Why Should Anyone Learn & Use Morse Code?

An often asked question, "Why should anyone learn Morse Code today?"

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[KARK]

In addition to the 12 dB SNR advantage if CW, CW-only rigs are also simpler and smaller than an equal power SSB rig. The simpler non-linear final amplifiers are also more power efficient (less battery power consumed for the same power out). And for portable operation, there is something very nice about being able to set up and operate discreetly, not having to talk loudly inti a microphone on a busy mountain top or in a park. Sure, you can do that eith JS8Call or PSK31, but you need a computer and extra gear to make it happen. CW, the original digital mode, is still amazingly relevant and incredibly useful.

[andrewesselbach]

I became a believer in CW while playing with a Utah Web SDR one night. While testing propagation on SSB, I was curious how little power was necessary to be heard. Once I could no longer hear myself on SSB, I switched to CW and I could hear myself perfectly fine. I continued lowering my power until I could no longer hear myself. I was blown away that a SSB signal could be outperformed by a fraction of the power in CW.

There are other advantages with CW. We have young children, and I can't be yelling into my microphone after they are in bed. With CW, I can talk on the radio all I want without waking anyone up.

[Ammed_KNSTX]

I love SSB for POTA. After watching your videos on CW and other videos of K6ARK Adam doing CW, I have started practicing CW. It’s not easy but hopefully in time I’ll get the hang of it. Thank you for all your videos Josh!!👍🏻

[andrewesselbach]

I have been trying to hunt POTA activators in all 50 states. A little while ago, I got a Ham Alert that someone was activating a park in West Virginia. The operator was on SSB, but I could barely hear him at my noise floor. Fortunately, he switched to CW and we were able to copy each other perfectly fine.

CW for the win!

[CC-hkvy]

You've encouraged me better learn CW this summer! That will be my goal.

[sparty]

Simple answer, it's FUN. People get into ham radio as a hobby and to have fun. Some of us spend ridiculous amounts of money on this hobby and then there are the crazy people who spend over $1M to build a contest station, why because it is fun (certainly not for the glory or the $10 plaque if they win).

[darz]

Hi Josh, saw your chat a while ago with Howard LICW, now a member and trying hard to learn code. It’s a great club

[annnnonnymous]

I have a bit of a struggle bus with morse code, but this was a good demonstration of the value of knowing it better.... So back to my seat at the back of the bus.

[willian.direction]

Thanks Josh for visiting this topic again CW gets me dx from a summit every time compared to SSB. I run my KX3 @ 8w. The other thing is take a decent antenna with you, the dipole is the bench mark as high as you can get it. You proved the theory by using the compromised antenna on your lunch break. Best of luck learning CW everyone a little bit often is the way. Regards vk5cz ..

[dorvinion]

Learning morse (to do POTA) is what got me active in radio. Passed General in 2019 and then did nothing with it.
This month marks 1 year of my commitment to learn morse. I don't remember the exact day but it was sometime in April 2023 when I decided to learn.

Finally did my first CW activation in early March

I ask for repeats a lot, I miss things when hunters go 'off script' but I'm better at both sending and receiving each time I go out.

Its weird, its fun, its different.

[misterprizz]

All Hams remember their first QSO. When you make your first CW QSO, it will elicit a satisfaction you've never felt before.

[MrMcGuy]

I'm upgrading to General for HF, then immediately learning morse code. It is absolutely still relevant, and for QRP it's perfect.

[AFUS]

Hi Josh, long time viewer, first time caller...hi hi...great video, I can think of another reason and I liken it to your comment that it "rounds out" your EP comms. I am retired from the USAF and was an aviator my entire career. I was airborne communications and could not think of a better job than to fly around the world and operate and maintain communications equipment. While the aircraft I flew on did not have code, there were still some that used it. We were always taught that in a scenario where there is heavy "atmospheric scintillation" (I love that term), meaning the atmosphere is heavily charged (like after a nuc goes off somewhere in the world) SSB may no longer be a player for quite some time. Digital modes and CW will be the modes of choice. Just wanted to share that with you and, like the person's comments before me, I too saw your conversation with LICW and decided to get back into it. That was a short time ago and I am back to sending 18-22 WPM and copying around 12-14. I had to learn at 20 WPM to get my Extra class so this is truly a refresher for me. Anyway, thanks for the video and keep bringing them -- we can all learn something new no matter how much time we have behind the mic or key. Cheers -- and 73 de AF1US Brian

[Betrue]

Josh, I appreciate this video so much! This is my personal goal. I'm starting late in life, but it's somehing I've wanted to do for a very long time! Since I was in ago! I'm planning to take the technical test in a few months. WML!

[ehayes]

I've been a ham for decades, but for the past 12 years or so, I've been all CW on HF, QSO'ing with others all around the world, still using, yes, the "language" of Morse Code 🇺🇸 dit dit 😃

[NJI-CW]

Thanks for the great video. I love how you talk about low power CW "punching up" to be as powerful as a 100 watt SSB signal. When someone asks me why anyone would want to use Morse Code these days I compare it to sailing (I first heard this comparison from N9EP). You don't sail to get somewhere in a hurry - it's more of an art form that takes many years of practice to become truly proficient. It's fun, and extremely satisfying when you're successful at it, and you're carrying on a tradition that goes back many generations. This comparison works with fishing, too. It's easier & faster to buy fish at the supermarket, but for people who like to fish, it's more about the experience of catching the fish than having fish for dinner. They find it relaxing and they love learning how to become better at it.

[mattwilly]

This is the best Argument I have seen for why you should learn morse code. I mostly avoided it from hearing sad hams complaining about how it's not required anymore. But the argument of being able to be heard with a lot less power and a compromised attenna is a valid argument that does interest me. Thanks for the Video!

[bradleyparsons]

Great video! I recently upgraded to General so I’d like to learn Morse code and expand my available modes of operation even further. I’ll definitely check out the Long Island group. Good to know they exist and have an active interest in motivating others to learn. 👍🏻

[billuno]

Just got my technician last night this sounds really cool definitely have to try

[BrightBlueJim]

I think that a bigger factor here, where you may have an easier time hunting a POTA in CW than SSB, is the relative powers. Most people activating POTA in SSB are using 50-100 Watts. This means that for them to hear you as well as you hear them, you need to be somewhere in the same ballpark of transmitter power. This is because there isn't a great deal of difference in receiver sensitivities, and also, antenna performance is pretty close to bidirectional. If you don't have much in the way of antenna gain, and yet you can still pick up someone at a POTA site, you can use that same crappy antenna for transmitting to them.

I suspect that most people activating in CW are using more like 5-10 watts. Again, you still need to be operating in the same power range that they are, in order to ensure they can hear you as well as you can hear them.