QRPworks Key Log Go User manual

Key Log Go rev 2.6 Page 1 of 58
QRPworks
Key Log Go™
User Manual

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Table of Contents
Overview 4
Applicability 5
Setup 8
Starting Up 11
The Keyer Inside 12
KLG Keyer Functions 12
Sending CW 13
“Typing” Characters Without a Keyboard 14
Stored Text Messages 15
Callsign Entered 18
Grab & Go™ 19
Contesting 24
Logging 27
Logging Activities using References 31
LCD Backlight Brightness 34
Rig Specific Features 36
Voltage Check 46
Setting the Date and Time 46
Battery Replacement 47
System Reset 48
Help 48
Updating the Firmware 49
Support 49
Troubleshooting Tips 50
Summary of Keyboard Commands 52
Summary of Keyer Commands & Prosigns 53

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Summary of Pushbutton Functions 54
Summary of Keyboard Editor Commands 54
Summary of Logging Commands 54
Firmware versions history 55

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Overview
Thank you for your purchase of the QRPworks Key Log Go™
(KLG).
Its purpose is to enhance your portable operating experience
with a variety of rigs.
In a nutshell,
It is a keyer, containing the powerful and popular K1EL
WinKeyer
It is a message generator, allowing you to send up to 20
messages you have defined, with just a keystroke.
It is a log, with the space for 1000 QSOs
It is an ADIF export tool, allowing you to export your logged
QSOs in an ADIF format.
It is portable, with a sunlight readable display and able to
operate up to 50 hours on an internal battery.
It can operate with or without a keyboard
Rig Specific Functions
Elecraft KX3/KX2/K3/K3s
If you use an Elecraft KX3, KX2, K3, or K3s the KLG will
display the scrolling rig-decoded PSK31, RTTY, or CW
text on an 80 character screen.
It will allow you to send up to 20 macros to the rig to
control just about every aspect of it.
The KLG offers the Quick QSY™ feature, allowing you
to change frequency and mode very easily.
The log will automatically be populated with the current
frequency and mode, so you don’t have to enter it.

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Yaesu FT-817, FT-857, FT-897
The KLG offers the Quick QSY™feature, allowing you
to change frequency and mode very easily.
The log will automatically be populated with the current
frequency and mode, so you don’t have to enter it.
This family of rigs will be known as FT-8x7 in this
manual.
Data entry for logging, creating messages, capturing “their call”
can all be done with or without a keyboard!
The KLG provides many features for the portable operator,
whether out on the trail, in a park, on vacation, or at home.
73,
Shel Radin, KF0UR Steve Silverman, KB3SII
Applicability
The KLG will send CW to any rig that has a straight key input.
For the Elecraft KX3, KX2, or K3 and Yaesu FT-8x7 family of
rigs, it provides additional features by using their respective
serial interfaces.
This version of the manual applies to KLG versions 2.0.x.

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Status LED
Log
Message
Select
80 character screen
PS2
Keyboard
8-15 VDC
(center positive)
Serial Port
to PC
On/Off
Serial Port
to Rig

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Run: F1
Edit: Save
Run: F2
Edit: Tab
Run: Future Fn
Edit: Backspace
Run: Capture Call
Edit: ESC
Speed Pot.
Key Out to Rig.
Paddle

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Setup
Connections:
To Key the rig: connect a common 3.5mm (1/8”) mono
or stereo cable from the KLG Radio Key Out port to the
rig Key input. A right angle connector at the KLG end is
highly recommended to reduce the strain on the printed
circuit board. Set the rig to use a straight key instead of
a paddle.
FT-8x7: connect a FT-8x7 serial cable from the rig’s
ACC port to the KLG Radio port. A right angle
connector at the KLG end is highly recommended to
reduce the strain on the printed circuit boards Do not
connect the radio cable if the PC cable is in use.
KX3 or KX2: connect a common 3.5mm (1/8”) stereo
cable from the KLG Radio serial port to the KX3 ACC(1)
connector. A right angle connector on both ends is
highly recommended to reduce the strain on the printed
circuit boards. Do not connect the radio cable if the
PC cable is in use.
K3:use a DB9-M to 3.5 mm cable (available from
QRPworks) from the K3 RS232 port to the KLG Radio
port. Do not connect the radio cable if the PC cable
is in use.
K3s: plug the RJ45 to DE9 adapter cable that was
supplied with the K3s into the K3s RS232 port. Use a
DB9-M to 3.5 mm cable (available from QRPworks)
from the DE9 adapter to the KLG Radio port. Do not
connect the radio cable if the PC cable is in use.
Connect 8-15 VDC power using a 2.1mm DC connector
or use an internal 9V battery. For the DC connector,
connect the DC positive voltage to the center pin. If
external power is connected, the internal battery is

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automatically disconnected. See Battery Replacement
for battery installation instructions.
(optional, but recommended) Connect a PS2 keyboard
to the KLG. This is used for transmitting and controlling
the rig.
Note: USB to PS2 adapters do not work in this
application, nor do keyboards that are not native PS2.
The second 3.5mm jack, labeled “PC” is used for
transferring log files from the KLG to the PC and for
loading new software into the KLG. The Elecraft
KXUSB or KXSER cables must be used between this
serial port and a PC. This port must not be
connected to a PC if the Radio serial port is
connected to the radio.

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FT-8x7 Settings:
Hold the Function (F) button to get to the menu. Rotate
the Sel to menu #14, CAT RATE. Rotate the VFO knob
to the selected baud rate (38400 recommended). Hold
the Function button (F) again to save and exit.
KX3/KX2 Settings:
Menu: RS232: set to 38400. Other speeds do not work
as well.
Mode: TX Data, by tapping the Data/Text button. Using
VFO B, select:
oPSK D for PSK31
oFSK D for RTTY.
“TX Data” will be the mode shown on the screen
Text: DEC ON, by holding the Data/Text button.
Refer to the Data Modes section in the KX3 or KX2
manual
K3 / K3s Settings:
Menu: RS232: set to 38400 baud
Mode: Data Mode, by holding the AFX/Data Md button.
Using VFO B, select:
oPSK D for PSK31
oFSK D for RTTY.
“TX Data” will be the mode shown on the screen
Text: DEC ON, by holding the CWT/Text Dec button.
Use VFO B to select ON. Set the Threshold as desired.
A setting of 3 seems to work well.
Refer to the Data Modes section in the K3 manual

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Starting Up
When the KLG is powered on, you will see a welcome screen
briefly. For reference, the firmware version is displayed on this
screen:
The KLG will then automatically attempt to connect with a rig
(FT-8x7, KX3, KX2, K3, or K3s) via its serial port. It will try
every rig baud rate possible (starting with the fastest) until it
establishes a connection. And it will retry a number of times
before giving up.
Note: turn the rig on first before turning the KLG on.
When the KLG establishes a connection to a rig, it will briefly let
you know. A connection is established after the KLG sends a
command to the rig and the rig responds appropriately.
If the KX3, KX2, K3, or K3s is in the text mode and is displaying
characters in the lower right of the screen, the KLG will
automatically show the characters. If the rig is not decoding
and displaying characters, then the KLG screen will be blank.
If the KLG does not connect to the rig and you expect a
connection, please see the troubleshooting tips.

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The Keyer Inside
The KLG can send CW to any rig that has a straight key input.
The KLG keying functions are provided by the powerful K1EL
WinKeyer, and all of its features are at your fingertips.
The WinKeyer can run into 2 modes:
Host Mode), where the KLG is controlling its functions.
This is the typical mode that you will use. It does not
require any WinKeyer specific knowledge.
Standalone Mode, where the WinKeyer is independent
from the KLG. This mode is typically used by WinKeyer
aficionados, who know the WinKeyer commands and how
to control them. To operate the WinKeyer in this mode, we
refer you to the WinKeyer manual.
To toggle between Host and Standalone modes, hold the Log
and Msg Sel buttons simultaneously.
KLG Keyer Functions
When in the Host Mode, The KLG offers the following CW
features:
Speed Change –use the up/down arrows on the
keyboard, or press Alt-S and enter a speed or use the
arrows, or simply turn the speed pot on the KLG.
Paddle Swap –changes the paddle from dits on the left
and dahs on the right to the opposite. Press Alt-W to
toggle between the 2 options.
Autospace - When autospace is enabled, the
WinKeyer will automatically insert the proper inter-letter

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space between letters. Press Alt-A to toggle between
Autospace On and Off.
Key Mode –The KLG offers 4 key modes. Press Alt-M
to cycle through these modes:
oIambic A
oIambic B
oUltimatic
oBug Mode
Sidetone –Press Alt-F to cycle through the available
KLG sidetones.
Key Down/Tune –Press Alt-T to toggle between key
down and key up. This can be used to tune the rig.
Sending CW
There are a few ways to send CW:
1. Simply use the paddle connected to the KLG. As you
paddle, you will key the rig, and the KLG display will
show what characters have been sent.
2. Type on the keyboard. The KLG and WinKeyer will
convert the character you typed into CW and key the
rig. The KLG display will show what characters have
been typed and sent.
3. Send a message. You can send one of 20 pre-defined
(by you) messages by pressing F1 through F10 for the
first bank of 10 messages, and Alt-F1 though Alt-F10 for
the second bank of 10 messages. Each message can
be up to 80 characters.
Note: Don’t forget to connect the KLG Key port to your rig and
set you rig to straight key mode (not paddle).

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“Typing” Characters Without a Keyboard
One of the cool features of the KLG is the ability operate
without a keyboard. You can enter text by using the paddles to
generate characters. We call this the “KEY-board”(because
you’re Keying in characters).
The paddle created characters will appear on the KLG screen
and you can see what you are entering, as if you were using a
keyboard.
You can Key-board to:
Enter data in the log
Create messages
Create KX3/KX2/K3/K3s macros
Enter the call of the station you are working
Enter references such as SOTA Summits, and select
which is currently active
To handle some typical keyboard functions which are not found
in CW, the KLG provides some options that can be used
without a keyboard:
Function
What to Do
Used for…
Enter
tap F1/SAVE or
paddle prosign KN
Editing
Tab
tap F2/TAB
Moving between
log fields
Backspace
tap FN/BACKSP
Editing

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Quit
tap CALL/ESC
Editing
Add Exclamation
Point (!)
paddle prosign AA
“their call” in
Messages
Add Colon (:)
paddle prosign
WG
Message name
Add Pound Sign (#)
paddle prosign DU
“serial number”
for contesting
Add Dollar Sign ($)
paddle prosign SX
To denote a
KX3,KX2,K3.K3s
macro
Add @ Symbol
paddle prosign AC
To denote a
Grab & Go
message
Stored Text Messages
The KLG has 20 shared memory locations for either text
messages, or rig macros for the Elecraft KX3, KX2, K3 or K3s.
Any of the 20 can be used for either.
If you do not use one of the above listed Elecraft rigs, then all
20 would be used for text messages. If you do use one, then
you can use any or all for rig macros to control the rig
configuration.
Each of the 20 text messages or rig macros can be 80
characters each. As a text message, they can be used for
“canned” text, such as calling CQ, “my name is...”, contest
exchanges (599 CO), etc.

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The first 10 messages (1-10) are stored and sent using the
function keys, F1 to F10. The second 10 messages (11-20)
are stored and sent using the function keys, Alt-F1 to Alt-F10.
Creating or Editing a Message:
In the normal mode (Status LEDs is off), press F12.
The Status LED will now be Green indicating you are in
the Edit mode. The screen will prompt you to press a
key F1 through F10 or Alt-F1 through Alt-F10.
oIf no message has been stored previously, you will
see <no message yet….just start typing>
oIf a message has been previously stored, it will be
displayed. Edit or add any additional text. See the
“Editing a Stored Text Message or Macro” section in
this manual for a list of editing options.
oNew in version 2.3.0 and later: When using a KX3
or KX2 and in RTTY or PSK31, the rig will remain in
transmit mode for approx. 4 seconds after the last
character has been sent. To have the rig go back to
receive immediately after the last character has
been sent, add a vertical bar “|” at the end of the
message (without the quotes). It’s especially useful
when contesting.
Example: 5NN CO |
When finished, press the F12 key again to save the
changes and return to the normal mode. The Status
LED will go out and you will see the following
sample message briefly:

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- If you want to cancel the editing of a message, press
the ESC key at any time. The KLG will return to the
normal mode. The LED will go out and you will see the
following message briefly:
Naming Text Messages
The KLG provides a way to name a message. The name will
then be shown in the message summary screen as a handy
reminder.
To name a message, simply enter the name as the first
characters followed by a colon “:”. Everything to the left of the
colon is the message name and is not sent to the rig.
Everything to the right of the colon will be sent to the rig as text.
It’s advised to keep the names short, as the space for the
characters used are shared with the characters used for the
message. The longer the name, the less room you will have for
the message.
Sending a Stored Text Message
To send a stored text message, just press the F or Alt-F key of
the message to be sent. The rig will be keyed and the
message will be sent as CW. The sent message in its entirety
will appear on the KLG screen at once, while the keyer is

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sending the message character by character, as if you were
sending CW.
If you press an F key more than once, or multiple F keys in
sequence, the messages will be sent in sequence (chained).
This is useful, for instance, if you want to send a longer CQ. If
the message stored in F1 is:
CQ CQ CQ CQ CQ DE KF0UR KF0UR KF0UR
Pressing F1 twice will result in the following message:
CQ CQ CQ CQ CQ DE KF0UR KF0UR KF0UR CQ CQ
CQ CQ CQ DE KF0UR KF0UR KF0UR
Callsign Entered
The KLG gives you the ability to capture another station’s
callsign and have it sent out automatically in messages and
automatically populate the log. You may be familiar with this
feature in most contest loggers and PSK31 or RTTY programs.
To use it,
Enter the call by pressing Alt-C or by tapping
CALL/ESC. Enter up to 10 characters with the
keyboard or paddle. Backspace to make changes
(keyboard or FN/BACKSP)
In any of the 20 KLG messages, use the exclamation
point (!) where you want the other station’s call to
appear. Use the keyboard, or Key-board prosign AA
where you want the !.to appear.
To Erase the entire call displayed, backspace a
character at a time, or Key-board prosign SK
To Save it, press Enter on the keyboard, or tap
F1/SAVE, or Key-board prosign KN.

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Example:
- Press Alt-C and enter KB3SII.
- In message 1, enter: ! de KF0UR. The KLG will then
send “KB3SII de KF0UR”.
Press Alt-C or tap CALL/ESC again to see the call entered,
and to edit it.
The entered call will be there until the QSO is logged.
Grab & Go™
The KLG has a unique feature call Grab & Go™which helps
you to maintain the flow in contests or regular QSOs.
Grab & Go allows you capture (grab) a station’s call at the
same time you are responding on the air. This is instead of
typing the other stations call in the Enter Call screen and then
sending it subsequently.
Here’s how it works. Shown is an example for a contest where
someone answers your CQ and you want to respond with the
contest exchange stored in message F2:
To define any message as a Grab & Go message,
place a “@” as the first character of the message.
Example: @ TU 599 CO
Note: prosign AC will create a @ if Key-boarding.
If you name you message, put the @after the colon, as
the first character of the message to be sent.
Example: Msg Name:@ TU 599 CO

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(where Msg Name is the name of the message and is
not sent)
Then when you press F2 on the keyboard or F2/TAB,
you will be prompted to enter a call (that’s the ‘grab’
part):
oUse the keyboard to type it in or use the paddle
to Key-board it in.
oThe call you are typing or keying is sent to the
rig and will go out on the air.
oWhen you are finished typing the call, press
Enter on the keyboard, F2 again, or F2/TAB
again. The rest of the message in F2 will then
follow (that’s the ‘Go’ part).
To erase a Grab & Go™call, either backspace until it
is gone, or Key-board prosign SK.
In summary, the Grab & Go™flow is:
Press the message F key or F1/SAVE or F2/TAB to be
sent
Type or Key-board the call (it gets sent as you enter it)
Press the message F key or F1/SAVE or F2/TAB again
for the rest of the message to be sent