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ebook2cw

Converts a text file or ebook into Morse code audio at a chosen speed

What it does

Reads plain text and writes it out as Morse audio in MP3 or Ogg Vorbis, splitting a long book into one file per chapter. Speed, Farnsworth spacing, sidetone pitch and effective word rate are all set on the command line, and the ID3 tags carry the chapter titles so a player treats the result like an audiobook.

Why you would want it

Head copy is a listening skill and it improves with hours, not with exercises. This turns any text you already want to read into those hours on a phone or a car stereo, at exactly the speed you are currently failing at. It is the practical answer to "I do not have time to practise".

Before it will work

None. It writes files; it does not touch a sound card or a radio.

How it installs

  • apt: ebook2cw

Known problems

The default 25 wpm is faster than most people expect. Set the effective speed with -e well below the character speed set with -w — that is Farnsworth spacing, and learning at full character speed with long gaps is the method that works. Starting at a low character speed is the mistake it makes easy.

Keeping it current

  • probe: apt policy
  • strategy: apt_upgrade

Where to get help with the software itself

Fabian Kurz, DJ1YFK. Contact details and a web version of the converter are on the project page.

Source: catalog/packages/ebook2cw.yaml