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a foster carer
a salsa teacher
an owner of a holiday home
and in my spare time I write and maintain this web site
This page emulates various combinations of keys/paddles with or without a Morse keyer. The default settings are suitable for the VBand interface, but you can also connect a Morse key via an interface which fires mouse clicks, or just use the keyboard directly.
Dit
Left-click, or press Z
Right-click, sends a Dah
Dah
Left-click, or press X
Right-click, sends a Dit
The panel below shows the decoded message as you send it. Unrecognised characters are shown as “#”. When the end of a message is detected a new line is started. Click on a word tile or the small play button to the left of a message to play the word or message as you keyed it.
The chart below shows the actual timing of what you sent (bottom row) compared to the perfect timing (top row). Hovering over an element will show you details about it. You can zoom with the mouse wheel and pan by dragging.
The chart below shows timing statistics for a single message or all messages. The red line shows the ideal duration for each element at the chosen message's speed. Hover over an element to see the detailed timing statistics. You can zoom with the mouse wheel and pan by dragging.
The message is decoded and shown in the page as you send it, with unrecognisable characters shown with a “#”. When the end of a message is detected a new line is started. Clicking on a word tile plays back the word as you sent it and clicking on the small play button to the left of a message plays the whole message using the original timings.
The default keys of L-Ctrl and R-Ctrl are those used by the VBand interface, so just plug your Morse key in, choose the Key Type, and you're all set. The Vail adaptor can also send the same key-presses. You may want to enable the “Debounce” setting when interfacing with a real key.
To use the mouse, hold down the left button and move the mouse from side to side (or slide your finger on a touch-screen). One side sends dits and the other side dahs. Alternatively, you can keep the mouse in one position and use both the left and right buttons. This second mode is suitable for when you have a Morse key connected to your computer's mouse interface.
To use the keyboard, press the keys you have configured for the left and right paddles. You can change the keys by clicking on the “Change Keys” button.
A straight key will send a signal exactly as pressed by the operator so is very difficult to get the timing correct. A keyer (combined with a “paddle”) makes sending Morse code easier. Instead of having to precisely time the dits, dahs and the spaces in between a paddle/keyer combination does a lot of the timing for you, using a speed setting of your choice. Pushing the paddle one way sends a string of repeating dits and pushing the paddle the other way sends a string of dahs.
Dual-lever paddles provide the opportunity to use both paddles simultaneously (“squeeze keying”). The imabic and ultimatic modes differ in how to interpret this option. The various “iambic” keyers alternate dits and dahs when the paddles are squeezed together. The “iambic B” mode adds one extra dit or dah to the end of the sequence in some circumstances. The “ultimatic” mode prioritizes the last pressed paddle.
To find out more, read the Straight Keys, Bugs, Paddles, Sounders and Keyers page.
I am a husband and father
a foster carer
a salsa teacher
an owner of a holiday home
and in my spare time I write and maintain this web site
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