Morse Code has always been an important element in amateur radio. Radio hams, as a part of their licensing, must be able to demonstrate a knowledge of the sending and receiving of Morse. Radio hams usually refer to the mode as 'CW' meaning continuous wave.
Today most licensing authorities no longer require an amateur to be able to send and receive Morse at any given speed or for any given duration (It used to be 12 words a minute - 12wpm - for a full UK licence and 20wpm for Amateur Extra in USA) Now - in the UK at least - we need only show that we have an awareness of Morse and, with a crib sheet and lots of encouragement, we can copy a few characters sent and send a short message provided. And, with the removal of tests of genuine competence, Morse has made a resurgent reappearance amongst our favourites!
There are many operators using computers to both send and receive CW - making it almost just another digital mode to them, I guess - but there is something about sending Morse on simple equipment with a well-made key that is just so satisfying. And picking hand-sent signals from the general hash on today's bands is similarly uplifting. It is enjoyable because it relies on some very basic electronics, not a lot of RF and the vital ingredient is the skill of the operators at either end.
FISTS is a now-international organisation which promotes Morse - they call it the Morse Preservation Society but I prefer to think in terms of promotion rather than preservation. FISTS was created in northwest England, initiated in Britain but now has a UK and European chapter (www.fists.co.uk) a North American chapter (Web site at www.fists.org) and a Pacific chapter known as FISTS Down Under - www.fistsdownunder.org.
In the UK, FISTS organises regular activities including The Ladder every second and fourth Sunday each month which is most active around 3.558 on 80m between two and four in the afternoon. It provides a welcome opportunity to practice your on-air operating with a group for whom working QRS isn't some kind of stigma.
Morse Resources
FISTS LADDER
The FISTS Ladder is one regular activity that is accessible to UK amateurs on HF with even quite modest stations. Running on Sunday afternoons and evenings, twice each month the Ladder provides an excellent opportunity to works FISTS members and club stations.
The Ladder runs from 14h00 until 16h00 then from 18h00 until 20h00 on the second and fourth Sunday in each month. In the UK the best frequency to start listening is probably 3.558MHz.
Whatever speed you're comfortable with, there will be stations ready to match your ability or comfort level. Whether you enjoy making short contacts or like to chew the rag, there will be FISTS ready to make the contact. And remember that club maxim, on the cover of FISTS' Keynote magazine and on the web site: When you've worked a FISTS, you've worked a friend. Information about the FISTS Ladder and other activities are here on the FISTS web site.
KEYS
A key may be the tool used to send Morse code but keys are also examples of engineering ingenuity and quality. Not to mention, often things of beauty.
I'd argue that there aren't collectable keys and ordinary keys: all Morse keys are collectable! But they need to be used to be properly cared for!
Some keys I own and use...
Schurr Profi
R-143 key
all the way from Ukraine
American Morse Equipment
'Portapaddle'
UK Larkspur Key
(Seen some action but still sound)
WT 8 AMP
One of many variants mounted on a wooden plinth
US Navy 'Flameproof Key' by Bunnell of New York
A Soviet variant of the popular
Junkers key
Type 51 Key
This type of key was used on the Comet airliner and for operational communications in the Vulcan bomber