SOUNDS OF (Version 2) NUMERALS (10)

Using dots and dashes to represent the sounds of 1 di-DAH-DAH-DAH-DAH Morse code is HIGHLY discouraged. 2 di-di-DAH-DAH-DAH Morse code is a language of SOUND, and by 3 di-di-di-DAH-DAH converting SOUND into dots and dashes, THEN 4 di-di-di-di-DAH converting dots and dashes into the letter the 5 di-di-di-di-dit SOUND represents WILL shoot you in the foot when you try to pick up speed. You can count on it. 6 DAH-di-di-di-dit (Continued next page...) 7 DAH- DAH-di-di-dit 8 DAH- DAH- DAH-di-dit FCC 43 CHARACTERS: 9 DAH-DAH-DAH-DAH-dit LETTERS (26) 0 DAH-DAH-DAH-DAH-DAH

A di-DAH PUNCTUATION & PROCEDURALS (7) B DAH-di-di-dit C DAH-di-DAH-dit BT DAH-di-di-di-DAH = (Note 1) D DAH-di-dit ? di-di-DAH-DAH-di-dit E dit / DAH-di-di-DAH-dit F di-di-DAH-dit , DAH-DAH-di-di-DAH-DAH G DAH-DAH-dit . di-DAH-di-DAH-di-DAH H di-di-di-dit AR di-DAH-di-DAH-dit + (N0te 2) I di-dit SK di-di-di-DAH-di-DAH (Note 3) J di-DAH-DAH-DAH K DAH-di-DAH PROSIGNS NEEDED FOR GOOD CW OPERATING, NOT IN THE FCC 43 L di-DAH-di-dit M DAH-DAH BK DAH-di-di-di-DAH-di-DAH (Note 4) N DAH-dit KN DAH-di-DAH-DAH-dit (Note 5) O DAH-DAH-DAH AS di-DAH-di-di-dit (Note 6) P di-DAH-DAH-dit @ di-DAH-DAH-di-DAH-dit (Note 7) Q DAH-DAH-di-DAH error di-di-di-di-di-di-di-dit (Note 8) R di-DAH-dit NOTES S di-di-dit T DAH 1. “Double Dash” is used as a pause between U di-di-DAH topics and may be represented as an = sign. V dI-di-di-DAH 2. “End of Message” represented as a + sign. W di-DAH-DAH 3. “End of Work” at end of QSO X DAH-di-di-DAH 4. “Break” is equivalent to voice “Over.” Y DAH-di-DAH-DAH 5. “Invitation to transmit – specific station” Z DAH-DAH-di-dit Compares to K, invitation to transmit – anyone. ______6. “Wait” indicates a brief interruption in WHY “AND” IS SPELLED “ES” IN MORSE CODE transmission to to turn head and speak briefly to someone in the room, as one example. American Morse code is made of short sounds, “dit” 7. Newest addition May 3, 2004 for email address. and long sounds “DAH” and longer sounds “DAAAH” 8. Error in sending, may be represented by a slow and spaces. And this Morse code contains the series of E E E E E E E or ? (). , “&” which sounds out as dit---di-di-dit. Follow the error signal with repeat of the last American “&” translates into International Morse letter good word sent before the mistake. sequence “ES” – and now you know the rest of the story! SOUNDS OF MORSE CODE

Using dots and dashes to represent the The word PARIS and the word-space after is sounds of Morse code is HIGHLY used to time the words-per-minute speed of the discouraged. code being sent. Morse code is a language of SOUND, and by converting SOUND into dots and dashes, di-DAH-DAH-dit di-DAH di-DAH-dit di-dit di-di-dit THEN converting dots and dashes into the letter the SOUND represents WILL shoot you It takes 5 seconds to send PARIS with a 0.1- in the foot when you try to pick up speed. second unit of time, including the seven- You can count on it. tenths second word-spacing after each, This statement has been included twice in this resulting in 12 words per minute. PARIS will document for a very good reason. be sent twelve times in one minute, with the We choose instead to use the words “dit” for the thirteenth PARIS starting the second minute. short sound and “DAH” for the long sound to remind you that you are learning a language of I honestly didn't know what speed I was dealing sound. with until I wrote this article and counted up the math. 12 WPM is not a fast speed, but it seems You may note that we have spelled the short so at the outset of learning Morse code. sound as “di-” when followed with another sound. It flows more smoothly to call an The Farnsworth Method “H” as di-di-di-dit instead of “dit-dit-dit-dit.” At slow speeds of under 12 words-per-minute (WPM), it is best to present the Morse code at at Morse Code Has a Timing Rhythm least 15 WPM, and exaggerate the letter Morse code is made of short and long sounds, spacing and word spacing to achieve something separated by element spacing, letter spacing like 4 and 5 WPM. and word spacing, where: One does not have the chance to break the • short sound = 1 unit of time sounds down to dash-dot-dot-dot or dash-dot- dot-dot-dot, when the code is sounded that fast, • Long sound = 3 units of time and one is better able to recognize the sounds • element space = 1 unit of time as a complete letter. • letter-space = 3 units of time Oh, it is tough sometimes at the first time around • word-space = 7 units of time to determine if that was dit or dah, but practice, practice, practice, is the name of the game to sharpen your skills. Applied to a certain speed of Morse code, each time unit may be a tenth of a second. Taking the letter A, di-DAH, the short sound is LAUGHTER IN MORSE CODE 0.1 second, plus the element space after is 0.1 second, plus the long sound is 0.3 seconds long. Many instant-messaging abbreviations have Looking a di-DAH in print, the di syllable is 0.1 shown up on the air, even though there are second, the dash is the element space, also 0.1 many abbreviations historically used when second, the DAH syllable is 0.3 seconds. If A is sending CW. the first letter of a word, there will be a 0.3- It would take a long time to say LOL in CW second pause before the next letter, and if A is transmissions of relatively slow speed, but the word, the space following will consume 0.7 Morse has its own abbreviation for laughter: seconds before the first letter of the next word HI or HI HI is a sign of a chuckle. begins sounding. – Now you know the rest of the story!! SIGNAL REPORTS – RST SYSTEM SAMPLE QSO SHOWING USE OF RST

Signal reports consist of three numerals for CQ CQ CQ DE KA5XAM KA5XAM KA5XAM K readability – strength – tone quality. The number “599” means R-5, S-9, T-9. KA5XAM DE W4QYZ W4QYZ KN Voice communications only use Readability – Strength: 59. W4QYZ DE KA5XAM BT TNX FER THE CALL OM BT UR RST 579 579 BT MY QTH IS NR From the web site: HOUSTON, TX HOUSTON, TX BT NAME IS www.hamuniverse.com/rst.html JACK JACK BT HW CPY? W4QYZ DE KA5XAM KN READABILITY SCALE OF 1 TO 5 R R KA5XAM DE W4QYZ BT FB SIGS JACK 5 – Perfectly readable, “armchair copy.” ES TNX FER THE REPORT BT UR RST 589 589 PEAKING 15 OVER S9 BT QTH IS 4 – Readable with practically no difficulty. JACKSONVILLE. FL JACKSONVILLE, FL BT 3 – Readable with considerable difficulty. OP IS GEORGE GEORGE BT PSE QSL BT 2 – Barely readable, occasional words distinguishable KA5XAM DE W4QYZ K 1 – Unreadable

What did all of this mean: STRENGTH SCALE OF 1 TO 9

KA5XAM called CQ, looking for anyone to reply. 9 – Extremely strong signals (“KA5XAM” is a call sign not issued in the amateur 8 – Strong signals service because 2x3-format calls with first letter X in the 7 – Moderately strong signals suffix, are reserved for experimental licenses.) 6 – Good signals 5 – Fairly good signals W4QYZ responded to the CQ call. 4 – Fair signals (Call signs with a three-letter suffix starting with Q are 3 – Weak signals not issued in the amateur service, as Q-codes have 2 – Very weak signals special meaning.) 1 – Faint signals, barely perceptible KA5XAM responded, saying, “Thanks for the TONE SCALE OF 1 TO 9 call, Old Man.* Your RST signal report is 579. My QTH [location] is near Houston, Texas. Name is Jack. How copy? W4QYZ this is 9 – Perfect tone, no trace of ripple or modulation of any kind KA5XAM (invitation to transmit – W4QAM only) 8 – Near perfect tone, slight trace of modulation 7 – Near pure tone, trace of ripple modulation Roger Roger, KA5XAM this is W4QYZ. Fine 6 – Filtered tone, definite trace of ripple modulation business signals Jack, and thanks for the report. 5 – Filtered rectified a.c. but strongly ripple-modulated Your RST 589, peaking to 15dB over S9 on my 4 – Rough note, some trace of filtering meter. QTH is Jacksonville, Florida. OPerator is George. Please send a QSL card. 3 – Rough a.c. tone, rectified but not filtered 2 – Very rough a.c. , very harsh and broad He turns it back, using the invitation to transmit – 1 – Sixty cycle a.c. or less, very rough and broad anyone (K). * OM is Old man, regardless of age, YL is Young lady, regardless of age! MORSE CODE ABBREVIATIONS GUD - Good GV - Give GVG - Giving From the web site HH - Error in sending www.kent-engineers.com HI - The telegraph laugh; High /abbreviations.htm HPE - Hope AA - All after HQ - Headquarters AB - All before HR - Here; Hear ABT - About HV - Have ADR - Address HW - How, How Copy? AGN - Again IMI - Repeat, Say Again AM - Amplitude Modulation INFO - Info ANT - Antenna LID - A poor operator BCI - Broadcast Interference LNG - Long BCL - Broadcast Listener LTR - Later; letter BCNU - Be seeing you LV - Leave BK - Break, Break in LVG - Leaving BN - All between; Been MA - Milliamperes BTR - Better MILL - Typewiter BUG - Semi-Automatic key MILS - Milliamperes B4 - Before MSG - Message; Prefix to radiogram C - Yes, Correct N - No, Negative, Incorrect, No More CFM - Confirm; I confirm NCS - Net Control Station CK - Check ND - Nothing Doing CKT - Circuit NIL - Nothing; I have nothing for you CL - I am closing my station; Call NM - No more CLBK - Callbook NR - Number CLD - Called NW - Now; I resume transmission CLG - Calling OB - Old boy CNT - Can't OC - Old chap CONDX - Conditions OM - Old man CPY – Copy OP - Operator CQ - Calling any station OPR - Operator CU - See You OT - Old timer; Old top CUL - See You later PBL - Preamble CUM - Come PKG - Package CW - PSE - Please DA - Day PT - Point DE - From, This Is PWR - Power DIFF - Difference PX - Press DLD - Delivered R - Received as transmitted; Are; Decimal Point DLVD - Delivered RC - Ragchew DN - Down RCD - Received DR - Dear RCVR - Receiver DX – Distance RE - Concerning; Regarding EL - Element REF - Refer to; Referring to; Reference ES - And RFI - frequency interference FB - Fine Business, excellent RIG - Station equipment FER - For RPT - Repeat, Report FM - Frequency Modulation; From RTTY - Radio teletype GA - Go ahead; Good Afternoon RST - Readability, strength, tone GB - Good bye, God Bless RX - Receive, Receiver GD – Good SASE - Self-addressed, stamped envelope GE - Good Evening SED - Said GESS - Guess SEZ - Says GG - Going SGD - Signed GM - Good morning SIG - Signature; Signal GN - Good night SINE - Operator's personal initials or nickname GND - Ground SKED - Schedule MORSE CODE ABBREVIATIONS continued THE S-METER

From the web site The S meter is a relative signal indicator. Some www.kent-engineers.com manufacturers specified 50 microvolts at the /abbreviations.htm antenna terminal at 14 MHz to be S9, while SRI - Sorry others specified 100 microvolts. The antenna SS - Sweepstakes terminal impedance is 50 ohms. SSB - Single Side Band Typically, the meter would read less on higher- STN - Station SUM - Some frequency bands and more on lower-frequency SVC - Service; Prefix to service message bands. T - Zero The meter scale is read as S1 through S9, with TFC - Traffic each S-unit being approximately 6dB. TMW - Tomorrow TKS - Thanks Numbers above S9 are decibels over S9. A TNX - Thanks reading of 10 is read as “10dB over S9,” or TR - Transmit simply “10 over 9.” T/R - Transmit/Receive TRIX - Tricks TT - That On higher-frequency bands there may well be TTS - That is times with solid copy with no S-meter reading, TU - Thank you while on lower frequency bands like 7 MHz or TVI - Television interference lower will often have noise levels that can TX - Transmitter; Transmit register at S5 or more, with typical strong signals TXT - Text being over S9. U - You UR - Your; You're URS - Yours Some radio transceivers have both an VFB - Very fine business attenuator and a preamp, while others only have VFO - Variable Frequency Oscillator the attenuator. Use the preamp only when VY - Very W - Watts needed. It is not generally needed when there is WA - Word after a lot of noise present. WB - Word before WD - Word When there is a lot of noise present, as in WDS - Words WID - With thunderstorm static crashes, it is wise to reduce WKD - Worked the RF Gain control. In most cases, reducing WKG - Working the RF Gain will cause the S meter to rise. WL - Well; Will Switch the antenna switch to an empty position WPM - Words Per Minute for a moment, and set the RF Gain back to WRD - Word WUD - Would where the S meter will hang at about the noise WX- Weather plus an S unit. Switch the antenna back in, and XCVR - Transceiver likely the signals will be more pleasant to listen XMTR - Transmitter to. XTAL - Crystal Switching to an empty antenna slot will help with XYL - Wife YL - Young lady setting the RF gain because sometimes the YR - Year AGC causes the receiver to temporarily go deaf 30 - I have no more to send while adjusting the gain with a high noise floor 73 - Best Regards present. 88 - Love and kisses