Unboxing the Morserino32

This Morserino32 kit arrived yesterday, and I’m hoping to build it tonight.  If you’re not familiar with this little beauty, here is a list of the features:

• Hardware
  • ESP32 Microcontroller w/ WiFi, Bluetooth & LoRa
  • OLED Display (128 x 64 pixels, monochrome)
    • 1 status line
    • 3 line text screen with 15 line buffer (you can scroll back)
  • Comes with a pair of capacitive touch paddles
  • User interface through one Rotary Encoder and one Push Button switch
  • Connections for:
    • Transceiver
    • Audio in (for Morse decoder) and Line-out (for things like iCW etc)
    • Headphone output
    • Capacitive touch paddles (which are included)
    • External Paddle or Straight Key (Straight Key currently for Decoder mode only)
  • Power supply:
    • LiPo battery (standard batter as used in quadcopters etc.) 600 – 1200 mAh recommended
    • USB Power for charging (Micro USB Connector)
    • Deep sleep function (including automatic time out)
    • Battery switch to disconnect battery completely
  • Firmware Update through WiFi
• CW Keyer
  • Speed variable with encoder (5-50 wpm)
  • Built-in capacitive touch paddles or external paddles
  • Polarity of paddle can be changed (dots on left or right paddle)
  • Iambic A, B and Ultimatic mode
  • Iambic B parameters (timing) configurable, independently for dots  and dashes
  • Pitch control
  • Output volume control
  • Optional ACS (Automatic Character Spacing)
• CW Trainer (Code generator)
  • Speed variable with encoder (5-50 wpm)
  • Generates random character groups, call signs, common CW abbreviations incl. Q-Groups, common English words
  • Select which characters to be output (Koch method, or combination of alpha, numerals, interpunction, pro signs)
  • Define length of words to be output
  • Increase inter-character space (like Farnsworth method)
  • Increase inter-word space
  • Optional: output each word twice
  • Can also play text files in Morse Code, these can be uploaded through WiFi
    • Files can contain ASCII text and pro-signs
    • Words in files can also be played randomly
• CW Echo Trainer (Challenge / Response)
  • Morserino-32 prompts you with a word in CW, and you have to respond by repeating it with the paddle
  • Large variety of words, as in the CW Trainer
  • Ideal for learning to read Morse code in your head!
• CW Decoder (from straight key) or with audio input
  • Check and improve the quality of your straight key fist by using the decoder
  • Decode Morse code received by a shortwave receiver
• CW Transceiver
  • Using LoRa (Long Range WiFi)  in the 432 MHz ISM Band!
  • Great for learning how to conduct QSOs in CW
  • Ideal for group learning or learning with a teacher / mentor
  • You can also use Morserino-32 for iCW (CW over Internet using the Mumble protocol)

I’m anxious to see how well the capacitive touch paddles work and to play around with the various training modes.