Morse code or texting ?

The only morse I know off the top of my head are the ones used in common sound signals and that largely came out of learning flags, e.g. B, C, D, E, H, I, M, S. I found the "package" easier to learn than the individual elements, ie remembering that agreeing to a vessel overtaking you in a narrow channel is "-.-." is easier if you know that is "Charlie" which is "yes". Never quite worked out why so many people are engaged in pair trawling in fog though...

Obviously "Uniform" is handy to recognise when something you're heading for flashes it.

Always intended to learn it better in case I got thrown in solitary confinement somewhere and needed to get a message out via the pipes.
 
Pretty sure the siggies in the back of the Nimrod had to reach 30 wpm as part of their course. Up front we only needed to identify nav beacons as Ric said above. I guess my kids could txt at about 30 wpm on their older phones but slower now on iphones.

We once had an old WWII VC on board coming west over the atlantic when we diverted to help in a SAR incident at about 40W. Fishing vessel thrashed by a storm. We ended up breaking out the ALDIS lamp and the old vet was faster than the siggies on the lamp. He loved every minute and while the vessel was lost the crew were rescued by USCG eventually.
 
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It was a while ago so 22 might be correct. I do remember the constant clickerty click became bloody annoying when the rest of us were watching the TV in the evenings :-)
 
At one time long long ago I could read at 8 WPM by light. The required standard was 6 WPM but we were taught to 8 so the exam at 6 would be easy.
I used it once or twice only other than for practice.
I did surprise a Royal Navy Frigate once by answering. The signal man was training a new chap how to use the light and was just pointing at us as a target. and sending AA AA AA He did it a couple of times before I found a big flash light and sent back a long T.
I was a bit rusty but guessed enough for the "what ship where bound" I sent back our boats name and K9 which is go to VHF and was a bit of a cheat.
They were actualy quite surprised I'd even know how to answere.

I think they still use it. Quite routinly

I think I have the whole lot right. The numbers were easy to remember as was EISH & TMO the rest took me a while to fill in the blanks and get the oppsite's.

As to the chances of recognising any sent to me. pretty low.

I seam to remember an amusing thread of rude signals being deleted not so long ago.

E . I .. S … H …. T - M -- O ---

A .- N -.
B -… J .---
C -.-.
D -.. W .--
F ..-. Q --.-
G --. U ..-
K -.- R .-.
L .-.. Y -.--
P .--. X -..-
V …-
Z ..--

1 .---- 6 -….
2 ..--- 7 --…
3 …-- 8 ---..
4 ….- 9 ----.
5 ….. 0 -----
 
pampas said:
Daft ? how many words/min or average letters/word as words are short and long. ie the word tree os sementitus.
Click to expand...

For Morse Code speed evaluation the official standard - at least a lifetime ago when I was having it drilled into me - was five characters = one word;
where:
- one alphabetic symbol = one character
- one numeric symbol = two characters
- one space symbol = one character.

It matters not what constitution of dots and dashes comprises the symbol.

Edit:

So "tree " (with following space) = one word and "sementitus" (whatever that means - it's not in my concise OED - and without space) = two words.


.
 
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A bit off thread but my wife's uncle was an amature radio ham all his life. His garden bristled with aerials
One day when details about Blechley in the 2nd world war were being released it was reported that 9 people in Blechley could read 2 separate incoming morse signals at once
He then informed us that he was one of the nine although at the time he did not know who else was doing it
Bearing in mind the messages were often coded German messages that has to be mazing
He was regularly assigned a particular spy whom he operated until the spy ceased to operate - which was often
He could tell when the ring had been compromised because he could tell if it was the same person sending the morse
If they thought a German was sending the message they used to send misleading info back
He regularly demonstrated his morse ability & could type at incredible speed & was part of a european club for morse only transmissions
 
I once worked with an ex ship's wireless officer who recounted the tale of his morse tutor. He could read morse at (I think) 60 words a minute and write it down at the same time as reading aloud from a book.

A short circuit between ear and hand.

For those of us who are deaf, morse could be superior to voice especially if there were different tones mixed at reception.
 
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