Thanks for the encouragement, Lyndon! I'm glad you liked it! My videos will evolve, and I hope to cement my style and way of presentation.

Many thanks and 73!

Looks like they went up in price. I bought mine 3 years ago and I remember it was expensive. I can’t recall how much I paid but it wasn’t $375. Wow!

@@themarconian thanks reply I'll keep my aea morse matic Lol

Have fun and 73!

Nice! I like Rotring. I also have a Rotring pen too. Maybe it will find itself in a future video! 😊

Hello, and thanks for the question. I'm only familiar with my current setup, so I don't know if I can answer your question accurately. But, if I understand your question correctly, just connecting an audio cable directly without an INTERFACE will probably not work. The featured VBAND adapter is an INTERFACE device that uses a micro USB to allow you to connect a key to send morse code on the virtual band website. However, the Virtual band website allows you to use a keyboard as a paddle or straight key, so if you can rewire an old mouse or keyboard and connect it to a key, that should work. I believe there are tutorials on KZfaq showing how to build it. If someone else is reading this comment and can answer your questions more accurately, I'm sure they will chime in. Hope this helps!

@@themarconian Thanks for the useful information!

Anytime!

Because why use other people's standards when you can make up your own, and make up overpriced off-white versions of it, too!

Fair question. Why not just learn by trial-by-fire and get on the air? Plenty of people have done it that way. True. I can't argue with that. So yes, it is not necessary to use the bot. Consider this a training tool. Tools are helpful for some, and I can attest it was useful for me. The bot is a practice tool especially useful for beginners learning CW protocol. The VBAND website also has "channels" to communicate and practice with real people. It's not to replace on-air communication. This tool is also handy for people that can't get on-air practice because of propagation issues or HOA antenna limitations. This was true for me once, and spending time with the bot and practicing CW with others on the website allowed me to practice my CW until I could get on the air. Getting on the air is the ultimate goal. Thank you for your comment. 73!

@@themarconian have taught hundreds of CW students, and every one of them who considered vband or Zoom as a training tool have no regular presence on the air. There is no need to train for on the air. Vband and Zoom are not training tools. They're an illusion of competence. Thanks for the reply. 73

@@glempy Very interesting. Thank you for your insight. 73!

@@glempy VBand has the advantage that it is available 24 hours per day, for as long as one pleases. In my opinion it is definitely a training tool, one of many, just as much as G4FON or MorseRunner.

Yes sir. I'm glad I have the Spark and enjoy using it. I've tried other straight keys, but the Spark is my go-to and favorite straight key. This key is superb! 73!