What is morse ?

Morse is the simplest means of transmitting a recognisable signal between stations. At its simplest, it consist of just turning on and off the transmitter to represent the dots and dashes of the Morse Code, this is often termed CW, meaning continuous, or carrier, wave. Morse, by its nature, is more likely to be used between stations, when all other modes fail due to interference or sheer lack of signal strength, because of the narrow bandwidth required. An interesting point is that the 'Morse' code we now use was not actually invented by Samuel Morse, although he devised the basic signalling method.

Where do I learn morse ?

There are transmissions on the HF, VHF and UHF amateur bands that are designed to bring you from a low level to a good level of morse, but these assume that you at least know the code first. These transmissions in the UK are co-ordinated by the RSGB (01707-659015) and are operated under the callsign GB2CW. There are other HF broadcasts world-wide and the most prominent of these are by the ARRL (American Radio Relay League) under the call W1AW. Another way of learning morse is from an instructional tape. These tapes are available from the RSGB and the G-QRP club amongst other sources.

Do I need to learn morse ?

No. The UK no longer requires morse competency, however some countries still do. However, since the abolition of the morse requirement at WARC-03, morse couintries may no longer require morse. This situation is constantly changing, and the countries concerned should be contacted for their latest requirements.

The main purpose of morse presently is to provide access to the HF bands. Morse is no longer and ITU requirement, though it is still mandatory in many countries' licencing for HF licences. Above 30MHz morse may still be useful if you want to use meteor-scatter (MS), or wish to work with very weak signal techniques such as EME (Earth - Moon - Earth) or use some satellites. If you want to use the HF bands, then a Class 'A' licence is required.

Morse assessment are still reuired fo rhte Foundation Licence, as before. Morse tests will be organised by the RSGB in conjunction with the First Class CW Operator'e Club, and other organisations to meet the requirements of other countries and to provide a means of promoting morse and checking proficiency for thise who wish to do so.

Why do we need the Morse Assessment?

In the UK the morse assessment is a requirement of the Foundation Licence, It is not a formal 5 words per minute morse test, but is designed to give newcomers to amateur radio an appreciation of what morse is.

What do I need to take to the Morse Assessment

Candidates will be required to bring with them, some form of identification that features their printed name and signature.

What's Involved in the Morse Assessment?

Firstly, please note that this is not a test, it is a short course, which will last about 30 minutes. The assessment is complete when a candidate can successfully decode a short piece of Morse code into text and successfully send a short piece of text in Morse. There is no speed requirement and the use of information sheets to help with decoding and coding will be provided.

The receiving assessment will involve the tutor sending by hand a text in Morse code; this will take the form of a contact between two amateurs and will consist of 20 to 30 characters. Candidates may copy this down as either letters or dots and dashes and if required use the decoding sheet to recover the message sent by the tutor.

The sending assessment will require candidates to send a pre-prepared text of the same format and length as for the receiving assessment. The candidate will be permitted to make preparations as required, for this assessment. A copy of the Morse alphabet will be provided.