CW Skimmer
The CW Skimmer settings are used to set up integration between KComm and CW Skimmer, an advanced Morse decoder that allows you to quickly jump to the frequency of a Morse station of interest.
Use CW Skimmer - check this box if you wish to use the program.- Path to CW Skimmer - enter the full path to the CW Skimmer program. You can use the Browse (...) button to locate it.
Setting up CW Skimmer
CW Skimmer requires access to the serial port in order to set and get the frequency from the K2 or K3 - as does KComm. This is not normally possible under Windows.
To allow both programs to have simultaneous access to control your K2 or K3, you must install the Eterlogic Virtual Serial Port Emulator. This is a freeware tool that lets you create various virtual devices. Use it to create a splitter in which the real serial port is the one connected to your transceiver. Then configure KComm and CW Skimmer to connect to the virtual serial port instead.
(It is possible that com0com could be used as an alternative serial port splitter, however I haven't tried it and the setup looks to be more complicated.)
Some other CW Skimmer settings need to be set up a certain way:
- Audio tab
Sound card driver - If you use any of KComm's internal soundcard options select MME. This is not essential but avoids conflict if CW Skimmer and KComm both try to use the soundcard at the same time. - Telnet tab
Enable Telnet Server should be On.
Port should be 7300.
Require password should be Off.
Allow SKIMMER commands should be On.
Benefits of integration
When CW Skimmer integration is used, KComm receives a notification of every new DX call that CW Skimmer spots. KComm checks this call against the log and sends a reply to Skimmer that allows it to color code a call if it is a new country or some other type of entity (prefix, zone). If the call has been worked before (contest duplicate) then it is colored gray. KComm checks the whole log unless contest mode has been selected, in which case it checks only the entries for that contest.
Integration also allows you to use CW Skimmer as a Morse decoder. Click on a trace in the CW Skimmer waterfall, and the program displays the decoded text in a scrolling marquee just above the status bar. You can click on any word in the scrolling display and it is inserted into the appropriate log field.
When using CW Skimmer you should spot a CW station by clicking on the trace, and tune the band using the up and down arrow keys (as recommended in the CW Skimmer documentation) rather than using the radio tuning dial, so that the program can keep track of what is what. KComm will automatically pick up any frequency changes made by CW Skimmer.