Morse Code

Morse Code

Morse code is a system of intermittent code signals that represent letters, numbers and punctuation marks, developed by Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail. It is, basically, a very early form of digital communication. Unlike the modern binary codes which use two states, however, morse code uses three states. A binary code uses on and off (usually denoted by 0 and 1), but morse uses on (or dot), long on (or dash) and off. Different lengths of off also mean different things, so strictly speaking there are more than 3 states.

International Morse code is still in use today, although nowadays it is mainly used by amateur radio operators. Because it does not rely on any complex equipment, it is still worth knowing for anyone who might find themselves in a survival situation.

Letters in Morse Code

Letter Morse Letter Morse

A -З N -З

B -ЗЗЗ O ---

C -З-З P З--З

D -ЗЗ Q --З-

E З R З-З

F ЗЗ-З S ЗЗЗ

G --З T -

H ЗЗЗЗ U ЗЗ-

I ЗЗ V ЗЗЗ-

J З--- W З--

K -З- X -ЗЗ-

L З-ЗЗ Y -З--

M -- Z --ЗЗ

Numbers in Morse Code

Number Morse

0 -----

1 З----

2 ЗЗ---

3 ЗЗЗ--

4 ЗЗЗЗ-

5 ЗЗЗЗЗ

6 -ЗЗЗЗ

7 --ЗЗЗ

8 ---ЗЗ

9 ----З

Normally, in terms of timing, a dash is three times the length of a dot. The length between dots and dashes is a dot, and the length between letters is a dash. The length between words is seven dots.

For a full history and description of Morse Code visit Wikipedia.