R L U . T e c h
S e r i a l K e y    v 1 . 4

The CW Keyboard for your Computer

By Jeff Rowberg
KF6RLU




SerialKey is a DOS program that uses a serial port on your computer to effortlessly send Morse code with your Ham radio without losing your CW receiving skills.  Installation and hook-up are extremely simple, as well as program use.

SerialKey will run in a DOS box from Windows!  (However, timing can get messed up if another program is running in addition to SerialKey.)
 



SerialKey v1.2 (Screenshot)



Features:

  • 4 through 99 WPM continuously adjustable
  • Easy Farnsworth operation
  • Adjustable weighting (1.5:1 through 9:1)
  • Contact logging
  • Log printing
  • Ten 50-character memories
  • Background transmitting*
  • TUNE function (key up the rig)
  • PC Sidetone
  • UTC clock
  • Inverse**
  • Manual sending***

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    *Background transmitting means that you don't have to wait for one character to finish being sent before typing the next one.  You can type a very long string (such as a CQ call) while the program sends in the background.

    **The Inverse function allows for "inside-out" CW.  If your serial polarity is reversed from the standard (+14V low, -14V hi), inverse can easily reverse the MARK and SPACE units without any complicated soldering.

    ***SerialKey allows the user to send manually by holding down the one one CTRL key.  When the user taps on a SHIFT key, SerialKey becomes a straight key.
     

    SerialKey has been tested on:

  • A Pentium 75
  • A Pentium 120
  • An AMD K6-2 300
  • A 386 20MHz laptop
  • A 386 40MHz desktop

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    SerialKey requires a computer with a math coprocessor for the Calibrate function in SETUP. It is possible to run SerialKey on a computer without a math coprocessor, though; you just need to edit the configuration file manually (a program like DOS Edit works fine).
     
     

    SerialKey has been tested with:

  • An Icom 706-MKII
  • A Kenwood TS-430S
  • A TenTec 1340

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    SerialKey is available free of charge.  You can download version 1.4 here:

    SKEY14.EXE - 94K   Self-extracting DOS PKZIP file
     
     

    For other information, questions, comments, etc.,
    CLICK HERE to email me.




        73,
        KF6RLU
        Jeff