Flex-1500 Keyer Dash Input not Working.

GeorgeCT · December 2023

Hello,

The dash input to the keyer on my Flex-1500 is not working. The dot input works normally. The dash input signal is making it to the input on IC24, but that's as far as I could trace it. My question: Is there anything, other than a hardware failure that could cause is behavior? I can't imagine that there is a software setting that could do this, but I thought I should ask.

TIA and 73,

George

VE7ATJ_Don · December 2023

HI George... I don't have a 1500, but had something similar on my 6700. A couple of things to check...

a) are you sure the paddles are making contact? (check with ohmeter or on another radio)

b) is the cable to the plug working? (ohmeter check on the TRS plug back to the paddles)

c) As I say, I don't know the 1500's software either (PowerSDR?), but is there an 'Iambic' setting (similar to the one in SmartSDR, where unless this is 'enabled', it thinks you have a straight key or a bug connected).

d)In the software, is there a setting to switch the 'handedness' of the key? In SmartSDR, there is a setting to switch the sides of the paddles which produce dots vs dashes. If so, if you switch the 'handedness', do you now get only dashes?

In my case, we found out that the key jack on the radio was not properly connecting to the plug on the paddles, and I could only get either dots or dashes... It needed a new jack at the radio.

Hope that helps???

GeorgeCT · December 2023

Hi Don,

Thank you for your suggestions. I have searched the manual and all the PowerSDR menus for anything related to keying or keyer configuration. I have other radios that use menu selections to configure the keying, so I was watching for those types of settings. I don't find anything that would produce what I'm seeing. I traced the signals from the dot and dash inputs on the key jack and they both reach inputs on IC24, an inverter/buffer. I didn't try tracing the signals any farther, but I'm pretty sure something in the hardware has failed. I emailed Flex support but didn't get a response.

Fortunately, the dot input is working, and it is the input used for a straight key or external keyer. I tested it with a straight key, and it worked fine, so I should be able to use an external keyer for cw operation. The only difficulty I had was figuring out how to disable the internal keyer: you deselect "iambic" and the keyer is turned off completely and the dot input becomes the straight key input. That's not what I expected, and I don't believe it is in the manual! So, I have the Flex-1500 driving a very old MMT transverter and they are working very well. I'm hearing beacons that I couldn't hear with my previous setup. The Flex-1500, with the preamps turned on, is a very hot receiver.

Thanks again Don for your input.

Best wishes for the holiday season and 73,

George, KC1V
FN31sx

VE7ATJ_Don · December 2023

Hi George...I may be wrong, but as far as I know, Flex is no longer providing support for the 1500 -- hence the reason you didn't get any response.

I seem to remember seeing elsewhere on this forum comments about some ham that was providing service/parts for the 1500 and 5000 -- I'll see if I can locate the thread.

For now, you're right, the best bet is probably an external keyer.

Flex-1500 Keyer Dash Input not Working.

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