[Ham-Mac] Morse-decoding software

[Jack Brindle]

I'll second this endorsement of Chen's work. CocoaModem is outstanding. You would be remiss if you did not try it, especially since it is free.

Chen's site is: http://www.w7ay.net

Jack Brindle, W6FB


On Jun 12, 2012, at 8:43 PM, jamesduffey at comcast.net wrote:

> CocoaModem on the Mac has the best CW decoder I have ever seen. The quality of decode is pretty much determined by the latency, which one can set. 
> It also does better with higher speed Morse. Check it out. - Duffey KK6MC 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Chuck Counselman" <ccc at space.mit.edu> 
> To: "Mac enthusiasts involved in amateur radio applications" <ham-mac at mailman.qth.net> 
> Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2012 11:52:40 AM 
> Subject: [Ham-Mac] Morse-decoding software 
> 
> Glen Hinkley NN6T wrote to the CW Operators list/reflector <cwops> this morning: 
>> I had a QSO with KC9VHH tonight on 20 m...CW.... 
>> [He] tells me he does not know the code at all 
>> [and] he is decoding and generating the CW with 
>> his computer.... 
> 
> 
> Dear fellow Mac enthusiasts: 
> 
> I neither need nor want to use a computer to read Morse in ordinary operating, ragchewing, DXing, or contesting; but I would like to use one when I demonstrate ham radio to students at my local public school and to spectators on Field Day. 
> 
> To make live CW QSOs understandable to non-ham audiences, I have gotten other hams to perform near-real-time ("concurrent") translation of the Morse I was sending and receiving; and I have translated while other hams operated; but a good CW operator is valuable and should not be used for a job that a machine could do well enough. 
> 
> I have tried _by_myself_ to operate and translate simultaneously; but I can't multitask. If I try to speak to an audience while sending or receiving CW, then I make too many sending errors and I miss too much of what's being sent to me. I could manage if the keying speed were abnormally slow, but I don't want to go slow, because I am trying to demonstrate the accuracy, the speed, and the all-around effectiveness of CW. (Besides, if I reduced speed very much, then I'd have to switch to a straight key, or I'd have to pay too much attention to my iambic paddling, because my unconscious "muscle memory" would still be running at high speed.) 
> 
> I tested two machine (microcontroller+firmware) decoders for live demonstrations and found them practically useless. Neither worked at all unless both the frequency and the level of its audio input were JUST right and the SNR was quite high. Receiver VFO tuning and audio level adjustment were very critical; and the tiniest bit of QSB, QRM, or QRN was devastating. But that was 10-12 years ago. 
> 
> Later, I tried a Morse-decoding application for my PowerPC (G4) based Macintosh, but the app. kept crashing. Despite help from the app's developer, I could not solve the problem, so I abandoned that app. 
> 
> Now, especially in view of what CW Skimmer does, I want to test the current generation of software decoders. I've asked the cwops list what the best computer program(s) for decoding CW (Morse) are, and I expect most or all of the replies to nominate Windows app's. If the only good app. is a Windows app., I'll use it; but I would much prefer to use a Mac app., if I can find one. 
> 
> 
> What is/are the best program(s) for a Mac? 
> 
> 
> Thanks. 
> 
> 
> -Chuck W1HIS 
> 
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