Morse Code, either of two systems for representing letters of the alphabets,numerals, and punctuation marks by an arrangement of dots, dashes, and spaces. The codes are transmitted as electrical pulses of varied lengths or analogous mechanical or visual signals, such as flashing lights. One of the systems was invented in the United States by American artist and inventor Samuel F.B. Morse during the 1830’s for electrical telegram. This version was further improved by American scientist and businessman Alfred Lewis Vail, Morse’s assistant and partner. Soon after its introduction in Europe, it became apparent that the original Morse Code was inadequate for the transmission of much non-English text, since it lacked codes for letters with diacritic marks. To remedy this deficiency, a variant called the International Morse Code was devised by a conference of European nations in 1851. This newer code is also called Continental Morse Code.
An antique Morse key, or telegraph key, from about 1860
The two systems are similar, but the International Morse Code is simpler and more precise. For example, the original Morse Code used patterns of dots and spaces to represent a few of the letters, whereas the International Morse uses combinations of dots and short dashes for all letters. In addition, the International Morse Code uses dashes of constant length rather than the variable lengths used in the original Morse Code.
The International Morse Code has, except for some minor changes in 1938, remained the same since its inception. (The American telegraph industry never abandoned the original Morse Code, and so its use continued until the spread of teleprinters in the 1920’s and 1930’s.) International Morse Code was used in World War II and in the Korean and Vietnam wars. It was used heavily by the shipping industry and for the safety of the seas up until the early 1990’s. Although amateur radio made up only a small part of Morse Code usage, it did prepare many hundreds of operators for military duty in communications. In the early 2000’s most countries had dropped the ability to decipher Morse Code from the requirements for obtaining an amateur radio license.
Advantages of Morse Code
In the modern age, the Morse code is still as relevant as it was in the days of old. Here are the advantages of Morse code.
1. Cheap
Use of the Morse code is a cheaper way to send information over long distances. For over 150 years since information transmits easily over longer distance via radio waves in an easy and cheap way.
2. Wireless
The lack of wires has made the application of Morse code diverse since it is silently sent and received at any desirable speed. Its wireless nature makes Morse code receivable though any visible means.
Disadvantages of Morse Code
During the war, the Morse code got widely applied in the World Wars to ensure that neither side could decipher their secrets. Below are some of the other disadvantages of Morse.
1. Learning the Morse Code
The Morse code is not an easy concept to understand and it is largely a reserve of a few radio programmers. The concept is not easy to learn either and the machines are in scarcity in the modern age. It is also tough to apply in the modern era that is
2. Time Consuming
Sending and decoding of the Morse code is time consuming and it is the reason many people put it off. When the transmission of information is at high speeds, the
3. Interruption
The Morse code is easy to intercept and it is no longer a reliable option compared to the recent technological inventions. Better technologies are in a position to provide better channels of passing information.
Morse code application spans through the aviation industry, amateur radio and a host of other uses in the past. In assistive technology, Morse code is also helping people with disabilities like deafness, motion disability, to communicate.
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