Lock CW decoder pitch or speed once tracking is good¶
Once the CW decoder has latched onto a signal, use the lock controls to prevent the decoder from drifting to a different pitch or speed when band conditions change or other signals appear nearby.
Before you start¶
- The CW decode panel must be visible. If it is not, see Turn on the CW decoder to read Morse off-air.
- The decoder must be producing output. Watch the CW stats label until it shows a stable pitch and WPM reading before locking.
Steps¶
- Tune to the CW signal and watch the CW stats label until it settles on a consistent reading, for example
598 Hz 22 WPM. - To hold the pitch at that frequency, click 🔒P (Lock Pitch). The button highlights when active.
- To hold the speed at that WPM, click 🔒S (Lock Speed). The button highlights when active.
- To release a lock, click the active button again. It returns to its unhighlighted state and the decoder resumes tracking freely.
What each control does¶
| Control | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|
| CW stats label | Displays the currently detected pitch and speed in the format <hz> Hz <wpm> WPM. |
— |
| 🔒P (Lock Pitch) | Locks the decoder pitch to the frequency shown in the CW stats label at the moment you click. | Unlocked |
| 🔒S (Lock Speed) | Locks the decoder speed to the WPM shown in the CW stats label at the moment you click. | Unlocked |
| Pitch range slider | Sets both the lower and upper bounds of the pitch range the decoder searches, using a dual-handle slider. Drag the left handle for the minimum (Lo) and the right handle for the maximum (Hi). The label shows current values (e.g. 500 Hz / 700 Hz). | 500–700 Hz |
| WPM range slider | Sets both the lower and upper bounds of the speed range the decoder searches, using a dual-handle slider. Drag the left handle for the minimum and the right handle for the maximum. The label shows current values (e.g. 15 WPM / 40 WPM). | 15–40 WPM |
| Sens | Filters low-confidence decodes. Higher values are stricter. | 30 |
| CW decode text (context menu) | Right-click the decoded text area to open a context menu. In addition to the standard text actions, the menu includes a Clear item that clears the decode buffer. | — |
TX-side decoded CW display¶
The CW decoder can also display your own transmitted keying alongside incoming signals. This is useful for monitoring your sending quality or for off-air practice.
- Your transmitted CW is shown in cyan to distinguish it from received text.
- When switching from transmit to receive, a space is inserted to separate the burst from the following received text.
- TX-side decodes use the same confidence filter (Sens) as received decodes.
Tips¶
- Lock pitch and speed independently. You can lock only one if the other is still settling.
- Narrow the Pitch range slider handles around the signal frequency before locking pitch. A tighter search window reduces the chance the decoder latches onto the wrong signal in the first place.
- If the decoded text becomes garbled after locking, the signal pitch or speed may have drifted. Click the active lock button to release it, wait for the stats label to re-stabilise, then lock again.
- To clear the decode buffer without moving the mouse to the CLR button, right-click the decoded text area and choose Clear from the context menu.
Troubleshooting¶
- CW stats label is blank or not updating — The decoder has not acquired a signal. Check that PC audio is routed correctly (the hint label reads
(requires PC Audio)), that the signal falls within the Pitch range slider bounds, and that Sens is not set so high that all decodes are rejected. - Locked pitch produces no output after tuning away and back — Locking pitch holds the decoder to the frequency at the time of locking. If you retuned the VFO, the signal pitch seen by the decoder may have shifted. Release 🔒P, retune, and re-lock once the stats label stabilises.
- TX-side decoded text not appearing — Ensure PC audio is routed for both receive and transmit paths. The CW decoder only generates TX output when audio is available from your transmitted keying.