Information on Morse Code for the Novice License

The availability of a code-free technician license seems to be a great asset for many hams, because it allows them to do what they believe to be impossible, to learn Morse Code (commonly referred to by hams as "CW").  Many are under the impression that they can never learn it because they were just not meant to.  Baloney.  How many would-be hams do you think completely stayed away from amateur radio before the Technician No-Code license came to be just because they were rattled by Morse Code?  Not many, I'll bet.  They just put their mind to it and eventually did it.  It's the same today, except you've got it much easier, mainly because of two great resources: tapes and software.  Both are readily available; the tapes are not that expensive, and the software can be located for free or very cheap.  The main kicker of CW is that it must be learned by recognizing the sounds, not the visual component, which is why software and tapes are so advantageous.

WHAT IS THE MORSE CODE TEST LIKE?

For you novices and tech pluses-to-be, you must pass a 5 word-per-minute (wpm) exam.  You'll be given a CW message to listen to, but who knows what that message will be?  It is a short passage of code selected by a volunteer examiner and put on tape for you to listen to.  You will be expected to translate as much code as possible in the given time.  Then you will be given a 10-question test to answer concerning the content of the message, sometimes the test is given in multiple choice.  So even if you miss a letter or two as you transcribe, you will probably have enough of the pieces to put the message together.

The best that I can do on this site is give you the visual.  The "dits" and "dahs" are commonly used to express the "short" and "long" tones of Morse code.  Check below the tables for sites that may be of aid to you.  Then be sure to check out the links below for more help.

 

LETTERS

"A" . _ didah
"B" _ . . . dahdididit
"C" _ . _ . dahdidahdit
"D" _ . . dahdidit
"E" . dit
"F" . . _ . dididahdit
"G" _ _ . dahdahdit
"H" . . . . didididit
"I" . . didit
"J" . _ _ _ didahdahdah
"K" _ . _ dahdidah
"L" . _ . . didahdidit
"M" _ _ dahdah
"N" _ . dahdit
"O" _ _ _ dahdahdah
"P" . _ _ . didahdahdit
"Q" _ _ . _ dahdahdidah
"R" . _ . didahdit
"S" . . . dididit
"T" _ dah
"U" . . _ dididah
"V" . . . _ didididah
"W" . _ _ didahdah
"X" _ . . _ dahdididah
"Y" _ . _ _ dahdidahdah
"Z" _ _ . . dahdahdidit

NUMBERS

"1" . _ _ _ _ didahdahdahdah
"2" . . _ _ _ dididahdahdah
"3" . . . _ _ didididahdah
"4" . . . . _ dididididah
"5" . . . . . dididididit
"6" _ . . . . dahdidididit
"7" _ _ . . . dahdahdididit
"8" _ _ _ . . dahdahdahdidit
"9" _ _ _ _ . dahdahdahdahdit
"0" _ _ _ _ _ dahdahdahdahdah

PUNCTUATION AND SPECIAL CHARACTERS

"." . _ . _ . _ didahdidahdidah
"," _ _ . . _ _ dahdahdididahdah
"?"
. . _ _ . . dididahdahdidit
"AR" . _ . _ . didahdidahdit (end of message)
"SK" . . . _ . _ didididahdidah (end of contact)
"BT" _ . . . _ dahdidididah (double dash, break or pause)
"DN" _ . . _ . dahdididahdit (slant /)
"KN" _ . _ _ . dahdidahdahdit (Go only)
"K" _ . _ dahdidah (If alone, means "any station transmit"

 

The Radio Amateurs of Canada CW Website

KO6YQ's Introduction to Morse Code

An Interesting Visual Tool for Learning Morse Code (provided by AA2MZ)

W5LA's HamTutor Code Software - try out the shareware version . . .

 

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