Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Not to beat a dead horse, but I'm curious about this subject. Don't they still use code on the International Distress Freq ? (500Kc) ? I guess you can date me by that, using kilocycles vice hertz. Anyway, when I got out of the Navy, we were still required to keep one working WRT-1 onboard, in order to respond to SOS.
Dont confuse Morse Code radio trasnsmissions with using morse code. We fly a nukber of heavy russian aircraft, both militray and civilian. We fly a number of militray and civilian heavy aircaft for a number of countires and porivate entities. With the exception of maybe the Captain (age and history), nobody really can use morse code. Not even the com-officer can tap out a full message without mucking it all up. We do have a tranceiver device that when we type in our message, it can not only send it via regular radio transmission, but also converts the characters to morse code if we want. We use it only when we are operating in an area where certain information is still done by morse code. But that is more a service to those listening and not so much a need on our part. Even our ELT's are now all digital.
My husband is a 72 y.o. Air Force Veteran and he still can tap out anything he wants to in Morse Code. We were talking about Morse Code this evening and I started wondering if it is even taught or used in modern day military. If it is used-under what circumstances?
As of 2010 commercial radiotelegraph licenses using code tests based upon the CODEX standard word are still being issued in the United States by the Federal Communications Commission. Designed for shipboard and coast station operators, licenses are awarded to applicants who pass written examinations on advanced radio theory and show 20 wpm code proficiency [this requirement is currently waived for "old" (20 wpm) Amateur Extra Class licensees]. However, since 1999 the use of satellite and very high frequency maritime communications systems (GMDSS) have made them obsolete.
Radio navigation aids such as VORs and NDBs for aeronautical use broadcast identifying information in the form of Morse Code, though many VOR stations now also provide voice identification.[17] Warships, including those of the U.S. Navy, have long used signal lamps to exchange messages in Morse code. Modern use continues, in part, as a way to communicate while maintaining radio silence.
and then there's this...
In one case reported in the radio amateur magazine QST, an old shipboard radio operator who had a stroke and lost the ability to speak or write could communicate with his physician (a radio amateur) by blinking his eyes in Morse. Another example occurred in 1966 when prisoner of warJeremiah Denton, brought on television by his North Vietnamese captors, Morse-blinked the word TORTURE. In these two cases interpreters were available to understand those series of eye-blinks.
The History of Morse code (hosted by The Art of Manliness-Reviving the Lost Art of Manliness)
Morse Code is not dead; Back in style by Russian Spies in 2010
For Amateur Radio license requirements the FCC dropped the Morse Code requirement years ago. There is no current military use of Morse code
10 Russian Spies Arrested in the US (6/29/2010)
For Amateur Radio license requirements the FCC dropped the Morse Code requirement years ago. There is no current military use of Morse code. Just when you thought that Morse Code was dead. The Russian spies, recently arrested in the US, are keeping the The Code alive.
All members of 148 Commando Forward Observation Battery learn it as do Royal Navy Communications Officers (Telegraphists) and Royal Artillery Forward Observers. Comms specialists with the SAS, SRS and SBS will also learn it:
My husband is a 72 y.o. Air Force Veteran and he still can tap out anything he wants to in Morse Code. We were talking about Morse Code this evening and I started wondering if it is even taught or used in modern day military. If it is used-under what circumstances?
I'm currently in the Navy and we don't use morse code, and they don't teach it in boot camp. The closest thing that I can think of is q and z signals, but those are used in messages for brevity purposes.
Primarily, the Navy uses communications and utilize either HF, EHF or SHF, and usually require crypto devices to scramble/descramble communications.
I'm currently in the Navy and we don't use morse code, and they don't teach it in boot camp. The closest thing that I can think of is q and z signals, but those are used in messages for brevity purposes.
Primarily, the Navy uses communications and utilize either HF, EHF or SHF, and usually require crypto devices to scramble/descramble communications.
CTR's are the only rate that I can think of that would still learn it... As an ET we didn't have to learn it at A school but to qualify for Watch supervisor in the Tech control we had to know it... This was 20 years ago...
from 89-93 in the coast guard, the only time i remember seeing morse code used was when we did underway replinishment with the navy. along with the signalman, they had a light up there flashing morse code to us periodically on the oiler.
i wouldnt know about nowadays i reckon it could still be in use in that situation, non radio communication was a pretty high priority in that scenario.
I was a code operator (Radioman) in the USCG from '76 - '96. They quit teaching it with the advent of computers about that time. When the Iraq concern started, I wondered if I'd be recalled for my "talent", since computers were volunerable to electronic disruptions and morse code can be sent very primitively. But, no recall yet. I'd like to see a select few maintain the skill but, it's hard to learn. I'd bet I could get back in the swing of it with little practice, even now, but as a requirement it's sort of obsolete as long as computers stay operational.
As a ET I had to learn in order to complete my tech controller quals, so I could stand the radioman watch as an operator and as an supervisor.
ETs standing radio watches? Hmm, back in my day do not ever recall seeing this on any ship I was ever on. In those days ETs were the geeks of that era, considered rather elitist, and do not recall them standing routine watches.
ETs standing radio watches? Hmm, back in my day do not ever recall seeing this on any ship I was ever on. In those days ETs were the geeks of that era, considered rather elitist, and do not recall them standing routine watches.
The RM's where breaking so much crap, instead of standing 4 section duty they put us on the watch bill e-5 and below with the RM's for a two month trial. The RM's where not allowed to touch any equipment. We had a lot of HF 15 to 50 kw transmitters and if you didn't follow the correct procedures on them you could really screw them up. During the trial cas-reps dropped by over 90% and it was extended on a 6 month basis. During this time the base was also put on the closure list and allowed them to go with reduced manning until the closure. Plus all the ET's loved the no duty 48 on/off 48 on/72 off rotating schedule of the RM's, all the E-6's and above went to 12 section duty...
Also we had to qualify in the tech control and it was 90% of the radioman's job, the only other thing was circuit freqs, and message traffic...
Just dropping in here; didn't read all the previous posts. Also this is not related to the military, but I thought you guys might be interested.
I think that CW is no longer required as a base-level skill in obtaining a HAM radio license these days. Seems they don't see any possible use for it.
When I started in HAM about 1978) I built a lot of Heathkit stuff, including a little CW (continuous wave) transceiver (the HotWater [HW...] 8). It was nifty to converse (with my SB-104 TC) some lonely guy down in Australia. Now, of course, if I want to talk to that same guy, I just pick up my Motorola Mil-Spec cell phone and dial his number. Done.
But to "talk" to him via CW? Still fun. Lotsa! And I'm probably going to but the new EleCraft™ KX-1 kit, which is über-tiny, very portable, has a speaker (unlike the HW-8), and an electronic keyer. And it's just plain cool! {plus, it's more or less EM Pulse resistant if you store it in a metal travel box!). Otherwise, perhaps I'll maybe have to build an old "valve" type TC! OMG!
Well, keep it up guys! PS: I do think a radio or electronics/comm tech should know Morse code. Why? Because you never know when we might well need it, what with a well-placed EM Pulse generator lit off about dead-center over this country. Imagine if the 'Net, originally designed for University & Military use, were to go down! OMG, as the kiddies say! OMG!
Call me paranoid if you want to...
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'll bite and as I have said...very fascinating!
