2010-01-14
Easy First time Build Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This was my second kit and I found it easy to complete. The kit arrived packaged good. The instructions were first rate. After a brief parts check out you are hands on building. Several steps along the way to verify working conditions. I was a bit confused on the steps for the LCD screen. Adjusting the LCD contrast trimmer was challenging. I didn't know which way to turn the pot. I went clockwise all the way to the end then counter clockwise and BAM I have digits showing up on the screen and they are clear. This kit was not only fun it was a good learning experience. I'm fired up and want to keep on building. I have my eyes on one of those new Genesis SDR rigs.
Walter / KI4UCJ
AK4Z Rating: 2009-08-17
Great Kit Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The K42 is my second K1EL kit and I am very pleased. It is easy to build and worked perfectly after assembly. There are several checks during the build process to confirm all is okay. Steve, K1EL, is very responsive to technical support inquiries. The K42 is smaller than the K40 and has a lot of capability designed into it. If you like keyboard CW you won't be disappointed. For those who use a CW decoder, be aware the decoder filters are fixed at 690 Hertz and can't be changed (I prefer to listen to 400 Hertz CW note). Unlike the K40 the LCD display has no backlight so you do need good ambient room light to read it. Good product, good support, and excellent addition to the shack.
WF8O Rating: 2009-08-10
Oustanding! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I received my K42 kit on Aug. 4 amd assembled it in two evenings. Easy kit! Well designed. Highest quality. I spent the next four days using it, and what a pleasure! CW reader works flawlessly even at high speeds. Easy to tune. CW is transformed from an intense paper and pencil process to arm chair simplicity. The reader will not copy all code, but if the fist is reasonable and the signal is not too deep in the mud, clear copy results!! Can be used with a keyboard, a paddle, or even a straight key. Great product. Steve, K1El, even responds very promptly to email inquiries. Highly recommended. No connection here with Steve or his company.

Sincerely,

Mike Narges, WF8O
K6CTA Rating: 2009-08-07
Great product! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
After using the same keyer for the past 16 years, I decided it was time for a new one. The K42 is a wonderful addition to the shack. Easy to build (it took one evening) and it operated perfectly when I finished. The keyer is amazingly flexible, and very easy to program with your keyboard. You can use as many (or as few) of the functions as you want - from a simple keyer to a full functioned memory (and contest) keyer with the addition of a CWR. All in all I think it's the best keyer I've had in 45+ years of ham radio. Excellent factory support, too....