QST/March 1916/Novel Arrangement of Wireless Code

by Elliot B. Holl

THE author has found by experience that it is much easier and quicker to learn the wireless code by receiving messages and by using a code chart of large dimensions; by means of which the beginner may find the letters as he receives them; than it is to try to memorize the code first and then practice it afterwards by receiving and sending. Large code charts have been prepared for this purpose and may be bought for a small sum of money. But these are only efficient when used in sending, for the letters are arranged alphabetically. Many may have noted the difficulty in picking out the dot and dash combinations in this code, since it is necessary to go over the whole chart in order to find the right combination which you have just received, All this takes time and you are therefore able to receive only the messages which are sent slowly. To better this condition, the Writer has arranged the continental code, including numbers, punctuations, etc., in such a way that one knows immediately where to look for the desired combinations of dots and dashes. It is perhaps best to print this code on a large sheet of cardboard or paper, placing the whole in one column with an added space between the sets of combinations beginning with dots and those beginning with dashes. Place on the same chart the Continental code in its usual arrangement (to be used in sending) and keep the card in some easily visible spot near your set.

 If, for instance, one should receive the combination ..... he would know exactly where to look for combinations of dots and could therefore quickly find the letter equivalent. Again, if one received — — — . . . he would know that this combination must be near the bottom of the chart since the code begins with three dashes. One will find that even without a knowledge of the code it is possible to receive messages at fair rate of speed, and it should not be long before one gains a working knowledge with out the bother of tedious study.

E .	T —
I ..	M — —
S ...	O — — —
H ....	o — — — — —
5 .....	N — .
Period ......	K — . —
A . —	C — . — .
R . — .	Call — . — . —
L . — . .	Y — . — —
Wait . — . . .	5 — . — . — .
Finish . — . — .	D — . .
Comma .— .— .—	X — . . —
W . — —	B — . . .
P . — — .	Period — . . . —
J . — — —	6 — . . . .
1 . — — — —	G — — .
U . . —	Q — — . —
F . . — .	Z — — . .
? . . — — .	! — — . . — —
2 . . — — —	7 — — . .
V . . . —	8 — — — . .
3 . . . — —	: — — — . . .
4 . . . . —	9 — — — — .