While I work away on Jamoncito FX, I started a side quest for another piece of Casio Calculator software that everyone was kicking my door in and writing letters to their local MP about and demanding I make it… yeah right! 
What if you are out portable and you suddenly realised you forgot your straight key, your paddle or your bug!?
Goodness me what a palava! What to do?!
Luckily you always remember to bring your Casio Pocket Calculator with you everywhere you go don’t you? Of course you do. So why not use a calculator as a straight key or a paddle?
Hold on a sec while I go put on a black polo neck jumper
Today, I introduce to you…
Jamon FX: Type R
A dedicated CW key for your Casio Pocket Calculator!
It is very much in the alpha stages (and will be for a while as Mark @M5TEA has now unkowingly made me get a Casio Pocket Calculator - so I bought one 
). The base software works but to be 100% with it I want to make tests on real hardware as well as the emulator.
Essentially how it works is it bypasses the RS232 and uses the 2.5mm headphone jack (which also doubles as a data connection!). Thus I’ve put together a program which will send your dits and dahs over the data connection either to something with a built-in keyer e.g. an Elecraft KX2, or, with the aid of something like a Picokeyer, it will leverage that to then send on your dits and dahs.
I’ve incorporated a straight key and iambic key at present. Not sure I can add a Bug option but I can try. Code is sent via key presses on the keyboard either by duration (straight key), or two preset keys (dit and dah). WPM should be determined by the external keyer.
Anyways, just a sneak peek at this to show it’s off and running. I have it working 100% via emulator, I just need the real thing to make sure all is ticketyboo first before I sink more effort in to it.
I’ll release the code as FOSS of course once it’s all done. This is just a heads up to say it is coming and to control your excitement.
Screenshot of the (very much) alpha software:
Side Note: I made this in to a new thread so it doesn’t get lost in the Jamoncito FX thread (which has generated some interest on the QT, thanks folks who messaged me, read the article and all the rest of it. I hope this silly software brings a smile to fellow jamons and/or those concerned I should maybe institutionalise myself for making odd software and stuff!)
