Star Letter

Morse is Dead?

Dear Don,

I was quite saddened to read Edward Martin’s letter ‘Morse is Dead’ published in the November 2020 edition of PW. Rather than lament the loss of ‘real Morse’ sent by ‘real operators’ using only straight keys, I prefer to look at things a bit differently.

I see amateur radio as the last happy refuge of Morse code communication. Were it not for what still must be a significant proportion of the amateur community, Morse really would have died several years ago when it ceased to be used commercially. However, I’m extremely happy to report that Morse on the HF bands is alive and doing quite well.

As things stand, there are very few occasions when I fail to find someone to have a CW QSO with on one of the amateur bands if I want one. I often meet people just starting out using CW and am always more than happy to drop my speed and offer as much encouragement as I can.

I’m certain that nearly every other more experienced amateur does the same. Does it really matter what type of Morse key a person uses as long as they use one? Well-sent Morse on a paddle key can still be a pleasure to listen to, just as poorly sent Morse on a straight key can be horrible.

I’ve heard it all before, multiple times. Back in the day, some AM operators were of the opinion that SSB would kill amateur radio. The change from a written RAE to multiple-choice exams certainly heralded the end. The internet was definitely going to do it and if it didn’t, the loss of the Morse test would for sure. And the introduction of a Novice licence was like poison for the hobby.

I believe that Morse will always be an integral part of amateur radio for many operators and (paraphrasing Mark Twain) reports of its impending death are greatly exaggerated.

Mark Godden G0ACQ

Portland