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Learning Morse code in the 21st century

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Re: Learning Morse code in the 21st century

#21

Post by sverige »

ponsin wrote: post #18

Does anything have a recommendation of how to learn Morse today? maybe an app? the app the author recommends is only for iOS and I have Android

The best is G4FON's Morse Trainer, requires Windows, works on Wine.

http://www.g4fon.net/

Edit: You'll have to navigate to the Morse Trainer link from the main page.

Also, it's the best because it has knobs for all the variables -- speed, number of characters sent, even options to add QRM (interference) and variable sending speed (imitating very well someone with an unsteady fist).

As an aside, it's pointless to learn code visually. It's only really useable as an auditory messaging system.

Re: Learning Morse code in the 21st century

#22

Post by heelix »

I've learned a bit of morse code from flying. The older VOR navigation systems identify themselves with a three letter code, so to confirm you have the right frequency dialed in, you listen to the dot/dashes getting beeped at you. I cheat - I found a font that would translate the VOR name FCM when I printed it for my kneeboard.

The charts, for example, lists the morse code for the VOR, which translates to FCM

https://skyvector.com/?ll=44.80208246787191,-93.453170428716...

Re: Learning Morse code in the 21st century

#23

Post by obilecantrem »

I learned back in 2000 at Ft. Huachuca, it took about 30 8 hour days for me to get through the basic Morse course, I don't remember how long it took to get through the rest of it. I do remember getting a certificate, the Samuel B Morse award, for copying at slightly above the required speed which I think was something like 22 groups a minute.

Re: Learning Morse code in the 21st century

#24

Post by drmpeg »

vvanders wrote: post #19
drmpeg wrote: post #7

I learned Morse code back in 1992 in order to pass the General class amateur radio license. Back then, the test was 13 words per minute. I practiced for a few months with cassette tapes and over the air copy. After I got up to about 18 WPM, I went and took the test. I almost choked, but was able to recover and pass the test. I haven't used Morse code since then.

There's been a bit of a resurgence with the lower solar cycle, for mobile radios such as the KX3/2 and FT-817 which top out at 15W, having a mode that concentrates most of its power in ~500Hz of bandwidth(vs ~3kHz for voice) is a huge advantage. Aside from FT-8 and related digital modes it has an impressive ability to punch though when few other modes will.

I have nothing against CW, it's just not for me. Also, I don't operate HF any longer. At this stage of my ham radio adventure, it's all about SDR on UHF and microwave frequencies. Current project is wideband (10 MHz) digital links on 10 GHz.

Re: Learning Morse code in the 21st century

#25

Post by vvanders »

drmpeg wrote: post #24
vvanders wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's been a bit of a resurgence with the lower solar cycle, for mobile radios such as the KX3/2 and FT-817 which top out at 15W, having a mode that concentrates most of its power in ~500Hz of bandwidth(vs ~3kHz for voice) is a huge advantage. Aside from FT-8 and related digital modes it has an impressive ability to punch though when few other modes will.

I have nothing against CW, it's just not for me. Also, I don't operate HF any longer. At this stage of my ham radio adventure, it's all about SDR on UHF and microwave frequencies. Current project is wideband (10 MHz) digital links on 10 GHz.

Oh yeah totally, just more for context who might not be aware that there's still some practical benefits along with the historical aspect.

Re: Learning Morse code in the 21st century

#26

Post by dilutedh2o »

thepete2 wrote: post #15
toomanybeersies wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Morse code isn't binary, it's trinary. You have 3 signals: dots, dashes, and spaces. Here's the relevant extract from the wikipedia article on Morse Code: > Each Morse code symbol is formed by a sequence of dots and dashes. The dot duration is the basic unit of time measurement in Morse code transmission. The duration of a dash is three times the duration of a dot. Each dot or dash within a character is followed by p…

You can represent it as both binary and ternary R is: .-. (dit dah dit) which could be 121 in ternary (0 being pause) or 1011101 in binary, since one dah is three dits long

In that case we may as well use the alphabet tbh

Re: Learning Morse code in the 21st century

#27

Post by sdoering »

I remember writing morse code letters with my then girlfriend while in my last years in school. back then I was able to fluently read and write morse. We didn't want others to be able to easily read what we wrote. It was in the late 90ies and we were so sweetly naive.

Today, except SOS, I can't read/write anything in morse.

Re: Learning Morse code in the 21st century

#28

Post by marsred »

ponsin wrote: post #18

Does anything have a recommendation of how to learn Morse today? maybe an app? the app the author recommends is only for iOS and I have Android

I have found google's Morse code tutorial very helpful.Also I added Morse code as a language in Google keyboard for becoming familiar by daily usage.

https://morse.withgoogle.com/learn/

Re: Learning Morse code in the 21st century

#29

Post by nestorD »

ponsin wrote: post #18

Does anything have a recommendation of how to learn Morse today? maybe an app? the app the author recommends is only for iOS and I have Android

Adding few letters a day, using this kind of picture as a mnemonic help [0] and learning in duo with someone else worked for me (but I lost most of it in a year due to lack of practice)

https://edu.glogster.com/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.learnmor...

Re: Learning Morse code in the 21st century

#30

Post by madengr »

thepete2 wrote: post #16
madengr wrote: post #6

I like to hunt Non Directional Beacons on the long wave band. Unfortunately I have read they are being decommissioned.

Are you sure? There are some beacons by the IARU [0] - across the world - that one after the other transmit their callsign. It can be used to test reception and it can be a challenge to receive a signal from 100s of kilometers away without a repeater. [0] http://www.iaru.org/beacon-project.html

These can be heard out to a few 100 km:

http://www.dxinfocentre.com/ndb.htm

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