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For Hams: Morse Decoder — Parallax Forums

For Hams: Morse Decoder

ercoerco Posts: 20,256
edited 2015-02-14 08:16 in General Discussion
At $16, seems like a decent value for a hardware Morse decoder circuit and 1602 LCD display: http://www.ebay.com/itm/1602-led-CW-decoder-Morse-code-reader-Morse-code-translator-Ham-Radio-Accessory-/221422621192?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item338dd11208

I wonder how many they sell. CW users are a small niche crowd. Hams who like CW wouldn't touch it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJigkOtPq04 (45 WPM code demo)

And since there is SADLY no longer any code requirement to get a ham license, most people wouldn't care.

Nonetheless, it makes me want to make one of my own. Heck, even a BS1 could keep up, it's just a matter of whether there's enough memory to get all the characters, numbers and punctuation in. A good coding challenge to take advantage of those awesome 256 bytes. :)

I'll get around to it eventually.
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Comments

  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2015-02-02 11:20
    David Letterman once hosted a contest between a pair of CW ham seniors and a couple of young cell-phone texters. The contest was to see who could get their message across the fastest. The hams won, hands-down.

    -Phil
  • CuriousOneCuriousOne Posts: 931
    edited 2015-02-02 11:25
    As I can guess, this is a clone of MFJ's CW decoder, and since MFJ is often deciphered as "Minnesota's Finest Junk", and also I'm licensed ham for 30+ years, I would say that I'm very sceptical about it :)
  • Beau SchwabeBeau Schwabe Posts: 6,566
    edited 2015-02-02 12:21
    <shaking my head> At the age of 11 I wrote a program for my ATARI computer that would decode Morse code and display the text on the screen. It was able to do this using the "PADDLE CONTROLLER" as the analog input and a SW radio ..... Sigh
  • CuriousOneCuriousOne Posts: 931
    edited 2015-02-02 19:49
    I also wrote same for ZX Spectrum, but it was far from perfection....
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2015-02-02 23:59
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_telegraph_code

    Try the above for Chinese Morse code. NOT very easy.
  • TorTor Posts: 2,010
    edited 2015-02-03 00:18
    I hadn't heard about the Chinese system before, but it doesn't seem to present any problems. If I understood the wikipedia article correctly it's simply sending the characters encoded as Morse code numbers, which are as easy or easier than Morse code letters to automatically decode. Then you look up the number in a table to get the actual character (this step would be a candidate for the computer, or alternatively a microcontroller with a table in EEPROM or some such).
    The alternative method, encoding as Morse code letters (AAA, AAB..) doesn't seem any more difficult.

    On the other hand, if you weren't discussing the Morse Decoder but instead sending Chinese characters as a human operator, then yes, that looks complicated. The system doesn't seem to be meant for real-time operator use, you would have to prepare the transmission in advance unless your memory is very good (and huge..)

    -Tor
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2015-02-03 07:16
    Historically, Western languages had a definite advantage with Morse Code as one did not have to translate another layer of code to get the actual message. I find it interesting, and it does explain another way the Western world moved ahead invasively in global communications and global commerce.

    Nowadays of course, a small computer could look up and manage graphic display of the characters, or even forwarding the message. The Raspberry Pi might do all this quite well.

    I guess the truth is that it is all another case of disruptive technology. I have to learn Morse Code for First Class Rank in the Boy Scouts, but I've never actually used it.

    ++++++++
    On another front...
    I have actually learned Chinese Touch Typing, called Cangjie. It is intended for computer and to get speeds similar to alphabetically touch typing (50WPM). My Taiwanese students are quite amazed when I type up a document at 50WPM. It even scares some of them.

    The simple fact is that both in Morse Code and the computer keyboard, Chinese have had to work harder to encode and decode a lexicon of 7000 characters.

    All this has resulted in Chinese loving the iPad, sending voice messages, and sending emoticons. Western input methods are for those foreign devils.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_input_methods_for_computers
  • w8anw8an Posts: 176
    edited 2015-02-14 08:16
    The morse vs texting challenge on the Jay Leno show: http://www.wimp.com/neatexperiment/
  • I bought the 1602 decoder plugged in into a 9v supply, it lit up, added the audio input with CW signal, pushed all the buttons etc and nothing happens.
    Anyone have any ideas on how to get the thing to work?
    Thanks.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    Awesome, first sucker taker. :)

    I don't have one, but I'm guessing that the input signal is critical, impedance matching and volume. It came assembled, right? Hopefully no wiring errors. Any instructions included or online? Did you email the seller?

    I see a few decoder demo videos at https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=morse+code+decoder but not the one I linked to.
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2015-12-08 17:54
    Round here the military is still expecting to use Morse some time. I know some guys, army reserves, who go every year for a few days to brush up and get tested on their Morse.

    When the phone network, internet and all else is down. After Putin has invaded perhaps. Or Donald Trump has started the third world war. Morse over the air will still work.

  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    Hams & Morse code saved the world in "Independence Day", Hexadecimal saved the Matt Damon in "The Martian".

    Only the Geeks will survive. Stay in school, kids!
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2015-12-08 19:18
    Hey, I was talking reality here not movie fantasies.

    But yeah, I agree with you.

    By the way, what are you guys going to do about that Donald Trump lunatic? He and his supporters frighten us more than any terrorist group.

  • @Beau, I did the same. Fun times.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    Yeah, I'm no fan of the Donald, but any further discussion will get moderated.
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    erco,

    I know, and the same is no doubt true on every other forum where thinking people meet.

    End result, Donald gets to become the next president.

    Scares the, brown stuff out of me.

    I know, end of discussion.

  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    Surely somewhere, there is an equally passionate political/religion discussion forum which bans microcontroller topics!
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    No doubt true Erco.

    However if I ever stumble across such a forum I get the impression there is no need to ban any rational though. It's unlikely any would venture there.
  • erco wrote: »
    Surely somewhere, there is an equally passionate political/religion discussion forum which bans microcontroller topics!

    Interesting Idea. The Mercedes Benz Forum I regular have to visit, like this one, because of addiction, has a off topic category.

    Like here religion and politics are not allowed on other categories/threads and quite strict moderated. But they have a OT forum.

    The OT-Forum is quite interesting, There the moderation is very moderate and discussions over politics, religion, gender orientation or whatever are generally allowed.

    Like Parallax forums, Benzworld.org has a world-wide focus and members from everywhere. Sure the members are out of a specific group (driving Benz) but never less it gives one a view of how things are be perceived in other parts of the world.

    Maybe a compromise.

    Political or religious posts have to be in Morse Code?

    Mike
  • Moderation in place. :)
  • ... --- / ..- ... / . -. --. .. -. . . .-. ... / -.-. --- ..- .-.. -.. / - .- .-.. -.- / .- -... --- ..- - / .. ... ... ..- . ... / .-- .. - .... --- ..- - / .- ..-. ..-. . -.-. - .. -. --. / - .... . / -.-- --- ..- -. --. . .-. / ..-. --- .-. ..- -- / -- . -- -... . .-. ... ..--..

    Enjoy!

    Mike
  • msrobots wrote: »
    ...
    Like Parallax forums, Benzworld.org has a world-wide focus and members from everywhere.
    ...

    The significant difference is that Benzworld.org is not operated by Mercedes Benz.
  • potatoheadpotatohead Posts: 10,261
    edited 2015-12-09 01:19
    I would totally go for a no holds barred* room. Pick a topic, peeps go in, and the last one, who didn't totally lose it, wins! Then do it again.

    Anonymize usernames, just for extra fun.

    I'm happy we do it the way we do here. The noise level is fine, and we get along.

    But, I'm no stranger to very unrestrained speech! It's great fun in the right places and times. There are some very good lessons to be learned doing that. Maybe I'll hint at a few of them one day when it makes sense, if it ever does. It can be painful to learn them too.

    *all, but criminal speech permitted.
  • RDL2004 wrote: »
    msrobots wrote: »
    ...
    Like Parallax forums, Benzworld.org has a world-wide focus and members from everywhere.
    ...

    The significant difference is that Benzworld.org is not operated by Mercedes Benz.

    That is true. I think it is based in Canada. But why is this difference significant?

    My reason to mention it is that I think excluding stuff like politics or other relevant stuff completely may be not the right thing to do.

    People here in this forum are - like in Benzworld - a certain group with common interest. And that should (and is) good moderated.

    On the other hand we have here a lot of smart gals and guys from all over the world. Not the usual crowd you would met in your local bar. I personally could see a lively discussion on certain (now not allowed) topics. And I would welcome the opinions of Engineers and small business owners about things like that.

    Even if just in Morse code...

    Mike

  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    msrobots wrote: »
    ... --- / ..- ... / . -. --. .. -. . . .-. ... / -.-. --- ..- .-.. -.. / - .- .-.. -.- / .- -... --- ..- - / .. ... ... ..- . ... / .-- .. - .... --- ..- - / .- ..-. ..-. . -.-. - .. -. --. / - .... . / -.-- --- ..- -. --. . .-. / ..-. --- .-. ..- -- / -- . -- -... . .-. ... ..--..

    Enjoy!

    Mike

    Yes, we engineers can't impose on their formative minds.

  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2015-12-09 03:23
    .-- .... -.--     ... .... --- ..- .-.. -.. -. ·----· -     -.-- --- ..- -. --. . .-.     ..-. --- .-. ..- --     -- . -- -... . .-. ...     -... .     . -..- .--. --- ... . -..     - ---     .--. --- .-.. .. - .. -.-. .- .-..     -.-. --- -- -- . -. - ··--·· .- -. -.-- .-- .- -.--     .-- .     .- .-. .     .--. .-. --- -... .- -... .-.. -.--     --- ...- . .-. .-.. --- .- -.. .. -. --.     - .... .     -- --- -.. . .-. .- - --- .-.     - .... .-. . ... .... --- .-.. -..     .- .-.. .-. . .- -.. -.-- ·-·-·-
    
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2015-12-09 13:44
    --- .... / -. ---
    I can remember my Morse Code after 50 years, but its might spelling ablities that block me from wanting to use it.

    Hams actually use an Abreviated Code within Morse Code to avoid spelling... CQ, CQ...
    Think about it.
  • Yes I contacted numerous sellers of the 1602 decoder with no luck so far. I'll have to try different plugs, volume etc to see if it wakes up.
    Thanks.
    Merry Christmas to of youses.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    You might try an audio impedance matching transformer. Radio Shack (!) used to sell small ones that were 1000:8 ohms. Are you connecting to a radio audio output and how?
  • Wow. I still remember Morse code, but it's sure a lot easier to decode it from audio than printed dots and dashes. That's painful.
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