Am I going crazy?

Somedudeintn

Somedudeintn

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somedudeintn
I'm sitting here watching YouTube videos to learn morse code. I'm thinking it would be nice to know morse while identifying VORs for IFR work. I think I'm going crazy...:goofy:
 
Increasing your knowledge is never a bad thing!
 
Learn-Morse-Code.jpg
 
Somedudeintn said:
I'm sitting here watching YouTube videos to learn morse code. I'm thinking it would be nice to know morse while identifying VORs for IFR work. I think I'm going crazy...:goofy:
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I'm assuming you've passed your instrument knowledge test. Otherwise I assume you're procrastinating with distraction.

There are a lot more important things to learn to be a good instrument pilot than morse code, but hey, knock yourself out.

If I were you're instructor, I'd be more impressed if you actually knew how to use the IFR GPS installed in the aircraft you're training in.
 
Brad Z said:
If I were you're instructor, I'd be more impressed if you actually knew how to use the IFR GPS installed in the aircraft you're training in.
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DIRECT, ENTER, ENTER.
 
This would have made for a good poll question. I think you are certifiable. :D
 
It's slightly good to know Morse code, but the time it takes to learn it can probably be put to better use, such as practicing approaches on your computer, or lobbying to replace the obsolete Morse-code identifiers with speech-synthesized letters.
 
Even if you know morse, you are expected to verify with a reference like the plate that what you hear is in fact, correctly identified (at least on checkrides).
 
Doggtyred said:
Even if you know morse, you are expected to verify with a reference like the plate that what you hear is in fact, correctly identified (at least on checkrides).
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Really? I don't see that in the PTS. It says you have to tune and identify the nav facility; it doesn't specify how.

I guess you should ask your examiner about it if you want to rely on your knowledge of the code during your checkride. But whatever the answer, it doesn't seem to have much bearing on OP's question as to whether it's worth learning.
 
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Those of us who can read morse code get a snicker out of threads like this
First, sitting there listening to code blasted from the speakers is an eyeglazing waste of time
You need to be inputting the character you just heard on a keyboard before you can move on
I could go into a lot of reasons why, but you simply cannot memorize the code

RUFZ is one of the best trainers
http://www.dxzone.com/dx17936/rufzxp.html
It will require effort on your part
Call around and find your local ham radio club there will be people willing to help you learn the code
Of course, once you can copy code you might as well get the general class ham license

I remember my flight training. The instructor would tell me to verify the VOR station by the code identifier. I would dutifully call out each letter as the identifier fed into our headphones. He would use a #2 yellow pencil to painfully inscribe the periods and dashes onto paper then hunt through the alphabet with the dots and dashes printed on the VFR chart. Find out I had called the letters out correctly, glare at me and pout. He said no one can just listen to beeps and make sense of it. As a ham radio contest operator who routinely copied code at high speeds in contest conditions, I would just shrug and change the subject.

denny-o
ham call K8DO
 
Well, after hitting send it dawned on me that I have not used RUFZ in years.
I went to look just to see if it was still around and discovered they have "improved" it (arghhh) :mad2:
It is now waaaay to fast for a beginner.
Go back to that url and look up other morse code trainers. Sorry about the confusion.
edit: I took a quick look. SUPERMORSE might be a good one
 
acrophile said:
Really? I don't see that in the PTS. It says you have to tune and identify the nav facility; it doesn't specify how.
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True, I've had different CFI's require different means of identification. My plane has a GTN-650 and an SL-30. BOTH have an ID feature that will show you the morse code equivilent of whatever they "hear" when you tune in a VOR.

I just use that. Tuning and listening to the VOR blows my eardrums out if I'm too far and I just get static, I'd rather the device handle filtering all that out.

Still to the OP's original question, no, you aren't going crazy. Morse code is definitely GOOD to know. I started down the road of learning it and then gave up. So many apps and devices out there today to reproduce the code and/or translate it, doing it by ear is pretty unnecessary these days, in my opinion.
 
DFH65 said:
-.-- . ...
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Haha best response yet. I had to look it up though. I've only got 9 letters memorized well and am hoping to have another 6 by the end of tonight.

These are all the easy ones though.
 
Gotta admit, I don't see the point of learning it. Whenever I'm listening to morse to identify a station, I have a plate or a chart sitting in front of me with the navaid in question, including the morse identification.

If you have time to burn, go for it, but other than that, the ROI seems very low on this one (for aviation purposes).
 
Davtron 903ID wont fly ifr without one .not just for the station id .but for vor and ils intercepts it comes alive very eadly and gives you a timer like feature to start the turn and how to roll out. works with both naves and gives instant to or from in number form i usually fly it and not the vor head btw i have one for sale new never used . never got to install it in new t210 as i had to go lsa .nothing to hook it to in my champ
 
The biggest problem with Morse code and English I see is that English does not allow "long vowels" like other languages do.
When I learned Morse code, each letter code had an assigned word with the appropriate short and long vowels/syllables. Easy to memorize the alphabet in one night.

FWIW, when identifying a navaid, simply look at the chart for the Morse code notation, it is there, "spelled out" for your convenience. You can see the CWK for the Centex VOR but right next to it you'll see -.-. .-- -.-, in vertical alignment, btw. Use that and you're GTG.

.-../---/..-//---/..-/- :)
 
Morse is a language like any other. It's not "dots and dashes" and trying to learn it that way would be like trying to learn spoken English by spelling.

To learn Morse well, you must learn to hear patterns as a letter at first and later patterns as whole words.

VORs send Morse far too slowly for someone that can copy Morse well. It sounds like someone with speech impediment talking reeeeeeeally reeeeeeeally slooooooowly.

And of course, that's done on purpose so folks can look at printed dots and dashes on the chart instead of hearing the characters.

If all you're ever going to use it for is aviation, just listen and read the chart and match the beeps. If you want to really learn Morse, you'll want to use any training tool that utilizes the Farnsworth method (send characters fast and pad between them with silence so you learn the entire character as one sound) and then close the silence gaps between the characters as you get faster at it. The hard part should be getting fingers to write it or type it (not so good in a cockpit on the latter) rather than knowing what the character was.
 
It's funny too how once you learn it it sticks with you. I remember learning it in my teens back when you needed code to get your ticket. I have never been super fast. 5WPM was easy 13 back in the day was tough and didn't get it the first time. 20 WPM I passed the first time but was honestly copying about 18 WPM at the time. I was always amazed at the guys who could copy 25+ in their heads without missing a beat.

Even after not using it for a while I can generally start out at 10+ and work my way up. I don't do much anymore but occasionally make a few contacts with my 30M Rockmite QRP radio or give out a few points on my old Ten Tec Triton II on field day.
 
DFH65 said:
I was always amazed at the guys who could copy 25+ in their heads without missing a beat..
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I had a mentor that was like the Yoda of CW, it was amazing that he could be carrying on a conversation with you and copying in his head 40+ wpm CW at the same time. When I was working on my Extra, I was struggling to get my copy speed up (I was comfortable at 15-18) he would just tell me to close my eyes and LISTEN, not try to write!!

My speed went from 18 wpm to 30+ in about a week of his training.

VOR idents are painfully slow! :D
 
Its not something you will remember very well once you stop using it. I learned it as a child (boy scouts) and I only remember e and SOS.
 
There are only so many cubby holes up there. If I learn Morse Code somethings gonna get bumped out, like maybe my ATM PIN number. :dunno:
 
Silvaire said:
There are only so many cubby holes up there. If I learn Morse Code somethings gonna get bumped out, like maybe my ATM PIN number. :dunno:
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Oh I just keep those on a sticky note under my keyboard... Don't you? Oh wait, maybe that's my master root Kerberos password... I forget. :) They should probably let me get those keyfobs and implement two-factor auth, eh? :)
 
Maybe more useful than Sanskrit? Maybe not as useful as nose hair trimmers?
 
Exactly my point, SmashTime. "It's never crazy to learn anything!!" :yesnod:
 
You are interested in aviation, you haven't won the lottery, and you have to ask if you are going crazy?
- --- --- / .-.. .- - .
You must mean "more crazy" I guess, but crazy isn't bad.
 
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