K1EL K45 User manual

K45 CW Modem
with WinKeyer3 Controller
User Manual
www.k1el.com
Revision A.0
June 6, 2021

K1EL K45 CW Modem Manual K45
K-45 User’s Manual - Rev A.0 6/6/2021 Page 2
Introduction
The K45 is the latest member of the K1EL CW Keyboard product line starting with the K20 in 1997 to the
most recent K44. The K45 incorporates a CW reader and has both USB keyboard and USB host interfaces.
Two separate CW output ports are provided that can key almost any transmitter. This document will
describe the features of the K45 including a detailed operation guide.
The K45 is housed in an all-metal chassis with a four line by twenty-character LCD display. A slanted face
on the K45 enclosure presents the display for comfortable viewing. A rotary encoder with a push switch
provides user input. The unit is powered by connection to a USB power source, this can be a USB charger,
USB battery, or the USB port on a PC or laptop. The K45 draws low current, about 140 mA, so a standard
phone charger will work fine.
List of K45 features
•WinKeyer mode allows the K45 to connect to a PC host logging or contest application
•4 Line by 20-character LCD display with adjustable backlight and contrast.
•Multi-function status bar display
•Separate receive and transmit display windows with scrolling and optional word wrap
•Real time transmit progress window can be displayed instantly by hot key
•USB Type A connector for use with a standard wired or wireless USB keyboard
•Mini-USB connector for connection to a host PC or power source
•1/8-inch audio jack for CW reader input with adjustable gain, spacing, threshold, and noise filter
•1/8-inch stereo key output jack provides two separate optically isolated outputs
•Keying outputs can be configured as two separate keying outputs or a single output with PTT
•Optically isolated Solid State relay outputs key up to +/- 350 volts at 120 mA
•1/8-inch iambic or single lever paddle input that also supports straight key input
•Single rotary encoder input with integral push switch
•On board sidetone speaker with adjustable volume and pitch
•ESD input protection and RFI suppression on all connectors
•Transmit keying speed range of 5 to 99 WPM.
•DSP based CW Reader speed operates from 7 to 60 WPM
•Two complete user setups each with message and configuration storage
•Twelve messages of 120 characters each for each of two users
•Iambic A, B, and Ultimatic paddle modes supported
•Adjustable letterspace and wordspace
•Adjustable keying weight, compensation, and dit/dah ratio
•Adjustable PTT lead-in, tail, and paddle hang times
•Firmware can be upgraded over USB
LCD Display
A high quality 20 by 4 LCD character display is used. The characters are large, well lit, and very easy to
read. By employing an easy to use scrolling and windowing design, the display is used efficiently, and
provides the user with many viewing options.
Status Line
The top line of the display is used for status feedback to the user.
Figure 1 – K45 Display Status Line
Description of the elements contained in the status line:

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1) Decoded Rx Morse input speed in WPM
2) Receive Window selection indicator, active when receive window is viewed
3) Real time signal amplitude bar graph with overload indication. Used for CWR tuning
4) User number indicator (1 or 2)
5) Transmit hold (pause) status indicator (flashing H)
6) B=K45 Transmit Busy, P=Paddle Transmit active
7) Message wait indicator (flashing W)
8) Transmit Window selection indicator, active when transmit window is viewed.
9) Transmit speed in WPM
Flash Status indicators
Several important status indicators briefly overwrite the normal status to indicate status or mode changes.
The message will automatically be cleared, and normal status will return after a few seconds.
Some of these indicators are:
1) Parameter change by hot key
2) ESC has been pressed and the K45 is waiting for a command entry
3) BEG or END of a scrolled window
The three text lines below the status line are used mainly for receive and transmit character display but are
also used for many other functions.
CW Reader Module (CWR)
A very good CW reader function is built into the K45. Morse audio from a receiver is fed into the CWR which
then detects, decodes, and displays it on the LCD display. There are four CWR settings available to the user
to compensate for receiver audio level, noise, noise filtering, and signal thresholding. These settings can be
adjusted in the configuration menu or by special “hot” keys. The CWR is discussed in great deal in the K45
Quick Start section starting on page 32.
K45 Window Modes
There are two main display windows; a transmit window and a receive window. The transmit window shows
letters as they are entered on the keyboard to be transmitted. The receive window show letters as they are
received by the CWR and decoded. The transmit display holds 16 lines (320 letters) and the receive window
holds 64 lines (1024 letters).
In both windows, once entry reaches the end of a line, the display is automatically scrolled up and the cursor
is moved to the left of a new line. An optional word wrap mode can be enabled to break the line at word
boundaries (this setting is in Configuration Menu #5) If word wrap has been enabled then an entire word will
be carried over to the new line. Enabling word wrap applies to both Rx and Tx windows.
It is easy to toggle between receive and transmit windows using the TAB key and it's easy to identify which
window is active. There are two arrows displayed on the status line. When the Rx window is displayed, a left
arrow will point to Rx WPM on the left side of the status line. When the transmit window is active a right
arrow will point to Tx WPM on the right side. Another clue is that only the transmit window has a visible
underline cursor marking the text insertion point. In general, the user would keep the display on the receive
window to monitor stations and then switch over to the Tx window to enter text to send.
ASR (Automatic Send/Receive)
When ASR mode is active, the display is toggled to the transmit window automatically while typing and then
will return to the receive window after a pause. If the user chooses the Tx window with the TAB key, the
display will always stay on the transmit regardless of the ASR setting.
Fast Tx View
It is common for the user to type ahead of the current transmit position or to queue up a long message.
Since the Transmit window does not show transmit progress, Fast Tx View is provided to display a real time
view of what the K45 is transmitting. The user presses the Windows key down (this key is usually located
between the CTL and ALT keys) and Tx view is activated. When the key is released, the display goes back
to the previous window. Fast Tx View is only available while viewing either the Rx or Tx windows. Fast View
is ignored for utility menus such as Configuration, Key mapping, Serial number setip, or during CW practice.
To provide maximum screen density, word wrap is disabled in fast view. Fast View only shows the last three
transmitted lines, scrolling back is not supported.

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Display Window Adjustment Keys
PGDN - Scroll Window Down
The current display window is scrolled down so that older text can be viewed. Even though the active text
insertion position may be out of view, it is still being updated in the background so that incoming text is not
missed. BEG will be flashed on the status line when trying to scroll beyond the start of a window buffer.
PGUP - Scroll Window Up
The current display view is scrolled up so that newer text can be viewed. Attempting to scroll ahead of the
start of text will cause END to be flashed on the status line.
HOME - Go to the beginning of the text window
This will display the oldest text in the buffer.
END - Go to end of text window
This will return the display the active entry point for new text.
LCD Backlight and Contrast Adjustment
Both the brightness and contrast of the LCD can be adjusted easily. Refer to Configuration Menu #5 on
Page 28 for details.
Keyboard Commands
K45 operation is controlled by ESC and/or Control commands. ESC commands are used to start
configuration menus while control commands result in an immediate action.
ESC Commands
The user first presses the ESC key, releases it, and then presses the desired command. ESC will be
displayed on the status line to let the user know that the K45 is waiting for a command entry.
ESC C – Configuration Mode
System configuration is divided into fine menus, each with eight setting options. The user navigates the
menus using the left/right and up/down arrows. Moving extreme right or left will move to the next or previous
menu, wrapping from first to last and last to first. An underline cursor indicates the selected item. The
ENTER key opens that item up for editing and a submenu will show the current setting. The setting can be
changed with the right/left arrows or by entering a new value on the keyboard.
Each menu item leads off with a number. 1:Tx WPM for example. In this case, entering the number 1 will
directly open the TX WPM entry. When finished with an entry, press either the enter key to save the new
value or ESC to abort leaving the setting as it was. Values are stored in on board EEPROM so that they are
preserved if you happen to disconnect power and are automatically restored on power up.
When the K45 is used without a keyboard, the rotary encoder is used to access configuration by pressing
and holding the encoder button down until the menu appears.
Please note that:
1) A quick encoder press and release will bring up the message launcher menu which can be
cancelled by re-pressing and holding the encoder button.
2) If the encoder is held after the configuration menu appears, K45 will go into low power sleep.
Once the configuration menu is up, the user can scroll through the various entries by turning the encoder.
Press the encoder quickly to open an entry for editing. Turning the encoder will modify the entry. When
finished, press the encoder to save the change return to the main menu. To leave the main menu and return
to operational mode, press and hold the encoder button until the menu clears.
Configuration does not interrupt CWR input, all incoming text will continue to be added to the Rx display
window in the background.
A full list and description of all the configuration menus is presented in Appendix A starting on Page 23.

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ESC D – Dump Display Window(s)
The contents of the Rx and/or Tx windows can be sent (dumped) to a host PC for display or archiving. The
following menu is shown and a selection is made using the left and right arrows:
Display Dump Setup
Dump not enabled
Figure 1a – Display Dump Setup Menu
1) Dump not enabled : This selection turns display dump off and is the default.
2) Rx Window Only: The contents of the CWR Rx window are sent to the host.
3) Tx Window Only: The contents of the K45 transmit window are sent to the host.
4) Rx & Tx Left/Right: The contents of both windows are sent, Rx in a left column, Tx right.
5) Rx & Tx Top/Bot: The contents of both windows are sent, Rx first then Tx.
6) CWR Stream Enabled: This enables a continuous stream of CWR Rx data to the host.
Selections 2 through 5 start when the user presses the Enter key. A message will be displayed while the
transfer is underway. When complete, the menu will clear. There will be no further transfer until the user
opens the menu again and starts a new one. Selection 1 is the default and is the idle selection.
Decoded Morse from the CWR can be sent to the host as it is received. To start the stream select item 6
and press Enter to start. The stream will continue until the user returns to the menu, picks Item 1 and then
presses ENTER.
If there is no host connected, an error message will display and the menu will be cancelled. To leave the
menu without making changes press the ESC key. There are several terminal programs that run on a PC
and capture the window dumps, display them, and save them to a file. A very popular one is called
TeraTerm and is free. The serial data settings are 19200 baud, 8 bit, with no parity.
ESC K - Key mapping Menu
The mapping of K45 keyboard keys to Morse characters can be customized. This feature is primarily used to
customize mappings for international character support.
=== Key Mapping ====
( key maps to KN
123
Figure 2 – Key Mapping Menu
As shown, there are three data entry points:
1) The character you wish to edit.
2) The character you wish to map it to.
3) Optional 2nd letter of a prosign.
When the menu is first shown, the cursor will be at position 1. Enter the key to remap here. When a key is
entered, the Morse letter it currently maps to is shown at position 2. To change the mapping, use the right
arrow key to move the cursor to position 2 and enter a new letter. Position 3 is optional, sometimes the
target letter can only be represented as a combination of two existing letters, this is commonly known as a
prosign. To create a prosign, simply enter the letter pair at positions 2 and 3. Otherwise just enter a space in
position 3. To continue with a new mapping move the cursor back to position 1 and enter a new key to map.
When finished, ENTER will save the mapping(s) to EEPROM. ESC will cancel the mapping and revert to the
pre-existing mappings. Following the above example, after saving the mapping, the prosign KN (dah-di-dah-
dah-dit) will be sent when the ( key is pressed.

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The K45 follows International Morse convention and defines punctuation as shown in the following prosign
table. These are predefined by default in the key mapping table. Any of these can be changed simply by
remapping them as described above.
= is mapped to BT / is mapped to DN
< is mapped to AR > is mapped to SK
; is mapped to KR @ is mapped to AC
! is mapped to CM $ is mapped to VU
( is mapped to KN ) is mapped to KK
“ is mapped to AF - is mapped to DU
‘ is mapped to WG _ is mapped to UK
: is mapped to OS + is mapped to AR
# is mapped to HH & is mapped to AS
* is mapped to MM ^ is mapped to MN
Table 1 – Punctuation to Prosigns Defaults
Several keys are fixed to Q codes, it is not possible to re map these keys:
Shift-[ is mapped to QRZ { is mapped to QRV
Shift-] is mapped to QSL } is mapped to QSY
ESC-L - Clear both display windows
The contents of the receive buffer and transmit buffer will be cleared when this command is entered.
ESC-M - Message Launcher Menu
Since the F1 to F12 keys are not very descriptive, it's easy to forget which key a message is linked to.
Message Launcher provides immediate hints for all the message keys in one easy to access menu. When a
message is loaded, an eight-letter hint (tag), is entered for each message. Message Launcher formats the
message keys and tags together to remind you where the messages are and then allows you to quickly
launch a message of choice by entering a single numeric keystroke.
1:CQX1 2:RST
3:NAME 4:QTH
5:73 6:PSE RPT
7:RIG 8:ANT
Figure 3 – Message Launcher Menu Example
Since only eight messages are shown per screen, the up/down arrows are used to view F9, F10, F11, and
F12. If a keyboard is not connected, Message Launcher can be opened with a quick press of the encoder
button. A cursor is displayed which can be moved by turning the encoder. Once the desired message is
selected, press the encoder to start it. The K45 will remember the last selected message so that the next
time the menu is brought up, the cursor will be palced there. If the Message Launcher is accessed by
mistake, simply press, and hold the encoder button to cancel the launcher.
In the example shown in Fig. 3, simply press 3 to start the NAME message. After the message is selected,
the message launcher will clear automatically. To cancel the menu, just press ESC.
ESC-P - Practice Mode
There is an extensive set of Morse practice tools built into the K45. Random Letter Groups, Echo Sending,
and QSO simulation are included. A separate section devoted to Practice Modes starts on Page 14.
ESC-R – RTTY Setup Menu
The K45 can be configured to operate in RTTY transmit mode. The format is fixed to Baudot FSK but there
are many other options. A separate section on RTTY configuration and operation starts on Page 17.

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ESC S - Serial number Setup Menu
The K45 provides a means to send an incrementing serial number either from the keyboard or as part of a
message. This menu provides a means to control the way a serial number is sent. Cuts are letters that will
be substituted when serial numbers are sent, this reduces transmit time. As illustrated in Fig 4, the most
common mappings are T for 0 and N for 9 since they take the longest to send. It's the user's choice as to
how far to go with this, usually only one or two numbers are remapped although all of them can be changed
if desired. Also included in this menu is leading zero suppression control. This can be turned on and off by
hitting the space bar. One or no leading zeroes will be sent as specified by the LZ entry. The serial number
can be preset to any value in Configuration Menu #5 (see page 28)
= S/N Cuts & LZero =
0:T 1:1 2:2 3:3
4:4 5:5 6:6 7:
7
8:8 9:N LZ = OFF
Figure 4 – Serial Number Format Menu (LZ is changed by space bar press)
ESC-U - Firmware Upgrade
The 16 bit PIC processor, the WK3 IC, and the CWR’s PSoC can all be upgraded in the field. Appendix C
starting on page 34 is devoted to upgrading fiemware. Please don't experiment with these commands, you
could accidentally brick the K45 if you don't follow the update procedures correctly. (Brick means put the
K45 into an inoperative state).
ESC-W - Start WinKeyer Mode
The K45 has the latest WinKeyer3 IC on-board, and this can be accessed and controlled by a host app
running on a PC. If ESC-W is entered, the K45 operating system will be temporarily disabled, and the host
USB port will be directly connected to the WK3 IC. The K45 will then operate exactly like a WKUSB or
WKmini would in host mode.
In WinKeyer mode, the rotary encoder will function in a similar way to a normal WKUSB speed pot without
physical end stops like there are on a potentiometer. The host application’s speed pot min and max settings
determine what the end stops will be.
Just like WKUSB, the K45 will appear as a serial com port to a host application. Here are the steps to follow
to run K45 from a host application.
1) K45 must first be plugged into one of the PC’s USB ports.
2) First enter ESC-W on the K45 to start WinKeyer Mode.
3) Determine the USB com port using Device Manager or WKscan.
4) The USB com port address is then entered into the application’s WinKeyer setup dialog box.
5) When WinKeyer mode is started on the K45, a Port Closed status is displayed. This status will
change to Port Opened when a host application is started, and it connected to the K45.
6) When the application is shut down it disconnects from the K45 and the status message changes
back to Port Closed.
Some things to know about K45 WinKeyer mode
1) Unlike WKUSB, the K45 does not have any message pushbuttons.
2) There is no WKUSB standalone mode, please don’t modify settings with WK3tools.
3) Upon entering WinKeyer mode, the K45’s keyboard (if attached) is disabled and not used.
4) Like WKmini, the K45 provides two keying ports without PTT or one port with PTT.
5) The K45 encoder emulates a WKUSB speed pot as close as possible. It generates one WPM
change per click. If you turn the pot extremely fast, the K45 may miss a step.
6) The K45 must be in WinKeyer mode before a USB comport will show up on the PC.
7) A Host Not Found Error is displayed if WinKeyer mode is started without an active PC host.
To exit WinKeyer mode, close the host application and then press the encoder pushbutton. This will return
control of the WK3-IC to the K45 controller.

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ESC-H – ESC Help Menu
This brings up a brief list of the ESC commands. Each description is intended to be just enough to jog a
user's memory. Use the up/down arrows to view all the selections the menu. If the command letter is
entered, it will be run directly. Otherwise press ESC to cancel the menu.
Control Commands
To issue these commands, the user holds the CTL key down while pressing the specified key. Even though
the commands are shown in caps, the shift key does not need to be pressed.
CTL-C – Start Fast Callsign Capture
A callsign can be captured and saved while it is being sent on the paddles. A detailed description of this
function can be found on page 10.
CTL-E- Send Error Dits
Eight dits will be sent to signify a CW error. This a buffered command causing a # character to be placed in
the transmit buffer. Instead of ^E, the user could just enter a # directly.
CTL-D - Decrement Key Weighting
CTL-I - Increment Key Weighting
^D will decrease weighting by one percent and the ^I will increase weighting by one percent. There are hard
stops at 25% min and 75% max. Value changes are flashed on the status line, W:55 for example, and
automatically updated in the User’s configuration.
CTL-L Clear currently displayed text window, either Rx or Tx
Only the window in view is cleared. If the transmit window is in view and actively sending text, transmission
will stop immediately. Use ESC-L to clear both windows at once.
CTL-M - Match Tx speed to CWR Rx speed
A user usually wants to respond to someone they are copying via the CWR at the same WPM speed. When
this command is entered, the transmit speed is immediately changed to the current CWR Rx speed.
CTL-N - Play Serial Number
Use this command to insert the serial number into the text stream. If there is text in the buffer ahead of the
command, that text will be sent before the serial number. The serial number is automatically incremented
after sending it. For information about inserting a serial number into a message see \N in the buffered
command section on page 12. The left and right arrows directly adjust the serial number up or down.
CTL-T - Tune
This places the K45 in tune mode which forces a constant key down condition. Sidetone (if enabled) is
turned on and the configured output is turned on as well. The user has the option of selecting 50% duty
cycle by way of an entry in Configuration Menu #2. Tune remains on until the user presses space, CTL-T,
the paddle is pressed, or the 10 second tune watchdog timer expires. If in Key1 & PTT mode, mode both
the KEY and PTT outputs are turned on. Only one output is turned on in Key1 or Key2 modes. CWR is
muted while Tune is activated. BW will be displayed/flashed on the status line to indicate tune is in effect.
CTL-U - Change User
As mentioned previously, multiple user setups are supported. The current firmware supports two users. The
user is toggled between 1 and 2 every time CTL-U is pressed. When the user is changed a brief user
message is flashed on the status line while the current configuration is changed. Each user has their own
settings and message list.
CTL-X – Insert Exchange Message
This will insert the message string <F12:WRKCALL> DE <F11:MYCALL> into the transmitted stream. It is
treated as a buffered message and will be sent after any text before it is sent. MYCALL resides in slot F11
and WRKCALL resides in slot F12. WRKCALL can also be entered using the fast capture feature, see pg.
10. A slightly faster way to enter this command is with the ENTER key.
INS - Pause Transmit (Insert Key)
This key is pressed when the user wants to temporarily stop transmitting. Whether the K45 is sending a
message or using the type-ahead buffer, transmit is immediately stopped and held until the user presses
INS (insert) again. A flashing Hwill be displayed on the status line while transmit is held. If the user enters

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DEL or text on the paddle, pause will be cancelled and any text that had been held will be cancelled.
DEL - Cancel Transmit Buffer (Delete Key)
When the Delete key is pressed, transmit is immediately stopped and the remaining buffered data is deleted.
For example, if the user accidentally starts a message but wants to cancel it, the Delete key should be
pressed. The user can also cancel an active buffer by quickly pressing and releasing the paddle.
Other Key Commands
Right & Left Arrow Keys – Increment or Decrement the Serial Number
Since the serial number is automatically incremented when it is sent, the user needs a way to control
incrementing and decrementing in a contest situation. Often a serial number is not confirmed and needs to
be repeated and the user would need to decrement the serial number before resending it. In a similar case,
the user may enter a serial number by paddle or keyboard bypassing the automatic serial number generator.
For these reasons, an easy, manual way to modify the serial number is necessary.
Up and Down Arrow Keys - Change Transmit Speed Shortcut
The Up key increases the speed by one WPM and the Down key decreases speed by one WPM. Value
changes are automatically updated in the User’s configuration settings and status line.
CTL-Left & CTL-Right - CWR Audio Gain Adjustment
While copying a station, it is essential to be able to adjust the CWR gain to bring up a weak station or
attenuate a strong station. Hold the Control key down and press the left and right arrows to cycle through
eight gain levels. As the gain is being modified, new values will be flashed on the status line as CG:n where
n is a value between 1 and 8. Changes are automatically stored in configuration memory for the current
user. Generally, the best gain setting provides a wide swing in detected amplitude without over-driving. A
plus sign (+) in the signal amplitude bar graph indicates overdrive and should be avoided. For best results,
adjust the gain so that the loudest signal barely lights the right most LCD bar. The default gain setting is 4.
ALT-Left & ALT-Right - CWR Noise Filter Adjustment
Hold the ALT key down and press the Left and Right arrows to cycle through eight filter levels. As the filter is
being modified, new values will be flashed on the status line as CF:n where n is a value between 1 and 8.
Changes are automatically stored in nonvolatile configuration memory for the current user. The noise filter
dictates how the CWR will respond to short impulses of a specified width, Larger filter values lower the
response of the filter. A slower filter can reduce the maximum received WPM speed. The default noise filter
setting is 4.
CTL-Up & CTL-Down - CWR Threshold Adjustment
The level of background noise can vary from day to day and even hour to hour. The CWR's noise threshold
can be easily adjusted to compensate. If the band is very noisy, the threshold should be increased to
prevent false letter detection. (This reduces the display of E's, T's, and I's). When the band is very quiet you
can lower the threshold to allow better weak signal detection. This isn't without limitations. Raising the
threshold too high can cause signals near the noise floor to be ignored. However, a higher threshold will
allow strong signals to be decoded well in noisy conditions. New values will be flashed on the status line as
CT:n where n is a value between 0 and 9. Changes are automatically stored in nonvolatile configuration
memory for the current user.
ALT-Up & ALT-Down - CWR Spacing Adjustment
This helps compensate for incorrect spacing between dits and dahs which can cause letters to be run
together or words broken apart. There are ten settings which are adjusted by holding the ALT key down
while pressing the up and down arrows. Zero indicates normal spacing. Selecting values less than zero will
tighten spacing. This helps with: U R R S T I S. Spacing adjustment greater than zero will spread letters out.
This helps with: URRSTIS5NN. As the value is changed, it is flashed on the status line as CS+n or CS:-n
where n is the adjustment setting. This feature has its limits, you will encounter operators who choose to use
very large or small letter spacing which the K45 is not able to correct.
K45 Programmable Messages
There are 12 programmable messages per user, each message can be up to 120 characters long. For very
long messages, multiple messages can be chained together. Messages are assigned to the function keys
F1 through F12. Pressing one of these keys will play the message. Messages can be stacked, in other
words, if you press F2 three times in a row, the message in F2 will be played three times. You can even

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stack different messages on top of each other, for example: F2 F2 F3 F1. The K45 allows up to 8 stacked
messages, if more than this are added, the last one entered is stored.
Editing messages
Hold the shift key down while pressing a Function key (F1-F12) and that message and tag will be read in for
editing. The user edits the message in the familiar way using the Up/Down/Left/Right, Home, End,
backspace, and delete keys. In addition, Shift-Left and Shift-Right move the cursor by word, Shift-Home
moves to the beginning of a line, and Shift-End move to the end of a line. To quickly clear either an entire
message or tag, use Control-C.
EDIT F1: CQX3
CQ CQ CQ DE WA1XYZ
WA1XYZ WA1XYZ K_
Figure 5 – Message Editor Example
There are six 20 letter lines allocated for each message for a total of 120 characters. Since only three lines
are displayed at a time, use the up/down arrow keys to view them all. Word wrap is not enabled in the
message editor, this provides the most efficient use of limited display real estate.
Message Tag
The top line of the message edit window shows the current message tag. A tag is an eight-character
identifier that is shown in the Message Launch Menu (ESC-M). For F1 to F10, the initial tag is TAGn where
n is the message number. The initial tags for F11 and F12 are MYCALL and WRKCALL. Any of these tags
can be changed if desired. The most common use of F11 and F12 are with the automatic exchange
generator, as discussed in the next section. These slots can be used just like any other slot.
When the cursor is moved up to the top line, the cursor will snap to the tag for editing. Use ^C to delete the
current tag or move the cursor to the end of the tag and backspace left to delete letter by letter. Use the
down arrow to leave the tag and get back to the message. When message editing is completed, use Enter to
save the new message or ESC to cancel the edits and revert to the original message and tag.
Fast Callsign Capture Feature
The K45 can store a callsign as it is entered on the paddles. Press either ^C or the star key on the numeric
keypad and CLL will be displayed on the status line. Enter the callsign on the paddles and after a pause of
one wordspace, it will be stored in message slot F12. What makes this powerful is that it is saved as it is
being transmitted. So when calling someone, first press ^C, enter the callsign, and then continue on. Their
callsign will be held in F12. If the user’s callsign is loaded into message slot F11, a full exchange will be sent
when either ^X or Enter is pressed. For example, if F11 is loaded with K1EL and WA1ABC had been
captured into F12, ^X will send the string WA1ABC DE K1EL. Because F11 and F12 are normal message
slots, they can be sent individually by pressing F11 or F12. The default tag is MYCALL for F11 and
WRKCALL for F12 but these can be modified in the message editor.
Buffered message commands
A simple set of commands can be used to compose complex CW messages. A command is a letter
preceded by the \backward slash. Commands are inserted into a message to perform various functions.
For example, a speed change is implemented like this:
\S05SLOW TEXT \S30FAST TEXT\R will send SLOW TEXT at 5 WPM and FAST TEXT at 30 WPM
Or a key down as used for testing:
TEST \K10 DE K1EL will send TEST followed by a 10 second key down followed by DE K1EL
When editing a message, a list of buffered commands can be displayed by entering \?. Scroll through the list
using the up and down arrows. When a command is found, enter the command letter and it will be added to
the message. This is a fast way to find a buffered command hint and its formatting. To cancel the help

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menu, press ESC and the command delimiter \is removed. Some commands, like \Wnn require a two digit
parameter. Don’t forget to enter the parameters as this will cause the command to be ignored.
< Buffered Commands >
\D Decrement S/N
\Hn Set HSCW Speed
\I Increment S/N
Figure 5a – Buffered Command List Menu, use Up/Down to view them all
List of Buffered Commands
Jump to message (Buffered)
\Jn where n is a number 1-9 or letter A,B,C. F1-F9 would be \1 to \9, F10 is \A, F11 is \B, and F12 is \C.
Here are two simple examples:
Load Slot F1 with: CQ CQ \J3
Load Slot F2 with: QRZ QRZ \J3
Load Slot F3 with: DE K1EL K
Message F1 will be sent as: CQ CQ DE K1EL K
Message F2 will be sent as: QRZ QRZ DE K1EL K
Jump can be used to make a message loop:
Load Slot F10 with: CQ CQ CQ DE K1EL K1EL K1EL \JA
After sending CQ CQ CQ DE K1EL K1EL K1EL we loop back to the beginning and send it again. This will
repeat forever until either paddle or DEL key is pressed. When composing a message like this, be sure to
put a space or delay at the end, otherwise the first letter will be sent after the last with no word space.
Call a message (Buffered)
\ Cn where n is a number 1-9 or letter A,B,C. F1-F9 would be \1 to \9, F10 is \A, F11 is \B, and F12 is \C.
The call command will jump to the specified message, send that message, and after the message completes
the stream will return to where it was called from. It is more flexible than a jump to message. An example of
this command is:
Load slot F1 with: \C \C DE \B \B BTU OM KN
Load Slot F11 with: K1EL
Load slot F12 with: WA1ABC
Message F1 will play as: WA1ABC WA1ABC DE K1EL K1EL BTU OM KN
This illustrates a powerful feature; you can build up a message that contains other messages. Message can
be reused by substituting different callsigns in F11 and F12. By using F11 and F12 this way, the built in
exchange feature (^X or ENTER) can be used as well (see “Insert Exchange Message” on page 8).
Set an HSCW Speed (Buffered)
\H<n> n=1 to 6 where n is a number representing the lpm rate divided by 1000.
For example, \H2 selects 2000 lpm and \H4 selects 4000 lpm. Commonly used rates are 1000, 2000, 4000
and 6000 lpm in the USA and 1000, 3000, 4000 lpm in Europe.
HSCW is mostly used for working stations via Meteor Scatter propagation. This method of operation calls for
short bursts of characters to be sent repetitively at high speeds for a predetermined period. The receiving
station listens and records the sporadically received bursts and plays them back at a slow speed to decipher
the Morse message.
NOTE!!: Remember to put a reset speed command /R at the end of a message to restore normal CW

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operation when the message is completed.
HSCW Operation Hints: You must enable PTT for this function to work properly. Common practice is to key
the transmitter with PTT and feed keyed audio tones into the microphone input. You can use the K45
sidetone output directly as a tone source as this is a keyed 2000 Hz tone in HSCW mode. Alternatively, you
can use the K45 key output to key an external tone generator. (note need to look at the outputs, PTT is
dropping between chars)
See http://www.nitehawk.com/rasmit/ for more information about HSCW
/H1 K1EL BCON \R (K1EL BCON sent at 1000 lpm followed by WPM reset)
Although it’s possible to send HSCW directly from the keyboard by entering the /Hn command before a
string, the most efficient use of HSCW is to format a specific HSCW message.
Decrement Serial Number (Buffered)
\D - The five-digit serial number is decremented. If equal to 00000 it is not decremented.
Increment Serial Number (Buffered)
\I - The five-digit serial number is incremented. If equal to 99999 it is not incremented.
Key down for nn seconds (Buffered)
\K<nn> - The transmitter will be held in key down state until either the timer expires or DEL is entered. Two
digits must be entered, as in 06 for 6 seconds. Maximum key down time is 99 seconds
ON \K05 OFF a 5 second key down will be inserted between ON and OFF.
Merge Two Letters into a Prosign (Buffered)
\M <C1><C2> - You can build "on the fly" prosigns with this command. Just enter \M followed by two letters
or numbers and they will be merged: \MAR is sent as AR. If this command is entered on the keyboard,
nothing will be sent until both letters have been entered.
Send Serial Number (Buffered)
\N - The current five-digit serial number is sent in Morse. If LZ is on (Serial number menu ESC S) all leading
zeroes are suppressed so 00407 would be sent as 407. The serial number menu is also be used to map a
number to a cut substitution. If T is mapped to zero, 4T7 would be sent.
Change Output Port (Buffered)
\O<n> – (1 or 2) Select the output port to transmit on. This command will only work when PTT is not
enabled. In other words, select either Key1 or Key 2 in Configuration Menu #2:OutPort.
Pause Output (Buffered)
<string> \P <string>
K45 message transmission will be paused to allow the user to insert something and then continue. The
response can be by keyboard or paddle. If by keyboard, the user must press ENTER to signal the end of the
string. If by paddle the K45 will continue automatically after paddle entry stops for one wordspace time. The
DEL key can be pressed to cancel the pause. Here is an example usage of this command :
UR RST IS \P = NAME HR IS STEVE
After playing UR RST IS, the K45 will pause to allow an RST report to be sent manually and then continue
with the rest of the message. If using the keyboard, be sure to press ENTER to continue or DEL to cancel
because the K45 will hang until that happens.
Set a QRSS Speed (Buffered)
\Q<n> - Where n is a single digit number 1-4 representing the QRSS rate.
1=QRSS3: 3 second dits 2=QRSS6: 6second dits
3=QRSS30: 30 second dits 4=QRSS60: 60 second dits
For example, \Q1 selects QRSS3 or 3 second dits and \Q4 selects 60 second dits.
NOTE!!: Remember to put a Reset speed \R command at the end of a message that contains a QRSS

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command to restore normal CW operation when the message is completed.
/S20/Q1 KEL /RK1EL BCON (Sends KEL at .4 wpm followed by K1EL BCON at 20 WPM)
Although it’s possible to send QRSS directly from the keyboard by entering the /Qn command before a
string, the most efficient use of QRSS is to format a specific QRSS message.
Reset Speed (Buffered)
\R – This will cancel a \S, \H, or \Q command and return to the current default WPM speed.
Change Transmit Speed in WPM (Buffered)
\S<nn> - Change Speed to nn WPM (nn = 05 to 99) two digits must be entered as in 08 for 8 WPM
Here is a message with multiple speed changes:
\S25 CQ CQ DE \S15K1EL K1EL will send CQ CQ DE at 25 WPM and K1EL K1EL at 15 WPM
Insert a delay (Buffered)
\W<nn> - Wait for nn Seconds (nn = 01 to 99) two digits must be entered as in 05 for 5 seconds
Here is a simple looping message beacon using key down and wait:
VVV \K05 DE K1EL \W60 \J1
Three V's, a 5 second key down, DE K1EL, with a wait of 60 seconds will repeat until cancelled with DEL or
paddle press. Note the placement of spaces around the key down to separate it from the adjacent text.
Delays longer than 99 seconds can be specified by using the WM<nn> variation which will pause for nn
minutes. The maximum wait time allowed is 20 minutes.
Easy Beacon with exact timing (Buffered)
\Z<nn><str> - str will be sent at the beacon rate designated by nn in seconds. The time between beacons is
set by the value nn and is independent of the time it takes to send str. A \J command is not needed at the
end of the message. Two digits must be entered, as in 06 for 6 seconds. DEL or paddle press cancels.
A disadvantage of formatting a repeating beacon with /W and /J commands is that the time it takes to send
the string is added to the wait time. It takes a lot of trial and error to get an exact beacon interval.
Easy beacon doesn’t include the string time,it will repeat at whatever time you enter in the command.
Beacon delays longer than 99 seconds can be set by using the ZM<nn> variation of this command:
ZM<nn> Sets the beacon time to nn minutes. The maximum time allowed is 20 minutes.
Message Key Display
Message function keys are displayed on the LCD display in buffered command format. In other words,
pressing F1 will insert \1 into the transmit buffer. The expanded message can be viewed in the Fast Tx View
window by pressing the Windows key.
More Message Examples:
Send a string with an incrementing value:
Load F5 with: COUNT IS \N, \W05\J5
Assuming the serial number has been preset to 100 (by configuration menu), the F5 message will be sent as
follows with a 5 second delay after each comma:
COUNT IS 100, COUNT is 101, COUNT IS 102, COUNT IS 103….
A message that runs at two different speeds and then resets to the original speed
\S10SLOW SPEED \S20FAST SPEED\RDEFAULT

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A QRSS beacon message:
Load F3 with: \Q2\K05 EL FN43 \J3
Morse Practice Module
The K45 has three practice modes that are very effective in helping a user improve their Morse skills.
Practice Menu
Press ESC followed by Pto open the practice menu which is the starting point for all three practice modes.
There are six options that configure practice operation. Navigate with the up and down arrows and change
entries with the left and right arrows.
===Practice Setup===
Rcv Mode Level 1
15 WPM TxOut On
Show CW Tone On
1 4
2
3
5
6
Figure 6 – Practice Setup Menu
1) Practice mode selection – There are three modes:
Rcv Mode repeatedly sends random 5 letter groups
Echo Mode sends groups of letters which the user echoes back to the K45 by paddle or keyboard
QSO Mode which is a very basic, on air, QSO exchange simulator with a contest option
2) Set initial Practice transmit operating speed in WPM. After starting a session, speed can be
adjusted either by the rotary control or up and down arrows.
3) Show/Hide CW – Text sent during a practice session can be displayed if desired. When first
learning Morse, it can be helpful to see letters as they are transmitted. As the user improves, it is
more helpful to hide them. Even if the output display is turned off the user can override this by
pressing the TAB key to view the transmit window.
4) Level – There are five levels of difficulty ranges in Rcv and Echo mode starting with the easiest
letters such as E T A N and proceeding up to the full range of letters, numbers, and letters. The
levels are shown in Table 2. Keyboard reply should be < for AR, > for SK, = for BT, and & for AS.
When QSO practice is selected, this option changes to Contest Mode On/Off.
5) TX Out (On/Off) – Transmit output can be disabled during a practice session. This is a good idea to
prevent broadcasting if the K45 is connected to a transmitter. Alternatively, the user may want to
enable transmit for the purpose of keying an external code practice oscillator (see item 6).
6) Tone On/Off – This controls the K45’s internal sidetone speaker which should be turned off when
using an external code practice oscillator.
Rx and Echo Practice Levels
Level 1: E T A N I M
Level 2: W S G D U K O R (including level 1)
Level 3: C Q P J F B V Y H X Z L (including level 1 & 2)
Level 4: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 (including level 1 & 2 & 3)
Level 5: ? / , . AR SK BT AS (including level 1 & 2 & 3 & 4)
Table 2 – Practice Levels
The K45 will remember the last entered practice settings and will reload them when re-starting.
After everything is set up, the next step is to press ENTER and the practice session will start. While
underway, the user can change the WPM speed with the Up/Down arrow keys or by turning the encoder.
The INSERT key will pause practice and the ESC key will end practice. In modes where the user is entering

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text by paddle, the reserved code di-dah-di-di-dit (AS) is used to pause and di-dah-dah-dit-dah (AK) is used
to end the session. To look back and review transmitted test, press INSERT to pause the session and then
use the PGDN and PGUP keys to scroll the lines of text. Press INSERT again and the display will
automatically go back to where the session left off and practice will resume.
Receive Practice Mode
Figure 7 – Receive Practice Display
Random five letter groups are sent continuously until the user either pauses or ends the session. The
content of the groups is governed by the level set in the Practice Setup Menu. Test progress by hiding Tx
and then copying some number of lines. When done, press INSERT, TAB, and then PGDN to go back and
review what was sent and compare to what was copied. Resume by simply pressing INSERT.
Echo Practice Mode
Figure 8 – Echo Practice Display
The K45 sends a list of letters from the selected level and the user must repeat them accurately either by
keyboard or paddle. Each trial starts with a single letter and progresses to a group of five letters by adding
one letter at a time. If the user successfully echoes all five strings, the K45 will send AR and then start with a
new group. If the user fails, the K45 will send eight dits and repeat that group until the user gets them all
correct. INSERT, TAB, PGDN and PGUP are very useful here just as they were for Rx practice.
QSO Practice
_QSO_PRACTICE__15WPM
CQ CQ DE K5RF K K5RF
DE K1EL K K1EL DE K5
RF UR RST 5NN_
Figure 9 – QSO Practice Display
An interactive QSO experience is presented to the user. The K45 starts off with a CQ which the user
responds to. Exchanges will continue back and forth simulating an actual on air QSO.
All callsigns, names, locations, etc. are purely fictitious and generated at random. The K45 is very
unforgiving when it comes to letter and word spacing. If words or letters are run together, they will be
ignored, and progress will be very slow. The user can choose to use the keyboard or paddles to respond.
When using the keyboard, be sure to put a space after the K, KN, SK, or BK at the end of an exchange. This
will help the K45 will detect the ending quickly. If this is not done, the K45 will still respond but only after a
somewhat long timeout delay. A full response to the initial CQ is expected and must include the calling
station’s callsign followed by DE and your callsign. If you don’t get this right the K45 will respond with a
QRZ.
For example, in response to CQ DE W1XYZ K, I would reply W1XYZ DE K1EL K<space>

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After the initial exchange, The K45 will respond to BK if you don’t care to enter a full exchange on every go
‘round. To end a QSO early respond with either 73 or QRT and that will speed things along; TIME TO QRT
or WILL SAY 73 works nicely. The session can be paused with the INSERT key or aborted by the ESC key.
To review a session, press INSERT to pause and then use the PGUP and PGDN keys to scroll around the
text. When the INSERT key is pressed a second time, the K45 will resume where the session left off.
Depending on the timing of the pause, the K45 may ignore the last exchange.
The AI used in QSO Practice is very basic, it responds to certain key words in an exchange and will
generate a semi-interesting QSO. It is not able to understand detailed questions. Remember its purpose is
to help build speed and skills and is not a substitute for a real online QSO.
Between QSOs, the K45 mixes things up by randomly changing sending characteristics, speed, and even
sidetone pitch.
Contest QSO Practice
Contest mode is selected in the QSO Practice Setup menu. It is essentially a simplified contest drill. The
user will run a spot and respond to calling stations. The user’s response is monitored by the K45 which is
very unforgiving and expects the exact format be followed with exact spacing. Any errors will stop the drill.
When Contest is started, the K45 will set up and then print GO! on the status line. The user starts things off
by sending an initial call. Here’s an example response to GO!:
User sends: TEST K1EL which will be answered: W4RTY
User responds: W4RTY 5NN NH the calling station answers: 5NN GA
User responds: TU K1EL a new station responds: K3NB
User responds: K3NB 5NN NH the new station answers: 5NN MO
User responds: TU K1EL a new station responds: WA5DDC
This continues until the user makes a mistake, the session is paused, or the session is cancelled.
GO! QSO COUNT:27
TEST K1EL W4RTY W4RTY
5NN NH 5NN GA TU K1EL
K3NB K3NB 5NN NH 5NN MO
Figure 10 – QSO Contest Drill Display
A QSO counter on the status line will increment on every complete exchange. If the user enters a call wrong,
doesn’t use proper spacing, or misses an entry the drill will stop. STOP will be then displayed on the status
line. If the user hits ENTER, the QSO count will be reset and a new drill will start.
Remember that this is a simple drill to practice accurate and well formed replies in a contest like situation.
Many skills can be improved by using this mode of practice. If it starts to get boring, crank the speed up.
When you reach 20 WPM, you are ready for real contest conditions.
RTTY Transmit Operation
The K45 provides a very stable and accurate RTTY FSK output which is easier to manage than AFSK
interfacing since it directly drives a transceiver’s FSK input. When RTTY is first enabled, transmitter FSK
output is assigned to the ring of the output jack while transmitter key output is assigned to the tip. There are
many options available for tailoring RTTY transmit for a particular radio. These will be described below.
Before going any further, please note that the K45 is not capable of receiving and decoding RTTY live off air,
it is strictly a transmit only device. An alternate means of decoding RTTY Rx must be supplied by the user.
Several transceivers, currently available, decode and display Rx RTTY but do not have an easy way to
transmit RTTY, the K45 would be a good match for these.

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When the K45 is set to RTTY mode, it will transmit in Baudot only and Morse transmission is disabled. The
transmit window acts the same way it does for Morse operation with the exception that Baudot strings must
be delimited by square brackets. A starting [ keys the transceiver and the user can then send Baudot on the
keyboard. When finished, entering a ]will unkey the transceiver ending transmission. it. For example:
RTTY 1 IDLE
[CQ CQ CQ DE K1EL K1EL
K1EL PSE K][W8RTY W8RTY
DE K1EL K1EL K]
Figure 11 – RTTY Operational Display
Using delimiters ensures that the transmitter is keyed and stable before starting FSK, an additional lead in
delay time is usually required. Also, to prevent character chopping when transmit is turned off a tail delay is
also usually required. PTT is asserted on the leading [and held till the trailing ]. Any text keyed outside the
brackets will be ignored. For typeahead press INSERT before entering the delimited string and when ready
to send, press INSERT a second time. After sending has started, the forward slash character /will clear the
transmit buffer and RTTY transmission will stop immediately. The right brace }will force a CRLF sequence:
CR CR LF LTRS. (The ENTER key will also generate a CRLF).The left brace {will initiate an RYRYRY test
pattern that runs for a line of 45 characters and the stops. All ASCII characters which map to Baudot
characters are accepted and printed. The only non-printing Baudot characters acted on are the brackets [ ],
slash \, left brace {, and right brace }. Commands relating to Morse are ignored. Those acted upon are
shown below.
1) Tuning command ^T 2) Transmit Pause (INSERT)
3) Clear Tx buffer (DEL) 4) Set PTT Lead/Tail
CRLF handling
While transmitting, a carriage return/line feed ends the current line and starts a new one. This can be
handled in one of two ways.
1) A CRLF can be inserted manually using either the Enter or } keys.
2) Automatic CRLF can be enabled to automatically insert CR LF when the line length exceeds 45
characters.
RYRYRY Test
WK will send a long RYRYRY string automatically in response to a {character. It will automatically send
CRLF at the start of the test string.
RTTY Setup
The RTTY Setup Menu is initiated by ESC-R. Two menus are accessed using the Up and Down arrows.
Figure 12 – RTTY Setup Menu 1
RTTY On/Off
When RTTY is on, K45 will only transmit RTTY Baudot as configured in the menus presented here. Morse
function, including sidetone is disabled. Changes made to Morse related configuration will be recorded but
not utilized until RTTY is turned off which will re-enable Morse. CW paddles are ignored when RTTY is on.
FSK Assignment
FSK output can be mapped to either the K45’s Key output or the PTT output. The default, FSK=PTT, sets
the PTT output to be FSK and the KEY output to transmitter key. This is the way most transceivers with a

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separate FSK work and allows a user to run CW or RTTY without changing cables. When FSK=Key, the
output is flipped, KEY output is FSK and PTT keys the transmitter. Lead-in and tail delay is applied the same
way no matter which way FSKMAP is set. The most common setup on radios today is to allocate both FSK
and key to an AUX connector.
USOS (Transmit UOS) On/Off
To improve transmit integrity at the expense of extra FIGS characters, USOS mode will send two FIGs
characters whenever a figures character follows a space. This reinforces the operation of UOS at the
receiver which forces a letters transition after every space.
Reverse/Normal
This controls the sense of the FSK output. In normal mode (Not Reverse), Mark is signaled when the FSK
output is OFF, and Space is signaled when the FSK output is ON. In reverse mode FSK if on during Mark.
AUTO LF/CR On/Off
When Auto CRLF is on, the K45 counts the printable characters in a line and after 45 characters, an
automatic CR/LF sequence will be inserted after the next space. The character counter is reset after CR/LF.
This is a very valuable feature for conversational RTTY. The operator can type away and not have to worry
about running over at the end of a line.
Figure 13 – RTTY Setup Menu 2
Baud Rate
The K45 supports three operational speeds, 45.45 (60 WPM) 50 (66 WPM) and 75 Baud (100 WPM)
STOP Bit Control
There are two possible settings, 1.5 or 2.0 stop bits. This essentially sets the delay between letters sent in
Baudot mode.
Diddle Control
If Diddle is enabled, a constant stream of LTRS or blanks will fill idle transmission time as soon as a leading
bracket [is entered on the keyboard. It will stay active until a trailing bracket ]is entered. A user always
starts a stream by starting with a leading bracket. They can then type at leisure knowing that diddle will fill
the empty space. Either LTRS or blanks will be sent as specified. There are three choices, Diddle Off, Diddle
with LTRS, and Diddle with Blanks). Most ops send a Baudot blank (0x00) for the diddle, but LTRS (0x1F) is
often used instead.
Miscellaneous Information
CTL-ALT-Enter Clear EEPROM and Restart
This causes a Master Reset of the K45, clearing EEPROM, and reloading factory settings. Be careful when
using this because it will erase all your Messages, Cuts, and Key mappings. Factory settings are:
Speed = 15 WPM
Autospace Off
Paddle Mode = Iambic B
PTT Delays = 0
CWR Gain = 5
CWR Filter = 6
CWR Threshold = 5
CWR TXMON off
Extra Space = 0
1st Extension = 0
KeyComp/Weighting normal
Dit/Dah Ratio=50 (1:3)
PaddleSample=50(1 dit)
Keying Output=Key1
Sidetone=800Hz
Paddle Hang = 0
Letterspace = 0
Word Space = 7 dits
Serial Number = 0001
Sleep time = 15 mins
Paddle Watchdog = On
Progress messages are displayed as different sections of EEPROM are initialized for each user, there is
only one keyboard mapping table shared by both users, so map is only displayed for User1:
USR1: MAP KBD MSG
USR2: KBD MSG

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Preserving Settings
Configuration changes are stored in EEPROM so that they are preserved when power is shut off.
CTL-ALT-DEL Restart
This causes a power on reset of the K45. The current mode is cleared, and all settings are reloaded from
EEPROM. This is equivalent to power cycling the K45.
Paddle Watchdog
The K45 has a built-in output disable that is activated if more than 128 dits or dahs are sent consecutively.
This prevents unattended keying. The output is disabled after 128 consecutive events, but the sidetone
continues to sound allowing you to detect the condition (sidetone needs to be enabled). Paddle watchdog
can be disabled in Configuration Menu #3:PDLwatch.
Running the K45 without a keyboard
The K45 can be operated without a keyboard. It will automatically select the receive window since a transmit
window is not required in paddle entry mode. A quick press of the encoder brings up the message launch
menu (see page 6).
To make configuration changes, press and hold the encoder button down until the configuration menu
appears. Turn the encoder to select a configuration setting and then press the encoder to select that item for
editing. Next, turn the encoder to make changes and then press the encoder button to save the new setting.
To exit configuration editing, press and hold the encoder button just until the menu clears. If the encoder is
held too long it will power down the K45.
Practice and WinKeyer modes are selected from the configuration menu. Practice can be set up using the
encoder and operated with the paddles. To leave Practice, enter the prosign KN on the paddles. This will
take you back to the normal K45 operational screen. Neither paddle nor keyboard is required for WinKeyer
mode. Just select it from the menu and exit WinKeyer Mode by pressing the encoder.
Using a Straight Key with the K45
The K45 can be set up to work with a straight key. Wire the key to an 1/8” stereo plug as shown below. You
must use a stereo connector and the ring must be left unconnected. Once the cable is ready, plug it into the
K45 paddle input jack and then select Straight key mode in Configuration Menu #2:KeyrType.
KEY N/C
Figure 14 – Straight Key Input Connections
Unlike the K44 and other CW keyboards, the K45 fully supports straight key input for all modes. The user
can run Echo and QSO practice from a straight key as well as normal on air transmit. Straight key input will
be displayed in the transmit window just like paddle input would be. Neither straight nor iambic input will be
shown in the Fast Tx View window since that is reserved for type ahead and messages. It’s not possible to
buffer anything while entering letters on a paddle so viewing the transmit window is all that is needed.
When text is entered on a straight key, the status line TX WPM readout will be updated with the user’s
straight key speed. This temporarily changes the transmit speed for keyboard entry as well so that if
someone changes over from straight key to keyboard, the speed will be appropriate. If the user decides to
go back to the default WPM, click the encoder back and forth once, and the keyboard speed will be restored.
Numeric Pad Operation Mode
When desktop space is limited, the K45 can operate with a small numeric keypad. Numeric Keypad
operation is enabled by turning NumPad mode on in Configuration Menu #4:NumPad (see page 27). The
numeric pad has two sets of key functions as determined by the NumLock key. For example, when
NumLock is off pressing 7 will send the number 7, when NumLock is on the Home function is selected. Most
pads have an NumLock LED that shows which set is active. In any case, NUML is flashed on the status line
when NumLock is set to on.

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K-45 User’s Manual - Rev A 6/6/2021 Page 20
Figure 15 – Numeric Pad Example
All the numeric pad key mappings, in both NumPad and normal modes, are shown in the following table.
Numeric Pad Key Mapping Table
NumPad Mode Off NumPad Mode On______
Key NumLock Off NumLock On NumLock Off NumLock On
/ / / Tab Tab
* * * Catch call Catch call
- - - Send Msg 10 Send Msg 10
7/Home Home 7 Home Send Msg 7
8/Up WPM+ 8 WPM+ Send Msg 8
9/PgUp PgUp 9 PgUp Send Msg 9
+ + Send Msg 11 Send Msg 11 Send Msg 11
4/Left S/N - 4 S/N - Send Msg 4
5 5 5 Toggle Tune Send Msg 5
6/Right S/N + 6 S/N + Send Msg 6
BackSpace BS BS Send Msg 12 Send Msg 12
1/End End 1 End Send Msg 1
2/Down WPM- 2 WPM- Send Msg 2
3/PgDn PgDn 3 PgDn Send Msg 3
Enter Enter Enter Send Exchg Send Exchg
0/Ins Pause Msg 0 Pause Msg Pause Msg
000 Ignored Ignored Ignored Ignored
./Del Cancel Msg . Cancel Msg Cancel Msg
Table 3 – Numeric Pad Key Mapping Table
With the set of keys available in NumPad mode, the user can send messages and control Pause and
Cancel. The fast callsign capture function is activated with the * key as well as send exchange with the Enter
key. NumPad mode should only be used with a Numeric Pad attached, since it affects some of the standard
keyboard mappings.
PTT Operation
The K45 provides a separate output that is enabled whenever CW transmission takes place. This output is
called PTT which is a misnomer since it has nothing to do with Push to Talk. In most cases the K45 PTT
output is used to key a linear amplifier or antenna switch. In those cases, it’s desirable to assert PTT in
advance of keying (Lead In), hold throughout the keying interval, and then deassert it after keying is
complete (Tail). Some amount of Tail Time must be set for Lead-In to work. If Tail Time is set to zero, then
the lead in delay will activate between every letter. If Tail delay is set to bridge the gap between successive
letters, then Lead In will work properly. These delays are customized depending on an individual station
requirement to prevent arcing and protect receiver and transmitter inputs and outputs. The PTT output is
only available for Port 1 when PTT is enabled. A special PTT delay called Hang is similar to tail but only is
used for paddle sending. All of these delays are set in the configuration menus #1 and #2.