diff --git a/internal/cwdecode/cwdecode.go b/internal/cwdecode/cwdecode.go
index 193b7d1..c628b5c 100644
--- a/internal/cwdecode/cwdecode.go
+++ b/internal/cwdecode/cwdecode.go
@@ -46,7 +46,8 @@ type Decoder struct {
 	quietHops  int     // consecutive key-up hops while locked
 	noise      float64 // broadband noise estimate (percentile of bins)
 	relockHops int     // quiet hops before the lock is released
-	acqSNR     float64 // minimum tone/noise ratio to acquire a lock
+	acqSNR     float64 // tone/noise ratio to acquire after a few stable hops
+	strongSNR  float64 // tone/noise ratio to lock immediately (1 hop)
 
 	// Adaptive keying envelope, on the LOCKED bin's magnitude.
 	peak, floor float64
@@ -88,9 +89,10 @@ func New(sampleRate int, onChar func(string), onStatus func(Status)) *Decoder {
 	d := &Decoder{
 		fs:          sampleRate,
 		hop:         sampleRate / 250, // ~4 ms resolution
-		win:         sampleRate / 62,  // ~16 ms Goertzel window
+		win:         sampleRate / 100, // ~10 ms Goertzel window (snappy edges)
 		dotHops:     15,               // ~20 WPM seed
-		acqSNR:      1.8,              // mild: just enough to ignore pure noise
+		acqSNR:      1.5,              // mild: ignore pure noise, still catch weak
+		strongSNR:   2.6,              // a clearly-strong tone locks in 1 hop
 		lockIdx:     -1,
 		candIdx:     -1,
 		statusEvery: 25, // ~10 Hz
@@ -172,14 +174,16 @@ func (d *Decoder) analyze() {
 	d.noise = d.nbuf[int(0.4*float64(len(d.nbuf)-1)+0.5)]
 
 	if d.lockIdx < 0 {
-		// Acquire: lock when the same bin has been dominant for a few hops and
-		// is at least mildly above the noise (so we don't lock onto pure noise).
 		if maxIdx == d.candIdx {
 			d.candHops++
 		} else {
 			d.candIdx, d.candHops = maxIdx, 1
 		}
-		if d.candHops >= 5 && maxMag/(d.noise+1e-9) > d.acqSNR {
+		snr := maxMag / (d.noise + 1e-9)
+		// Tiered acquisition: a clearly strong tone locks on the FIRST hop (so we
+		// don't eat the first element of a strong signal), a marginal/weak tone
+		// locks after a couple of stable hops (so we don't lock onto pure noise).
+		if snr > d.strongSNR || (d.candHops >= 2 && snr > d.acqSNR) {
 			d.lockIdx = maxIdx
 			d.peak, d.floor = maxMag, d.noise // seed the envelope to this bin
 			d.quietHops = 0
@@ -208,12 +212,12 @@ func (d *Decoder) step() {
 		if m < d.floor {
 			d.floor += (m - d.floor) * 0.4
 		} else {
-			d.floor += (m - d.floor) * 0.01
+			d.floor += (m - d.floor) * 0.005 // creep up slowly so marks aren't swallowed
 		}
 		span := d.peak - d.floor
-		if span > d.floor*0.3+1e-9 {
-			onTh := d.floor + 0.55*span
-			offTh := d.floor + 0.35*span
+		if span > d.floor*0.22+1e-9 {
+			onTh := d.floor + 0.50*span
+			offTh := d.floor + 0.30*span
 			if d.state {
 				on = m > offTh
 			} else {
diff --git a/internal/cwdecode/cwdecode_test.go b/internal/cwdecode/cwdecode_test.go
index e91f63a..eae177b 100644
--- a/internal/cwdecode/cwdecode_test.go
+++ b/internal/cwdecode/cwdecode_test.go
@@ -118,6 +118,26 @@ func TestDecodeWithQRM(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestDecodeFirstCharStrong(t *testing.T) {
+	const fs = 16000
+	var sb strings.Builder
+	d := New(fs, func(s string) { sb.WriteString(s) }, nil)
+	// Strong signal: the very first element (T = a dash) must not be eaten by
+	// lock acquisition. Output should begin with the first character.
+	samples := keyMessageAmp("TEST DE", fs, 20, 700, 16000)
+	for i := 0; i < len(samples); i += 200 {
+		end := i + 200
+		if end > len(samples) {
+			end = len(samples)
+		}
+		d.Process(samples[i:end])
+	}
+	got := strings.ToUpper(strings.TrimSpace(sb.String()))
+	if !strings.HasPrefix(got, "TEST") {
+		t.Fatalf("first chars lost on a strong signal: decoded %q, want it to start with TEST", got)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestDecodeNumbersAndProsign(t *testing.T) {
 	const fs = 16000
 	var sb strings.Builder