Free Morse Code Training Course for Beginners

Learn Morse Code from a professional

Ham Radio Veteran & Morse Code Instructor: Richard C. Fitch(W5RCF)

What you'll need:

Headphones

Pen & Paper

Morse Code Lessons:

Complete each lesson to unlock the next. We use cookies only to save your progress and for anonymous usage statistics.

Letters: "E I S H" Complete!

Letters: "T M O" Complete!

*Review: "E I S H - T M O" Complete!

Letters: "A N" Complete!

*Review: "E I S H T M O A N" Complete!

Letters: "G W R U D K" Complete!

*Review: "E S H I M T O N A G W R U D K" Complete!

Letters: "REVISE THIS ONE" Complete!

*Review: "A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U V W" Complete!

Letters: "X Y Z Q" Complete!

*Review: "A - Z" Complete!

*Numbers: "1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0" Complete!

TYPICAL ON AIR MESSAGES - Complete!

Punctuations: "? / , ." Complete!

ALL INCLUSIVE TYPICAL ON AIR MESSAGES - Complete!

If these lessons have been helpful, that's the best thanks I could receive. Should you wish to support my training lessons and the upkeep of this site, a donation & share box is below. Feel free to reach out at [email protected] to chat about HAM Radio or suggest improvements!

Clear Lesson History

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© 2020-2030. RICHARD C FITCH. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Complete Chart of Morse Code Characters with Audio

Tap each letter to play the code. If you are new to Morse Code, please use lessons above to learn from your instructor, W5RCF.

Each dot is a "dit", where each bar is a "da"

Letters:

Official code images of the International Telecommunication Union

Numbers:

Official code images of the International Telecommunication Union

Punctuation:

Modified images - Base: International Telecommunication Union

List of commonly used Morse Code Abbreviations & Shorthand

Tap each abbreviation to play the code.

ES

And

SN

Soon

UR

Your

GL

Good Luck

GUD

Good

CPY

Copy

SND

Send

PSE

Please

AGN

Again
(Send again. For example, SND AGN PSE )

TNX

Thank you

MSG

Message

WX

Weather

HVY

Heavy

DEGS

Degrees
(designate C° of F°)

FB

Fine Business
(Good, Thank you)

CUL

See You Later

GB

Good Bye

YL

Young Lady

XYL

X Young Lady (Wife)

OM

Old Man
(Complimentary Amateur Radio term used when sending to a male operator)

LID

A rude individual who may be interfering with your QSO

73

Best wishes

88

Love and kisses
(Typical ending when OM closes with a YL in place of 73)

SOS

HELP, Emergency, I need immediate assistance or rescue!

EEEEEEEE

(8 or more E's sent fast) I made a mistake. I'll try sending again.

RST

Signal Report

Readability

1-unreadable

2- barely readable

3-readable but difficult to copy

4-readable

5-strong signal solid copy

Strength

1-faint

2-Very weak

3-weak

4-Fair

5-fairly good

6-good

7-moderately strong

8-Strong

9-extremely strong

Note: 9 would is a signal strength of S9 or greater

Tone

1-hissing

2-Rough, harsh AC sound

3-AC sound

4-very rough tone

5-rough tone

6-tone with hissing

7- tone with ripple

8-Near good tone, low ripple

9-Pure Tone

RST of 599 is the best report. Sometimes sent as 5 N N to shorten the length of the 9's

CW Q Codes

List of commonly used Codes for CW / HAM Radio

QTH

My location.

QRL

Is this frequency in use? Ask someone to stop interfering.

QRZ

Who is calling?

QSO

The message between stations.

QRU

I have nothing more for you.

QRT

Stop sending or designating the end of the QSO.

QSB

Your signal is fading.

QSL

I am acknowledging the receipt of this QSO.

QRQ

Please send faster.

QRS

Please send slower.

QSY

Changing to a different Frequency.

QRM

Interfering signals or noise.

QSK

I can hear your signal between transmitted characters so you can break in anytime (Break-in mode).

QRX

Standby or I will call you later specifying time and frequency.

QRP

Low power station or use to ask for lower power.

QRO

Increase power.

QRN

Static (lightning or electrical arcing) causing problems receiving.

QST

General call to all Radio Amateurs (Typical ARRL messages).

X

PREFACE

During my very first CW QSO (Morse Code Contact) in the 50's, I wrote down what I was going to send. I then wrote down what the other person sent. Then I had to take time to read it. I then had to write down what I was going to reply with. It was a very long QSO.

After many QSO's I began sending by memory and wrote down only what I needed to remember (such as their name, address etc.)

I now send what I want to say in sentences and send/receive words.

This takes time to develop, but I know if you stick with my Morse Code training, and get on the air, you can do the same (easier & faster than my first contacts.)

This is when it really becomes fun.

My only two learned languages are English and Morse Code.

X

W5RCF CREDENTIALS
My Amateur Radio licensing history:

Class WPM Call Sign Year

Novice 5 KN9YZS 1957

Technician 5 K9YZS 1959

General 13 K9YZS 1962

Extra 20 KN9K 1966

Extra W5RCF 1999

X

LESSON INTRODUCTION

Students who learned with this Morse Code training course were fellow employees at AT&T Bell Telephone Laboratories in Indianapolis Indiana, fellow students at the Fort Wayne Indiana-Purdue University campus, and many other individuals.

CW has been my preferred operating mode 80% of my many years on the air. Let's have some fun and learn a new language!

This Morse training method is one that I have used for many years. It has produced many Amateur Radio operators during a time when CW was a requirement.

It uses 13 WPM characters to help train you to hear the sounds and cadences of each letter but sent at approximately 5 WPM spacing, perfect for beginners and intermediates.

This course will prepare you to hear moderate speeds of CW characters to help you develop a speed that can be used on the air with confidence.

I recommend not viewing the lesson printout during the audible practice.

Repeat each lesson as many times as you need until you achieve good copy before starting the next lesson.

Once you have completed each lesson I recommend you use a code oscillator and key of your choice to practice sending each provided printed lesson. This will greatly enhance the development of your CW skill.

Each new letter combination in each successive lesson introduces you to the sound of new characters. The lesson then may be selected and played.

I find writing is best when first learning.

Have fun and I hope to hear you on the air sending your new language (CW).

X

LESSON 1:
LETTERS "E I S H"

Tap each letter to play the code
and become familiar. Once comfortable with each, scroll down to continue

Each dot is a "dit", where each bar is a "da"

Official code images of the International Telecommunication Union

Instructions:
Writing is how you retain the most memory.

Play the audio and write down the letters you hear.

Then click "Reveal" to show the correct message.

(Please finish entire lesson to save progress)

NOTE: Each Group / Sentence ends with a period ( . _ . _ . _ ) and multiple periods at the end of the last group.

Lesson 1 - Group / Sentence 1

EISH EISH .
Click "Correct" if what you wrote matches, or "hide" to try again.

Lesson 1 - Group / Sentence 2

HSIE IHSE EHIS SHE I HI HIS SISSH .
Click "Correct" if what you wrote matches, or "hide" to try again.

Lesson 1 - Group / Sentence 3

SHE IS HE HE IS I HIS HISS SEE .
Click "Correct" if what you wrote matches, or "hide" to try again.

Lesson 1 - Group / Sentence 4

ES ES I HI HI HI HI SSSHH EEIHS .
Click "Correct" if what you wrote matches, or "hide" to try again.

Lesson 1 - Group / Sentence 5

EIESH HHEIS SSIHE EHHI SHISIS SSIIH . . . . . .
Click "Correct" if what you wrote matches, or "hide" to try again.

Great Job!
Click the Save & Continue button to save your progress and move on to the next lesson.

Are you sure you want to clear your MoresFree lesson history?

Note from instructor, W5RCF:

I modified a code generation program (Winmorse*) to send 13 WPM characters but approximately at 5 WPM spacing. The WINMORSE program used can be used to copy and paste text for you to use to generate practice sessions at various speeds of your choice.

As you your proficiency increases, I suggest you start to listen for words, not individual letters. This is the next step in becoming a proficient CW operator. You will begin to learn to speak sentences using CW as if you are actually talking. This is when it becomes really fun.

NOTE: This is a totally FREE lesson. Donations can be sent via PayPal but definitely not required. Donations would allow me resources to introduce other Hams to the fun of CW. Send me an email [email protected] if it helped you to learn CW. 73's Rich W5RCF
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