Ultra PicoKeyer
27 January 2017 (Firmware V2.2)
Page 2 of 21
Operating the Ultra PicoKeyer
Once your Ultra PicoKeyer is assembled, mounted in the cabinet and has the battery installed, it’s time to connect
your paddles and transmitter or transceiver and take a little time to read this manual to learn how to use your
PicoKeyer’s features.
This is the
connections
end of your PicoKeyer. The
center jack is for your paddles (input); the right hand
jack is the on/off output for keying your transmitter or
transceiver (output). The left hand jack is a low
power audio output that can be used for ear buds or
headphones.
This is the
controls
end of your PicoKeyer. The
speed control knob is on the right, the memory/setup
pushbuttons are on the left. The triangle symbols ◄,
▼, ▲ and ► are used with the setup menu system.
The buttons are not marked with numbers, but are
numbered from 1 through 4 from left to right for
message memories.
The Speed Control
This is the control you will probably use the most often. The code speed can be adjusted from 5 words per minute
(WPM) to 30 WPM by simply turning the speed control knob. The high and low limits can be set using the setup
function described later in this manual. The default high and low range settings are 5 WPM and 30 WPM, but you
can set these anywhere between 5 WPM and 60 WPM.
You may notice that the speed will decrease to 5 WPM as you rotate the knob counter-clockwise, then suddenly
jump to 13 WPM. This is a special feature known as “Dual-Set Speed”.
Two Morse code speed settings are available for your use. The
current speed
is the speed at which the keyer is
operating, regardless of whether that speed is derived from the speed pot or the menu. The
stored speed
is saved in
the chip’s internal non-volatile memory, and is used when the speed pot is turned to its minimum position. At any
time you may use the speed adjustment to set any speed between the low and the high range setting. Setting the
speed with the pot does not affect the stored speed, which will always be available by simply turning the pot to its
full counter-clockwise position. This feature can be very useful; for example, you can keep your speed set at a
constant, favorite speed, but have the option of rapid QRS/QRQ to answer faster or slower stations. Or, you can
simply ignore the stored speed and always use the pot for speed control – it’s up to you.
Two things to note: First, you can set the stored speed anywhere from 5 WPM to 60 WPM – and it
doesn’t
have to
be within your speed control range. You can also set the range of the speed control to whatever is best for you.
Second, if you set the stored speed and low range the same, it effectively disables the dual-set speed feature – you’ll
have a constant range of speed adjustment. See the Range (RL & RH) commands in the “Setup Menu Commands”
section.
