What is Morse Code
Morse code transmits text information as a series of on-off tones, lights, or clicks that a skilled listener or observer can easily understand without special equipment. Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail developed it in the 1830s and 1840s for use with the telegraph, which connected distant points over wires. Morse code uses a standardized sequence of short and long signals called “dots” and “dashes”, which can be represented by two different letters, numbers or special characters. It was widely used for telegraphic communication in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It is still used in some contexts, such as by amateur radio operators, and it can be useful in certain emergencies when other communication forms are unavailable.
Morserino-32 Morse Code Trainer
The Morserino-32 kit allows you to practice sending and receiving Morse code. The project can be viewed on GitHub, and the kits may be purchased at www.morserino.info. Listening to music when practising Morse code helps prevent overthinking what you hear and who you send. I use Amazon Music to help.
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Introduction
The Morserino-32 kit is a training device for learning and practising Morse code. Several innovative features of the Morserino-32 allow a user to send and receive Morse code, also known as carrier wave (CW). Unlike other trainers that play Morse code over a speaker or emit a tone, the Morserino-32 is interactive on its own or with others.
- CW Keyer
- CW Generator
- Echo Trainer
- Koch Trainer
- Transceiver
- CW Decoder
- Wifi Functions
Functions
CW Keyer
The CW keyer allows you to send Morse code using capacitive paddles or a user-supplied key. As the user keys Morse code, the built-in speaker (or headphones) will emit a user-selectable (pitch) tone. With this mode, you can practice all day and night (with headphones).
Each letter, number, or punctuation sent with Morse code shows up on a three-line OLED display. English and German umlaut characters are supported: Ä (• – • –), Ö (– – – •), Ü (• • – –), and CH (– – – –). Pro signs such as Invitation for the named station to transmit (– • – – •) display as <KN>. Dreaded mistakes display as an asterisk (*).
CW Generator
The CW generator sends you random words, call signs, conversations, and contents of a user-uploaded file. The purpose is for you, the trainer, to listen (head copy) a (word or words) and parrot back what you heard. The Morserino-32’s interactive software will display what you input and lets you check your work.
Echo Trainer
The echo trainer is much like the CW generator, except the Morserino-32’s interactive software will indicate if you input the word (or a group of characters) correctly.
Koch Trainer
The Koch trainer is named after Ludwig Koch. The Koch method sends Morse code to the learner at full speed, one letter at a time. Once the letter is mastered, an additional character is added. This process continues until the learner is proficient with Morse code.
Transceiver
In the transceiver mode, you can communicate with another Morserino-32 user over the internet using WIFI or over a short distance (500 meters) using a LoRa radio or through a TRRS (RX/TX) audio cable. You can communicate and practice over various internet connections directly with another Morserino-32 or use the audio cables to communicate through ICW (using a soundcard) and communicate with anyone who can generate a more code sound.
CW Decoder
The CW decoder will monitor an audio input (from a radio) for Morse code and translate the Morse code into a result on the Morseriso-32 screen. The conversion is not perfect, but the decoder works very well under ideal conditions. You can rely on the wet works between your ears to decode the hard-to-hear Morse code.
Wifi Functions
The Morserino-32 comes with a 2.4 GHz WIFI card that can be configured to connect to a local WIFI access point. Once connected to a WIFI access point, you can communicate locally or remotely with others.
The Morserino-32 stores WIFI configurations in one of three slots. As of 2022, my Morserino-32 is configured to connect to a quiz server, chat server, or a QSO (conversation) bot.
The quiz server transmits questions to you. Your objective is to answer back using Morse code. The Chat server allows two Morserino-32 users to communicate in a chat room environment. Finally, the QSO Bot allows you to interact with an artificial intelligence (AI) session.
| Slot | SSID | Address | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WIFI Access Point | 51.81.187.163 | Morserino Quiz Server |
| 2 | WIFI Access Point | CQ.Morserino.info | Morserino Chat Server |
| 3 | WIFI Access Point | QSOBot.online | QSO Bot |
Required Essentials
Using the Morserino-32 requires a lithium battery for portable use. Due to shipping restrictions, a battery is not supplied. These batteries are easy to find.
Communicating with audio cables requires TRRS cables. In testing, I connected two Morserino-32 kits with the TRRS ports. It is essential to cross over the cables to communicate this way.
- KINGTOP 3.5mm Combo Audio Adapter Cable (Sponsored Link)
- MillSO Audio Cable 3.5mm Male to Male Aux Cable (Sponsored Link)
Communicating with a computer requires the use of a sound card.