Is there a straight forward explanation of how to configure N1MM plus to key CW for contest

Mike,

Someone else will likely supply those notes - But lessons learned the hard way:

Don't rely on N1MM+ TUNE (CTL+T) to key the transmitter - it doesn't work with SmartCAT

Adding a WinKeyer (Large "W" on SmartCAT) is not obvious but mandatory to link with the N1MM+ WinKeyer check box and setup

Stan VA7NF