Understanding Morse Code as Telegraphic Communication

When I was a Boy Scout, one of the things that we would work on in the winter was understanding Morse Code. Morse Code is a method of transmitting telegraphic messages. It was created in the early 1840's by Samuel Morse. It was used for the electric telegraph to send messages over the wire. Beginning in the 1890's, it was also used over the radio. For the first half of the 20th century, it was used for international high speed communication. It has since been replaced by the Baudot code and the ASCII.

Today it is mainly used by radio ham operators. It is also used as a land beacon at night by blinking lights. It is also used by ships at sea the same way. The standard signal for help is the SOS. It is 3 quick lights followed by 3 long light's, and then 3 quick lights again. It is the most recognizable signal of all.

Morse Code can be beat out by a drum or wood on wood as well. The short tone is a dot and the long tone is a dragged out dah or dash. When the telegraph was developed by Morse and Alfred Vail, they had to figure out a code that would send a message across the countryside. At first everything just went by sound. However, over time they were able to develop a way with electricity and electromagnets to develop print characters in readable form. This eventually lead to what was known as ticker tape. The code was adjusted to the English language to keep it uniform.

Even though it is used less today, it is still the longest used code than any other electronic coding system. Until 2003 the ITU (International Telecommunication Union made it mandatory radio license operators knew and could use the code. In 1991, an operator had to spell out a total of five words in one minute to be an operator. Good skilled operators can understand words up to 40 a minute. The record 75.2 words per minute in 1939 by Ted McElroy as he recorded that many. The most ever sent by use of a single digit transmitter was 35 by Terry Turner in 1942.