Introduction

Welcome to the WIN32 version of the Morse Code Proficiency Software program!
This program is designed to help teach you to use The Morse Code. It also gives you practical experience in that it uses somewhat randomized QSO practice.
The program will work on any system running a 32-bit version of Windows. It generates a clean tone through the sound card, using a sine wave generation algorithm.

Features

The software is intuitive and efficient.
The following is a summary of the major features of the program:

Variable pitch and speed.
Settings are saved for future sessions.
High quality tone generation.
Random code practice.
QSO practice.
Morse Code learning tool.
Generate code from a text file.
Direct access to this documentation.
FREEWARE.

Installation

To install the program:

Unzip the MCPSWIN.ZIP file to a temporary folder.
Run the MCPSETUP.EXE program.

Notes

To run the set-up program, you may either use the Run dialog,
or open Windows Explorer and browse to the folder where you unzipped the software and double-click the MCPSETUP.EXE program.

The installation will create a folder called MCPSWIN and copy the following files:

MCPSWIN.EXE the program.
MCPSWIN.HTM this documentation.

A desktop shortcut will also be created.

Removing The Software

To remove Morse Code Proficiency Software from your computer:

Delete the desktop shortcut.
Using Windows Explorer, delete the folder: \\mcpswin

Using The Program

For the most part, the behavior of the program is simple enough that very little explanation is necessary. The following is a brief description of each of the program functions.

All of the functions are accessible by clicking buttons on the main screen. All functions are also keyboard accessible.

Setting Speed and Pitch

Use the buttons to increase or decrease the code speed and to adjust the pitch of the sine wave tone. Each click of a button raises or lowers the setting accordingly. The effect is displayed in the associated text box.

Random Code Practice

When you click on the Random Code button, the program pauses for 1.5 seconds and then begins generating a minute of random code. Upon completion of the code, the characters are displayed on the screen, so that you can check your accuracy. While code is being generated, the program will not respond to the keyboard or mouse.

QSO Practice

In Amateur Radio, QSO is the term used to describe a conversation between two operators. In order to provide a practical exercise, the program contains a section which generates one side of a conversation which might occur between two stations. Each time you initiate a QSO practice, the various elements of the conversation will change. Once again, the program begins by pausing for 1.5 seconds. After the code is generated, the entire text is displayed on the screen.

Learning Morse Code

When you click the Learn Code button, a new dialog is displayed. The screen shows a list containing all of the Morse Code characters included in the program. Each character is broken down into its dot and dash sequence, one unit at a time. For instance, the letter A consists of a dot followed by a dash. The screen shows this by first listing the letter E which is a single dot. Then, the listing shows the dot followed by a dash to produce the A.
You can highlight any line in the list and press the <ENTER> key or click the Listen button, and the characters will be generated in Morse code. If you pay attention to the characters, and the way they build on one another, you will learn the code much more quickly. When you are done, click the Close button to return to the main screen.

Code From A Text File

You can expand the range of your practice, and add variety, by using text files on your computer to generate Morse Code. This is a useful feature for building your speed and may be convenient for some blind users who would like to listen to text in Morse Code. The program will automatically filter out unwanted characters, and remove large spans of blank space to avoid long pauses in the code generation.

Exit

When you click on the Exit button, the program saves the current settings of Speed and Pitch, and generates 73 in Morse Code, and the program ends. 73 is the standard way of ending a conversation between two hams.

Conclusion

This program is a mature version of my earlier C.W. Proficiency Software package, which is a DOS program.
This newer Windows program will work on all versions of 32-bit Windows. The only problem I am aware of with the program, is that the Morse Code it generates is somewhat slower than the indicated speed. This is probably due to the use of the sine wave generator, as it uses a fair amount of processing power.
Please send me your comments and suggestions. I invite you to visit our website at:
http://www.joeleah.com
Use the E-Mail link on our homepage to contact me. While you are there, check out the site and enjoy it!