Trigger a CW macro with F1–F12¶
Press a function key to send a pre-written CW macro string through the radio without typing. This is useful for contest exchanges, CQ calls, or any text you send repeatedly.
Before you start¶
- AetherSDR must be connected to the radio.
- The active slice must be in CW or CWL mode. Function keys F1–F12 are silently ignored in all other modes.
- Each macro must have text stored in its slot. See Edit a CW macro string if the slots are empty.
Steps¶
- Open the CWX panel. It appears automatically when the active slice is in CW or CWL mode.
- Press the function key (F1 through F12) on your keyboard that corresponds to the macro you want to send. The macro fires immediately.
- To stop transmission mid-send, press Escape. This clears the send buffer and halts output.
To send a macro using the on-screen buttons instead of the keyboard:
- Click Setup in the bottom bar of the CWX panel.
- Click the F1 through F12 button next to the macro you want to send.
What each control does¶
| Control | Behavior | Default | Valid range | Setting key |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 … F12 (keyboard) | Sends the macro stored for that function key. Only active when the slice mode is CW or CWL. | — | — | CwxMacro_F1 … CwxMacro_F12 |
| F1 … F12 (on-screen buttons) | Same as the keyboard keys; sends the corresponding macro. | — | — | CwxMacro_F1 … CwxMacro_F12 |
| Speed: | CW send speed in WPM, applied to all macro sends. | 20 WPM | 5–100 WPM | CwxSpeedWpm |
| Delay: | Inter-macro delay in milliseconds. | 5 ms | 0–2000 ms | CwxDelay |
| QSK | Enables full break-in (QSK) mode. | Off | On / Off | CwxQsk |
How Send and Live interact¶
The Send button behavior changed in v0.9.2.1. Its action now depends on whether Live mode is currently active:
- Live is off — Clicking Send submits the contents of the send text area immediately, exactly as pressing Enter does.
- Live is on — Clicking Send first turns off Live mode and returns the panel to the normal send view. The buffer is not retransmitted. This prevents text that was already keyed character-by-character in Live mode from being sent a second time.
The Live button is now a toggle. Clicking it again while Live is active turns Live mode off. When a connected model changes the live state externally (for example, from another panel or a radio event), the Live button updates automatically to reflect the current state.
Clicking Setup always turns off Live mode before showing the macro editor view.
Tips¶
- The F1–F12 shortcuts are application-wide. You do not need to click inside the CWX panel first — the keys work as long as AetherSDR has focus and the active slice is in CW or CWL mode.
- Pressing Escape during a macro send is the fastest way to abort. Because the radio transitions between transmit and ready states rapidly during CW, Escape works regardless of the radio's current transmit state.
- Adjust Speed: in the bottom bar before sending if you need to change the WPM for the current session.
- If you were sending live and want to re-send the same text, type it again in the send text area after clicking Send to exit Live mode, then click Send a second time (or press Enter).
Troubleshooting¶
- Pressing F1–F12 does nothing — Confirm the active slice is in CW or CWL mode. The shortcuts are suppressed in all other modes. If another application has captured the function keys, bring AetherSDR to the foreground.
- Macro sends but produces no audio or RF — The macro text for that slot may be empty. Click Setup and check the text field next to the F-key in question. See Edit a CW macro string.
- Transmission does not stop after pressing Escape — Click inside the AetherSDR window to ensure it has keyboard focus, then press Escape again.
- Clicked Send but the buffer was not transmitted — If Live mode was active when you clicked Send, the panel exits Live mode without sending. Click Send once more (or press Enter) to transmit the buffer.