[Ham-Mac] cocoaModem and CW

[Michael McShan]

Hello, all...

This is my first post to this list, so let me introduce myself.  I'm  
a long-time Mac user (>15 years) and licensed continually since 1984,  
but I just recently starting putting them together.  So far, I've  
been really happy with MacLoggerDX, cocoaModem, and DX Toolbox.

I've been using cocoaModem for PSK31 and RTTY, and was really  
interested when W7AY added CW to the list of modes in this week's  
update.  I operate a lot of QRP CW and so this seemed of useful to  
me.  My setup is:

Rig: Yaesu FT-817 (5W max)
1.3 GHz iBook running OSX 10.4.8
Griffen iMic for audio in and out
Keyspan USB to serial adapter
Homebrew interface between the rig and computer

If you haven't looked at version 2.0 ver. 0.30 of cocoamodem yet,  
I'll tell you that it doesn't use the key line to generate morse  
code. Instead, for CW transmission, cocoaModem implements emission  
type J2A, so you don't set your transceiver to CW but rather to  
whatever setting you use for PSK or FELD HELL (in my case, "Digital").

When, I first used the CW mode, I immediately was struck by how well  
the program decoded received CW (assuming that what was being sent  
was at least reasonably good fist, moderately strong signal, and not  
too much QSB).  I would say that cocoamodem's ability to decode was  
about as good as I have seen for the better PC programs and much  
better than the other Mac program I've tried (MultiMode).  There is a  
monitor function that allows you listen to the DSP signal through the  
computer speakers or headphones either in narrow mode (just the  
station you're copying) or wide mode (everything with 2 kHz). A  
waterfall display shows all of the signals present over this 2 kHz  
range.  Still, I was a little reluctant to try out something other  
than the "usual" CW sending.

I tuned to 18.068 MHz, a popular CW hangout, and heard VE6QX calling  
CQ... very nice signal and nearly 100% copy by cocoaModem.  I got  
brave and gave him a call (the program supports full QSK which is  
nice).  He immediately came back to me and we had a nice QSO.  When I  
told him that I was trying out some new software he reported that it  
had a "very good fist."  In fact, you can alter a lot of the sending  
parameters to shape the signal and code spacing to your liking. I  
just left it in the default setting.

Anyway, I think that this new mode will be a real winner, and I urge  
anyone who is interested to give it a try.   cocoaModem has got to be  
one of the best pieces of freeware on the planet. W7AY's url is  
http://homepage.mac.com/chen/index.html .

73,
Mike N5JKY


Michael McShan N5JKY
Oklahoma City, OK
EM15fl

n5jky at mac.com