Although morse code is not now used by the military /
armed forces, it is still a very clear and easy way to communicate with someone
over the airwaves.
Here are the
various parts of Morse Code
This list shows the dot and dash equivalents of letters and numbers in the
Original Morse code (American Morse Code), and the Continental (International)
code.
An explanation of the timing and length of the characters follows the lists.
( DOT = * DASH = - LONG DASH = ---- )
MORSE
CODE
CHARACTER
AMERICAN MORSE
INTERNATIONAL CODE
A
* -
* -
B
- * * *
- * * *
C
* * *
- * - *
D
- * *
- * *
E
*
*
F
* - *
* * - *
G
- - *
- - *
H
* * * *
* * * *
I
* *
* *
J
- * - *
* - - -
K
- * -
- * -
L
----
* - * *
M
- -
- -
N
- *
- *
O
* *
- - -
P
*
* * * *
* - - *
Q
* * - *
- - * -
R
* * *
* - *
S
* * *
* * *
T
-
-
U
* * -
* * -
V
* * * -
* * * -
W
* - -
* - -
X
* - * *
- * * -
Y
* * * *
- * - -
Z
* * * *
- - * *
1
* - - *
* - - - -
2
*
* - * *
* * - - -
3
*
* * - *
* * * - -
4
*
* * * -
* * * * -
5
- - -
* * * * *
6
* * * * * *
- * * * *
7
- - * *
- - * * *
8
-
* * * *
- - - * *
9
- * * -
- - - - *
0
------
- - - - -
Period
* * - - * *
* - * - * -
Comma
* - * -
- - * * - -
Question
- * * - *
* * - - * *
EXPLANATION OF SPACING AND TIMING:
To standardize the International Code Transmission Speed, the 5-letter word
PARIS is used to establish the number of ''words-per-minute''. For example, if
the word PARIS was sent 5 times in a minute, the transmission speed would be
5-words-per-minute or WPM.
The following relationships exist between the elements of the code (dits and
dahs), the characters (letters) and the words:
The DIT is the Basic UNIT of Length.
The DAH is equal in length to three DITS.
The space between the DITS and DAHS within a character (letter) is equal to one
DIT.
The space between characters (letters) in a word is equal to three DITS.
The space between words is equal to seven DITS.
(Source: U.S. Army Technical Manual TM-11-459/TO 31-3-16 - Sept. 1957)
SPEED IN WORDS-PER-MINUTE or WPM:
The following information about the calibration of the speed of transmission
in WPM (Words-Per-Minute) was provided by Marshall Emm, N1FN.
There are two standards-- for most practical purposes, and the one that most
hams are familiar with, the speed in WPM is defined as the number of times the
word "PARIS" is sent in one minute with normal 1:3:7 spacing and
weighting. "PARIS" was chosen because it has the right number of dits
and dahs to represent an average word length in Morse.
In fact, though, that is the standard for "plain English text" having
a normal distribution of characters. There is another standard word,
"CODEX" which is used where the material being sent consists of code
groups, in which longer letters like J and X will occur as frequently as the
short ones like E and T. I think I have also heard that either "12345"
or "67890" can be used where the traffic is entirely numeric, and I
would bet there is yet another standard "word" for traffic with mixed
letters and numbers.
In Europe they measure speed in "signs" or "symbols" per
minute, and I don't know if they have a standard symbol set that they use for
calibration. Maybe someone else on the list can fill on this.
To get a radio certificate for the merchant navy you had to send and receive 15
minutes of 90BPM or 18WPM of mixed groups (letters and numbers), and 120BPM or
24WPM for clear text and all kinds of simulated traffic without interruption and
you were allowed exactly ZERO mistakes on receiving and 3 mistakes on sending.
Other
Morse Code syntax / common word combinations
