Morse Code

The history of morse code dates back to a time when telecommunication was only in its infancy. Morse Code itself is a prehistoric system whose purpose is as powerful as the messages it sent out. 15 ….. Each letter of the alphabet has a different compilation of dots and dashes to help the end user decipher the words being communicated.

By encoding text into a series of dashes and dots, it can be transmitted by means of sound, light or radio waves, and that can be decoded by a skilled listener without special equipment. The system is named after the American artist Samuel Morse.

16 ….. The code was later adapted for more general use by Alfred Vail, who added letters, special characters and punctuation marks to the code, in such a way that the most frequently used characters were represented by the shortest codes (e.g. the letter 'e' is a single dot).

In the early days, morse code was used to send short text messages over long distances by means of the so-called electrical telegraph via electric wires. 17 …..

At the receiving end, the electric current engaged an electro-magnet, that would 'click' in the rhythm of the morse signals. In most cases the codes were directly written to paper by attaching a pen to the electro-magnet, resulting in the original series of dots, dashes and spaces. The image below shows the word MESSAGE printed by a telegraph in morse code on a paper strip.

18 ….. The dots and dashes were later translated into text again. Some operators were trained to recognize the 'clicks' of the electro-magnet, translate them to text and write them down directly.

In the 1890s, morse code began to be used for radio communication as well, as it was not possible to transmit voice at the time. When used over radio, the dots and dashes are represented by a series of short and long tones, often called dits and dahs by the operators.

As morse code requires limited bandwidth, it was ideal for transmission via Short Wave Radio (HF). 19 ….. Morse code was heavily used for (secret) transmissions during WWI and WWII.

As telecommunications began to evolve, the Morse Code system became pivotal during World War eras. During WWII, Morse Code was utilized between warships and naval bases, because radio frequency was limited and also easily identifiable by military enemies.

20 ….. The United States military still trains a small number of its recruits on this antiquated communication system, as it may prove beneficial should all other communication systems fail in a dire time of need. While the use of Morse Code may not serve the same purpose as it did years ago, its legacy still lives on.