KX3: How to configure N1MM to use function keys to send CW (without additional cables or hardware like winkeyer)

Update:  I found a fix to the {EXCH} issue I noted below.  See new post here.

Update:  I have a link to my N1MM setup (screen shot) so you can see my selections.  See new post here.

Last weekend I wanted to play in the CQ WPX CW contest and use the function keys to run the exchange during the contest.  One of the primary reasons I wanted to use N1MM was so that I could pass the contest exchange (serial number in this case) properly in the contest (as I am still learning the code) so I started on a path to find out how. 

The KX3 Utility provides some functionality to key the radio with the push of a button.  This is pretty neat…but it would be even better if I could get N1MM to do this for me.

After some searching, I really couldn’t turn up anything concrete, but did noticed this tweet back in June on the subject.  TJ is a regular on the KX3 Yahoo group…and this was what I looking for.

So I sent him a note asking him what he did.  Here was his reply (yes at the start of the contest…he replied).

OK…what are KY codes and what is the programmer’s manual?  OK…after more searching I found the K3 and KX3 Programmers reference and I began to dig into the manual.

KY codes are a command set to do keyboard CW/data…and the programming reference gives this (see below)…which, from a non programmers point of view, doesn’t help much.

At this point I get that the idea is to use the N1MM message editor to add these KY codes to the string that keys the radio…I attempted a few things (and none would work)…for example:

Original Code for F1:  {TX}   CQ NA * * * CQ{RX}

My Attempted KY Code for F1: {TX} KY CQ NA K4MTX K4MTX CQ {RX}

Again…this did NOT work.

Now that I have more info…I was able to work on better web searches and stumbled upon a few posts regarding {CAT1ASC} macros…but still got nowhere.

Finally I stumbled upon a post from a chinese ham BG6JII, Jerry Zhang who described his setup for N1MM and it went something like this:

F1 Cq,{CATA1ASC KY cqtest * *;}
F2 Snt,{CATA1ASC KY 5nn # #;}
F3 Tu,{CATA1ASC KY tu;}
F4 {MYCALL},{CATA1ASC KY *;}
F5 His Call,{CATA1ASC KY {call} ;}
F6 Repeat, {CATA1ASC KY # #;}
F7 Exch, {CATA1ASC KY #;}
F8 Agn?,{CATA1ASC KY agn? ;}
F9 Nr?,{CATA1ASC KY nr? ;}
F10 Call?,{CATA1ASC KY cl? ;}
F11 Break,{CATA1ASC RX;} 
F12 Wipe,{WIPE}

NOTE: Jerry mentioned that in some cases…the KX3 commands will not terminate properly so he has added a special command at F11 which will kill the “offending command”

Yes…now we are on to something.  So I went to configure my radio changing out the first command.

Original Code for F1:  {TX}   CQ NA * * * CQ{RX}

My Revised KY Code for F1: {CATA1ASC KY CQ NA K4MTX K4MTX CQ;}

BINGO!!!  This worked for me.

I began to work on F2:

Original Code for F2:  {TX} {CALL} {EXCH}{RX} {EXCH}{RX} DE {MYCALL} {RX}

My Revised KY Code for F2: {CATA1ASC KY  {SENTRSTCUT} {EXCH} de K4MTX;} 

This did not work as expected.  

(Update:  This was fixed in a recent N1MM update…See new post here)

This worked up until it got the {EXCH} command.  For some reason N1MM will not pass the {EXCH} command.  After logging some more time in the search engines…I have determined that this is issue specific to serial exchanges (such as 001, 002,….n ).

Summary:  N1MM function keys can send CW text to the KX3.   However, there are limitations.  Of primary concern, to me, is that it will not pass {EXCH}, which would have been useful in most contests.

Here is a quick video describing my setup:

Give it a try and let me know what you think.