Welcome to the new FlexRadio Community! Please review the new Community Rules and other important new Community information on the Message Board.
If you are having a problem, please refer to the product documentation or check the Help Center for known solutions.
Need technical support from FlexRadio? It's as simple as Creating a HelpDesk ticket.

Winkeyer Emulation

Lewis Cheek
Lewis Cheek Member ✭✭
edited June 2020 in SmartSDR for Windows
Anyone using Winkey emulation with current version with success? I tried using it when version 1.6 was released and ended up going back to my hardware WinKeyer USB.

Thinking of giving it another try, but if it still has bugs then perhaps I should wait for Maestro roll out.

Lew N4CO

Answers

  • Bob G   W1GLV
    Bob G W1GLV Member ✭✭
    edited June 2020
    Don't wait for Maestro, you'll be old and gray.
  • km9r.mike
    km9r.mike Member ✭✭
    edited April 2016
    I have been using it w/ N1MM+ and thurs Sprint cw events. I have had zero issues and am contemplating selling my Winkey usb hardware. I have been using that Winkey usb for 4 years and it never once gave me an issue.
  • Dudley-WA5QPZ
    Dudley-WA5QPZ Inactive Employee
    edited July 2019
    Louis,

    Did you create the WinKey port in SmartCAT? 
  • Lewis Cheek
    Lewis Cheek Member ✭✭
    edited January 2018
    I did, from what I recall cw was not smooth. Hoping for comments from someone using it daily.
  • km9r.mike
    km9r.mike Member ✭✭
    edited April 2016
    How can it be used daily ? Is that not what CWX is for ? I only use Winkey for contest logging programs. Most rigs like flex (cwx) have their own keyer.
  • Lewis Cheek
    Lewis Cheek Member ✭✭
    edited January 2018
    Last time I added a port with SmartCat, it took Tim to get rid of it. I'm a bit leery of generating another and not being able to remove it. I use DXLABS and Winwarbler for my logging software.

    Lew
  • km9r.mike
    km9r.mike Member ✭✭
    edited April 2016
    Understand. Well if it helps I also use N1MM+ for wed cw ops events and Fri, Sat and Sun for long cw tests.  I too prefer 100% reliability. Repeating an exchange is wasted time if due to poorly sent cw.
  • DH2ID
    DH2ID Member ✭✭✭
    edited December 2016
    I regularly use this setup for CW with my Flex6k5 and Win7pro64bit:
    Flex6k5+CAT WKport+MiniDeluxe+HRD DM780 WinKeyer+SDRBridge+CWSkimmer on 48k DAX IQ
    That works like a charm, no problems at all.
    73, Alex DH2ID
  • ctate243
    ctate243 Member ✭✭
    edited April 2017
    Lewis right now the winkeyer emulation works well in a number of popular programs, and not so well in others.  There are a number of programming challenges in this but they are being worked through and I am confident that most will be worked out as bandwidth allows.  for instance in N1MM logger + is fairly rock solid. in Wintest the timing is off. But their keying method is different.  So the net net is if your particular pogram is not working well, it probably will in the future but for now stick with the hardware keyer.  Chris N6WM
  • km9r.mike
    km9r.mike Member ✭✭
    edited April 2016
    That explains the difference, however, why is the Winkey usb hardware more compatible with different 3rd party programs ? I assumed the emulation and the hardware would be one and the same.
  • ctate243
    ctate243 Member ✭✭
    edited May 2016
    Well it will likely get there in future revisions.. or at least close. As far as I understand there are a number of nuances involved.. its more complex(the processing of the command sets) than one would think outright. There are various Winkey command sets with different versions as well.. v1, v2, v3 etc.  I discovered in testing 1.6 (and you can test this yourself this is all release stuff now) that wintest for instance requires a positive response from the winkey that causes a timing issue.  its actually unique to Wintest as far as I can see.  the flex emulator does not like it.  N1MM does not require that positive response thus sends smoothly.  We also note in the release an intermittent truncated first character sidetone..(not the actual sent code) also can be confusing to the operator.  So there are a number of items that flex cw operators are hoping the team can look at soon..  Its really a monumental step forward to have this stuff stock as part of the radio.. its a first.  and with all V 1.0 there is room for improvement.  Flex has a fantastic team working so many things through.. it will fall into place.  Patience with newer technology is key.. and workarounds in the beginning make sense.  dont sell you hardware keyer yet.. Im hoping we can both sell ours at the same time :-). 
  • km9r.mike
    km9r.mike Member ✭✭
    edited April 2016
    Well I got lucky initially w/ N1MM it looks like and can understand the disappointment from others looking to use this great addition. As I had mentioned earlier, I have been using this new feature during the thurs cw sprint sessions and did it specifically for two reasons. One I love the challenge of the events and two they are more demanding than most because of the speeds they run at and if the station is not up for the challenge it will show quickly.

    I have not seen any negatives wrt rcvr turn around nor any negatives wrt the new winkey emulation. Like I said I was very happy with my winkey usb and I really didn't mind having additional hardware hooked to the rig, but now for me this emulation replaces my old winkey usb and did it w/o skipping a beat. I am very impressed.
  • K1DBO
    K1DBO Member ✭✭✭
    edited February 2018
    I've used it with N1MM+ and, like others have reported, it's rock solid.

    I've been trying to get it to work with DM780.  I've have very limited success... or rather, just a bit better than complete failure.  It seems that others are reporting success with DM780 but not me.  I'd love to know what I'm doing wrong or what others are calling success.

    The problem I'm seeing is that the "send" function never completes when I type into the text window.  Macros work often enough though.  But if I hit "send" and start typing it will send what I type.  Hitting ESC (as the message at the bottom of the window suggests) stops the sending but the "send" button never resets.  So I cant send a second message.  If, however, I hit the "test" button on the WinKeyer dialog, the test message will send and the "send" button will reset.  Close, sure... but not quite good enough.
  • Ken - NM9P
    Ken - NM9P Member ✭✭✭
    edited June 2020
    I am using it on a frequent basis with N3FJP's ACLog.  It works pretty well for my DXing and NPOTA hunting.  I occasionally have a glitch, usually caused by ACLog not being in focus, in which case the Function keys activate the text stored in CWX, instead of the Macros in ACLog's CW/Winkeyer routine.  The other glitch is that sometimes there is a delay before it starts sending.  I have traced this to a failure of ACLog and the FLEX Winkeyer emulator to initialize the connection.  After the first transmission, the transmissions are timely.  I can also solve this by going into ACLog's Setup>Transmit>CW>Winkeyer tab and clicking the "Open" winkeyer button.  Then things work smoothly.  You set up the text for the Macros in ACLog's CW setup tab.

    I have also used the Flex Winkeyer emulator with N1MM+ and was pleased with its performance.  Though I am not a "Power Contester" on CW...just a mid-level S&P'er.  I haven't used the "keyboard Mode" though, only the editable macros in N1MM.

    Ken - NM9P
  • Jerry Wilk
    Jerry Wilk Member ✭✭
    edited April 2016
    Having the exact same problem with HRD send not resetting.  No fix as of yet I assume.
  • Mal G3PDH
    Mal G3PDH Member ✭✭
    edited December 2018
    The Winker works perfect for me, using it with N1MM+ running under Windows 10.
  • Jerry Wilk
    Jerry Wilk Member ✭✭
    edited April 2016
    Did get Winkeyer as emulated in SmartSDR working with N1MM+ under Windows 8.1 with no difficulty.  First time user of N1MM, now I have to figure out all the other attributes of the software as explained in its 800 plus page manual.
  • ctate243
    ctate243 Member ✭✭
    edited May 2016
    Once again its important to understand that the Winkeyer emulation currently has some limitations and seems to be selective as to what programs it works with at this time.  I currently keep a hardware winkeyer handy.. for now..  for applications that are still requiring remediation. We will get there eventually but in its current form there are some challenges.  I will be the first to sell off my hardware winkey when we get to that point, I am looking forward to simplifying my cable situation and leveraging the one stop shop.  It will require revisions of the SSDR/ SSDR cat for this to be fixed. however keeping a log of what does not work for you could possibly help the flex programming team. This is what I am doing.  The N1MM keyer integration is working quite well now.
  • DrTeeth
    DrTeeth Member ✭✭
    edited August 2016
    It is indeed a quite a daunting tome for a logging program.
  • Jerry Wilk
    Jerry Wilk Member ✭✭
    edited April 2016
    Winkeyer works on the DM780 except now the send key stays on and will not release in the latest version of DM780.  Have you had this problem?
  • Monk - K5HP
    Monk - K5HP Member
    edited December 2016
    Ken,

    Would you be so kind as to expound on the settings etc. for AClog and the creation of Winkeyer port etc.? I would love to reduce the number of contraptions on my desk.

    Thanks
    Monk
  • Jose Luis Roca
    Jose Luis Roca Member ✭✭
    edited February 2017
    Hi Elmer

    I am trying to use DM780 to produce CW and I am trying also to connect my FLEX with CWskymmer. Reading your messages I guess you can help me to do that. I really don´t know how could be my HDR and DM780 and FLEX configuration to do that. Thanks in advance.

    Jose Luis
    LU3VC
    73
  • Jose Luis Roca
    Jose Luis Roca Member ✭✭
    edited February 2017
    Hi again Dudley . You know I am using right now SmartSDR version 1.9.13 and I guess you don´t need any more winkey hardware because tehre is an emulator inside . In order to use DM780 I opened a new port WinKey and in the configuration of DM780 I selected WinKey and I tried to key and it works. I heard the pulses (dash-dot) on the speakers but without pitch. Perhaps I don´t know how I must configure WinKey app. If you know that tell me please. 

    Jose Luis
    LU3VC

Leave a Comment

Rich Text Editor. To edit a paragraph's style, hit tab to get to the paragraph menu. From there you will be able to pick one style. Nothing defaults to paragraph. An inline formatting menu will show up when you select text. Hit tab to get into that menu. Some elements, such as rich link embeds, images, loading indicators, and error messages may get inserted into the editor. You may navigate to these using the arrow keys inside of the editor and delete them with the delete or backspace key.