home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
Monster Media 1994 #1
/
monster.zip
/
monster
/
HAM
/
MPP110A.ZIP
/
USERMAN.TXT
< prev
Wrap
Text File
|
1994-01-03
|
45KB
|
997 lines
Morse Practice Program
User's Manual
Dennis R. McManus W3IMA
January 3, 1994
Notices ii
This program was designed and written by Dennis R. McManus, W3IMA.
Permission is granted to distribute this program free of charge to all
who wish to use it for non-commercial purposes. Its intended purpose
is to assist individuals or classes who are studying Morse code in
order to obtain an amateur radio license. Although the program may be
freely distributed, all rights to the program are retained by the
author. It may not be modified in any manner without express written
permission from the author.
Copyright 1992 - 1994 by Dennis R. McManus, W3IMA
Table Of Contents iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. GENERAL OVERVIEW .................................................1
1.1. System Requirements ........................................1
1.2. Program Installation .......................................1
1.3. General Features ...........................................1
2. PROGRAM OPERATION ................................................3
2.1. Starting The Program .......................................3
2.2. Controlling The Program ....................................4
2.2.1. Selection With The TAB And Cursor Keys ...............4
2.2.2. Selection With "Hot Keys" ............................4
2.2.3. Selection Using The Mouse ............................5
2.2.4. Typing Entries In Input Boxes ........................5
3. THE CONFIGURATION SCREEN .........................................6
3.1. Setting The Code Characteristics ...........................6
3.1.1. Setting The Character Speed ..........................6
3.1.2. Setting The Sending Speed ............................7
3.1.3. Setting The Tone Frequency ...........................7
3.2. Selecting A Serial Port ....................................7
3.3. Loading A Configuration File ...............................8
3.4. Setting The Random Alphabet ................................8
3.5. Setting The Emphasis Alphabet ..............................8
3.6. Switching To The Practice Screen ...........................9
3.7. Saving A Configuration File ................................9
3.8. Testing The Code Configuration .............................9
3.9. Stopping Sending ...........................................9
3.10. Exiting From The Program ..................................9
4. THE PRACTICE SCREEN .............................................10
4.1. Practice Modes ............................................10
4.1.1. ( ) Random Group ....................................10
4.1.2. ( ) 5 Char AABAA ....................................10
4.1.3. ( ) Flash Card ......................................11
4.1.4. ( ) Text File .......................................11
4.1.5. ( ) Keyboard Out ....................................11
4.2. Special Options ...........................................11
4.2.1. [ ] Hide Text .......................................12
4.2.2. [ ] Compress Spaces .................................12
4.2.3. [ ] Stop On '@' .....................................12
4.3. Loading A Text File .......................................13
4.4. The Display Window ........................................13
4.4.1. Display Of Random Groups ............................13
Table Of Contents iv
4.4.2. Display Of 5 Char AABAA .............................14
4.4.3. Display Of Flash Card ...............................14
4.4.4. Display Of Text File ................................14
4.4.5. Display Of Keyboard Out .............................14
4.5. Switching To The Configuration Screen .....................15
4.6. Clearing Text In The Display Window .......................15
4.7. Sending Text ..............................................15
4.8. Stopping Sending ..........................................15
4.9. Exiting From The Program ..................................15
A. SPECIAL CODES ...................................................16
General Overview 1
GENERAL OVERVIEW
1. GENERAL OVERVIEW
The Morse Practice Program was designed to make it easy to practice
copying Morse code. It concentrates mainly on copying on paper which
is the mode used when taking the license examinations. There are no
special modes that create example code tests or methods that require
the user to type the copied code on the keyboard. The intent of the
program was to offer clean, well-timed code in a program that is easy
to set up and use.
1.1. System Requirements
The program is intended to run on all levels of IBM PC/XT/AT and
100% compatible systems with at least 160K of free memory and at least
one floppy disk drive. It will run on monochrome or color video
systems as well as LCD laptop displays.
1.2. Program Installation
The program may be installed on a hard disk by simply copying all
the files from the floppy disk to the desired directory on the hard
disk. The main program file is MPP.EXE. There is also a default
initialization file called MPP.INI which is used to set the initial
configuration each time the program is started. There are also some
text files that can be used for practice. These were copied from
several sources in magazines and instruction manuals.
1.3. General Features
The program display is divided into two main screens. These
screens allow the user to configure the system and specify the
practice mode to use. All the features available to the user are
displayed on one of these two screens at all times. There is no need
to remember which menu has which command in it. The first screen
allows the user to set the configuration parameters for the program
and to save and restore selected configuration sets. The second
screen is used to control the practice session. It allows selection
from among five operating modes. It also allows special conditions to
be set that control how the text is sent and displayed.
Three of the five operating modes involve sending of random
characters. One mode allows sending standard ASCII text files and one
allows sending text that is input from the keyboard.
General Overview 2
The timing of the code is completely independent of the CPU speed
of the PC. This allows the program to be run on all levels of PC
without having to calibrate the speed. All timings are developed from
a one millisecond time base that is achieved by reconfiguring the DOS
time-of-day clock. The frequency of this clock is standard across all
IBM PC compatible machines.
Code can be sent with spacing between characters different than the
actual character speed. This method, known as the Farnsworth Method,
allows characters to be sent at a faster speed and have longer spaces
between characters while still maintaining the specified overall
sending speed.
The program can optionally be controlled using a mouse as well as
the keyboard. All operations that do not require the typing of text
can be activated by the mouse.
It is hoped that some day an on-line help system will be added.
This has not been done as of this release. The F1:Help option on the
bottom of each screen will currently just pop up a message box
indicating the feature has not been implemented yet.
Program Operation 3
PROGRAM OPERATION
2. PROGRAM OPERATION
This chapter describes the program operation in detail.
2.1. Starting The Program
The easiest way to start the program is to just type the program
name on the command line without any parameters:
MPP
and the program will start with the configuration parameters that were
in effect when the program was last exited.
If you want to start the program with a specific set of
configuration parameters that were saved in a disk file, supply the
configuration file name as a parameter. For example:
MPP GENERAL
will cause the program to read the configuration file GENERAL.CFG to
set its initial parameters. If no file extension is supplied, the
default is .CFG. Three such configuration files are included that set
up the parameters for code practice for the various license classes.
These are NOVICE.CFG, GENERAL.CFG, and EXTRA.CFG. Creating
configuration files will be explained in the subsection on the
Configuration Screen.
If you are using an LCD screen or a monochrome monitor with a
driver that emulates color using different levels of gray shade, the
screen may be hard to read. If this is the case, start the program
with the -b command line switch to force monochrome operation:
MPP -b
or if also specifying a configuration file:
MPP -b filename
Another command line switch has been added to overcome a potential
problem with the video system. The -v command line switch will force
the program to not try to configure the video mode in case the video
card in the PC does not support all the mode setting commands. If the
screen does not display properly, try using this switch.
Program Operation 4
If the -b and/or -v switch is used with a configuration file name,
it must come before the configuration file name.
2.2. Controlling The Program
When the program starts, it displays the Configuration Screen.
This is one of the two screens that are used to control all aspects of
the program operation. The other screen is the Practice Screen. All
operations that can be performed and options that can be selected are
displayed on one or the other of these two screens.
The options fall into five general categories:
1. Options that require values to be entered in input boxes.
2. Options that require selection of one item from a group.
3. Options that are individually turned on or off
4. Options that are performed immediately using function keys
5. Operations in the Display Window on the Practice Screen
The blinking text cursor is always positioned on the "current"
selection option. There are three ways to select the operation to
perform on these screens other than those that are activated using the
function keys:
1. By using the TAB and cursor keys
2. By using special "hot keys" (ALT key combinations)
3. By using the mouse.
2.2.1. Selection With The TAB And Cursor Keys
All the related options are grouped within boxes on the screen.
The TAB key moves from one box to the next. The Shift-TAB key moves
in the reverse direction. Within a box, the Up and Down cursor keys
move from one item to the next in the respective direction. Once the
blinking cursor is positioned on the option you wish to perform, press
either the space bar or the enter key to activate it.
2.2.2. Selection With "Hot Keys"
Each option has one of its characters displayed in a highlighted
attribute. Holding down the ALT key while pressing the highlighted
character both selects and activates the specified option.
Program Operation 5
2.2.3. Selection Using The Mouse
The program is designed to use a Microsoft mouse or any mouse that
emulates the Microsoft mouse interface. The mouse can be used to
select and activate any of the options including the function key
options by moving the mouse cursor over the desired option and
clicking the left button. The option is only performed when the mouse
button is released so it important to keep the mouse cursor positioned
over the option while releasing the button.
2.2.4. Typing Entries In Input Boxes
When an option is selected that requires text to be entered from
the keyboard, the current value, if there is one, is displayed in a
highlighted mode with the text cursor on the first character of the
entry. If any cursor movement key is pressed such as a right or left
arrow key or the Home or End key, the highlight is removed and the
original text stays in the input box. This allows existing entries to
be modified without having to completely retype them. If any
printable character is typed, the original text is removed and any
text that is typed replaces the original entry.
While entering and modifying text in an input box, various line
editing options are available:
1. The right and left arrow keys may be used to move back and
forth through the text.
2. The Ctrl-right and Ctrl-left arrow keys move a full word at a
time in the respective direction.
3. The Home and End keys move to the beginning and end of the
input text respectively.
4. The Ins key toggles between overtype mode (underscore cursor)
and insert mode (block cursor).
Pressing the Enter key or clicking on the OK button will accept the
current input line. Pressing the Esc key or clicking on the Cancel
button will retain the original entry unchanged.
The Configuration Screen 6
THE CONFIGURATION SCREEN
3. THE CONFIGURATION SCREEN
The Configuration Screen allows the user to set up the
characteristics of the code speed and tone, select specific sets of
characters to use for random code generation, specify a serial port to
use to drive an external oscillator, and load and save configuration
files which contain all these parameters.
3.1. Setting The Code Characteristics
The first group of options on the Configuration Screen sets the
character speed, sending speed, and tone frequency for the PC's
internal speaker.
The character speed and sending speed can be set separately.
Specifying the character speed to be faster than the sending speed is
often referred to as the Farnsworth Method. This allows the
characters to be heard as a single sound pattern rather than
individual dots and dashes and allows a longer time to recognize which
character was sent. The two speed settings are described in detail
below.
Although the two speed numbers may be set to a resolution of a
tenth of a word per minute, this accuracy is only guaranteed at the
lower speeds. As the speed is increased, one millisecond time base
becomes a larger portion of each character element. The 0.1 word per
minute resolution is good up to about 10 words per minute. Up to
about 40 words per minute, the resolution is accurate to at least 1.0
word per minute. Above those speeds, who is counting exactly anyway?
The accuracy is good enough for the speeds required for Ham Radio
tests.
3.1.1. Setting The Character Speed
The character speed is the speed in words per minute that each
individual character is sent at. The character speed may be set from
13.0 to 99.9 words per minute. The reason the lower limit is 13.0 is
because below this speed, it is difficult to concentrate on the
overall sound pattern of a character and too easy to count dots and
dashes. The standard license tests are usually given with a character
speed of either 15.0 or 18.0 words per minute depending on which
Volunteer Examination Coordinator the testing is being given through.
Note that the 20 word per minute test is usually given with the
character and sending speeds both the same.
The Configuration Screen 7
The character speed is not allowed to be less than the sending
speed. If a value less than the sending speed is entered, the sending
speed will be lowered to match the new character speed.
3.1.2. Setting The Sending Speed
The sending speed is the actual overall speed in words per minute
that the code is sent at. The valid range for this speed is from 1.0
to 99.9 words per minute. When the character speed is set to be
faster than the sending speed, the spacing between individual
characters is made longer in order to maintain the overall speed.
The sending speed is not allowed to be greater than the character
speed. If a value greater than the character speed is entered, the
character speed will be raised to match the new sending speed.
3.1.3. Setting The Tone Frequency
If the internal speaker in the PC is being used to produce the
code, its frequency may be specified in Hertz from 20 to 9999. If a
value of zero is entered, the internal speaker is turned off. The
option of turning off the speaker is intended to be used when an
external oscillator is being keyed using one of the serial ports as
described below.
3.2. Selecting A Serial Port
The second group of options on the Configuration Screen allows the
selection of one of the standard serial ports to control an external
code oscillator. The options are:
1. ( ) None
2. ( ) COM1:
3. ( ) COM2:
The parentheses indicate that only one of these options may be
selected at a time. Selecting any one of these options automatically
deselects any other one in the group. A * character between the
parentheses indicates which option is currently selected.
Various circuits have appeared in magazines and other sources for
keying an external oscillator from a serial port. To date, none have
been tried with this program. Both the DTR and RTS control lines are
keyed by this program on the selected serial port. The author would
appreciate being informed of any success in this area.
Note that when one of the serial ports is selected, it is not
reconfigured by the program until the first code is sent. This allows
for the case where a serial mouse is being used and the program
The Configuration Screen 8
happens to start with the mouse's port selected. Simply select the
other port or None before sending any code and the mouse will remain
functional. If the None option is selected, neither serial port is
changed from its current configuration.
3.3. Loading A Configuration File
Each time the program exits to DOS, the current configuration
parameters are saved on the disk in a file called MPP.INI. Special
configurations can be saved to the disk and recalled at any time to
set up the program. Selecting the Load Config File option displays an
input box requesting the name of the saved configuration file to load.
Files specified for this option must have been saved using the F3:Save
Config option that is explained below. If no file extension is
supplied, the default is .CFG.
The information contained in the configuration files consists of
all the options that are displayed on the Configuration Screen. As
stated earlier, three configuration files are supplied with the
program. These are NOVICE.CFG, GENERAL.CFG, and EXTRA.CFG.
3.4. Setting The Random Alphabet
The Random Alphabet is used along with the Emphasis Alphabet
(described below) in all practice modes that send random characters.
These two strings list the only characters that will be sent in these
modes. The Random Alphabet specifies the normal set of characters to
select from. When you select this option, an input box pops up in
which you may enter the characters that you want to use when sending
random characters. This string is not permitted to be empty.
Characters that have no Morse code equivalent in this program will
show up in the input box as they are typed but will not be entered
into the saved string. Some procedural signals such as AR and SK have
single punctuation characters that are used to represent them in the
program. These characters are listed just above the function key list
at the bottom of the screen. Other punctuation characters translate
directly into their Morse equivalent. See Appendix A for a list of
punctuation characters and procedural signals supported by the
program.
If the input box contains only characters for which no Morse
equivalent has been defined, the string ABC will be placed in the
Random Alphabet to keep it from being empty.
3.5. Setting The Emphasis Alphabet
The Emphasis Alphabet is used along with the Random Alphabet
(described above). This string lists characters that will be sent
more often in the random character sequences in order to get more
The Configuration Screen 9
practice with them. This string may be empty in which case all random
characters are selected from the Random Alphabet.
The characters that are allowed to be included in this string are
the same as those described under the Random Alphabet above.
3.6. Switching To The Practice Screen
To switch to the Practice Screen, either press the F2 key or click
the mouse on the F2:Practice option on the bottom line.
3.7. Saving A Configuration File
The current configuration options may be saved to a disk file and
recalled later to set the program back to the saved state. When F3 is
pressed or the mouse is clicked on the F3:Save Config option on the
bottom line, an input box is displayed asking for the name of the file
to save the configuration information in. If no file extension is
specified, the default is .CFG.
3.8. Testing The Code Configuration
While on the Configuration Screen, if F8 is pressed or the mouse
is clicked on the F8:Test option on the bottom line, the message "VVV
TEST" is sent to give an example of the current code speed and tone
frequency. This allows the code options to be adjusted to a
comfortable configuration before beginning a practice session.
3.9. Stopping Sending
To stop sending at any time, press F9 or click the mouse on the
F9:Stop option on the bottom line.
3.10. Exiting From The Program
To exit from the program, press F10 or click the mouse on the
F10:Exit option on the bottom line. If code is currently being sent,
this option will pop up an error box indicating that you must stop
sending before exiting. This prevents accidental exit while
practicing. After pressing Enter or clicking on the OK button to
clear the error box, if you really want to exit, just stop sending as
described above and select the F10 option again.
The Practice Screen 10
THE PRACTICE SCREEN
4. THE PRACTICE SCREEN
The Practice Screen is used to define the mode in which the code is
sent (random character groups, text files, keyboard input, etc...) and
also allows the user to set up special conditions for sending or
displaying the characters. This is the screen on which all practice
sessions will be controlled.
4.1. Practice Modes
There are five modes for sending the code. The first three modes
send random characters selected from the Random and Emphasis Alphabets
that are defined on the Configuration Screen. The fourth mode sends
text from any standard ASCII text file. The fifth mode sends
characters that are typed on the keyboard.
The parentheses indicate that only one of these options may be
selected at a time. Selecting any one of these options automatically
deselects any other one in the group. A * character between the
parentheses indicates which option is currently selected.
4.1.1. ( ) Random Group
In this mode, random groups of characters are sent. The characters
are randomly selected from the Random Alphabet with special emphasis
on any characters in the Emphasis Alphabet. The "words" range
randomly between three and eight characters in length. Characters
from the Emphasis Alphabet, if it is not empty, are randomly inserted
with two to five characters from the Random Alphabet between them.
The characters are displayed in the Display Window as they are sent if
the Hide Text option is not currently active.
4.1.2. ( ) 5 Char AABAA
In this mode, random characters are sent in groups with a special
pattern. Each group is five characters in length in the form AABAA.
The first two and last two characters are all the same and are
selected from the Random Alphabet. The middle character is selected
from the Emphasis Alphabet if it is not empty. Otherwise it comes
from the Random Alphabet also. The characters are displayed in the
Display Window as they are sent if the Hide Text option is not
currently active.
The Practice Screen 11
4.1.3. ( ) Flash Card
In this mode, characters are sent randomly one by one and displayed
in a large format in the Display Window like a flash card. If the
Hide Text option is not active, the characters are displayed as they
are sent. If the Hide Text option is active, each character is sent
and not displayed until the next character would normally be sent at
the current sending speed. This allows the user to try to recognize
the character before it is shown.
NOTE: Characters are not sent at the normal speed in this mode.
Characters are displayed for the duration of a space between words and
then after the character is removed from the screen another word space
occurs before the next character is sent. This mode is intended for
individual character recognition practice and not "at speed" practice.
4.1.4. ( ) Text File
In this mode, a selected ASCII text file may be sent. The file
that is sent is selected using the Load Text File option described
below. If the Hide Text option is not currently active, the entire
text (or as much as will fit in the window) is displayed and a special
cursor tracks the characters as they are sent. The point in the file
at which sending starts may be selected by placing the cursor at the
desired location before starting. If no text file has been selected,
nothing is sent when the F8:Send option is selected.
4.1.5. ( ) Keyboard Out
In this mode, the text that is sent is entered from the keyboard.
If sending is active, the characters will be sent as they are typed
(or as fast as the sending speed allows). If sending is not active,
text can be entered and edited as desired and then sent when it is
complete. The Hide Text and Compress Spaces options have no effect on
this sending mode.
Characters for which there are no Morse code translations in this
program will be entered into the Display Window but will be skipped
when they are encountered while sending. Some procedural signals such
as AR and SK have single punctuation characters that are used to
represent them in the program. These characters are listed just above
the function key list at the bottom of the screen. Other punctuation
characters translate directly into their Morse equivalent. See
Appendix A for a list of punctuation characters and procedural signals
supported by the program.
4.2. Special Options
The second group of options on the Practice Screen allow selecting
special modes of displaying and sending the text. In this group, the
square brackets indicate that each option may be turned on and off
The Practice Screen 12
individually in any combination. An X in the brackets indicates that
the option is active.
4.2.1. [ ] Hide Text
The main purpose of this option is to indicate whether the text
that is being sent should be visible on the screen or not. This is
true for Random Groups, 5 Char AABAA, and Text File modes of sending.
If the option is active, no text is shown in the Display Window.
In the Flash Card sending mode, it controls whether there is a
delay between sending the character and displaying it or not. If the
option is active, a normal inter-character delay is inserted before
the character is displayed. This gives the user the same amount of
time to recognize a character that would normally occur when receiving
text "at speed". If the option is inactive, the character is
displayed immediately as it is sent.
4.2.2. [ ] Compress Spaces
This option is only used in the Text File sending mode. If the
option is active, groups of consecutive white space characters
(spaces, tabs, and line endings) are sent as a single space. This
allows general text files that may have large spacing in them to be
sent at a normal speed without having to send each space in the
groups. This option does not have any effect on the Keyboard Out
sending mode because it is assumed that if multiple spaces are keyed,
it is desired that they be sent.
4.2.3. [ ] Stop On '@'
When this option is active, if an @ character is encountered,
sending stops automatically at that point. This works in both the
Text File and the Keyboard Out sending modes. This allows multiple
short messages to be grouped in a single file or to be keyed in at the
same time and be sent one at a time. The message that is sent may be
selected by placing the cursor at the desired point before starting
sending.
In the Text File mode, the cursor automatically moves past the @
character before it stops so that the next message will begin properly
when sending is started again without moving the cursor.
Because the keyboard cursor does not move with the sending cursor
in the Keyboard Out mode, starting again after an @ character stops
sending would repeat the last message.
The Practice Screen 13
4.3. Loading A Text File
This option is used to select the ASCII text file that will be used
in the Text File sending mode. When you select this option, an input
box pops up asking for the name of the text file to use. After the
text file is opened, its name is displayed in the Load Text File
selection box. If the sending mode is set to Text File, the file
contents will show up in the Display Window if the Hide Text option is
not active. If no file has been selected since starting the program,
the string "-- None --" is displayed.
4.4. The Display Window
The Display Window is the area on the bottom half of the Practice
Screen. It is used to display the characters that are sent. The
cursor may be moved around in the window while not sending. If more
text is present than will fit in the Display Window, the normal cursor
movement keys may be used to move around in the window as long as the
cursor is in the Display Window. The mouse may be used to place the
cursor on any character that is currently visible in the window by
clicking on the desired location.
The arrow keys move one character or one row in the appropriate
direction. The Ctrl-Left and Ctrl-Right keys move one word in the
appropriate direction. The PgUp and PgDn keys move one window at a
time in the appropriate direction. The Home and End keys move to the
beginning and end of the current line respectively. The Ctrl-Home and
Ctrl-End keys move to the beginning and end of the entire text
respectively.
The data in the Display Window behaves differently depending on the
sending mode that is currently selected. The following subsections
describe the behavior in each mode.
4.4.1. Display Of Random Groups
In this sending mode, the characters are displayed as they are sent
if the Hide Text option is not currently active. The text remains in
the window after sending is stopped as long as the sending mode is not
changed. If code was being copied with the Hide Text option active,
disabling the Hide Text option will display the characters that were
sent so that copy may be checked against what was sent.
The cursor may be placed anywhere in the displayed text in this
mode if not currently sending. When sending is started again,
however, the new characters will be started at the end of those that
are already displayed.
The contents of the Display Window may be cleared by either using
the F3:Clear Text option on the bottom of the screen or changing to a
different sending mode. The Display Window is always cleared when
this mode is entered.
The Practice Screen 14
4.4.2. Display Of 5 Char AABAA
The behavior of the Display Window in this sending mode is the same
as for the Random Group sending mode described above.
4.4.3. Display Of Flash Card
In the Flash Card sending mode, a box is displayed in the middle of
the window. As characters are sent, they are displayed in large
format in this box. If the Hide Text option is not active, the
characters are displayed immediately as they are sent. If the Hide
Text option is active, the character is not displayed until after a
delay equal to the time between characters within a word. This gives
you the amount of time you would normally have to recognize a
character before it is displayed. In this sending mode, the cursor
may not be moved in the Display Window.
Procedural signals that are normally thought of as a pair of
characters like SK or AR are shown as their respective pair instead of
the punctuation characters that represent them in the program.
4.4.4. Display Of Text File
In the Text File sending mode, the contents of the selected ASCII
file are displayed in the window if the Hide Text option is not
active. If the text is visible in the window, a special cursor shows
which character is currently being sent while sending. While not
sending, the cursor can be placed at any point in the text file using
the methods described at the beginning of the section on the Display
Window above. Sending always starts at the location of the cursor.
This allows you to select where to start sending in a file.
The text of the current file remains available until a different
file is selected in its place or the program is terminated. The
F3:Clear Text option at the bottom of the screen does not work in this
sending mode.
4.4.5. Display Of Keyboard Out
In the Keyboard Out sending mode, the text that is displayed in the
Display Window is whatever is entered through the keyboard. If
sending is active while typing, the characters will be sent as they
are typed (or as fast as the sending speed allows). A special cursor
shows the characters that are being sent. The normal text cursor can
be placed at any point in the existing text and text can be added or
changed even while sending. This will not change what characters are
being sent unless the changes are being made where the sending cursor
is or sending is stopped and restarted.
As with the Text File mode, sending always starts at the cursor
location. This mode is useful for setting up special text to be sent
The Practice Screen 15
in a class or group study session. The Hide Text option has no effect
on this sending mode because you already know what you are typing in
anyway.
The text that you type in this mode remains available even after
switching to a different mode and back again. You can clear any
existing text from the Display Window in this mode using the F3:Clear
Text option on the bottom of the screen.
4.5. Switching To The Configuration Screen
To switch to the Configuration Screen, either press the F2 key or
click the mouse on the F2:Configure option on the bottom line.
4.6. Clearing Text In The Display Window
The text that is currently in the Display Window for the Random
Group, 5 Char AABAA, or Keyboard Out sending modes may be cleared by
pressing F3 or by clicking the mouse on the F3:Clear Text option at
the bottom of the screen. This option has no effect on any other
sending mode. This option also does not work while program is
sending.
4.7. Sending Text
To start sending in any of the five sending modes, either press F8
or click the mouse on the F8:Send option at the bottom of the screen.
4.8. Stopping Sending
To stop sending at any time, press F9 or click the mouse on the
F9:Stop option on the bottom line.
4.9. Exiting From The Program
To exit from the program, press F10 or click the mouse on the
F10:Exit option on the bottom line. If code is currently being sent,
this option will pop up an error box indicating that you must stop
sending before exiting. This prevents accidental exit while
practicing. After pressing Enter or clicking on the OK button to
clear the error, if you really want to exit, just stop sending as
described above and select the F10 option again.
Appendix A Special Codes 16
APPENDIX A SPECIAL CODES
A. SPECIAL CODES
The Morse code characters supported by the program include the
normal alphabet, A - Z, the numbers 1 - 9, the following punctuation
characters:
" Quote di-dah-di-di-dah-dit
$ Dollar di-di-di-dah-di-di-dah
' Apostrophe di-dah-dah-dah-dah-dit
( Left Paren dah-di-dah-dah-di-dah
) Right Paren dah-di-dah-dah-di-dah
, Comma dah-dah-di-di-dah-dah
- Hyphen dah-di-di-di-di-dah
. Period di-dah-di-dah-di-dah
/ Fraction Bar dah-di-di-dah-dit
: Colon dah-dah-dah-di-di-dit
; Semicolon dah-di-dah-di-dah-dit
? Question di-di-dah-dah-di-dit
_ Underscore di-di-dah-dah-di-dah
and several procedural signals that are represented using other
punctuation characters:
! Attention (KA) dah-di-dah-di-dah
# Wait (AS) di-dah-di-di-dit
& Understood (SN) di-di-di-dah-dit
* End of contact (SK) di-di-di-dah-di-dah
+ End of message (AR) di-dah-di-dah-dit
= Double dash (--) dah-di-di-di-dah
