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Why would you want to know Morse code?


Short wave radio allows global scale communications with very little infrastructure, and Morse code has many advantages over other forms of communications in the short wave bands. A Morse code signal can be understood in a noisy radio environment better than a voice signal at the same amount of power. It requires less radio bandwidth, enabling very efficient use of the limited short wave spectrum.

Short wave radio is not near as important now with the global Internet in place, but it still has reach to some places that don't have Internet connectivity. It is also a good backup technology in the event that something like a natural disaster or terrorist attack severely damages our Internet infrastructure.

Finally, communicating using Morse code over Amateur Radio is a fun and intellectually stimulating hobby. I don't currently have a rig setup where I can do this, but when I did in the past, I really enjoyed it.




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