Wow...interesting! Thanks Mike! As much as I'd like to try building a control panel myself, this would insure that the project actually gets done!
I'm looking at the OEM Xkeys Matrix Board. It looks to me like you need a computer to program it to do what you want, and then the output is via USB. If so, then I'd need a USB-to-serial converter to interface it with a K2. Seems to me I remember seeing warnings that the K2's I/O port isn't a pure RS-232 port. Am I going to need something else to keep everything talking safely? Thanks for any help...we're boldly going where I've never gone before! 73 - Ken --- On Wed, 11/26/08, Mike McLendon <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > From: Mike McLendon <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: RE: [Elecraft] Conversion from K3 to K3Plus or K4 > To: [email protected] > Received: Wednesday, November 26, 2008, 1:13 AM > My K3 has 54 buttons outboard and a multi-purpose knob! > These accessories > are available from XKEYS.com and Griffin Technologies > (Powermate). The XKEY > product comes with software and I have made available, > software for the > Powermate. This is just a suggestion for the group - I have > no affiliation > other than customer with these companies. > > With software with which you can easily assign functions, > these are > interesting accessories that take advantage of the rich > commands Elecraft > provides with the K3 and K2. Want a direct bandswitch? No > problem. Memory > channel tuning knob? No problem. > > > > Have fun! > > 73 - Mike, KE4U > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Ken > Alexander > Sent: Tuesday, November 25, 2008 2:09 PM > To: [email protected]; Darwin, Keith > Subject: RE: [Elecraft] Conversion from K3 to K3Plus or K4 > > I don't know much about this sort of thing, but the > command set (for the K2 > at least) is available, so I would think it would be a > relatively simple > matter to program something like a Basic Stamp to receive > pushbutton presses > from a small outboard control panel and send the > appropriate serial command > to the K2 or K3. You could probably read status back from > the transceiver > and illuminate status LEDs to show what's going on. > > The smarter programmer types could probably use a PIC or > two to do this and > have a separate matrix type LCD to display status in a more > attractive > fashion. > > This something I've always wanted to try. I'm not > totally crazy about > needing a computer to operate my rig when all I want is a > little easier > access to some of the buried commands. > > 73 - Ken _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [email protected] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
