How to Learn Morse Code

Many people view Morse Code as an antiquated mode of communications. However, Morse code has been and continues to be an important mode of communication. From emergency preparedness to casual communication, Morse Code is still utilized and enjoyed by many ham radio operators. Now that the Federal Communications Commission has eliminated the requirement of knowledge of the International Morse Code to obtain any class of amateur radio license, there is a genuine concern that this useful form of radio communication will go the way of the dinosaur or the Dodo bird.

Before I discuss how to effectively learn this fascinating mode of communication, a brief review of Morse Code's importance and role is called for. To begin with, Morse Code is the most basic form of digital radio communication. The dots and dashes that make up the Morse Code are typically generated by a basic carrier wave at a single frequency that is switched on and off to form the dots and dashes. Unlike voice communication, which requires that the carrier wave be modulation to encode the voice signal into the carrier wave, a Morse Code transmission is a straightforward carrier wave with mo modulation whatsoever. This lack of modulation makes Morse Code transmissions a more effective use of transmission power than any other form of radio communication (with the exception of some modern digital modes). This means that in harsh propagation conditions, a Morse Code signal will cut through the interference with less transmission power than a corresponding voice signal. This efficiency can be an important factor for emergency communications, which often must be carried out under emergency power when power sources are at a premium. Although the military has stopped teaching and using Morse Code for its communications, ham radio operators have traditionally recognized this unique property of Morse Code as a type of emergency preparedness and that knowledge of this form of communication could be vital in a major emergency if normal communication lines are down.

As many people know, Morse Code uses a combination of dots and dashes to represent the letters, numbers, and punctuation marks that make up the English language. In addition, there is a small number of procedural characters that are used by convention in radio communications. Someone who wishes to learn the Morse Code might easily be intimidated by the complexity of this system and the challenge of remembering each unique combination of dots and dashes for each character.

The absolute worst way to go about learning the Morse Code is to try to memorize a chart that lists all the letters, numbers, and procedural signs and their corresponding representation in Morse Code. Just like learning a foreign language, it is important to remember that radio operators communicate by Morse Code via the sense of sound. People hear Morse Code rather than see it. This means that it is important to associate the sound of each letter with the letter itself rather than the written out combination of dots and dashes. The American Radio Relay League offers Morse Code training audio CDs and cassettes that will train you to recognize Morse Code characters by sound rather than by sight.

Generally you will learn a few letters at a time rather than learning the entire set of characters all at once. The Morse Code training aids will teach you to associate the sound of each character with the mechanical act of writing down the corresponding letter, number, or procedural sign. After steady practice, this act becomes second nature and you will find that you are able to "copy" Morse Code by sound without any real thought whatsoever. It is a matter of cultivating the habit of immediately writing down a certain letter whenever your brain perceives a certain unique sound. This means that learning Morse Code is a Pavlovian process rather than an intellectual exercise in memorization. You train yourself to have a certain physical response to a certain audible stimulus, in much the same way that Pavlov trained his dogs to salivate at the sound of a bell after associating the bell with being fed. To effectively learn Morse Code one must condition oneself to have a response to unique audio sounds. While this might sound intimidating, the Morse Code tapes or CDs will ease you into this process gradually. But the real key is regular practice so you can successfully condition yourself to have the correct response to Morse Code as a stimulus.

If you also succeed in obtaining a ham radio license so you can use your new More Code skills on the air to communicate with other ham radio operators around the world, you will find that the speed at which you can send and receive Morse Code transmissions will improve exponentially and very rapidly. At the beginner level, one typically learns More Code at a rate of five words per minute. A truly phenomenal Morse Code operator can copy Morse Code at over thirty words per minute. I myself have been able to maintain speeds of over twenty words per minute, but I prefer a more comfortable and relaxed rate of about fifteen words per minute or so. Each person will be unique in terms of what speed he/she is comfortable carrying on a conversation at via Morse Code.

So I hope you decide to give this unique form of communication a try. Without new Morse Code operators this valuable and important mode of radio communication might very well die out. This would be a shame both because of the enjoyability of using Morse Code to communicate and because of the negative impact on general emergency preparedness. Besides, Morse Code is just plain fun, and you may be surprised how much you enjoy it when you jump in and give it a try.