The Art and Skill of Radio-Telegraphy A Manual For Learning, Using, Mastering And Enjoying The International Morse Code As A Means Of Communication William G. Pierpont NØHFF “What Hath God Wrought!” Third Revised Edition July 6, 2ØØ1 Copyright © 2ØØ1William G. Pierpont, NØHFF William G. Pierpont N0HFF” 1932-2001 1 The Art and Skill of Radio-Telegraphy “For those who are interested in telegraphy, for those who would like to learn it, for those who love it, and for those who want to improve their skills in it.” William G. Pierpont NØHFF The art and skill of telegraphy is unique. The psychologists who have seriously studied those who have developed this skill have been fasci- nated and challenged to try to understand it. Isn’t the very idea of being able to communicate your thoughts to another by means of in- termittent tones something intriguing in itself? The Art and Skill of Radio-Telegraphy currently has the following known trans- lations and web adaptations French: Third Revised Edition: Editor Maurice Colombani-Gailleur F6IIE, http://f6iie.free.fr/booknØhff.htm or http://www.uft.net/titre_web.htm Danish: Editor: Jens Henrik Nohns, ØZ1CAR, Laerkevej 11, DK-7441 Bording, Denmark Japanese: 2nd Edition 1997, Published 1Ø August 2ØØØ in Tokyo by the JARL A1 Club, Editor: Atzu Taniguchi, JE1TRW, with assistance of other JARL 1A Club members. http://www5b.biglobe.ne.jp/~a1c/Art&Skill/Art&Skill.htm English: Second Revised Edition, First adapted for the World Wide Web by Jon Oates GMØVIY for MEGS, http://www.geocities.com/gmØrse/nØhff/index.htm English: Second Revised Edition, Second adaptation for the World Wide Web by Ronal G. Bellamy VE6SIR for RAES http://www.raes.ab.ca/book/index.html English Third Revised Edition, last edited July 6, 2ØØ1, Editor, Dave Clarke, VE6LX English Third Revised Edition, last edited July 8, 2ØØ1, is now avail- able for download at the following: http://www.qsl.net/n9bor/nØhff.htm Editor, Fred Adsit, NY2V Preparation and distribution of the text files by Jim Farrior W4FOK along with his program “The Mill” http://www.net-magic.net/users/w4fok/ This book may be freely reproduced and published, but only on a no- profit basis in order to make it as widely available as possible to those who need it... NØHFF 2 William G. Pierpont N0HFF” 1932-2001 The Art and Skill of Radio-Telegraphy Contents Contents 3 Building The First Floor On The Solid Foundation 32 Preface 8 Instant Recognition 32 Introduction 8 Anticipating 32 Is the Radio-Telegraph Code What Kind Of Material To Practice 33 Obsolete? 10 Other Ways 34 Learning the Morse Code - An How Long And What Kind Of Practice 34 Overview 11 Getting Stuck 36 Where we are going 11 The 1ØØ Most Common Words In English 36 Chapter 1 13 Passing Examinations 37 How to Go About it Efficiently 13 Chapter 5 37 This Chapter Is A Summary To Prepare You To Learn 13 Practice To Gain Proficiency 37 How Long Will It Take Me To Learn 17 How Far Do You Want To Go 37 Make Each Practice Period A Step Forward 39 Chapter 2 17 Kinds Of Practicing 39 Principles of Skill Building and Attitudes for Success 17 Listening Practice 39 We Are Building A Set Of Habits 17 Word Recognition Practice 40 Relax 18 Copying Practice 41 Develop A Good Mental Attitude 19 Sending Practice 41 Stage One Learning The A-B-C’s 19 Mental Practice 42 Stage Two - Practice 20 On The Air Practice 42 More About Attitudes For Success 21 Chapter 6 43 Picturing Success Is Strong Preparation For It21 How Fast 43 Chapter 3 23 The Wrong Question. 43 Part I: Laying the Foundation 23 How Well 43 Let’s Begin With The A-B-C’s 23 Copyability 43 Motivation 24 Fast Enough To Communicate Satisfyingly 44 Learning The Morse Code Is Similar To The Proficient Operator 45 Learning To Read 25 Your Own Goal 45 The Morse A-B-C ‘S Are Patterns Of Sound 26 Shortening Things Up 46 Part II: Laying the Foundation 26 Chapter 7 48 Delayed Perception And Instant Recognition26 Listening or Reading 48 Listen Only To The Best Quality Of Code 27 Listen 48 Getting Started 27 Concentrate 50 What Characters Shall We Begin With 28 Learn To Hear - Words As Words 50 Methods To Go About Teaching 28 How Can We Learn To Do This 51 Part III: Laying the Foundation 30 We Must Listen At Higher Speeds To Improve 53 Chapter 4 32 William G. Pierpont N0HFF” 1932-2001 3 The Art and Skill of Radio-Telegraphy Missing Words 53 Other Keying Devices And Their Use 74 Long Words 53 All Kinds of Keys 75 Decapitated Words 53 Other Kinds Of Manual Keys 75 Broken Words 53 The Bug 76 On-The-Air Listening 55 Using A Bug 76 Chapter 8 55 Setting the Adjustments of a Bug 77 Copying Getting it written down 55 Sending With A Bug 78 Practice With Familiar Text Helps 56 Keyers 78 Pay No Attention To Any Errors 57 Keyboards 79 If You Want To Become More Proficient 57 An Interesting Bug 80 In The Beginning 58 Chapter 11 80 A Better Way 58 Further Development of Skills 80 What Makes Sense Is Easier 60 Higher Skills 80 Conquering Our Fears Of Losing Out 61 Truly High-Speed CW Awaited Electronics 81 Other Suggestions 62 Looking Backward And Forward 81 How Long Shall I Practice 62 The Skilled Operator 83 Fading, Static, Interference and or Poor Fists62 Faster – Faster - Faster 83 Correcting Imperfect Copy 63 Reading Versus Copying Skill 84 Other Observations 63 The Sound Barrier 84 98 Of The 1ØØ Most Common Words 64 How Can Such Skill Be Developed 85 Chapter 9 64 Factors Needed To Get There 86 Sending and the Straight Key – Part I 64 Who Can Do It 87 Quality Of Sending 64 Amateur High Speed Clubs 88 Keying And What It Means 65 Chapter 12 89 The First Morse Key 65 How Long Will It Take To Learn 89 Recommendations To The Beginner 65 Marshall H. Ensor’s Code Course 89 The Straight Key 66 Another Example - Compounded By Handicaps The American Straight Key And Its Use 67 91 Gaining Skill, Errors, and Automaticity 68 More Examples 93 Personal Characteristics, Fists 69 Some Outstanding Examples Of Effectiveness 93 Chapter 9 69 Determination and Persistence 94 Sending and the Straight Key – Part II 69 By Contrast 94 KEYS 69 Chapter 13 95 The Traditional British Key And Its Usage 70 The Role of Memory in Telegraphy 95 Using A Straight Key 71 Some Further Questions and Thoughts 96 Glass Arm 72 Chapter 14 97 Tests for Proper Operation of a Hand-Key 73 The Ear 97 What Is It That Makes a Good Hand-Key? 73 Pitch Of CW Signal 97 Chapter 1Ø 74 Sensitivity To Duration Of Sound 98 4 William G. Pierpont N0HFF” 1932-2001 The Art and Skill of Radio-Telegraphy The Ear Can Often Make Sense Out Of Poor The Original Morse Code 112 Sending 98 Who Invented What We Call The Morse Code The Trained Ear Can Discriminate Between 112 Signals 99 Vail’s Thinking 115 Headphones Are Superior To A Speaker 99 Chapter 19 117 Chapter 15 99 A Brief History of Morse Telegraphy – Timing 99 Part II 117 Timing Is The Heart Of The Code 99 The Original Morse Code Modified In Europe The Basic Units 100 117 Relative Duration And Spacing Are Very Equipment 118 Important 100 Early Day Operators Up Through The Civil Irregularities In Timing 101 War 119 Operators After The Civil War 119 Chapter 16 103 The Introduction Of Wireless 120 Other Methods 103 When Were The Terms Dit And Dah Personal Computers And Keyboards For Self- Introduced 120 Learning 103 Chapter 2Ø 121 Many Computer Programs Are Excellent 103 Learning the American Morse Code 121 Growing Up With Hearing It 104 Learning By Listening To High Speed Code104 Comparisons 121 Further Comments On Gaining Speed 104 Timing 122 Sleep Learning 105 No Need For Confusion 122 Another Suggestion That Has Worked 105 Learning It 123 McElroy’s Course and His Claims For It 106 Learning To Read By Sounder 125 American Morse - An Art 125 Chapter 17 106 Some Further Comparisons 125 Common Errors and What To Do About Some Practice Materials For Learning 126 Them 106 From the MILL ØØa Operational Notes 127 Chapter 18 107 Chapter 21 128 Computer Programs And Tapes For Learning And Improving Skill In Code Methods Not Recommended 128 107 Doing It the Hard Old Way 128 Morse University 107 The student 128 SuperMorse By Lee Murrah, WD5CID 108 Other Discouraging Processes 129 Morseman+ By Robin Gist NE4L/ZF2PM 108 So: 130 GGTE Morse Tutor Gold 108 The Futility of Wrong Practice 131 The Mill. by James S. Farrior, W4FOK 108 Chapter 22 132 The Morse Tutor Program 109 Word Lists For Practice 132 NuMorse by Tony Lacy G4AUD 110 The 1ØØ Words Grouped By Function 132 Code Tapes For Learning And For Other Purposes 110 Some sentences composed of these words alone are: 132 Chapter 19 111 The Rest Of The 5ØØ Most Common Words 132 A Brief History of Morse Telegraphy – Part I 111 Some Common Prefixes And Suffixes 133 William G. Pierpont N0HFF” 1932-2001 5 The Art and Skill of Radio-Telegraphy Some Common Phrases For Practice 133 Sending Tests 155 Some Long Words For Practicing 133 Receiving Tests 155 Chapter 23 134 Analysis And Criticism Of Previous Teaching Methods 156 Making Sure You’re Understood 134 Tests To Establish A Better Teaching From The Originator’s Standpoint 134 Method 157 Feedback And Redundancy 134 Character Speed For Initial Learning 157 Repeating And Counting Words 135 Can The Rhythm Patterns Be Enhanced 158 Using Redundancy Intelligently 135 What Letters Should Be Taught First 159 At The Receiving End 136 When To Introduce A New Character 159 Chapter 24 138 Should Practice Be By Groups Of Letters Bandwidths and Key Clicks 138 159 Chapter 25 139 Troublesome Characters 160 Code Courses and Devices Advertised in How Long Should Lessons Be And How the Older Days 139 Distributed In Time 160 The Omnigraph 139 New Philosophy For Teaching 161 Recorders And Computers 143 Designing An Efficient Teaching Chapter 26 144 Program 162 Speed Contests 144 Summary 164 Chapter 27 147 Chapter 3Ø 165 Abbreviations 147 The Candler System 165 Some Of The More Common Abbreviations In Background 165 CW Work 147 The Course 166 Abbreviations Used In Traffic Handling 148 Examples Of The Phillips Code 148 The Essential Principles 166 A Few Useful Z- Signals 151 Critique 167 Chapter 28 152 Lesson One 169 Lesson Two 169 Letter Frequency Counts 152 Lesson Three 169 International Morse Code 152 Lesson Four 170 Letter 152 Lesson Five 170 Structure 152 Lesson Six 170 Units 152 Lesson Seven 170 Total 152 Lesson Eight 171 Foreign Adaptations Of The International Lesson Nine 171 Morse Code 154 Lesson Ten 171 For the Original American Morse code 154 Chapter 31 171 Chapter 29 154 The So-Called Farnsworth or Spacing The Koch Researches 154 Method 171 Tests To Determine What Competent Operators Chapter 32 173 Are Doing 154 6 William G. Pierpont N0HFF” 1932-2001 The Art and Skill of Radio-Telegraphy Other Alphabets 173 Sending and writing at the same time 178 Sending and receiving simultaneously 178 Chapter 33 174 Receiving two or more messages at same time A Brief History of United States Operator 178 Licensing Requirements and Military Comparison with other mental functions and Training 174 discussion 179 In the Beginning 174 Speeds 180 The First Laws 1912 to 1927 174 Some Interesting Examples Of Young Skilled The Radio Act Of 1927 176 Operators Of The Past 181 1933 And After 176 Examples Of Effective Code Learning 181 1951 And After 176 Learning 181 1954 177 Appendix 183 Various Military Training Requirements 177 A New Way To Talk 183 Chapter 34 178 Talking 183 Examples which Illustrate the Nature of QRQ Operators 185 Real Skills 178 Sources of Material 205 Receiving Code While Doing Something Else 178 Index 208 William G. Pierpont N0HFF” 1932-2001 7 The Art and Skill of Radio-Telegraphy Ch.15, now Ch. 19, on the devel- Preface opment of the Morse code itself. The first edition of this book was This Third Revised Edition fills in prepared under a strong time- where the second revision left off pressure to collect and preserve and reveals a summary to the the results of years of reading and Koch research and adds some of research into the best ways to the High-Speed material into the learn the code initially, to gain Appendix. It is hoped that this skill “how the experts say they do edition will be welcomed by those it” together with a number of who love the subject of telegraphy other associated aspects of inter- and will continue to be helpful to est. The urge was to get the major those wishing to learn or perfect principles and features organized this fascinating and worthwhile before they got lost or buried in skill. my files. It is my hope that you, as reader, Diskettes of that first edition were will find it to be of both interest- shared with a very few people. It ing and useful. I make no claim was soon replaced by a revised that it is complete, perfect or final, first edition in which a number of or that it contains everything of accidental errors were corrected possible value or interest. I have and some clarifications made in had to leave out some interesting wording. It was also produced items, especially of history. Per- under considerable pressure, haps some of these, plus anything leaving quite a number of addi- you, as reader, may wish to con- tional items of general or specific tribute, could be added in further interest lying unincorporated in editions. the files. Introduction Many diskette copies of this edi- tion were distributed, a thousand The research behind this book diskette copies were made and would probably never have been distributed free by the Virginia done at all if I had not been so Beach Ham Fest and Convention, eager to learn the telegraphic it was copied and printed by the code, but made such a terrible FISTS CW Club of America and flop of it. I just barely qualified by several others, including my for a license in early 193Ø, and friend James (Jim) Farrior, for a very long time could not W4FOK, who has reproduced it in receive it well enough to really his “The Mill” code leaning enjoy using it. Like most others in programs. those past days, I memorized the The second revised edition filled “dots and dashes” from a printed in selected items, clarified and table. expanded several areas, brought A good teacher might have some of the appendixes into the helped, but.... If only I could have body of text, as well as corrected a had just the following key para- few instances, particularly in old graph from the QST article of 8 William G. Pierpont N0HFF” 1932-2001 The Art and Skill of Radio-Telegraphy July 1923, it would have at least counts them mentally. (It is wise gotten me off on the right foot: indeed for the beginner never to hear code characters sent at “The first step in learning the speeds below about 13 wpm.) code is to memorize the dot These two errors largely account and dash combinations repre- for getting stuck at higher speeds senting the letters. They must also - they mean we have not not be visualized as dots and really learned the characters. dashes, however, but rather should be “auralized” as Today, there are many tapes and sounds. There is no such word computer programs available as auralized, but if there were which teach the Morse code in it would express the correct ways that avoid making either of method of grasping the code. these basic errors. This book has The sound dit-dah (meaning a been written to share the results of dot followed by a dash) in the this research of the literature - head telephones must impress also including talks with skilled your mind directly as being operators - with those who want to the letter “A” for instance, learn or teach the Morse code, or without causing black dots to improve their own skills. It and dashes to float before majors on the methods that have your eyes for an instant. This proved most successful, but also is a point that always troubles discusses some which should be beginners, but if you learn avoided. It offers guidance for from the first to recognize the those just beginning, and help for sounds as letters immediately those who are stuck and want to without reverting to dots and improve. It also tells how those dashes, you will make much who are proficient and those who better progress...” are experts operate. Some history and related items More succinctly: “Don’t try to are included in the later chapters teach the Ears through the for those who are interested in Eyes.” (Wireless Press 1922) telegraphic communication. My I was not alone in making this hope is that you will find it not first false step: very many others only interesting but helpful. This did it that way, too, and probably is a “How To” book, not a scien- some today still do. It was and is tific treatise. Source credits for the inevitable reason why most individual items have rarely been people who start this way get noted. Many a contribution has stuck at some speed, around ten come from multiple sources. Most words per minute or less, and of the significant sources are can’t seem to get beyond it. listed under Sources. The second mistake, even in “I have never known a person learning by hearing, is in hearing who was truly proficient with code the characters sent so slowly that to dislike it: on the contrary, the the learner tends to analyze each more proficient they are, the more one into dits and dahs, and even they love it.” The Morse code is a William G. Pierpont N0HFF” 1932-2001 9 The Art and Skill of Radio-Telegraphy means of communication, a new built up from simple, available way to enjoy expressing yourself. parts. William G. Pierpont NØHFF These factors have not escaped the Russian communists. They Is the Radio-Telegraph were also deeply impressed with Code Obsolete? the reliability, simplicity and lower cost of equipment for code Outsiders and some of those communication and ease in looking into Amateur radio maintaining it. (In the same line often ask this question: “Isn’t of thinking, their military radio the Morse code obsolete? gear has all been vacuum tube Hasn’t modern technology type to avoid potential damage displaced it?” due to radiation.) Therefore, through the years they have Back in 1912 nobody balked at popularized and promoted learn- learning the code: it was simple ing the Morse code and develop- then - if you didn’t know the ing skill in its use. It was included code you couldn’t even listen and among their civilian “sports” understand, much less communi- activities. Contests and prizes were cate by wireless. offered to the best and fastest op- But today, however, it refuses to erators. This would assure them of lie down and die. Why not only a pool of skilled, high-speed op- old timers, but many newcomers erators in event of war. Several have found that it is a skill worth years ago a couple of American learning, a pleasure just as any soldiers who were amateurs were other skill. There is a real sense of taken captive from a ship which pleasure and achievement in was too close to North Korean communicating this way. Some shores. They were surprised to find it an excellent means of es- find that very many civilians in cape, a way to forget immediate that country readily understood work-a-day problems and com- code. pletely absorb one’s attention. In recent years our own military There is practical value also. It seem to have awakened to all this, can get a message though where and have re-begun to train some other methods fail. Operators personnel for Morse code opera- have long known that Morse code tion. In addition, they have real- signals penetrate distance, and go ized that Morse is an effective through interference and static means of communicating during where voice signals can’t hack it. periods when the enemy is jam- This is why low power (QRP) en- ming. There are other advantages thusiasts find that it is far superior also. It uses the narrowest signal to voice. Besides this, the equip- bandwidth, which for amateur use ment required, both transmitting means more channels are avail- and receiving, is much simpler able within a band. It has the best and smaller, uses less power, and signal-to-noise ratio, and in addi- in an emergency can often be tion, an operator can soon learn to separate (mentally “filter”) sig- 10 William G. Pierpont N0HFF” 1932-2001