Ron Hashiro

If I can talk FM on two meters, or SSB on HF, why should I be concerned at all about Morse Code, also known as CW (Continous Wave). Click here and find out.

There's a pretty comprehensive write-up on Morse Code in Wikipedia. Click here to read it..

AH0A has PC programs to learn Morse Code. It uses the flashcard method for practicing and learning. Click here to get the original web site.

G4FON is one of the better PC programs to learn Morse Code. It uses the Koch method for practicing and learning. Click here to get the original web site.

I often come home late at night and don't want to drag my HF equipment out and go HF mobile to get some CW practice and contesting airtime. But I found a neat PC program that sounds so real and works just like a real HF contest that I use it and truly, truly enjoy it. It's called Morse Runner. Click here to get the original web site.

Morse Code versus SMS Text Messaging. Which do you think is faster? Check out this video clip. Click here to see the video.

Looking for a good, small, portable morse code key (iambic or squeeze key)? Click here to view the web page for the Palm Radio paddle.

Looking for a solid morse code key (iambic or squeeze key) for the home? Click here to view the web page for the Bencher Mercury key.

Trying to figure out the ultimate home computer setup to run morse code? Give this a look. I've been at this a long time, and believe this is the simplest, most robust solution to keyboarding morse code (CW) on a home computer right into your ham radio.

• Icom IC-706 MK II G, or any decent HF radio with a 6-pin Mini DIN data/packet connector in the rear
• Tigertronics SignalLink USB interface/sound card, be sure to get the SLUSB6PM assembly/6-pin Mini DIN cable
• A MacBook, not a PC
• Kok Chen W7AY's cocoaModem for the Mac, configured for CW

If you're new to switching from a PC to a Mac for amateur radio use, click here for a write-up on using a Mac for ham radio.

I've looked at CWGET on the PC. The program is a good program, but it's just not as slick and polished as what W7AY has done with cocoaModem.

cocoaModem does all the popular HF digital modes, including CW Morse Code. It uses only the sound card interface to hook up the computer to the radio. You don't have to fool around with an extra RS-232 Comm port cable or parallel printer port cable (which are getting harder to do with USB computers) to get the radio to transmit. The Tigertronics SignalLink USB does all the interfacing

I plugged all the elements together, spent about ten minutes configuring cocoaModem for CW, and it was on the air!

In the Window > Config section, for the "Main Receiver", set the input to "USB Audio Codec". For the "Transmitter", set the output to "USB Audio Codec". If you want to hear sidetone while you transmit, for "Aural", set the output to "Built-in Output" and click in the "Active" button. You can also verify the other settings for the Main/Sub receivers, and the Transmitter.

I set the carrier frequency in the waterfall display to 500 Hz, to pick up the incoming morse code. A vertical hairline should appear at the 500 Hz location. Adjusted the audio levels on the SignalLink (RX knob at the 12 o'clock position), and in the program. Set the speed to "25 wpm" or whatever speed you desire.

To prepare the transmitter, on the "Tx Select", click in the "Main" button. Set the speed to "25 wpm" or whatever speed you desire. When you are ready, click the "Transmit" button on the right side to enable the setup and the keyboard.

You can program macro key definitions by clicking on the "Edit" button in the lower right hand corner, and keying in the definitions to your one-click buttons. To activate the macro keys, press and hold the "command" key to the left or right of the space key, and press the number 1, 2, 3, etc keys. That will send the sequence of characters you've previously defined.

All this computing horsepower makes operating CW a joy!