Who isn’t familiar with the short and long signals from films – and, of course, some people know them because they learnt Morse code as amateur radio operators or as part of their job?
Although it’s almost forgotten these days, it certainly makes sense in model-making – particularly with the ‘grey fleet’ from the Second World War – when you can send a message from the ship using a Morse code transmitter. There are even modules available where you can programme phrases that are then transmitted in full without you actually having to operate the Morse code yourself.
I actually think it’s important to be able to send an SOS in Morse code – you never know what might happen in life, especially if you don’t live in a big city. It’s just like a CB radio: it works even without mobile phone masts or satellites. You can use Morse code with a €2 torch to signal your emergency to those around you.
It really does sound brilliant when you hear these melodies
.. -.-. .... / .-.. .. . -... . / -.. .. -.-. .... hört
and now I’ve really finished ;) -... - .- .-.
Here is a typical Morse code message used when the Coastguard, Border Patrol or Customs wish to board a vessel, in Morse code in English:
"Please stop the engines we are boarding"
.--. .-.. . .- ... . / ... - --- .--. / - .... . / . -. --. .. -. . ... / .-- . / .- .-. . / -... --- .- .-. -.. .. -. --.
The semaphore alphabet is mainly used for communication between ships and, to some extent, on land as well. It can be used to transmit messages over short distances without the need for electricity. Today, it is still used by the US Navy, the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force and other navies.
In the semaphore alphabet, the individual letters of the Latin alphabet are represented by the position in which the semaphore operator holds two flags. The flags are usually square and are either diagonally divided into yellow and red (Oscar flag) or are red flags containing a smaller, centred white square (obsolete).
Numbers are announced by the ‘number sequence’ signal and correspond to the first ten letters of the alphabet, from Alfa (=1) to Kilo (=0), excluding Juliett. The number ends with the next ‘pause’ signal. The ‘Charlie’ and ‘Echo’ signals also serve as response and error signals.
* From here onwards, numbers or letters are followed by a signal.