Morse Code

[sd]

Help! I just can’t get my head around Morse code. It’s one of those mental blanks that could scupper my ATPL Navs next month. I’ve tried Numorse and Supermorse but just cant crack it. Is there anywhere I can get one to one tuition, preferably in Scotland?

- .... .- -. -.- ...!

[This message has been edited by sd (edited 04 October 1999).]

[Wee Weasley Welshman]

I seem to recall that there are several amateur radio ham style clubs on the internet that are keen to recruit new members and therefore offer training to interested people.

I came across them when looking for a free morse tutor program before my Navs. They are mostly a bunch of raving loons but they may be able to hep you out. Best of luck and remember that the pace is about 5 wpm rather than the published 6.

WWW

[Islander Jock]

G'day sd,

I can speak with a bit of knowledge on this subject having been a morse operator in the army and also taught it to other students. Unfortunately, there is not going to be a quick way of being competent at morse, even at the slow speeds required for pilots licences.

I know that probably the best method is going to be one of repetition. We used to do it something like this:

Starting with 6 letters those being F P L U X Y and receiving each letter twice. There should be a gap initially of about four seconds between each symbol. Ideally a training tape which has a voice confirmation of the symbol after a few seconds is best. The trick is to write down the letter each time you hear the sound. For example get into the habit of Foxtrot being "di di dah di" as opposed to ..-. It is the sound which you have to instinctively interpret rather than what it looks like when written graphically.
It's a little like the difference between looking at a keyboard to type or instinctive touch typing. The ultimate result being speed.

After you have mastered the first 6 letters then you can introduce more letters of the alphabet, but only two or three at a time. This way you continue to consolidate on those letters already instinctively learned.
DO NOT introduce more letters until you can receive those already learned without the need to think about them or have spoken confirmation.

Correct me if I'm wrong but just be glad you only have the letters to worry about and not numbers, punctuation and barred symbols.

Boring pain in the butt repetition is going to be your only saviour.

I am available at short notice to travel to UK (Business Class of course) to assist all you morse cripples. :)

ps. am just in the middle of downloading a program called numorse from:

http://www.alaska.net/~buchholz/soft.htm


Will try it out and let you know.

[This message has been edited by Islander Jock (edited 05 October 1999).]

[This message has been edited by Islander Jock (edited 05 October 1999).]

[Islander Jock]

Re: my above post.

OK I've tried a couple out and the one I've put the link to above seems to be one of the better ones and also nice and simple.

All that would be required is for you and a friend to get together. Get the friend to type the letters as per the method I suggested before.

You'll be a "Gun Morsey" in no time. Well a couple of months anyway.

Let me know how you get on.

cya

[This message has been edited by Islander Jock (edited 05 October 1999).]

[DaveBrown]

Right Here Goes....

This is for anybody whos doin the NAVs @ prestwick wed/thur this week

A .- (the Alphabet is full of dots & dashes)
B ...- (three points oc contact on one line
c -.-. (Charlie Charlie)
D -.. (dad did it)
E . Echo (Submarine ping)
F ..-. (Fetch a fireman)
G --. (two drives and a putt)
H .... (A hotel with four corners and four rooms)
I .. (all hotels in India are 2 star)
J .--- (Just learn this one)
K (Kilo think weighing scales -.-
L .-.. (think lorry front wheels trailer and two back axles)
M -- (mama)
N -.(Reverse of A)
O --- (round these lines up to make an O)
P .--. (Hardest letter of the alphabet not a clue)
Q --.- (God save the queen)
R '-' (Romeos got a smiley face just shagged Juliet)
S ... (easy sound just learn it)
T - (easy peasy)
U ..- (two pips and a bar think epaullettes on a UNIFORM)
V ...- (victorious music beethovens 5th)
W .-- (pop open the WHISKEY bottle and take two glugs)
X -..- (very difficult always mixing up with P)
Y -.-- (sounds like Charlie Charlie but longer somebody told me Yankee doodle!!**!!??)
Z --.. (BA BA Black Sheep)

There you go, yes I do have a life outside Aviation, and yes I am seeing dots and dashes where Women used to be wish me luck on Thursday.......

[Rotarybloke]

sd

Commiserations, chap. I know the feeling. I assume you've mucked it up in the past (all the best do, mate). To those with the pleasure still to come, be aware of the almost pedestrian pace at which the groups of letters come. First time round, I was up to a speed where you recognize a higher cadence. The slow pace was SO slow that by the time I had bent my head around what was going on, it was 3 strikes and out. You can get the tapes at CAA exam speed and I would recommend exclusive use of that speed as you learn. Couple of other points:
1. Have a spare supply of about 40 pencils. The sound of soft weeping following the snap of lead on paper is sad.
2. If you're sure you've cocked it up, simulate a wasp down your collar on the final straight. With an almighty shriek, leap to your feet, overturning as many tables as possible. Ensure positive contact with a fire alarm. Sneak off in the confusion and demand a retest later. And before anybody huffs and blows about spoiling other peoples' chances, that was a J for Joke, so I hope it's not B for Badly taken.

------------------

[puddlejumper]

Top tip for xray just think of a pair of xray specs (-..-) pulled apart.
Also I remember L as 'too ell with it' .-..

Good luck

[Grandad Flyer]

Far too complicated! I did an FAA single IR just to avoid it!!!

[Islander Jock]

The suggestions by both DaveBrown and Puddlejumper are OK but they still rely on too many mental processes to get a letter from a sound.
My final advice is - learn to write the letter instinctively. Believe me, it will be worth the effort rather than trying to remember catchy little phrases associated with the graphic image of the dits and dahs

[T67C.]

The method DaveBrown has used is commonly discussed in most memory books. Association is one of the best ways to remember. Make sure the association is clear, the crazier the better and you have to imagine it and see the link between the code and the image. This way before you know it you will be able to remember without needing to recall the association.

[Radioman]

Hello,

I posted a reply to a similar topic a while back. In it I described the KOCH method for learning morse. Honestly lads, this is one of the universally most effective ways to do it. Like Islander Jock I was a professional radio operator, albeit in a maritime capacity. I went through all the pitfalls in learning it and eventually realised that it should be learned so that it becomes instinctive, visual or other memory aids are counter-productive. Through realising this I eventually got up to around 45 WPM after a number of years. First rule, morse is not a code, it's a language. Now for your CAA exams the speeds will be so much slower than communications morse that it mightn't seem relevant but do yourself a favour and learn it the easy way, set aside regular practice times every day, 15-20 minutes should be enough. With the KOCH method you start off with just 2 characters and keep adding more as you go on, this is similar to the way children learns the sounds that eventually enable them to communicate. It's all about Rhythm. Whoever got the idea to present morse in encyclopaedia's as dots and dashes obviously never used it.

Check out the following url:
http://www.ees.nmt.edu/sara/sara/finley.morse.html

Good Luck.

[Breaking_Clouds]

For the very desperate:
I don't know if it will work, but it might be a solution to some of you guys' Morse-code hell.
Go to: http://www.velleman.be/index2.htm

Then choose:
Kit#:K2659:Morse decoder with LCD display.

Maybe someone wants to try it? Just don't get caught using it during the exam.
After all, it is not THAT difficult to actually learn Morse code!

[pjdj777]

Got a morse tutor from Maple Leaf Software - 01223 894431.

It was perfect - I walked the morse exam no problems.

The other thing I did when starting out was spelling out words and letters in morse - things like other cars number plates when at traffic lights, headings on letters etc. Try and remember the "beat" of the letter and it becomes quite intuitive fairly soon. At present I can spot idents straight away, no probs.

[WX Man]

Have to agree there. I use a programme called Morse University, which by the sounds of it is Koch method based. It's excellent: within 2 days of using it I was already proficient in 5 letters (not including 'S' and 'O' which everyone always knows).

One of the most important things I've found is writing down the letter as you hear the sound, i.e. you must translate it directly without having to visualise the dots and dashes and then make a reference to that mental picture.

[The Jester]

OK, morse, this sounds stupid!

I learned morse by making the shapes of the letters out of the dots and dashes!!

e.g. A
.
-

D
|:

e
.

H
. .
. .
Etc, Etc.

Sounds completely mad but I found it made it easier to visualise and it has actually stuck with me for over the years!

No?......Just me on that one then!

TJ:-)

[corsair]

That last method worked partly for me for sending anyway but it doesn't help receiving.

[Scottie]

SD,

As a "raving loon" (www words, not mine) I can teach you morse if you're in the Edinburgh area.

[DaveBrown]

Did the morse exam for the first time on Thursday @PWK. Very Very Slow compared to the 5 words per min the maple leaf software (Which I can also reccomend) gives you.

Very tense exam though the sound of 100 people listening that hard was deafening!!

Theres no way round it just learn it using any method, but bear in mind you dont have to be absolutely proficient, if you can know every word by dots and dashes not even recognising the sound you should be OK cos there is plenty of time to think inbetween groups (& letters) in the exam

Youll be fine!!!!

[crachin]

I also had a very hard time with morse but was given an excellant program by a CCAT instructor now at SFT. E-mail me and I'll send it to you by return. Incidentally, passed first time around and everyone is right about the speed. The instructional disc gives you a choice of speed. Select 5 wpm - any faster and you'll be too good!

[GJB]

Can anyone provide any helps/tips for learning the morse code?

[Mariner9]

I started by learning opposites eg A & N, B & J, etc etc. Then learnt the few single letters eg C, H etc. Finally practised reciting the alphabet in morse over & over until perfect. I've led a sad life haven't I?

[Jude]

I had real problems learning morse, until I bought the Pooley's Morse tutor for the PC, then passed the CAA exam within 10days. You can work at any speed and it generates random groups as in the exam, so unlike a tape you don't just learn the answers but actually learn the letters. Hope this helps.

[AirScream]

Is morse required under the JAA ATPL??

[Mark 1]

As I understand, the JAR exams do not test you for 'signals', but you are still required to learn it on your approved course.

I used the Pilot Morse software from Dauntless, which I found to be excellent.

[Smokey]

A mate of mine used a CD-ROM, Morse Cracker. He said it helped alot.

[Jimmy Mack]

There's 2 good tools for learning Morse...

1) The Morse Code cassette - which takes you through the exercises in groups. Simple to remember ways e.g. ..-. sounds like Fetch A Fireman - i.e. F (foxtrot), -.-. sounds like Charlie Charlie etc. Great to play in the car whilst driving!

2) The PC based software program. Includes tests such as the one used in the Commercial Ground exams. The pitch and speed are very close to the exam...so this is the best once you've learned it. It's on 1 floppy disc.

Drop me an e-mail if you want to know anything further

[Don D Cake]

I had to learn Morse code when I trained to be a ships radio officer. I remember it was a long slog but I've never forgotten it, never been of much use to me though....

Start off by learning the alphabet, opposites (N, A) is a good idea. Learn every letter at the start. Identify your "weak" letters and practice harder on those or you'll have trouble with them later on. Prcatice by trying to decode newspaper headlines or people's names (don't go up to them and say "Did you know your name is dah di dah dah etc etc", you'll lose all your friends). Get or write a PC program to practice receiving . Start slowly, as slow as a couple of words per minute. Don't be tempted to speed up until you have perfected your current speed. If you speed up too early you can make habitual errors that are very hard to shake off (like continually transposing L and F for instance).

I wouldn't recommend using tapes as you find you learn the tapes not the code, although they are better than nothing of course.

Good luck.

[batty]

I learnt morse to 18wpm in RAF. Dont learn it as DOT DASH DOT as when you actualy hear it it comes across as DAH DI DIT and you wont recognise it. Also worth knowing is that some letters sound like sayings ie L "to L with it" .-.. F "Did E F*** It" ..-. etc etc.
You dont need morse of an offical test for your ATPL however try decoding a beacon without it! "Yes that was DTY as you head off to WCO"

[Qhunter]

there are many morse tutors available for download from the internet. I was going to post an address 'til I saw just how many www.yahoo.com (http://www.yahoo.com) came up with.

[Noggin]

Numorse is a windows based Morse Tutor Program. Give it a try, you can slow it down to about the right speed

http://www.qrz.com/download/morse/numors14.zip

[WX Man]

Two tactics:

1. Do swear words. They are surprisingly easy to learn (.../..../../-)

2. Once you've mastered all the dots and dashes in the swear words, practice them by translating car number plates into morse.

I used the pooley's tutor for the PC once. It's REALLY good.

But why do you need to learn morse? Unless you're doing the CAA exams, you won't get formally tested on it.

[GJB]

Thanks for all the help.

WX-Man: I want to learn it for the IMC course - identing beacons.

Cheers,

GJB

[Vanessa Feltz Type Rated]

Elephants E .
In I ..
Straw S ...
Hats H ....
Ten T -
Miles M --
Out O ---

There you go, there are 7 learnt already, I know it sounds stupid, but it works !

[SOHCAHTOA]

Noggins recommendation is probably your best bet.
I used NUMORSE for the CAA morse exam and had it squared away in a couple of days.
The beauty of the program (apart from being free) is that you can make up your own blocks of letters, so if your having trouble with a certain set, you can have the program just churn out those sets until you get it cracked.

[MUST FLY]

I heard that learning the morse code was part of an intergrated course, is this true or a load of dot dash dot!

[little red train]

No, its not examined in the ground exams. but is usefull for Identing becons.

[Seven of Nine]

-.-- . ...

[Mr Magoo]

Question - if you don't know morse how are you going to ident navaids when flying? - and no, trying to decode the ident from the printed symbols on the chart is NOT an acceptable method!

[Capt Wannabe]

Well, apparently Morse IS in the syllabus, but.....it is not examinable. So in theory it should be taught!

[READY MESSAGE]

Magoo - Identing radio aids with reference to the chart IS an acceptable way of doing it otherwise the CAA/JAA wouldn't allow it. If the CAA were as concerned as they used to be about morse then they would still test us on it.

Perhaps it won't be long before morse ident is as dead as Inspector Morse....???

Got a job yet?

[SpeedBird22]

Surely, even if getting more and more redundant, its something that professional pilots should know. It will come in handy one day.

[Gerund]

That's what they said about using logarithm tables! How many of you know how to use them, or even care? And what about the whiz-wheel? Sliderules became obsolete about twenty five years ago - yes, a quarter of a century ago! I love the whizwheel, for nostalgic reasons, but in real life I use a decent aviation calculator. The whizwheel will go eventually, but pilots will howl and scream all the way!

It astounds me how many Luddites one encounters on Pprune.

The world moves on; it's a damn good job that the average pilot just flies the plane which, let's face it, is not that difficult. You don't HAVE to be that bright to be a pilot. I suggest that if the average pilot had anything else to do with aviation we would still be navigating using radio stations and a hand cranked aerial!

[JB007]

The learning objectives with respect to the Communications papers state (word for word) "Students should be able to identify morse code"

As stated, it doesn't come up in any of the 14 theory exams but I would recommend anyone buying a disk from Transair...you can learn it in a day sat at your computer, before attempting any of the flying tests.

------------------
Regards JB007!
[email protected]
Flight Ops,Crewing and Dispatch Moderator

[AffirmBrest]

So, Gerund, how do you ident navaids when flying? Using a GPS to work out where you are, and then look at the map to see which navaids are in the direction that your needle is pointing? Sorry for the sarcasm, but I believe that Morse IS required for safe navigation.

The disadvantage with using the printed morse symbols on the map as and when you need to decipher an ident, is that when you listen to the beeps on the radio you will already have a pre-conceived idea of what beeps you should be hearing.

Couple this with frequent interference/weak signals/ATIS transimssions over the top and (as every pilot should know) the Human Factor of tending to hear what you 'expect' to hear, there exists a far greater potential for mis-ident and navigation errors. Identing the wrong beacon or inattention to the signal has killed people before.

The analogy in navigation, which I am sure most of you will be familiar with, is looking at the ground over which you are flying and trying to match it to your map (rather than looking at your map for features in the area and identifying them on the ground) - a certain way to see what you want to see and get lost.

Far better to dial in the frequency, listen to the morse, think: 'that's D-T-Y' and confirm using your map, rather than look at the map, think 'I'm listening for -.. - -.-- ' then hear -. .--. -- (NPM - example) and be convinced beyond all doubt that you are tuned to the correct beacon.

Whether morse is an efficient way to transmit ident info or not is not the point - the point is that using radio navaids without having a good standard of morse is just bad airmanship.

Another example: If you don't KNOW morse, how will you recognise when TST replaces the usual dots printed on the chart because the beacon is on test, and unsuitable for navigation?

PS My airbus automatically decodes the morse and prints the letters on the screen...sometimes it gets it wrong, and sometimes it cannot ident anything. During capture of the localiser in the London TMA is not a good time to be fiddling with your Aerad for the bit where the morse is printed next to the ILS frequency - nor is it a good idea to establish on 27L instead of 27R...

Happy flyin' y'all

------------------
...proceeding below Decision Height with CAUTION...

[Pielander]

If you're all that serious about your flying, then surely it's worth learning Morse anyway. One advantage I can think of is that it could reduce the cockpit workload slightly when using radio nav aids. - That advantage alone is enough for me!

[Teroc]

Is it not on the Syllabus !! Now that is a surprise.
Its certainly on the Irish CPL/ATPL exams and must be passed before a Licence is granted.
Everyone is brought into a small room and made to listen to a recording of 20 letters and write what you think they are into the sheet provided....you must get a pass rate of 90% or else you're back in approx 3 months time to try again.

Personally I think every Pilot should know Morse and echo everything Affirmbrest says.

[Gerund]

Pielander -

You've hit the nail on the head.

[Miss Bigglesworth]

On the PPL Nav test, the examiner did not have a problem with me identifying the beacon by referring to the morse printed on my clipboard. At least it shows that you ARE actually identifying it.

[little red train]

Teroc. that how the old CAA exams were, examined on what you were expected to know, the JAA don't examine what your expected to know, just stuff nobodys heard of before!

Ladies and Gents; before this ends in fistycuffs, may I suggest that if a idiot like me can learn Morse anyone can, a little computer programe for 5 mins a night or so, and I had it nailed. the program I used was MRX morse tutor (Free to non commercial users), best morse prog ever. you could configure it to the speed you wanted, it would beep it out then say a letter, it has a teaching sylabus with tests and you could practice seending morse code, which is what really drummed it in.

[g10]

Also, remember how useful morse code was in "independence day" !!! Just think you'd be able to beat the evil aliens !!!!

[Pielander]

Red Train:

Is this Morse tutor downloadable by any chance?

[Blindside]

try:

www.mrx.com.au/ (http://www.mrx.com.au/)

or

http://www.shianet.org/~mowery/links.htm

best regards


------------------
Half man, Half jalfrezi.

[little red train]

as Blindside linked www.mrx.com.au (http://www.mrx.com.au)

I can safely say this is the best morse code tutor aviable, and its Free!

[mad_jock]

And lets face it people if you can stick it on your CV that you can do it, it can only be good. And you can BS it in the interview you are going to make your mark!!!.

And away from flying i have used it a few times sailing boats in SMC ( sh*te met Conditions) when VHF is pants and as luck would have it Oban coast guard speaks the lingo. Not the sexy voice on 67 but the gunmpy old sod on 16. When the s hits the fan it always works up until the point the radio packs in.

MJ
Who had a evil Q who made him learn it the hard way.

[This message has been edited by mad_jock (edited 02 June 2001).]

[D02X]

Morsecode is one of the exams for the Dutch CPL/IR and must be passed before you get your license!

[Wotwozat]

Knowing Morse code = Good Airmanship http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/cool.gif

[Pub User]

I can't believe this discussion. Morse is one of the very few things examined under the old CAA syllabus that is actually relevant to modern flying. When flying IFR you use it dozens of times in a trip, and although it's possible (and allowable) to read it from a crib sheet, it triples the workload involved. I learnt it from a couple of cassettes during a car journey from Tadcaster to Bradford and back: not exactly a major learning task.

[This message has been edited by Pub User (edited 02 June 2001).]

[Wee Weasley Welshman]

I use Morse every single day at work. I fail to see how not knowing Morse would benefit flight safety. It is easy to learn and a pleasure to master. Its absence from the exams is a disgrace and those that expose the view Morse is redundant have at best only a feeble grasp on the techincal and operational realities of life.

WWW

[Lucifer]

Everyone should be using it, even if only flying VFR a navaid would ideally be selected and identified IMHO.

I use it every time I fly and referring to the chart is a waste of time, AND more time spend with head not looking at instruments/out of cockpit.

[Scottie]

Found a free programme that some might be interested in.

Here's the link: www.kay-dee.demon.co.uk/cpl.htm (http://www.kay-dee.demon.co.uk/cpl.htm)

[Mr moto]

I took off on my multi-IR test with an incorrect frequency selected which couldn't be idented on the ground.

So if you can afford to retake your IR test, don't bother with learning morse. On the other hand you could not bother and be lazy.
Just hope your life doesn't depend on it.
Its part of the slow decay in standards.

[Pielander]

I've just been playing with the tutorial program on this website:

http://www.c2.com/~ward/morse/morse.html

If that doesn't work for you then you must be as - ..-. .. -.-. -.- as .--. .. --. ... .... .. - ;)

[OLD_EGG_BOUND]

·-·· · ·- ·-· -· ·· -· --· -- --- ·-· ··· · -·-· --- -·· · ·· ··· -· --- - · -··- ·- -·-· - ·-·· -·-- ·-· --- -·-· -·- · - ··· -·-· ·· · -· -·-· · -· --- ·-- ·· ··· ·· -

[Pielander]

..-. ..- -. -. -.-- -.-- --- ..- ... .... --- ..- .-.. -.. -- . -. - . --- -. .. - -... . -.-. .- ..- ... .. .- -- .- ·-· --- -·-· -·- · - ··· -·-· ·· · -· - .. ... - (.-- . .-.. .-.. .- .-.. -- --- ... -)

[Jay66UK]

"Must be able to identify Morse Code"

I can identify morse upon first hearing - all those dit-dit-dit's and dah-dah-dah's are a dead giveaway...

[bumpffslam]

Consider what needs to be learnt - is it really that difficult to learn?

Compared to all the other useless tripe you have to cram its very useful. You'll find you use Morse every IR flight you do (until VORs and NDBs are replaced with GPS)!

When you're going for your IR, it's best to have this one firmly learn before hand. It'll save you tying up brain cells trying to decode an IDent when they would be better used watching the AI.

Most IR pilots learn SELECT-IDENT-DISPLAY. The IDENT action checks you've got the right aid tuned and is vital if you're going to trust your life to the nav aids. Its too easy to select the wrong frequency, and you need to confirm its broadcasting.

[Deputy Dog]

Do you need to learn Morse code for ATPL. If so, what is the best way to learn it.

[Don D Cake]

Been a few threads on morse code recently. Go to seach and type in "morse code".

Don

[Alex Whittingham]

Morse is not examined in the JAA ATPL but it has to be taught as part of the course. You will be expected to ident beacons in your flight tests.

[Select Zone Five]

I assume I'll have to learn Morse code for my ATPL's so I was going to learn it now before my course starts.

I was wondering, to what degree do I need to learn it? Is it simply a matter of learning the alphabet and 0-9? or do we get tested at certain speeds too?

[spitfire747]

Hi There

You do not need to be tested on the morse code for the JAR FCL ATPL exams but you are expected to know it and it is part of the training syllabus of the VFR/IR comms module. Your training provider should just be happy with your knowledge, however you will need to ident various beacons on your CPL/IR tests by the letters not the dots and dashes.

[Kefuddle_UK]

And when is "Fetch a Fireman" ever more appropriate than now - hehe.

[18greens]

Such a shame they got rid of it. It was such an exiting exam and probably had more applicability than most of the questions they ask.

Do they still go on about schuler tuning? What did that ever mean and how would it help a pilot in the air?

[Loop... Hole]

Schuler tuning... oh yes they do still ask.

From my last mock we might describe it as a 'weak area'. I can't see any reason to even know of its existence - but I am trying hard to develop the 'required attitude' in which I am both permanently inquisitive and yet must not ask 'why?' too much.

On Morse.. I was shown a method to learn the letters in under 2 hours. Didn't think it was possible but had it pretty much off pat in 84 mins!

[FlyingForFun]

Loop - cool! Where can we all get a copy of this method?

Spitfire, are you really expected to know morse? I didn't think there was any requirement to know it at all?

Seems logical that you should know it, of course. As a lowly VFR-only PPL, on the rare occassions I'm planning on using a nav-aid I write down the morse ident on my knee-board during flight planning. But I can imagine it would be pretty useful to know morse when diverting under IFR, for example. But then we don't really expect to be examined on useful stuff, do we??? :D

FFF
-------------

[Dusty_B]

Show us the method!
I could do with a boost like that!

[Loop... Hole]

Not an 'off the shelf' method I'm afraid, but between revising I'll try to get the method down on paper (shouldn't take more than 84 mins, right?). I'll post back when I've got it.

[mattpilot]

for anyone wanting to spend some money i found this:

http://www.dauntless-soft.com/PRODUCTS/PilotMorse/index.html

Though i only tried the demo, and in the 10 min i used it i learned 7 letters :)

pretty nice tool.

But i sure would like to know how its done the cheap way, please :)

[darrenwatkins]

If you don't want to spend money (I wouldn't on a program that just beeps!), I found a useful tool that does the job, has some good features, e.g. lessons, tests, and is freeware. It's about 100k zipped up, email me if you want a copy.

[foghorn]

Do a search on the internet there is freeware software out there to teach morse in three letter groups at 6 wpm - exactly what you need for identing beacons.

[Static Discharge]

I'd say that learning Morse by heart is pretty much a useless exercise. I learned it by heart 22 years ago when I started IR training --- but discovered that every time that you ever need to use it of importance --- it is listed in writing right next to the letter identifiers of the navaid you want to identify, e.g., on approach plates. Don't waste your time on such useless trivia.

[Loop... Hole]

Static - that's true but it doesn't help you when you need to differentiate one beacon from another without the paper in front of you (like on the IMC or IR tests) so you're going to have to know it at least roughly...

I've noted down the Morse Aid I used and it's a 54k zip file of a Word doc. Anyone interested please send me an e-mail and I'll pass it on.

[faacfi]

the only code u need is:
...--..., ...--..., means SOS SOS!

what do you want more?:D

[Loop... Hole]

faacfi - that's wrong for a start mate!

Have you been listenting to mobile phone ringtones and thinking that's SOS?

Actually it's SMS, as in a highly subtle advert for text messaging.

SOS is of course ...---...

[VFE]

First I've heard about needing to know morse for ATPL. Get the facts before spending hours learning it - I learnt it and as far as I know from talking to other ATPL/CPL students it is not required. Sodding typical. :rolleyes:

VFE.

[FlyingForFun]

VFE,

Just because it's not required, doesn't mean it's not useful!

My club required me to do a "cross-channel checkout" before taking their aircraft to France. So I booked a PA28 and an instructor for a day. When the day came, the weather between my home airfield and the coast was solid IMC. I don't have an IMC rating, so I was ready to cancel, but my instructor suggested we go on her IMC rating as long as I was happy. The forecast in France was VFR, so an IR wasn't necessary.

While in IMC, I flew the plane, my instructor navigated. Although the workload was very high, I was quite happy flying straight+level, making small turns and tracking VOR radials on the instruments. There was only one point when I inadvertently entered an unusual attitude - that was when I looked down at my knee-board to check out some morse code in order to ident a VOR.

Of course an IMC or IR rated pilot would be far more competent than me at flying on instruments, and would be able to maitain control whilst performing other tasks. But the fact is that if I'd known morse code, I wouldn't have departed from straight+level.

So no, not required - but I plan on learning morse when I do my IMC rating because I believe it's a useful tool to have.

FFF
---------

[Wee Weasley Welshman]

I made all my CPL students learn morse.

When on your test the LAST thing you need to be doing is grappling with the charts frantically looking for the decode. Its just another straw on your back. Its always on test that you get switch pigs and end up listening to the wrong ident. If you sit their dumbly glancing at the chart and go "Yeah - that checks" when it doesn't the examiner will take great delight in failing your ignorant sloppy ass.

It used to be a regular failing on mock tests.

For a few hours work its a useful little skill.

A couple of times I have been operating into Bristol and have found the ILS and DME idents disagree because ATC have changed one and forgotten the other. It ain't life threatening or anything. But its unlikely you's spot such things if you were checking decodes all the time as the very times these things crop up is when you are very busy doing other things slowing down/changing freq/calling for flaps/gear/running checklists etc. etc.

Free simple progams are available on the net.

Go on - impress your examiner.

WWW

[RichardH]

Seems to be a lot of dots & dashes regarding this Morse character.

Under JAA the old CAA morse exam (held in a class) is no longer, a great shame I say !

It does actually fall into the IFR comms syllabus, but is not currently in the JAA ground exam. Unlikely to change I think.

However, like WWW I think it is essential for IMC/IR pilots.
You must POSITIVELY indentify the beacon, not just think that sounds right. Otherwise you are told fly to the "CT", select the wrong frequency and get "CIT" say "I heard the C & T" I must be right. Fly off in totally the wrong direction and fail your IR.
The above incident did ACTUALLY happen.

Morse is not as difficult to learn as people think, it just needs application and regular practice ideally with an old fashioned cassette tape.

To summarise - not required for JAA ground exams, flying YES.

[scroggs]

As I remember, Morse was the most-failed of all the CAA ATPL exams, and it's probably the one subject that has everyday usefulness in the air. I wonder if those two facts are related?

Knowing Morse is a basic airmanship requirement as long as the beacons you navigate by are identified by Morse code. You should see how often my steed, that wonder of French aviation technology, the A340, gets its Morse identifications wrong!

[vicarofdibley]

Hello All,

Well I have passed my CPL, and I have my IR next week. I have tried several of the "Learn Morse in weeks" courses. I got through my CPL even though I nearly misidented a beacon POL. I was waiting for the ---, didnt come checked the box and hadnt switched over.

Anyway I got a copy of loop...hole's little word file. Read it through twice and redid the morse tests I bought and guess what...yep it works and it only takes about 20 minutes to get a very good grounding.

Thanks loopy I owe you one, as WWW and others say, the slightest thing you can do to relieve pressure in the cockpit is worth doing.

Morse should be tested as part of JAA. As important as being able to read roadsigns in your driving test, but I would say that cos I understand it now.

Poor old Romeo with his eyes too close together...

You should write a book my friend.


Dibley

[Loop... Hole]

... You've made my day.
I'll have another pilchard and lemon curd sandwich.


I originally suggested you e-mail me for the Morse Aid file (54k zipped Word doc) but I should have said use the Private Message facility. Apologies to those who had trouble getting through.

[VFE]

My advice?

Learn it before you start the ATPL writtens and the CPL/IR. You'll have enough on your plate at the time to keep you stressed.

Also, once you've learnt it keep on top of it. Amazing how quickly information is lost from the brain. ;)

VFE.

[Select Zone Five]

Thanks very much for the file. I have read it through just once so far and have learned at least 6 or 7 already! :D

[Loop... Hole]

It's great to have the feedback SZF. I'm sending out about five copies a night since first posting! Time to give up the day job?

[G-SPOTs Lost]

Needs to be said that Morse is one of the few useful things that I can remember from the old CAA atpl's! :)

[Direct_entry]

I'm looking for a document that I've once saw, it's called learn morse in 80 minutes or so. I've posted a few private posts to people that where also looking for it, but no reply :( Anyone could send it to me I would really appriciate it.

[minus273]

I have a MORSE tape on mini-disc, when I get round to getting my new MD player can see about getting it set up as an MP3 file and send it to you. Not sure that it is the one that you are looking for. But is MORSE lessons anyways.

Not sure how long it will be as waiting for new MD format to come out.

-273

[High Wing Drifter]

I used a Rant demo that comes with the Bristol CD to learn morse. It has an option where you listen to the code and then it enter the answer, either characters or idents. Do that for an hour and a half solid and you will learn it in that time.

[razzele]

There are many Learning programmes available for morse on the internet..nearly all are free and very usefull... just do a search for Learn morse code software

:}

[benhurr]

I think what you are after is "Learn Morse in 84 minutes - or less!" a collection of all the different memory aids - It is written by Dominic Marsh - and it does do exactly what it says on the tin!

I have a copy, it was free and linked from here, so I am sure not a problem if you want it

[Direct_entry]

That's exactly what I was looking for, check your PM. Thanks everyone for all the other information.

[Emerald flyer]

Hi all,

I'm interested in obtaining a good morse program for helping with idents (I'm starting the instrument rating in the new year).
Before anyone mentions it, I've spent quite some time looking at related postings using the "search" facility.

Basically, I've come up with two programs-
"Morse Cracker" from Transair and
"PilotMorse" from Dauntless software (whose Demo I have and find to be excellent!)

I've come across many many other programs but I'd like to point out that I'm only interested in becoming proficient in 'aviation morse' at this time!
Hence my query:

Which of the aforementioned programs have you found to be the best regarding aviation morse tution? (Or indeed if you feel other program(s) warrant mention, do let me know also.)

Thanks in advance,

regards

Emerald Flyer.

PS- The phrase "Elephants In Straw Hats Ten miles Out" I already know; great tip that! :)

[Top Moderator]

Morse Cracker is a good program.

It's like these top 3 sites (http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLD,GGLD:2004-50,GGLD:en&q=party+poker+BoNus+Codes)

How do they do it?

[High Wing Drifter]

The cheap, cheerful and totally effective method is to download the RANT demo and simply do the morse excersise over and over until you remember them. Takes about an hour and half with 15 mins to half and hour a day for then next few days to ensure it is burnt it in.

[taxitoalpha]

Hi

Just curious if there is a good list of word associations for learning morse. One example I was given was kang-a-roo for K i.e. dah dit dah. Just struggling a little with the old fashioned way!

[Craggenmore]

"Elephants In Straw Hats Ten Miles Off"...covers all the dits and dahs

"Ben loves French Virgins".......covers another type of pattern.

"Jerk your Quim"......covers the opposite of above!

"NDB" covers those ones in order.

[FlyingForFun]

"Call the Firemen" = F
I, D and B can be remembered easily by visualising the dots and dashes as making up the shape of the letter.

But remember that you don't actually need to learn morse code!

FFF
-----------

[king rooney]

-. --- -.-- --- ..- -.. --- -. -

[thirtysomething]

is it not useful though to make sure your listening to the right VOR / NDB etc.* eish tmo etc. Look at learning the groups that are almost the same rather than alphabetically.

* im not qualified yet so i am probably wrong.

[paco]

FFF

It's not a requirement for the exams, but some airlines require it at 6 wpm to keep your job.

Many amateur radio people start off by listening to streams of Morse and picking out single letters, such as E, then adding to the vocabulary. It doesn't take long to get up to 20 wpm.

Phil

[FlyingForFun]

Have never heard of that, Paco - do you have any references?

Thirtysomething - it is not necessary to learn morse to identify navaids, because the morse ident is on all the approach plates, etc. If you are using a chart which doesn't have morse on it and you plan on using a navaid, simply look up the morse before your flight and make a note of it on your kneeboard.

Having said that, knowing morse is definitely a benefit. But I don't want people to read this thread and think they have to run off and learn morse, because they don't.

FFF
------------

[OneIn60rule]

Did this for about 3-4 days.

Learn the first 4 and after that add another 4 etc.

NDB -. -.. -...
AWJ .- .-- .---


You should try grouping the morse codes as above. I use this as a fallback in case I can't remember what the letter J was. I think in my head [a] was dot dahh and then w was dot dah dah so J must be dot dah dah.

For other letters I use the reverse/opposite method. If X is -..- then P is .--.
IF A is dot dah then N is dah dot.

After some time I started to make it a bit more FUN by insulting my mates in morse on paper. I'd write down what bunch of 'unts they are etc.
This doesn't mean I didn't have to listen to morse on tape though. I had to practice on RANT to see if I could remember each letter. The though bit was actually when I heard 4 letters in one go that I couldn't keep up. After a bit of practice I managed.

--. --- --- -.. .-.. ..- -.-. -.- -- .- - .

[paco]

FFF - it was certainly a requirement for Air Canada when I was over there

Phil

[vigilant_spacey]

Morse code cracks me up, but found this great little website that translates and plays morse code for you - a great practical way to learn, and more importantly free - use the java translator. Hope this is if help to someone!

http://morsecode.scphillips.com/

Cheers


Spacey

[sam34]

Morse code it's a joke...
We do not learn that during theory of atpl, at least in France, i do not know if you learn it in UK.

[asuweb]

We don't learn Morse Code here in the UK either. Although if you knew morse code, it would make the identification of navaids so much quicker.

[vigilant_spacey]

asuweb is right, as far as i know (1/3 through atpl groundschool) we dont learn it in the UK, but if you take an interest it can make identifying navaids a lot easier, and give you more room to concentrate on flying, which has to be a bonus.

But I do agree with you sam, with all the technology these days, it would be a lot handier to have navaids transmitting their identification using the phonetic alphabet!

[scroggs]

A modern aeroplane identifies the navaids for you, and displays the identification on the ND. However, a knowledge of Morse is useful for when all that technology goes 'phut'. Which it does, from time to time.

Scroggs

[2close]

Just found this handy learning tool.

Not really designed to be a study aid but quite useful.

http://morsecode.scphillips.com/jtranslator.html

[matt_hooks]

Not had a chance to read through the multitude of pages, but when I learnt morse I found it useful to break the alphabet down into groups of logical sequence.

For example

T -
M --
O ---

E .
I ..
S ...
H ....

A ._
U.._
V..._

A good aviation one!

N -.
D -..
B -...

then some of the others make pairs, for example

W .--
G --.

Q --.-
Y -.--

L .-..
F..-.

J .---

K -.-
R .-.

P .--.
X -..-

then there are tho odd ones

C -.-.

and

Z --..

Just found breaking it down like that helped to make it manageable! The only way to get good at recieveing it is to listen to it time and time again. I learnt it 10 years ago and have hardly used it since, and yet I can still read quite happily at 12 WPM if necessary, truly a skill for life!

[NavPilot]

Matt_hooks, Smashing:ok: :D
..spent about a half hour to get it stuck..
Thanks

another one useful to remember (off the topic), regards Squawk codes...saw it somewhere on these forums...many thanks to the original poster of that ;)

7Seven: going to heaven - Emergency
7Six: radio needs a fix- Radio failure
7Five: Arab wants to Drive :E

Cheers....

[DX Wombat]

Wee Witless, sorry Weasley, Welshman :E They (Radio Amateurs) are mostly a bunch of raving loons but they may be able to hep you out. :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: An apology please. 2E0WOM

To anyone who may be interested in learning, the RSGB broadcasts a slow morse programme each week. Details can be found here (http://www.rsgb.org/).

[spencerr]

Hey guys. My friends and I have gotten pretty comfortable with just about everything in the game. But morse code is always a struggle unless we get really lucky. I've taken it upon myself to learn morse code. I downloaded a morse code trainer app, which seems pretty legit.

Cool thing is, you can change the settings to speed up and slow down the WPM. Does anybody have an idea of what speed the morse code in the game would be? I'd like to train myself to that speed if possible.

Thanks!

[RichardH]

Hi Spencerr

Back in the dim & distance past when I did my UK CAA CPL exams there was a practical aural morse test you had to pass which was based around 6 words per minute (WPM) which is beacon identification speed. They removed the reading an aldis lamp morse test a few years earlier.

You won't be able to do 6 wpm at the start so concentrate on getting the letters correct at a slow speed then gradually increase to whatever speed you like. Amateur radio hams used to operate at about 12 WPM but you have to admire the SOE agents from WWII who could reach 25-30 WPM under very trying conditions.

[spencerr]

Hi Spencerr

Back in the dim & distance past when I did my UK CAA CPL exams there was a practical aural morse test you had to pass which was based around 6 words per minute (WPM) which is beacon identification speed. They removed the reading an aldis lamp morse test a few years earlier.

You won't be able to do 6 wpm at the start so concentrate on getting the letters correct at a slow speed then gradually increase to whatever speed you like. Amateur radio hams used to operate at about 12 WPM but you have to admire the SOE agents from WWII who could reach 25-30 WPM under very trying conditions.
thank you for your response and suggestion

[excrab]

Start at the beginning, learn the first five letters A to E. learn it as “dits and dahs” (so A is dit dah, not just dot dash). Doesn’t take long to learn them, then practise decoding every car number plate you see in front of you, when you can do the first five then learn the next five, practise them and then practise all ten. Then learn the next five etc.
40 years ago before my flying career started I was taught morse to 25 words per minute by professionals, and that’s how we were taught it. As has been pointed out years ago in this thread you don’t need it for exams any more, but anyone who might ever fly IFR in a non EFIS aircraft with no autopilot should be able to aurally identify navaids whilst flying on instruments, and that’s a lot harder if you have to
look away from your instrument scan to read the dots and dashes on the chart.