WKLink — WinKeyer → VBand Bridge

Connect your K1EL WinKeyer USB device to VBand for online CW practice with your real paddle, bug, or straight key.

How it works

WKLink puts the WinKeyer in host mode and monitors raw paddle contact state from its status bytes in real time. When a contact changes, WKLink immediately presses or releases the corresponding key that VBand listens for:

• Dit paddle (or straight key down) → Left Ctrl pressed / released
• Dah paddle → Right Ctrl pressed / released

There is no re-encoding of timing in software. The WinKeyer hardware handles all element timing. VBand handles iambic sequencing. WKLink is purely a transparent bridge — contact closed → key held, contact open → key released.

Works with

• ✅ Iambic paddles (A or B — set VBand's mode to match)
• ✅ Bug
• ✅ Straight key
• ✅ Any WinKeyer USB (WKUSB, WKmini, WK3serial)

Setup

1. Plug in your WinKeyer USB
2. Open VBand in Chrome or Edge and join a channel
3. Set VBand's mode to match your key type (Iambic A/B, Bug, or Straight Key)
4. Launch WKLink, select your COM port, click CONNECT
5. Keep VBand as the active browser tab while keying

Options

• Mute WK sidetone — recommended so you only hear VBand's audio, not both at once
• Always on top — keeps WKLink visible above the browser so you can see WPM
• Swap paddles — reverses dit and dah at the WinKeyer level; takes effect immediately

Downloads

Latest release: github.com/catriname/WKLink/releases/latest

• WKLink.exe — portable executable, no installation needed
• WKLink-Setup.exe — Windows installer with Start Menu and desktop shortcuts

Build from source (Windows)

pip install -r requirements.txt
pyinstaller --onefile --windowed --name WKLink wklink.py

To also build the installer (requires NSIS):

makensis installer.nsi

Or run build.bat to do both in one step.

Notes

• WPM display updates from your speed pot when the pot is turned
• Decoded characters appear in the log window (WinKeyer's own paddle echo, for display only — not used for VBand timing)
• WK3 keyer settings (iambic mode A/B, weighting, etc.) are configured on the keyer itself, not in WKLink
• Paddle swap can be toggled live without reconnecting

License

MIT — 73 de K5GRR