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The PicoKeyer-Plus kit received a very good review in the Feb. 2012 issue of QST magazine. There is a link in the article to the Youtube video I included in a post a couple of weeks ago. Of course this came out a few days before we left on a week’s vacation! I’m still working my way through the orders that came in. I’m catching up, and should have everything shipped by the end of the week. I’m current on MK-1, UKA-3 and ID-O-Matic orders now.
Several years after the last firmware changes to the PicoKeyer-RM, that product is getting a pretty major update. The new chip will not require the installation of the 1/8 Watt pull-up resistor, as the current one does. I’ve also changed the embedded message commands to be the same as for the PicoKeyer-Plus, and have simplified the keying mode selection. There is a new command mode available that will let you go directly to the setting you want to change, rather than holding the button while you wait for it to come up. Paused messages will automatically resume after you stop sending fro the paddle. A big change, though, is the ability to add an analog speed control pot to your Rock-Mite! This is entirely optional — you can leave it off and set the speed as you always have. Or, with a 50K Ohm pot and two fixed resistors, you can have continuously variable speed from 5 to 45 WPM. There is still testing to be done, so these won’t be shipping for a few more days yet… but watch this space and the PK-RM product page for more announcements.
Happy New Year! I hope 2011 was a good year for all of you, and I hope that 2012 will be even better. I want to thank every one of you for helping to make the past few years very interesting and enjoyable.Looking back on 2011, it was a pretty good year for HamGadgets. The UKA-2 kit was retired and replaced by the UKA-3, which people seem to like. I was able to start offering custom cases for the PicoKeyer-Plus and UKA-2, thanks to the addition of a CNC machine to the workshop. There were a couple of firmware updates to the MK-1 and ID-O-Matic II, which continues to be a very popular kit. If there was a low point to the year, it would have to have been Dayton — but we’ll just leave that alone for now. 2012 will see some changes as well. I’m working on a couple of new projects that you will see announced as they get closer to being ready to offer as kits or assembled products. There will also be updates to some existing kits. The PK-RM chip is about to get a major overhaul, its first in several years, to being it up to date and more in line with the PicoKeyer-Plus’ features. I’ve been working on a new repeater controller for a while now, and I’m hoping to be able to offer that later in the year. It is my intent to offer a ready-to-go cabinet for every new kit added to the lineup — most people seem to like having that option. And speaking of assembled products… I know that some folks really enjoy kit building, while others would prefer not to have to heat up the soldering iron. I simply do not have the time to assemble kits, except in very rare cases. But there is hope for those of you who don’t like soldering or no longer are able to. I do have a very small number of PK-Plus kits assembled and in the cases, and will list those on the web site in a few days. For ID-O-Matic II kits, there are two sources from whom you can buy completely assembled and tested boards. One is Radio Dan (www.radiodan.com); the other is W5TXR Labs (www.w5txrlabs.com). We’ll be out of town for a week or so beginning the 14th of January. As usual you can place your orders at any time, and we’ll get them shipped as soon as possible when we return from our trip. Again, I’d like to thank all of the people who helped to make 2011 a good year, and I hope I can continue to provide the kits and products you like for years to come. And remember — if you like your kit or your MK-1, please take a few minutes to let others know. If you don’t think it deserves a 5/5 rating, then please tell me and let me see if we can fix that. If you do think it’s better than sliced bread and Mom’s apple pie, a positive product review on the EHAM web site (www.eham.net/reviews) will reach a lot of hams — and it really helps me out as well, of course. Thanks again and have a GREAT 2012! 73 de Dale, N0XAS
Check out what George, N0JRJ posted to YouTube last week. Thanks, George! Awesome job! And George isn’t the only one, either. Apparently our friends at ARRL HQ like the PicoKeyer-Plus also. It has come to my attention that, for at least a couple of weeks now, it has not been possible to create a new account on the web site. You could still place an order without an account. I have fixed this problem, so you can now create an account, subscribe to the newsletter, etc. . . . → Read More: Account creation bug fixed It’s getting closer to the holidays, and of course that means it’s time to be letting your friends and family know what you really want. I’m working to make sure I have kits and keyers on hand and shipped quickly so that everyone gets their deliveries on time. If you’re DX, all I can say . . . → Read More: December 2011 HamGadgets News Wherever you are, I hope the weather is better for you than it is here! This morning started out with rain, then progressed to ice pellets, then what i can only call “snow blobs” falling from the sky. I think we’re back to rain now, but it surely has made a mess of the leaves . . . → Read More: November 2011 HamGadgets News I know some of you have been patiently waiting for your UKA-3 kit. And I thank you for that! After receiving the final prototype, I discovered a couple of minor changes I needed to make. One trace was omitted from the board. I also need to adjust the values of two resistors — the power . . . → Read More: UKA-3 Update I believe I have fixed a setting that was resulting in many DX customers having to use PayPal to pay for their order. Card holder address verification does not work with many non-US credit cards, and this seems to have resulted in some cards getting declined when they should not have been. I believe I . . . → Read More: DX customers and credit cards Boy, did I ever screw up!! I spent all that time updating the ID-O-Matic II manual. I added some features in firmware V3.3, like the fact that you can now specify a Morse character for the courtesy beep instead of just a single beep. I added a pin layout diagram for kit builders who aren’t . . . → Read More: New ID-O-Matic II Manual – use it!! |
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