73 de Graham, G4JBD
With thanks to Fabian, DJ5CW for jscwlib
Key Benefits and Features:
Realistic Simulation:
The G4JBD Morse player app includes seven simulated band conditions (from quiet to "hard" contest noise) and allows independent adjustment of Morse tone frequency, character speed versus overall text speed, helping you adapt to varying HF operating environments.
Flexible Practice Material: You can select from 7 different weekly RSGB news articles (with historical archives), random character sets (letters, numbers, cut-numbers, punctuation), 1000 random common words, (which I jumble each week) and imaginary call signs to target specific skill gaps. There is even a simulated 2-way QSO option for you to listen to, with random information being exchanged.
User-Friendly Design: As a browser-based player, the G4JBD Morse app requires no installation; settings are embedded in the URL, allowing you to save and share specific practice sessions or download MP3 files for offline study. An on-screen 'highlighter' shows you which letter is currently being played.
Progressive Learning: The interface supports a wide range of skill levels, from absolute beginners learning basic letters and numbers to experienced operators refining their ability to copy signals through heavy QRM (interference), QRN (natural noise) or to increase your copy speed.
It's affordable:
Well, it is completely free and always will be! I don't event ask you to provide any personal details - just feel free to use it whenever you want.
It's the right tool for the job:The most effective method for learning to understand Morse code by ear is head copy, where you recognize the rhythmic Morse code sound of a character directly as a letter without visualizing dots and dashes or counting signal units.
To achieve this, the G4JBD app lets you hear individual characters at a higher speed (e.g., 20 words per minute) with large spacing between characters from the very beginning. You choose how much spacing you need. This helps your brain to learn the unique "sound" of each letter rather than its individual dits and dahs.
You can adjust the Farnsworth speed to get wider spacing between characters.
This slows down the overall text, to help you to distinguish individual letter sounds without the overwhelming your brain with a high number of words per minute. This is also known as the Koch method.
For example, when you first begin to learn Morse, try a letter speed of 12 wpm, and a Farnsworth speed of 2 wpm or slower. Experiment to see what works best for you - aim to challenge yourself!
You can even set fractional speeds, such as 0.4 WPM, 2.7 WPM etc, giving you complete control over your progression at the very beginning of your journey into the wonderful world of Morse code.
Having said that, you can also use the G4JBD Morse player to test your absolute limits for world-speed-record attempts, or for testing computer decoding at super-human speeds.
Practical steps to master the Morse Code skill include:
Listen Daily: Dedicate at least 30 minutes a day to listening to your favourite G4JBD Morse code practice content to build familiarity with the rhythm.
Focus on Rhythm: Train your ear to hear the entire character as a single "word" sound rather than a sequence of individual beeps.
Practice Real Content: Progress from random character groups to copying real words, GB2RS news scripts, and simulated QSOs (radio conversations) to improve speed and comprehension.
Get ready for real Morse Code converstions on the air:
Introduce background noise to simulate the sound of real radio transmissions. The G4JBD app has several levels and types of background noise, to suit all abilities.
Have fun and please let me know how you get on :-)
73, Graham G4JBD
A sample of this week's news for Sunday 3rd May, 2026 :-
This week's GB2RS news bulletin, from the Radio Society of Great Britain. Converted to Morse Code, with kind permission from the RSGB, for Morse practice & training purposes.
Last week was about as good as it gets at this point in the solar cycle. We had a solar flux index in the 140s and a Kp index that was pretty flat, often below 2.
That’s good news for HF as it means the ionosphere had a chance to settle and, although not record-breaking, a solar flux index of 140 to 150 is very usable.
There were numerous C and M-class solar flares, but these were relatively minor and the latest forecasts show a 70% chance for more M-flares and a 20% chance for an isolated strong X-flare.
This combined to give a maximum usable frequency over 3,000km of around 21 to 24MHz, often peaking around 28MHz. This gave the odd 10m band opening, but these were sparse and not very strong.
DXpeditions to work this week, according to DXWorld.net, include E51TLM in the South Cook Islands; T31TTT from Kanton Island; FO/F6BCW in French Polynesia; XT2AW from Burkina Faso and 3G0Z on Robinson Crusoe Island.
So, which bands should you look at? The 20, 17 and 15m bands will probably give the best results, but don’t completely rule out the two higher bands that may show occasional surprises.
We now start the Sporadic-E season, so look out for short-lived but strong openings around Europe on the 12 and 10m bands.
Next week, NOAA predicts a solar flux index of between 130 and 140, with a Kp index of 2 or 3. Unsettled conditions are forecast for the 7th and 8th of May with a potential Kp index of 5. As always, keep an eye on solarham.com for near real-time reports of solar activity. The excellent tropo conditions for some parts of the country recently may be slightly subdued over this weekend, but there are signs that another period of high pressure weather will return through the coming week.
Unlike the recent dry weather, there are likely to be a few showery spells with a chance of rain scatter on the GHz bands. Meteor scatter is probably enhanced next week by the Eta Aquarids, which peak on Wednesday the 6th of May and are associated with Comet Halley. The aurora prospects are probably moving away from their spring activity period but check the Kp index for values above 5.
The Sporadic-E season is slowly limbering up and it's well worth checking for activity, initially on 10 and 6m. Check for SSB and CW activity as well as digital modes. Work continues on the propquest.co.uk website. There are still some missing elements but we hope that these will be back soon.
Moonbounce or EME now. The Moon moves towards minimum declination today, Sunday the 3rd of May, so there will be short Moon windows and low peak elevation. Path losses increase until apogee on Monday the 4th of May, when the Moon is furthest from Earth at 405,840km. 144MHz sky temperature reaches a maximum of more than 2,800 Kelvin on Wednesday the 6th of May. You can now buy tickets for the RSGB 2026 Convention in Milton Keynes, which runs from the 9th to 11th of October and is a must if you want to to learn, connect and be inspired.
We have had confirmations from several lecturers, including Nobby Styles, G0VJG, who will talk about the South Georgia DXpedition in March 2027, as well as recent Wortley-Talbot Trophy winner Gwyn Griffiths, G3ZIL on HF propagation studies from the Baldock space weather station. Tickets are on sale now, for workshops running over the weekend. These are sold first-come first-served, with only 20 spaces available for each workshop, so book your place now and don’t miss out. Go to rsgb.org/convention to read the latest Convention news and to buy your tickets.
RSGB Board Director Nathan Nuttall, MM9OCC has announced that Jane Joyce, M8WVJ, was appointed as the new RSGB Accessibility Champion. Jane brings a wealth of experience in disability and accessibility, so is ideal for this important role. As Accessibility Champion, she will share stories from members that highlight their challenges and successes within the hobby, helping to raise awareness and improve understanding of accessibility issues. Jane is available to help direct individuals to the support they need, which will help to improve accessibility across amateur radio as a whole, and she will advise us on meaningful improvements. You can contact Jane through access.champion@rsgb.org.uk In the USA the FCC has authorised AST-SpaceMobile to launch its full constellation of 248 large satellites that includes 430-440MHz for emergency telemetry and control when not over the United States. This is despite there being no such frequency allocation. However, the FCC permitted the use of the frequencies using Article 4.4 of the ITU Radio Regulations. This follows an initial filing and review last year, and extensive amateur concerns, that resulted in over 2,500 comments being submitted. The IARU has released a statement on the matter which you can read via tinyurl.com/IARU-AST We have more background and earlier responses on our Spectrum Forum web page at tinyurl.com/RSGB-AST
RSGB club insurance, and beacon and repeater insurance, have been renewed for the year from the 30th of April 2026 to April 2027. You can download Club insurance certificates from rsgb.org/repeaterinsurance You will need to log in to get your certificate. Beacon and repeater insurance certificates are available for an admin fee of £15 from the RSGB shop. Please allow a couple of days after renewal for your certificate to be dispatched. We would like to remind members with G7 callsigns who collect QSL cards that they should now send their stamped addressed envelopes to Mr Anthony Holles, G4AAV. You can find his details in the sub-manager list of the RSGB QSL Bureau web section at rsgb.org/qsl
Volunteers at the RSGB National Radio Centre will operate the GB2BP special event station on Friday the 8th and Saturday the 9th of May to commemorate the anniversary of VE day. Put the date in your diary and make sure you add this callsign to your logbook. As an RSGB member, you get free entry to Bletchley Park, which includes the NRC. Download and print your personalised entry voucher at rsgb.org/bpvoucher
The annual Mills on the Air event is on Saturday the 9th and Sunday the 10th of May, from a variety of historic locations so, if you hear them, make sure to give them a call.
Remember to listen out for the stations taking part in this year’s Pubs and Clubs on the Air event from the 8th to the 10th of May. For more information about the event email Chris via g1puv@yahoo.co.uk
Please send details of all your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk The deadline for submissions is 10am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week.