MFJ -464 Instruction Manual

Cw keyer/reader

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MFJ-464 Instruction Manual

Introduction.....................................................................................................................1

Front Panel ......................................................................................................................2

Back Panel ......................................................................................................................3

Connecting to a Computer ...............................................................................................5

Basic Operation ...............................................................................................................5

How to Use the Menu System..........................................................................................6

THE BUTTONS

The Buttons .....................................................................................................................8

Mode Button........................................................................................................8

MSG1-MSG4 Buttons..........................................................................................8

Button Combinations.......................................................................................................8

Decrement ...........................................................................................................8

Increment.............................................................................................................8

Repeat Reader Buffer...........................................................................................8

Freeze Reader Buffer ...........................................................................................9

Pulse Tune ...........................................................................................................9

Carrier Tune.........................................................................................................9

THE MENUS

Main Menus ..................................................................................................................10

Speed.................................................................................................................10

Weight ...............................................................................................................10

Tone ..................................................................................................................10

Reader Speed .....................................................................................................10

Setup Menus..................................................................................................................10

Overall Speed ....................................................................................................11

Farnsworth.........................................................................................................11

Weight ...............................................................................................................11

Character Space .................................................................................................12

Word Space .......................................................................................................12

Keying Compensation........................................................................................12

Keying Delay.....................................................................................................12

PTT Hang Time .................................................................................................12

Tone ..................................................................................................................13

Serial Number....................................................................................................14

Leading Zeroes ..................................................................................................14

CW Keyer/Reader

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Summary of Contents for MFJ MFJ-464

Page 1: Table Of Contents
MFJ-464 Instruction Manual CW Keyer/Reader Contents THE BASICS Introduction........................1 Front Panel ........................2 Back Panel ........................3 Connecting to a Computer ....................5 Basic Operation .......................5 How to Use the Menu System..................6 THE BUTTONS The Buttons ........................8 Mode Button......................8 MSG1-MSG4 Buttons..................8 Button Combinations.......................8 Decrement ......................8...
Page 2 Keyboard Key Combinations..................21 Setup Commands......................22 Message Memory ......................27 Quick Speeds.........................27 THE TERMINAL Using the MFJ-464 with a Terminal Program ..............28 Setup Commands......................28 Message Memory ......................33 Uploading and Downloading Messages .................33 Loading a Memory Block from the Computer ............34 Sending Contents of a Memory Block to the Computer........34...
Page 3 Figure 2: MFJ-464 Back Panel ..................3 Figure 3: Qwerty Keyboard Layout ................4 Figure 4: Dvorak Keyboard Layout ................5 Figure 5: MFJ-464 Flow Chart and Button Action Chart..........7 Figure 6: Code Weight....................11 Figure 7: Keying Delay and PTT Hang Time Timing ...........13 Figure 8: Rise Time and Decay Time Timing ...............13...
Page 5: The Basics
464 keys CW from a paddle, a keyboard and a serial computer interface. All code parameters are changed with an easy to use menu interface shown on the LCD display. The MFJ-464 has four message memories of over 220 characters each which can be loaded by paddle, keyboard or from a computer with a terminal program.
Page 6: Front Panel
NEXT POWER LOCK Figure 1: MFJ-464 Front Panel. • LCD Display: A 2-line by 16-character alphanumeric display. It displays the keyer’s various menus and the code being sent and received. Normally, the top line shows the transmitted characters and the bottom line shows the received characters. The bottom line can be toggle to show the keyboard type-ahead buffer.
Page 7: Back Panel
• Power: The Power jack accepts a 2.1 mm coaxial plug with positive center and negative sleeve. This unit requires 12 volts DC. An optional 500 mA power supply, the MFJ-1315, is available from MFJ Enterprises, Inc. This unit requires a minimum of 50 mA at no volume and without using a keyboard and a maximum of 300 mA at maximum volume into an 8-ohm audio load with a typical keyboard.
Page 8 9-pin female plug for connecting the MFJ-464 to a computer for ASCII file transfers or monitoring your sending on the computer screen. A 3.5 mm to DB9 serial cable, the MFJ- 5161, is available from MFJ Enterprises, Inc. If your computer has a 25-pin serial port, use a 9-pin-to-25-pin adapter.
Page 9: Connecting To A Computer
Figure 4: Dvorak Keyboard Layout. Connecting to a Computer You may connect the MFJ-464 to a computer using the 9-pin DIN serial port on the back panel. If your computer has a 25-pin serial port, you can use a 25-pin-to-9-pin adapter.
Page 10: Basic Operation
How to Use the Menu System You may set up the MFJ-464 to perform any of its many functions by making the appropriate selections from its menu system. This system consists of four main mode menus, 19 setup mode menus and three quick mode menus.
Page 11: How To Use The Menu System
MFJ-464 Instruction Manual CW Keyer/Reader To see how the setup mode menus system works, consider the following example. EXAMPLE: To enter the setup mode, press and hold the Mode button for two seconds. If the display shows that you are in the Farnsworth menu, pressing the Next button would put you in the Weight menu and pressing the Previous button would put you in the Overall Speed menu.
Page 12: Figure 5: Mfj-464 Flow Chart And Button Action Chart
MODE Press MSG3 to toggle repeat reader buffer. MODE Press MSG4 to toggle freeze reader buffer. MODE Press to enter pulse tune mode. Press MODE to enter carrier tune mode. Figure 5: MFJ-464 Flow Chart and Button Action Chart.
Page 13: The Buttons
“GO” (dah-dah-dit dah-dah-dah). You may then key in a message using the paddle, keyboard or terminal. Press any message button to end the message. Refer to “The Memory” section on page 35 for explanation of the MFJ-464’s message memory.
Page 14: Freeze Reader Buffer
MFJ-464 Instruction Manual CW Keyer/Reader Freeze Reader Buffer [MODE] + [MSG4] Press and hold the Mode button and within two seconds press the MSG42 button to freeze the reader buffer. Pulse Tune [MODE] + [DIT] Press and hold the Mode button and within two seconds tap the Dit paddle to engage the pulse tune mode.
Page 15: The Menus
Maximum reader speed that can be displayed is 127 WPM. Setup Mode Menus The setup mode menus allow you to set up how the MFJ-464 works and behaviors. There are 19 setup mode menus arranged in a “wrap-around” structure. To access these setup menus, press and hold the Mode button for two seconds.
Page 16: Overall Speed
MFJ-464 Instruction Manual CW Keyer/Reader Within each setup menu: • Press the Mode button to exit the setup mode and go back to the main mode. • Press the Next button to view the next setup menu; press the Previous button to view the previous setup menu.
Page 17: Character Space
MFJ-464 Instruction Manual CW Keyer/Reader Character Space The Character Space menu is used to increase the character space (normally three units) up to 12 units long. There are two numbers on line two of the display; the number enclosed within “[“...
Page 18: Tone
Figure 7: Keying Delay and PTT Hang Time Timing. Tone The Tone menu allows you to set the audio frequency in the range of 305 to 1006 Hz. The MFJ- 464 features smooth, clean audio, with sine wave output, instead of the harsh square wave audio used by many other keyers.
Page 19: Serial Number
MFJ-464 Instruction Manual CW Keyer/Reader Serial Number The Serial Number menu allows you to set the current serial number from 0001 to 9999. Press the “1” button and use the Set dial control to change number in increments of 1; press the “100”...
Page 20: Reverse
Notice hand-key mode may not be used to enter messages or setup commands. Note: In hand-key mode using the paddle, the MFJ-464 will not display the code sent or record to the keyer memory. Also, the difference between this and the Handkey command is that this command affects the paddle only.
Page 21: The Reader
The Reader Using the MFJ-464 CW Reader The MFJ-464 comes complete with a CW Reader. The CW Reader on the MFJ-464 is a Morse code decoder that is displayed on a two-line 32-character LCD (liquid crystal display). It can auto-track CW up to 99 WPM (words per minute), and has a volatile repeat buffer memory of 140 characters.
Page 22: The Paddle
The Paddle Using the MFJ-464 with a Paddle Plug an iambic or single lever paddle into the Key Input jack of the MFJ-464. A _-inch stereo phone plug and a two-conductor shielded cable should be used. If separate shielded cables are used, the two shields should be tied together and connected to ground.
Page 23: Message Memory
The keyer will respond by sending an end-of-message character (di-dah-di- dah-dit) and automatically insert “]” to the end of your message. Refer to “The Memory” section on page 35 for explanation of the MFJ-464’s message memory and how to use the embedded commands to enhance your message.
Page 24: The Keyboard
• Turn the Set dial control to toggle the setting for that quick menu. Keyboard Layout The Keyboard Layout menu set the type of keyboard to be used. The MFJ-464 can be used with either a Qwerty or a Dvorak keyboard.
Page 25 Transmitted characters and buffer memory may be monitored using the LCD display on the MFJ-464. This readout is comprised of two lines of text, each containing 16 characters. The top line shows the characters currently being transmitted. The bottom line normally shows the received characters.
Page 26: Keyboard Key Combinations
MFJ-464 Instruction Manual CW Keyer/Reader Keyboard Key Combinations Press a modifier key (CTRL, ALT or SHIFT) in combination with another key to perform special functions or shortcuts. Note that these key combinations do not work in the Terminal mode, because these modifier keys are reserved for the computer uses.
Page 27: Setup Commands
MFJ-464 Instruction Manual CW Keyer/Reader Normal Shift Ctrl ﬂ LEFT Decrease Setting Tone –1 Step Weight –1% Speed –1 WPM ‡ RIGHT Increase Setting Tone +1 Step Weight +1% Speed +1 WPM ‚ DOWN Decrease Setting Tone –5 Step Weight –5% Speed –5 WPM...
Page 28 MFJ-464 Instruction Manual CW Keyer/Reader Decrement – decrements the serial number by one, effectively canceling the automatic increment applied when last played from a message. The decrement function accommodates re-sending the last serial number, as might be needed when a repeat of a contest exchange is requested, or canceling the exchange with a station that proved to be a “dupe”.
Page 29 MFJ-464 Instruction Manual CW Keyer/Reader Keying compensation – sets the keying compensation to ## millisecond, where ## represents two digits in the range of 00 to 25. Some radios have a key delay of 5 ms or more. By entering K05, the keyer will add 5 ms to the dots and dashes and subtract 5 ms from the intra-character spaces.
Page 30 (#=H) mode. With the automatic option, the keyer functions as an iambic keyer for use with a dual-lever paddle. As an iambic keyer, the MFJ-464 has dot and dash memories for "squeeze keying" and functions just like other iambic keyers, both standalone keyers and those built into radios.
Page 31 Tone – sets the sidetone frequency to approximately ##0 Hz, where ## represents two digits in the range of 30 to 99. The MFJ-464 features smooth, clean audio, with sine wave output, instead of the harsh square wave audio used by many other keyers.
Page 32: Message Memory
ENTER key with the close square bracket “]” as the end-of-message key. Refer to “The Memory” section on page 35 for explanation of the MFJ-464’s message memory and how to use the embedded commands to enhance your message.
Page 33: The Terminal
The Terminal Using the MFJ-464 with a Terminal Program The Keyer Terminal mode allows a computer to talk to your MFJ-464. All code sent from the paddle and keyboard is echoed to the Keyer Terminal. All commands are accessible through the Keyer Terminal.
Page 34 MFJ-464 Instruction Manual CW Keyer/Reader Character space – increases the inter-character space with # standard intra-character spaces, where # is a single digit from 0 to 9. This allows the normally three-unit long inter-character space up to 12 units long. Note the inter-character space is always at least four units shorter than the word space.
Page 35 MFJ-464 Instruction Manual CW Keyer/Reader Iambic – enables iambic A or B mode where # represents A or B, or disables iambic operation with # = N. The keyer will respond with "A" (di-dah), "B" (dah-di-di-dit), or "OFF" (dah-dah-dah di-di-dah-dit di-di-dah-dit). Press ESC to cancel and exit.
Page 36 (#=H) mode. With the automatic option, the keyer functions as an iambic keyer for use with a dual-lever paddle. As an iambic keyer, the MFJ-464 has dot and dash memories for "squeeze keying" and functions just like other iambic keyers, both standalone keyers and those built into radios.
Page 37 Tone – sets the sidetone frequency to approximately ##0 Hz, where ## represents two digits in the range of 30 to 99. The MFJ-464 features smooth, clean audio, with sine wave output, instead of the harsh square wave audio used by many other keyers.
Page 38: Message Memory
Uploading and Downloading Messages: To send messages either from your computer to the MFJ-464 or from the unit to your computer, you use a terminal program on the computer that is capable of transferring ASCII data.
Page 39: Loading A Memory Block From The Computer
"]" as its "end-of-message" indicator. If you insert "[]" at the end of your message file, the MFJ-464 will stop the transfer automatically when the close square bracket “]” is received. If the unit runs out of memory, the transfer will be stopped automatically.
Page 40: The Memory
Also, a complete set of QSO exchange can be prepared and loaded into the MFJ-464. The memory is non-volatile, so it is saved even when the power is turned off and it does not require battery backup to preserve the recorded messages.
Page 41: Embedded Commands
MFJ-464 Instruction Manual CW Keyer/Reader Special Characters Characters Represent Square Brackets ( [ ] ) Delimiters for messages in memory. Angle Brackets ( < > ) Delimiters for custom prosigns. Back Slashes ( \ \ ) Delimiters for custom prosigns.
Page 42 MFJ-464 Instruction Manual CW Keyer/Reader Decrement – decrements the serial number. Serial number 0001 will decrement to 9999, skipping 0000 since it is not used. This feature allows a serial number to be sent twice in a message. For example: UR RST 559 559 SN /N /D SN /N.
Page 43 MFJ-464 Instruction Manual CW Keyer/Reader /SU# Speed Up – increases the overall speed by # WPM, where # is a single digit in the /S+# range of 0 to 9. /SD# Speed Down – decreases the overall speed by # WPM, where # is a single digit in the /S–#...
Page 44: Appendices
MFJ-464 Instruction Manual CW Keyer/Reader Appendices Resetting the Keyer Each time the keyer is turned off, the microprocessor powers down and saves all memories and configurations to non-volatile memory ready to be used the next time the unit is turned on again.
Page 45: Message Memory Reset
The keyer will respond with an end-of-message character (di-dah-di-dah-dit). Self Test A self-test routine will check the functions of the MFJ-464. This routine checks the display, the paddles, the front-panel buttons, the internal memory and the audio circuitry. During the self- test, you may stop the test by turning off the unit;...
Page 46: Failure Message Meanings
MFJ-464 Instruction Manual CW Keyer/Reader 8. Test the Set dial control by slowly turning it to the left 10 clicks and then slowly turning it to the right 10 clicks. Make sure not to turn the dial in the wrong direction. The LED should blink once at the 10 click on each direction.
Page 47: Jumper Settings
RADIO IN jack. Another speaker can be connected to the SIDE TONE jack to monitor the transmitted sidetone. To change these factory defaults you must remove the cover to the MFJ-494 and find the four jumpers located in the upper right-hand corner of the unit. Jumper JMP1 enables and disables the audio at the SIDE TONE jack.
Page 48: Morse Code Character Set
MFJ-464 Instruction Manual CW Keyer/Reader Morse Code Character Set di-dah • – dah-dit – • dah-di-di-dit – • • • dah-dah-dah – – – dah-di-dah-dit – • – • di-dah-dah-dit • – – • dah-di-dit – • • dah-dah-di-dah – – • –...
Page 49: Signals Used In Other Radio Services
MFJ-464 Instruction Manual CW Keyer/Reader Signals Used in Other Radio Services Interrogatory di-di-dah-di-dah • • – • – Emergency Silence di-di-di-di-dah-dah • • • • – – Executive Follows di-di-dah-di-di-dah • • – • • – TTTTT Break-in Signal dah-dah-dah-dah-dah –...
Page 50: Meaning Of Q Signals
MFJ-464 Instruction Manual CW Keyer/Reader Meaning of Q Signals The name of my station is Do not interfere, Frequency busy Being interfered with Static Increase power, High power Decrease power, Low power Send faster I am ready for automatic operation...
Page 51: Setup Commands
MFJ-464 Instruction Manual CW Keyer/Reader Setup Commands Command Via Menu Via Keyboard Via Terminal Character Space Char Space CTRL+C # Decrement Serial Number [MODE] + [MSG1] CTRL+D Farnsworth Farnsworth ~F## ~F## CTRL+F ## Gap (Word Space) Word Space CTRL+G #...
Page 52: Schematic
MFJ-464 Instruction Manual CW Keyer/Reader Note: Terminal commands can be used via the keyboard, but not vice versa. Schematics...
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