MORSECAT - a Morse code trainer for Windows

Version 2.0

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Contents:

0. New in this release
1. Legal stuff
2. Installation
3. Program features
4. What's new in versions 1.1.5 to 1.1.7a
5. Program settings for 5 WpM training
6. Author

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0. New in this release

This is an attempt to solve the sound card issues. MorseCat 2 is now 
(at last) a 32 bit program and does no longer rely on the use of a particular
sound card.

It was necessary to modify the possibilities for adjustments of the tone curve;
it is no longer possible to practice code sending with a key attached to the
computer.

Perfect timing precision cannot be guaranteed (but timing may be considered as 
sufficient at normal speeds on fast computers). 

The recently added Morse code representation of the character "@" has been added.

The following documentation and the help files have not been adapted to the new
version but they still do apply correspondigly.

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1. Legal stuff:

This software is copyright (c) Gerald Holler. It is freeware - but
it is not in the public domain.

The following restrictions for use and distribution apply:

Any use for military, governmental, commercial or illegal
purposes is explicitly forbidden.

You may use, copy and distribute the program for free. However,
you are obliged to distribute the complete archive and you are not
allowed to sell it, to take any money for it or to make changes
or alterations to the program, as I retain the copyright.
Registration is not required.

If you would like to distribute MorseCat on CD ROM, DVD or any
other storage device, you may do so under the conditions mentioned
above. Of course, I should be glad to receive a copy for free.

This release is a still unfinished version which may have some
bugs that did not exist in previous releases.

Disclaimer:

This free software comes to you as is. Use it at your own risk.
The author takes no responsibility for any damage or disadvantage
caused by the installation or the use of this software.

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2. Installation:

MorseCat 1.1 is distributed as a self-extracting archive. When you read
this text, all files in the archive have already been extracted to
the folder/archive which you have specified.

Start the program by double clicking to "morsecat.exe" in this folder.
If you would like to create a shortcut in Windows' start menu/program
manager or on the desktop for your convenience, you must do this manually.
Please refer to the Windows documentation.

To uninstall the program, simply delete the files MORSECAT.EXE, VOID.CW,
MORSECAT.INI, MORSECTD.HLP and MORSECTE.HLP and the README files from the
directory where you have installed the program, as the program does not make
any changes to the registry or to other files or directories.

The help file has not been updated yet since release 1.0.

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3. Program features:

- Practice receiving random groups of characters, plain text or
  synthetically generated ham radio call signs

- Choose from which character pools the groups are built

- Receive plain text from built-in editor in random word order

- Filter plain text to practice only words which contain
  only characters already known to the user

- Speed (2 to 240 wpm) indicated in words or letters per minute

- Farnsworth method for lower speeds

- Automatic speed variation

- Variable dot / dash / pause ratio

- Written with Borland Delphi 5

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4. What's new in release 1.1.5 and later:

- The only change in 1.1.6 is the lower minimum Farnsworth speed
  which was reduced with respect to the fact that now many countries
  have lowered the requirements for a ham radio Morse code license
  to 5 wpm; release 1.1.7a comes with the appropriate settings
  for 5 wpm overall speed at a Farnsworth speed (internal speed
  of each character with prolonged spaces) of 9 wpm; see below.

- Lesson builder: Select which characters you want to learn
  in which lesson

- Expert mode/beginner mode: To make the layout a bit clearer for
  beginners, the rhythm controls now are only visible in expert mode

- Group mode is no longer limited to a fixed length of 5 characters;
  set length between 1 and 12 chars

- Adjustable Farnsworth speed for high speed training

- Support for characters with diacritical marks (French, Scandinavian etc.)

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5. Program settings for 5 WpM training (Version 1.1.7a):

There is more than one way to send Morse code at 5 words per minute,
as this speed is rather slow. Morse code exams will probably sound quite
different in different countries. It is advisable to inform yourself
about which method is used by your examination authority before you start
learning.

Basically, there are two methods:

a) The code is sent exactly as the standard specifications require, the
   characters as well as the spaces between characters and words, at exactly
   5 wpm. Learning Morse this way is not advisable because it is more
   difficult to memorize the characteristic rhythm of each character
   when it is sent so slow--but if in your country this method is used for
   the exam, you have to use it for learning.

   Start MorseCat and open the tab "Preferences". Set "Farnsworth speed
   standard setting" to 5 wpm.

b) Characters are sent faster, at 9 instead of 5 wpm; in order to achieve
   the overall speed of 5 wpm, the duration of all spaces is increased. The
   characters sound rather fast and rhythmic with long pauses in between.
   This is called the Farnsworth method. It makes it easier to learn the
   characteristic rhythm of each character.

   b1) If this is how the exam transmissions sound in your country, you
       do not have to make any changes; MorseCat is using the appropriate
       settings for an overall speed of 5 wpm at a Farnsworth speed of
       9 wpm by default. (If you update from an earlier version, you
       should delete "morsecat.ini" in order to make sure the default
       settings are used.)

   b2) If a different character speed is used in your country, start
       MorseCat and open the tab "Preferences". Set "Farnsworth speed
       standard setting" to the desired value, e. g. 13 if you want to
       get a character speed of 13 wpm with prolonged pauses, long
       enough for the desired overall speed of only 5 wpm.

"Expert Mode" on the "Main" tab must not be checked in any of the above
mentioned cases. You should change expert mode settings only if you are
absolute sure about the consequences.

Use the speed control on the right border of the program window for
changing the overall speed.

Note that I cannot guarantee that MorseCat sounds exactly as the tapes
at your ham license exam.

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5. Author:

Gerald Holler, DK5CI
URL: http://www.morsecat.de/

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Technical support for this freeware is not available.
