Getting Started
Vail Master is a Morse code sending trainer that helps you improve your CW (continuous wave) sending skills. The app displays target text, you send it using your key, and the decoder shows what you sent in real-time.
How it works:
- Choose a practice mode and settings
- Press Start to begin a run
- Target text appears - send each character in Morse code
- Your sending appears in the Echo line as it's decoded
- Green = correct, Red = error
- Scoreboard tracks your accuracy and progress
IMPORTANT - What Happens When You Make a Mistake:
If you send the wrong character, DON'T STOP! Keep sending until you get the target text perfect. The Echo will scroll like a ticker to the left, showing everything you sent. You must continue sending the entire target sequence correctly from the beginning to complete the trial. The Echo box acts like a scrolling ticker tape - it will keep sliding left as you send more characters until you finally match the target perfectly.
🔴 CRITICAL: How the Echo Ticker Works
This is the most important thing to understand about Vail Master:
When you make a mistake:
- DO NOT STOP SENDING! Keep going no matter what.
- The Echo box will scroll left like a ticker tape, showing all the characters you're sending.
- You must start over from the beginning of the target text and send it perfectly.
- The Echo keeps scrolling left until your most recent characters match the target perfectly.
- Only when the Echo matches the target exactly will the trial complete.
Example: If the target is ABC and you send:
- You send: A ✓ (Echo shows: A)
- You send: X ✗ (Echo shows: AX)
- Don't stop! Start over from the beginning...
- You send: A (Echo scrolls left, shows: AXA)
- You send: B (Echo scrolls left, shows: XAAB)
- You send: C (Echo scrolls left, shows: AABC ✓ Trial complete!)
Remember: The Echo is like a ticker tape that continuously scrolls left. Your job is to keep sending until the rightmost characters in the Echo match the target perfectly. Never stop - just start over and keep going!
Practice Modes
Sprint: Contest-style exchanges in the format CALL # CALL NAME STATE
Example: W1AW 123 A K3NK JOHN PA
Sweepstakes: ARRL Sweepstakes format NR PREC CALL CK SEC
Example: 123 A W1AW 72 CT
Mixed: Random character groups for general practice. Configure groups, length, and character set.
Uniform: Repeated character groups (e.g., AAAAA BBBBB) for timing and rhythm practice.
Clipboard: Paste any text to practice. Text is automatically formatted.
Free Practice: No scoring, just practice sending with real-time echo feedback.
Input Methods
Keyboard Controls:
Ctrl (either side) - DIT paddle[ (left bracket) - DIT paddle] (right bracket) - DAH paddleX - DIT paddle (alternative)Z - DAH paddle (alternative)
MIDI Devices: Connect USB MIDI paddles - status shown in header. Auto-detected when connected.
Touch Buttons: DIT/DAH buttons appear on mobile devices. Touch and hold to send.
Keyer Modes
- Straight Key / Cootie: Manual timing control
- Bug: Automatic dits, manual dahs
- ElBug: Enhanced bug mode
- Single Dot: Single dit per press
- Ultimatic: Last paddle wins
- Iambic (Plain): Basic iambic keyer
- Iambic A: Standard iambic mode
- Iambic B: Most popular (default) - completes elements automatically
- Keyahead: Buffers paddle input for smoother sending
Speed & Settings
Speed (WPM): Range 5-50 WPM using standard PARIS timing. Adjustable during practice.
Sidetone Frequency: 400-800 Hz audio feedback when sending. Find your preferred tone.
Volume: 0-100% control for sidetone and feedback sounds.
Advanced Decoder Settings:
- Adaptive Buffer: Lower = faster character recognition but less adaptive to timing variations
- Flush Timeout: Time before decoder finalizes a character (lower = quicker finalization)
Understanding the Scoreboard
Score: Total correct characters / total characters, with efficiency percentage
Perfect: Trials with 100% accuracy, shown as count and percentage
Streak: Current and longest consecutive perfect trials
Trial: Current trial number out of total run length
Trial Time: Duration of current trial
Run Time: Total session duration
Score History & Analytics
Score Table: View up to 20 recent scores, sorted by date. Filter by mode and run length.
Problem Characters: The app automatically tracks error rates for each character. After runs, check which characters need more practice.
All data is saved locally in your browser and persists between sessions.
Tips for Success
- 🔴 MOST IMPORTANT: When you make a mistake, NEVER STOP! Keep sending and start the target over. The Echo will scroll like a ticker until you get it right.
- Start slow - prioritize accuracy over speed
- Use Free Practice to warm up before scored runs
- Focus on consistent rhythm and timing
- Check Problem Characters and practice them in Uniform mode
- Gradually increase WPM as your accuracy improves
- Keep practice sessions short (10-15 minutes) but frequent
- Try different modes to keep practice varied and engaging
- Adjust decoder settings if characters aren't recognized correctly
- Remember: The Echo scrolls left like a ticker tape - just keep sending until you match the target!