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.
Usage
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.
VBand / Vail
The default keys of L-Ctrl and R-Ctrl are those used by the VBand adaptor, so just plug your Morse key in, choose the “Key and Keyer Type” you want to use, and you're all set. The Vail adaptor will also send the same key-presses when in keyboard mode (it defaults to this if there are no tabs open that are using the MIDI mode). As the Vail adaptor includes its own keyer, you should choose “Straight Key (no keyer)” in the “Key and Keyer Type” drop-down above. You may want to enable the “Debounce” setting when interfacing with a real key.
Mouse / Finger
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.
Keyboard
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.
Keyer Types
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.
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