Morse Code

[David Dunlop]

The Winnipeg Amateur Radio Club is currently in the process of surveying it's members to determine the level of interest for developing a Morse Code Course. In Canada, code is no longer a requirement for obtaining one's Basic Level with access below 30 meters. You just need to score 80% or better on your Basic Level Exam.

For me, therefore, getting accreditation in Morse Code, would be more a case of simply attaining another skill set, or mastering an ancient art form. To get this accreditation, one must attain a morse proficiency of 5 words per minute. No idea how big the words have to be.

From an equipment perspective I have all the bits, including a wartime training unit with paper tape. From an operational perspective, one typically can achieve greater range with a wireless set when operating in CW, rather than Voice. The grey area for me, is whether or not enough people are still out there working morse code, that one can actually use it in this day and age, other than for recognition of automated beacons.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

David

[Bruce MacMillan]

It's still in significant use. Just tune around the CW portion of the ham bands & you'll hear many sigs. It is a favorite mode of operation for some people, especially those using ex-military equipment. There's nothing more recognizable as the chirp from a 19 set.

Most of my spy sets are CW only and it's fun playing Moose & Squirrel.