What does your contesting keyboard look like?

 

My "thing" in amateur radio is contesting and more specifically CW contesting. With most contesting programs the F keys on your keyboard are used for sending specific macros. Macros are stored messages and can be edited to do many things. Such as sending your call sign, sending an exchange and so on. As well as the F keys certain contesting programs also have keyboard combinations that do certain things and finally single keyboard keys that also perform a contesting function. During the heat of a contest, I have now and then hit between the keys on my keyboard and sometimes it so happens to be a key combo for my N1MM+ contesting program. All of a sudden I have no volume, switched VFO's and so on, it does not put me in my happy place. 

Above is a picture of my Lenovo full-sized preferred pro 2 keyboard. This is a mechanical key system I have tried many keyboards and this type for me is the best. It's not too sensitive as to when my fingers are resting on the keys I am not accidentally typing letters in the N1MM+ call window. I have tried the small keyboards but I find I am not able to fly along at a nice speed. I like this keyboard so much that I purchased a second one just in case this one fails.  My luck it would be discontinued when I wanted to purchase another one.  

 

Let's have a closer look at the macro setup, shall we? The keys at the top left to right are:

STOP which does just that, if I want the rig to stop sending a macro I hit that key. Reasons for this might be when I am searching and pouncing I start to send my call and because my radio is set to full break in I may hear 4 or more other powerful stations calling as well. I just hit stop as at 100 watts I am wasting my time. Also if my exchange is asked to be sent again I may hit the "X" twice and since I am in full break in or QSK as it is called I may hear the station send "TU" after the first repeat and then hit stop. 

CQ is self-explanatory, it's my calling CQ contest macro. 

X is short for contest exchange. 

TU again simple as a good Canadian I am always saying TU.    

VE9 is my call sign and used to send when I am doing search and pounce. 

HIS this will send the station call sign I have entered in the call box of N1MM+. What I use it for is while running if I copy a partial call only this will send the partial call sign. 

MYNR with most all contests you send 599 or 5NN for CW and then there is the unique part of the exchange such as a serial number, province, age, member number and so on. This key will send the unique part of the exchange if the other station asks for a repeat. 

RUN This key is used when I am searching and pouncing and then I want to start running (calling CQ contest) I hit this key and N1MM+ goes from search and pounce mode to running mode. 

TEST this macro will just send "TEST VE9KK" generally, I do this to identify just after a pileup. There may be some op's waiting to contact me but have no idea what my call is. 

?? very straightforward forward this just sends out a question mark. 

LOG this is an interesting one. I have found in the past using ESM (Enter sends message)  when I have been operating search and pounce it can get confused. For example, I find a station calling "CQ CONTEST" I then hit the ENTER key and the first ESM message is sent (my call). If the station answers another call I then have to send my my call again. I now go to the VE9 macro key and only part of my call is recognized, again I go to the VE9 key. Next is my exchange I have hit the ENTER key for the next ESM message (my exchange). At times my call has been sent or the station gets logged which would be the 3rd ESM function. To avoid confusion I use the X key to send the exchange. Next, I use the LOG macro key to log the contact. 

R this macro simply sends the letter "R" when a confirmation is needed. 

W this macro is a wipe function, when you hit this key it removes information. It can remove a call or exchange very fast so you can start over. 

You may have noticed some of the macro keys are yellow and others white. This was intentional, the yellow keys are used for running and the white generally for search and pounce. Also, there are two green dots above and below the "MYNR" key. At times either during search and pounce or running I will need to repeat the main part of the exchange such as a number. This is done most times in the heat of the moment and the green dots call my attention to the key right away without having to look or think about it. 

The pause/break key (top right key) has a blue dot on it. This key is used when operating SO2V and this blue dot key when pressed will swap to the functioning VFO. Pressing this key will switch to the opposite VFO both transmit and receive switch. The blue dot is for fast identification. 

The numbers keys with the green and red dots are my CW speed increase and decrease keys. Green to increase speed and red to decrease speed. 

Finally the yellow dots are a key combination, when you first press the ALT + W keys you mute the sub-receiver. I have to be honest here I seldom use this key combo, using the Icom 7610 it is very simple to mute either receiver. There is a volume knob for each receiver and if you push the knob you silence that receiver. I use this as it is very fast and simple But I still have to learn to remember to unmute. I have in the past wondered why a certain receiver is so quiet and it is my error as it is still muted. I will be removing the yellow dots and the label "mutsub". 

That is my contest keyboard setup, leave a comment if you have anything to all or what your keyboard functions are.