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HaliKey

Purpose

If you are an iShareRadio user and want to operate CW remotely with real paddles and/or a physical PTT switch, use a NetKeyer-based flow.

CW Operation: NetKeyer and HaliKey

CW means continuous wave, which in amateur radio practice is Morse code operation.

  • iShareRadio Hub: the central web/service platform that manages users, permissions, sessions, and connections.
  • iShareRadio Client: the software bridge that connects local radio software/hardware to the Hub over the Internet. Depending on your setup, client software may run on the station-side computer and/or an operator-side computer.
  • NetKeyer: the keying/PTT bridge used by iShareRadio CW workflows.
  • HaliKey: one hardware option that provides paddle/PTT input into NetKeyer (USB/MIDI variants).

Signal and control path

Physical paddle or PTT hardware (for example HaliKey or Lynovations CTR2-MIDI) does not talk directly to iShareRadio Hub.

  1. Paddle/PTT hardware -> NetKeyer (MIDI/USB input)
  2. NetKeyer -> iShareRadio Client (Flex TCP protocol integration)
  3. iShareRadio Client -> iShareRadio Hub (WAN/Internet)
  4. Hub/session path -> station-side control path -> radio

In other words, NetKeyer is the direct integration point for CW keying and physical PTT in this workflow.

CW and Physical PTT

NetKeyer supports both:

  • CW keying (Morse code)
  • Physical PTT switching

HaliKey is a commonly used hardware option, and compatible alternatives such as Lynovations CTR2-MIDI can also be used where supported by your NetKeyer workflow.

HaliKey, from Halibut Electronics, is a small USB device that connects Morse paddles and/or a physical PTT switch to a computer.

Product link: https://electronics.halibut.com/product/halikey/