Absolutely fascinating.

Awesome video! As a Ham Radio Operator (KG5JAW) I found this helpful in understanding more about code and just interesting overall!

Real cw ,nice Charlie thanks 73 K9UT

Thanks for the video, I used to qso with RO on a ship headed to middle east years ago always exciting ,thanks !

Excellent Video!! So Very Very interesting! I could listen to re-counted stories and events like the one's in this video for hours. I had a strong interest in Electronics as it pertained to Radio and Television since the late 60's when I was still in High School. I signed up and was accepted into the " Radio Officers" Training program that was offered in 1984 in " Red River College " a School located in Winnipeg Manitoba Canada. I started the course but was forced to leave do Health issues which landed me in the Hospital the following year. To prepare in part for this Course I took a 1 year training program in Radio and T.V Electronics Repair, I also got my Ham Radio license during the same period. Along with these fundamentals I self taught myself MORSE CODE at home. At that time in 1984 I could for BREIF periods of time copy code at 32 words per minute. I unfortunately, do to many reasons was unable to maintain my level of competency since those days. The Good News is that I am again feeling very much up to getting back in the saddle again with my old interests that really never left me. I am practicing my MORSE CODE again and feel at some point in the near future I will be back on the Air Waves with CW MORSE CODE. Your Video has inspired me, and re-kindled the fire and passion for this means of Communication Samuel Morse brought us back in the 1830's.

I just found this video 10 years after it was posted. Very good report of how important CW was back in the day. I have been a ham op, for 50 years this year. The vast majority of all of my contacts have been CW, not because it was critical to anything but I enjoy it as do many other hams around the world.

Incredible!

Thank You for this great piece of Morse Code History. I really appreciate this! ...Proper use of the hand key, gripped/pumped, no tapping. Over 25 wpm hand sent morse!

Fantastic post. Thank you

God bless you for keeping this history alive! 73 de VK2AOE

I got the "tail end" of the era of RO's....got to travel the Aussie coast on a WT ship for a lamentably brief time. Below is my tribute to CW Morse and another video of my time at sea. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jIu3col_l9R8l5I kzbin.info/www/bejne/a6jXf5uHhsmir6c kzbin.info/www/bejne/gHq8inZsiNx6j5o

Charlie, I have been a ham for 32 years, and only now have gone back to cw. I find it quite the struggle now, but have not given up. Your stories do inspire me, so I wanted to Thank you for doing them. Be well.. de n2qfk

Hi Charlie, would you mind doing some more videos. There aren't a whole lot of you guys that did what you did for a living making these videos, and I find them very interesting!

1955 license Novice W1DGA

To answer a question from below. you're better off learning the characters at 13-20 wpm this will help you build up your word/sentence speed faster than sending the characters slower. Great video Charlie. will look for more. tnx es 72&73 de Ellis WA1RKS

This was awesome :)

I am a brand new ham radio operator learning Morse code. This video was a fantastic find. This is what Morse code is about. Your presentation was thrilling I loved it. The authentic code is so great an addition to an already great video. I know I'm late getting here as the video is listed as 9 years old with the newest comment being 4 years ago. Better late than never. 73's from KK7ASP.

Thanks for the educational video!

Hope you're still doing well Charlie

プロの電信すごいですね。

73 desde Uruguay

This was very interesting and enlightening! Thanks! de N1JWW

This video is a collectors item! I am grateful to Charlie for sharing this knowledge!!! :-)

Thanks Charlie, wonderful old audio and beautiful narration. A few years ago, my 4 year old son, was mastering morse code and did very well. Its a a wonderful way of engaging the brain on one task that is a virtual holiday from all the other stresses of life. Similarly, at that age, my father a WW@ vet, would amaze me at how he could copy entire messages without having to write it down. By 5 I had the code down pat be at a slow speed and with a tube radio next to my bed when I should have been sleeping.

My grandfather worked in the listening station at St Just's, Cornwall. It was a task meant to send people slightly crazy because of the concentration involved. Thank you for this insight.

Very nice fist, OM! Puts mine to shame. 73 de NG9U. Also hold 2 T.

Interesting thank you sir

A very interesting and moving video...... thank you for your service....... best wishes from Pennsylvania USA. W3tbc

I like this clip from the veteran radio officer. I am also an ex radio officer. We fight in Australia to get a 500 kHz message in the band plan from the ACMA. They cancelled the entry in the band plan 2017. It is about respect to the wireless veterans many gave their life in duty. It is not much we are asking the ACME for. I wish you all the best. My best greetings.

This video was beautifully done. Thanks for sharing.

Best bent wire !

as a radio ham morse code still going strong!

Charlie, I am tremendously grateful for you providing this video. Not only has it been extremely educational but also sheds light on the dire circumstances ships at sea may find themselves in. Hopefully, anyone recognizing the call of a familiar SOS will respond even if they are not within reach of a radio or know Morse Code. Hearing SOS is enough to know we should make note of the frequency which it was transmitted on, the time, and relay this information to our Coast Guard or other countries emergency maritime services agency. Thanks, OM for the narrative and best of 73s de N9ZN.

Absolutely fascinating, and truly sobering hearing those actual distress calls! I am a radio amateur whose primary interest is CW, and was for many years involved in merchant marine and naval communications, though not as a seagoing R/O. My career started toward the tail-end of the conventional MF/HF radio rooms and the transition to automated GMDSS, so this was particularly interesting for me and I learned a lot. Well done, Charlie!!! 73 de G3WZD

I found this movie via FISTS excellent!! 73 de SQ5RIX

Fantastic. Thank you for sharing this vital history with us.

as working as sparks 40 years i feel i am on homeground....

VE1 land. Thank you. I was 14 when I wrote my lic. I was captivated by the code. Once I learned what it was, then I could write out the message. Cheers - EDIT - I ponder the choices I made and realize now how serious these communications were - are. Some believe that Vox is all there is. CW in the end, trumps all and gets thru, even if faint.

*Foxes are Red and Dogs are Brown* ... Introduced to this little ditty back in the my RTTY days in the Army ... The fox was red in those days. But even then some things had been added. The following phrase has all the letters and is considerably shorter, "The quick fox jumps over the lazy brown dog."

loved it...more please

I used to work at Portishead Radio.... a magical time for those who love morse code.....

Fabulous love it inspiring humbling and just great love to read you books 😉

I operated with the naval base in Portsmouth England in a joint American British operation we got to visit the operators on the base and it was Interesting how they stood up while sending and we always sat down by our typewriters that was back in 1958

Great video! CW isn’t going away! VE7GWN

Fascinating Sirs! I was captivated. I could see more too! I am a Ham, NG9U (also I have a 2 Tel license, but alas just out of interest I got it) I had no idea about these procedures on 500 KHZ. Thank You for explaining it.

Fantastic information! de N3MLB

QSL QTC = QRA5 QSA5 mni tks dr charlie gb gl | 73 oh8xat (ex DRKF)

Fantastic video. As an ex-R/O , now I have something to show to my family and friends about our life at sea. Thank you very much. / 73 Dick Bal / PY2UDB ex-R/O PJUT, PJWL & PJUT

Great video, Charlie. I missed your giving me credit, so I should thank you for that. I have more at tinyurl.com/djringjr 73 from R/O David Ring, N1EA

HI Charlie, I need to contact you about using some of your material. I can be contacted via GB2MOP website We have a Maritime Radio collection as part of the Internal Fire - Museum of Power, near Cardigan. - Michael