NAME
morse, QSO - Morse-code trainer and QSO generator for aspiring radio
hams
SYNOPSIS
morse [-i] [-I] [-r] [-n num] [-R num] [-N num] [-C charset] [-w num]
[-f num] [-v num] [-g num] [-f num] [-e] [-c] [-b] [-a] [-l] [-m]
[-t] [-T] [-s] [-q] [-p num] [-E num] [-M num] [-d] [-A] [-B]
[-S] [-x num] [-X num] [word...]
DESCRIPTION
The morse program is a Morse-code trainer intended to help aspiring
radio hams pass the 5-word-per-minute Element 1 test. It can take test
text from a text file on standard input, or test words from its
command-line arguments, or generate random text (-r) or play back what
you type (-i).
A helper program, QSO, generates plausible QSOs that can be fed to the
standard input of morse.
The following options control the behavior of morse:
-i Play what you type.
-I Like -i but don’t turn off keyboard echoing.
-r Generate random text. Starts out slanted towards easy letters,
then slants towards ones you get wrong.
-n NUM Make words (groups) NUM characters long. Valid values are
between 1 and 20.
-R NUM Set the total time (in minutes) to generate text.
-N NUM (default 0 means unlimited)
Set the total number of words (groups) to generate.
-C ’STRING’ (default all available characters)
Select characters to send from this STRING only.
-w words_per_minute
-f frequency_in_hertz
-v volume (zero to one, rather nonlinear)
-g alternate_frequency (toggles via control-G in input FILE at a
word break)
-F Farnsworth_character_words_per_minute
-e leave off the <SK> sound at the end
-c complain about illegal characters instead of just ignoring them
-b print each word before doing it
-a print each word after doing it
-l print each letter just before doing it
-m print morse dots and dashes as they sound (this
printing-intensive option slows the wpm down!)
-t Type along with the morse, but don’t see what you’re typing
(unless you make a mistake). You are allowed to get ahead as
much as you want. If you get too far behind it will stop and
resync with you. You can force it to resync at the next word end
by hitting control-H. Hit ESC to see how you are doing,
control-D to end. (The rightmost space in the printout marks
where the average is. Farther left spaces separate off blocks of
letters that are about twice as probable as the average to
occur, three times, etc.)
-T Like -t but see your characters (after they are played).
-s Stop after each character and make sure you get it right.
(implies -t)
-q Quietly resyncs with your input (after you make a mistake).
-p NUM Make you get it right NUM times, for penance. (implies -s).
-E NUM If your count of wrong answers minus right answers for a given
character exceeds this, the program will start prompting you. If
above the maximum error prompt it will never prompt (implies
-t).
-M NUM If you get more than this number of characters behind, pause
until you do your next letter. 1 behind is normal, 0 behind
means never pause. This option mplies -t.
-d Dynamically speed up or slow down depending on how you are
doing. (if also-s, then -d only speeds up!)
-A Add ISO 8859-1 (Latin-1) signs to test set.
-B Add uncommon punctuation to test set.
-S Add uncommon prosigns to test set.
-X Set error volume. Error volume 0 means use console speaker.
-x Set frequency of error tone.
Here is the basic International Morse codest that the program will
train you in:
A .- N -. 1 .---- . .-.-.-
B -... O --- 2 ..--- , --..--
C -.-. P .--. 3 ...-- ? ..--..
D -.. Q --.- 4 ....- ( -.--.
E . R .-. 5 ..... - -....-
F ..-. S ... 6 -....
G --. T - 7 --...
H .... U ..- 8 ---..
I .. V ...- 9 ----.
J .--- W .-- 0 -----
K -.- X -..- / -..-.
L .-.. Y -.-- + .-.-.
M -- Z --.. = -...-
The following characters are included if one uses the -B option:
) -.--.- " .-..-. _ ..--.- ’ .----.
: ---... ; -.-.-. $ ...-..- ! -.-.--
The following procedural signals (prosigns) are also included if one
uses -B:
<AR> "+" over, end of message <AS> "*" please stand by
(<AS> 5 Wait 5 Minutes) (".-...") <BT> "=" (double dash)
pause, break for text CL going off the air (clear) CQ
calling any station K go, invite any station to
transmit <KN> "(" go only, invite a specific station to
transmit R all received OK <SK> "%" end of contact
(sent before call) ("...-.-", known also as <VA>)
The following less-used prosigns are included if one uses the -S
option:
<AA> "^" new line (".-.-", the same as :a, ae) <BK> "#"
invite receiving station to transmit ("-...-.-") <KA> "&"
attention ("-.-.-") <SN> "@" understood ("...-.")
The following characters are included if one uses the -A option:
:a .-.- (also for ae, the same as <AA>)
‘a .--.- (also oa, danish a with ring over it)
ch ---- (bar-ch ?, bar-h ?, ISO 8859-1 code 199 and
231 ?)
-d ..--. (eth, overstrike d with -, ISO 8859-1 code
208 and 240)
‘e ..-..
~n --.--
:o ---. (also for oe)
:u ..-- (also for ue)
]p .--.. (thorn, overstrike ] with p, ISO 8859-1 code
222 and 254)
paragraph .-.-.. (ISO 8859-1 code 167 ?)
For the raw beginner trying to learn morse code, we recommend the
following sequence:
1. Start learning the alphabet:
morse -r -s -T -d -w 5 -F 15 -p 5 -E -10
2. Then drill drill drill:
morse -r -s -T -d -w 5 -F 15 -p 5 -E 0
3. Real-time drill, with hints if you really need it:
morse -r -T -d -w 5 -F 15 -M 2 -E 4
4. Simulated test:
QSO | morse -e -T -d -w 5 -F 15
5. The dreaded random-letter test:
morse -r -T -d -w 5 -F 15
6. Finally try for greater and greater speed:
morse -r -T -d -w 13 -F 24
AUTHORS
Joe Dellinger <joe@montebello.soest.hawaii.edu>.
Updated 2005 by Eric S. Raymond <esr@thyrsus.com>.
Other contributions by Jacek M. Holeczek and Marc Unangst.