Radio amateurs, or hams, still use Morse code every day and call it CW, for continuous wave. You no longer need Morse to get an amateur licence in most countries, but many operators learn it anyway, because a Morse signal gets through when voice cannot, needs very little equipment, and connects you with operators all over the world regardless of language.
What CW means
CW stands for continuous wave: a radio signal that is simply switched on and off. On means tone, off means silence, and the pattern is Morse code. It is the simplest kind of radio signal there is, and the first amateurs used it exclusively, because voice transmitters did not become common until around 1920.
Do you need Morse for a licence?
Not any more, in most places. Until 2003 the International Telecommunication Union required Morse proficiency for amateur licences worldwide. The World Radiocommunication Conference of 2003 made it optional, and many countries dropped the test. In the United States, the requirement ended on 23 February 2007.
So Morse is now a choice. That has arguably made the people who use it more enthusiastic, not fewer: they are there because they enjoy it.
Why hams still choose Morse
- It gets through. A Morse signal occupies a tiny slice of the radio spectrum, so its energy is concentrated, and a trained ear can pick it out of noise that would bury a voice.
- It needs little power. Many operators make contacts across continents with a few watts, a practice called QRP, using simple, home-built transmitters.
- It crosses languages. With Q codes and standard abbreviations, two operators who share no language can still exchange names, locations and signal reports.
- It is a skill. Like playing an instrument, it takes practice, and getting good at it is satisfying.
Your first contact
A first Morse contact follows a predictable pattern, which makes it less frightening than it sounds:
- Listen first. Tune around the CW part of a band and copy what you can. You will hear CQ,
-.-. --.-, the general call, over and over. - Answer a slow CQ. Find someone sending at a speed you can copy, wait for them to finish with K, and send their callsign, DE, and yours.
- Exchange the basics. Signal report (RST), name and location (QTH) are enough. Keep it short.
- Sign off. Thank them (TU), send 73 for best regards,
--... ...--, and end with the prosign SK,...-.-.
If someone sends too fast for you, send QRS, "please send more slowly". Most operators will happily slow down. The prosigns used here are explained in Morse code prosigns.
Getting ready
- Learn by ear. Follow a method like Koch's, described in how to learn Morse code.
- Copy W1AW. The ARRL's station W1AW sends Morse code practice every day at several speeds, with the source text published so you can check yourself.
- Choose a key. A straight key or a paddle; see telegraph keys explained.
- Practise sending. Record yourself and play it into the decoder to check your timing.
- Join a club. Many radio clubs run Morse classes and slow-speed practice nets for beginners.
Morse you will hear even on voice
Even if you only use voice, Morse is still around you on the bands. Many amateur repeaters, the hilltop relays used for local voice contacts, identify themselves with their callsign in Morse code. Once you can read it, you will start noticing it everywhere.
Start today
You do not need a licence to start learning. Set the translator to 15 or 20 words per minute with wide spacing and try copying CQ and 73. When those two sound like words instead of dots and dashes, you are on your way.