
The Art and Skill of Radio-Telegraphy 3rd Edition [pdf] - pmoriarty
http://cw.hfradio.org/cw_resources/The_Art_and_Skill_of_Radio_Telegraphy-3rd-edition.pdf
======
Animats
If you want to listen to some Morse code, the ARRL has an archive of MP3s.
This is perfect machine-sent code with long spaces between the characters,
intended for practice.[1] CW Morse is not an efficient use of bandwidth
compared to modern modulation methods [2], but it beats AM voice.

If you're really serious about this, the Marine Radio Historical Society has
an large ship-to-shore station in Marin County.[3] They got it after it went
out of business, and because it was built on Federal land, it became part of
the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. They use Morse and some
radioteletype. Each Saturday they power up the huge old tube transmitters and
talk to museum ships and such around the world. It's not a ham operation; they
applied for a commercial marine radio coastal station license and the FCC
granted it, as KPH. Thus, they can use power levels above the ham limit. They
usually run 3-4KW.

They're authorized to give the exam for commercial radiotelegraph operator.
This gets you a real, but not very useful license.

[1] [http://www.arrl.org/15-wpm-code-archive](http://www.arrl.org/15-wpm-code-
archive) [2] [http://wb8nut.com/digital/](http://wb8nut.com/digital/) [3]
[http://www.radiomarine.org/](http://www.radiomarine.org/)

~~~
mrbill
>They're authorized to give the exam for commercial radiotelegraph operator.
This gets you a real, but not very useful license.

This brings back memories. I was a board op (and then later on, full DJ) at a
100kW country radio station in my small Oklahoma hometown from 1990-1993.
Before I could start, I had to fill out paperwork and send it to the FCC with
$35, and get my "Restricted Radiotelephone Operator's License". All of the
people that worked on-air at the station had theirs pinned up on a corkboard
in the back of the control room.

From what I read, the FCC stopped requiring these in 1995 or so. Apparently
they are/were for life; I should see if I can dig up the records online and
request a re-print!

~~~
budman1963
1978, I worked for a small town AM/FM in western colorado. At that time you
had to have a "Third Class Radiotelephone License with Broadcast Endorsement".
This was a test that had to be taken at an FCC field office. If you had a
license, you could get a job. Even if you were 15 years old.

------
jdietrich
If you'd like a taster of morse, I can highly recommend the Android and iOS
app "Morse Toad". It teaches the basics of morse code in a gamified format.

If you're serious about using morse code, I'd suggest the LCWO trainer. It's a
browser-based suite of tools for learning morse. The UI is a bit clunky, but
it does the job.

[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mikelovesr...](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mikelovesrobots.morsetoad&hl=en_GB)

[https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/morse-
toad/id906586079?mt=8](https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/morse-
toad/id906586079?mt=8)

[https://lcwo.net/](https://lcwo.net/)

~~~
pthreads
Thanks. I just installed morse toad. I like it already.

------
kaoD
For anyone interested, you can listen to radio over the internet (including
many amateur bands) for free using WebSDR
([http://www.websdr.org/](http://www.websdr.org/))

My favorite in particular is located in University of Twente
([http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/](http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/))
with many bands available.

------
mannykannot
When I watched "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly", it occurred to me that
Bauby could have communicated much faster if he had known Morse code, rather
than by having an assistant cycle through a set of cards, each displaying a
letter of the alphabet. I have to admit that I have not yet followed up with
the sensible next step, which is to learn Morse code myself.

------
sverige
Thanks for posting this! I have heard that since the code portion of licensing
was removed, there are actually more people using code on air. I like the
idea, since it's such an efficient use of bandwidth.

~~~
grandalf
It's true, and really fun too. I do it a few times each week.

------
lutusp
Not emphasized in the linked PDF is the fact that sending Morse code is
relatively easy, but accurately receiving it is much harder. One would do well
to spend the majority of one's time learning to accurately receive Morse code,
and not spend nearly as much time learning to send.

Also, now that Morse code proficiency has been removed from the list of
requirements for most amateur and commercial radio licenses, learning it is
like learning Latin -- an art for the dedicated purist, in keeping with the
true meaning of "amateur."

~~~
aparks517
Oh my! Strictly speaking, it may be true that most folks will spend a bit more
time on receiving practice to become minimally proficient. But I would caution
against de-emphasizing sending practice for two reasons. First, there's a wide
gap between sending /something/ and sending intelligible communications. At
low speeds, an iambic keyer with strict timing can cover up poor technique,
but at higher speeds or when sending with a straight key, it's surprisingly
easy to send gibberish. If I can't make our your call, I can't respond to you
;) Second, effort spent on sending practice helps reinforce receiving
practice. It also helps break things up, provide variety, and generally make
practice more fun. As you point out, the code is no longer compulsory. It's a
hobby and should be fun! :)

~~~
lutusp
I agree with your points. My comment was based on my personal experience as a
radio amateur. When I was young, when Morse was still central to radio
communications, I spent too much time learning how to send and far too little
learning how to receive, such that my receiving speed is now still far below
my ability to send.

> Second, effort spent on sending practice helps reinforce receiving practice.

Perhaps to some extent, but I find that I can send with much more adeptness
that the reverse. This (or its reverse) may be a common experience. I think
time should be devoted to both, so I think we're in essential agreement.

> It's a hobby and should be fun!

Complete agreement, and how times change. After the Titanic went down,
nautical authorities promptly required that radiotelegraph sets be installed
on all large ocean-going vessels. Now Morse is a diversion, an interesting
historical artifact.

------
aparks517
I can say first-hand that Morse code is not just a bandwidth-efficient means
of communication, but also a fun and rewarding hobby.

If you're interested in learning using modern and effective methods, I sell a
course developed by an expert in memory and cognition. The first couple of
lessons are available for free at [https://skilman.com/try-
it/](https://skilman.com/try-it/) if you would like to try your hand at it and
judge the course for yourself.

------
bsagdiyev
This is an awesome post. I just sat my Technician license test yesterday and
even with prior practice I'm still nervous about cutting my teeth using morse
in a real-world environment when my callsign gets assigned. This seems like it
is a great piece of material to read.

~~~
dbcurtis
CW Ops is for you. [http://www.cwops.org/](http://www.cwops.org/) They will
connect you with a CW mentor who will help build your skills.

~~~
bsagdiyev
Thanks, I will check this out!

------
cylinder714
An HTML version of the second edition, and links to various translations of
the third edition are at [http://www.tasrt.ca/](http://www.tasrt.ca/)

