Recently a reader wrote:
I just wanted to thank you for your instruction and advise. Last night I passed my Technician and General exams!!! One question, where would I look to find equipment to send CW with my computer / keyboard??
I replied:
Congratulations on getting your ticket! I don’t do CW by keyboard, and I’d really encourage you to try sending by hand before just jumping onto the keyboard. It’s not that I have anything against computer-generated code, but I think sending manually is more fun. :)
Having said that, I just googled “CW keyboard” and came up with the following:
- K1EL K44 CW Keyboard/Reader Kit. $129 kit, $149 assembled.
- MFJ-452 CW Keyboard/Keyer. $160.
Of these two, I’d go with the K1EL K44. I have built several K1EL kits, and they are well-designed and well-made. Another reason is that I’ve had problems with MFJ products in the past and don’t usually recommend them.
In addition, some logging programs, such as N3FJP’s AC Log (http://www.n3fjp.com/aclog.html), allow you to send CW via a keyer connected to the computer via a serial port or USB port. To go this way, you’ll need something like the K1EL WKUSB-SMT CW Keyer (http://www.hamcrafters2.com/WKUSBX.html).
Do any of you have experience with CW keyboards? If so, which ones would you recommend? Which ones would you not recommend?