Firmware Version 1.21
2/2/2010
19
Only. In Paddles Only mode, you will hear the sidetone while sending manually from the
paddles. You will not hear the MK-1 sidetone for anything send from the computer,
stored messages or from the USB keyboard. Turning the sidetone monitor off lets you
use your rig’s sidetone while operating, without the distraction or extra noise of the keyer
– and without having to adjust the sidetone volume. There are two exceptions to this
rule. The first is when the QSO number Quick Decrement feature is used; two quick dits
will be heard from the sidetone speaker regardless of the monitor setting. Also, the
sidetone will always be enabled when in Tune mode.
Whether the sidetone is on or off, you can still monitor the progress of memory message
playback by watching the button LED colors (green for active, orange for transmitting).
You can change the sidetone monitor setting using the M command during setup. The
default setting is Always.
Stuck Key Safety Mode
Of course, proper operating procedure dictates that your station equipment should be
powered off while you are not at the operating position. We know that accidents do
happen; occasionally, a bumped paddle, napping cat or other mishap will result in a
station sending a constant carrier or an endless series of dots or dashes. In order to
prevent this from happening, your keyer has a “stuck key safety”. If a dot or dash paddle
is closed for more than 127 consecutive dots or dashes, the keyer will stop sending,
disable its KEY OUT and AMP OUT signals, and enter a low power mode. This will be
indicated by button M1 being lit orange.
Once the paddle is released, the unit will come out of its safety mode and will operate
normally. Note that the ST KEY (straight key) input is NOT monitored in any way, so be
careful if you have a straight key connected.
Memory Locations
Your MasterKeyer has a total of thirty message slots. These are arranged in five banks of
six messages each. Each message slot can hold a total of 255 characters.
At any given time, one bank of messages is assigned to the six function/memory buttons
on top of the keyer. This group of six messages can be played, recorded and edited using
the buttons. The other five message banks can be accessed through the PC interface, or
they can be called by other messages. For example, let’s say you have Bank 1 assigned
to the top buttons. Any message in Bank 1 can “call” any other message, regardless of its
bank. This gives you quite a bit of flexibility for setting up longer or more complex
messages.
As you will see later on, attaching a USB keyboard can give you instant access to an
additional bank of messages (see the Keyboard Morse Mode section).
