Instructions for Learning International Morse Characters - TM 11-459 War Department Technical Manual

1. Purpose. — This manual is provided as a text for students learning and acquiring skill in the use of International Morse characters. It may be used by students being taught the characters by either of two approved teaching methods. The tape method makes use of a recorded tape with associated equipment as a source of character sounds. The record method employs phonograph records and reproducing equipment as a source of character sounds.

2. Scope. — a. This manual contains instructional material for student use during his learning of the International Morse characters
• This manual supersedes TM 11-454 dated April 21. 1942. so far as that manual deals with the teaching Digital by LKWgle UNIVERSITYOF CALIFORNIA and for his practice in qualifying for higher sending and receiving speeds after he has learned the characters. The instructions apply primarily to recognition of the character sounds as heard by the student; brief instructions are included for sight recognition as used with blinker signals.

6. The appendixes contain a list of prosigns, the International Morse characters, touch typing instructions, instructions for transcription from tape, suggestions for instructors, army lettering instructions, and Morse characters of some other languages.

Section II BASIC INSTRUCTIONS TO STUDENTS International Morse characters. 3 Patience - — — — — — — — ——— — — — — — — — — - —

8 Importance of phonic method of instruction 9 3. International Morse characters. — a. International Morse letters, numerals, and punctuation marks are represented by long and short sounds or combinations thereof. The sound (s) representing a character are known as a character sound and the individual parts of a character sound are known as elements. The long sound is dak. The short sound is dit. These characters may also be transmitted visually by flashing a lamp for long and short periods respectively, or, as in wig-wag, by positions of a flag to the left and right of the flagman as described in FM 24-5. The process of receiving consists of recognizing these combinations of dits and dahs and recording the characters they represent.

b. At operating speeds of 20 words per minute or higher, the dits, dahs, and spaces of International Morse characters have the following relative lengths:

(1) A dit is used as the unit of duration. (2.) A dah is equal to three units.

(3) The space between elements of any character is one unit.

(4) The space between any two characters is three units.

(5) The space between words or code groups is seven units. Figure 1 graphically illustrates the element and spacing lengths for speeds of 20 words per minute or higher.

c. At operating speeds below 20 words per minute the time lengths of the elements and spaces within characters are not increased. The Kioose 1.— Tape-recorded characters (correct spacing for speeds of 20 words per minute or higher).

"20- word character" is used with increased spaces between characters and words or groups. Failure to maintain the "20-word character" at these lower operating speeds will increase the student's difficulty in raising his operating speed.

4. Suggestions for students.— The basic requirements in learning to receive are concentration, practice, confidence, and patience. For emphasis, these points will be covered in detail in paragraphs 5, 6, 7, and 8.

6. Concentration.

Republished by Liber Copia LLC for convenient study and reference on any device.