Frequently Asked Questions Please note that there is no e-mail support to MorseCat any longer. The following information is outdated; it does not apply to version 2 (except question number 3) 1. Sound problems
2. Connecting a tone generator
3. Five wpm training / Farnsworth method
4. Known bugs and the future of MorseCat
Question:Why do I get no sound from my soundcard? Answer:If the program settings for soundcard output are correct and you cannot hear sound anyway, you probably have to live with this issue. The sound output routine of MorseCat is only compatible with Windows 3.1 and old Soundblaster/Adlib soundcards. You will have to use the built-in PC speaker.
Question:Is there a way to use MorseCat for keying a transmitter or an external sound generator ? Answer:MorseCat 1.1.5 uses the parallel port as an auxiliary output. The output signal is present at pins 2 to 7 of LPT1 parallel port socket (D0 to D7). This feature is not avaiable with MorseCat 1.0.
Caution: Do not connect your transmitter or tone generator to the parallel port without using an appropriate hardware interface in order to protect your computer from damage. As I cannot help you with any suggestions for the necessary circuitry, I have to ask you to refer to other ressources within the web.
Question:I want to study for the 5 wpm exam. What are the correct program settings ? Answer:There is more than one way to send Morse code at 5 words per minute, as this speed is rather slow. Morse code exams will probably sound quite different in different countries. It is advisable to inform yourself about which method is used by your examination authority before you start learning. Please note that the following description of the settings applies to MorseCat 1.1.7a only, so you are encouraged to download the latest program version. The settings depend on which method is used during your exam. Basically, there are two alternatives: - The Farnsworth method is used. (Farnsworth method means that characters are sent faster than 5 wpm even if the desired overall speed [which is set in MorseCat using the speed control in the right part of the program window] is 5 wpm or below. To compensate for the fact that the speed of the characters themselves is faster than the desired number of words per minute the duration of spaces is increased. This results in an output of exactly 5 words per minute if the standard word "PARIS" is sent. The Farnsworth method makes it easier to learn the characteristic rhythm of each character.)
By default, when the program is started for the first time, all characters will be sent at a minimum speed of 9 wpm. If the speed control at the right is set to 9 wpm or below, the pauses will be extended.
- If this is how the exam transmissions sound in your country, you do not have to make any changes.
- If a different Farnsworth character speed is used in your country, open the tab "Preferences". Set "Farnsworth speed standard setting" to the desired value, e. g. 12 if you want to get a character speed of 12 wpm with extended pauses that are long enough for the desired lower overall speed.
- The code is sent exactly as the standard specifications require, the characters as well as the spaces between characters and words, at exactly 5 wpm without applying the Farnsworth method. Learning Morse this way is not advisable because it is more difficult to memorize the characteristic rhythm of each character when it is sent so slowly--but if you live in a country where this method is used during the exam, you have to use it for learning anyway.
Settings for this alternative: Click on the "Preferences" tab. Decrease "Farnsworth standard speed setting" to 5 wpm or below.
These settings are saved in the .ini file. You do not have to make any more changes, neither to the standard setting on the "Preferences" page nor to the expert mode settings (leave "Expert mode" unchecked). From now on, use the main "Speed" control in the right part of the program window for changing your training speed. Note: I cannot guarantee that MorseCat sounds exactly as the tapes at your ham license exam. Question:Will there be a program update which fixes the known bugs? Answer:No.
There are several known bugs; particularly the missing soundcard output and problems with character input by a key would need to be fixed.
Many people tried to help me, thanks to all of them, particularly to the few whose tips were really helpful and made me realize that the only remedy to the bugs would be to write a completely new program with a completely different concept. I do not have neither the necessary knowledge nor the time for a project like that, sorry. | 
