LESSONS IN MORSE

New Zealand Listener, Volume 3, Issue 77, 13 December 1940, Page 11

LESSONS IN MORSE

(No. 14)

HE following is a draft of signal lesson No. 14 broadcast from Stations 2YC, 1ZM and 3YL at 10 p.m. on December 9, 10, and 11. The lesson began with the Instructor giving a few words of encouragement to any trainees who were becoming disheartened about the progress in operating that they were making and enjoined them to keep on practising. It was stressed that the only way to attain speed was to practise assiduously and that the attaining of speed was dependent upon the trainee becoming familiar with the sound of each individual letter. It was stated that it was recognised that certain letters such as "C," "Z," "Y," "Q," etc., were somewhat difficult to the beginner and trainees were told that, as each letter had its own distinctive sound, they should try to associate the particular sound with the letter it represented. No doubt some of the trainees were already able to pick out small words such as "the," "in," "and," etc., from some of the slower transmissions heard on shortwave receivers. This was due to their becoming more conversant with what might be regarded as a new language. The fact that perhaps trainees were experiencing trouble with figures was mentioned, but it was stated that as the transmission of these did not begin until lesson No. 6, they had not had much practice with them. They were told that each figure, as with each letter, had its own distinctive sound, and that sound has to be associated with the particular figure immediately it is heard. The remainder of the lesson was taken up on receiving practice, and jumbled letters, figures and plain language were transmitted.