[CW] Fast Morse Recording

[Richard Knoppow]

    This is absolutely fascinating. I had no idea how many Morse 
training records were available.  I do remember seeing ads for 
them in QST right up to the 1950s. I particularly like the 
exaggerated enunciation of the fellow on the Columbia record. I 
thought he had a Scottish burr at first. I am reminded of the 
introduction to a very early radio program that stated "Songs 
sung so clearly you can understand every word."  I thought a 
couple of the samples sounded like a bug but then one of them, I 
think the "faster" Columbia sample, had some mis-spacing of dots 
near the end showing it was indeed a straight key.
     FWIW Columbia Records goes back a long way. It was never 
owned by the Columbia Broadcasting System until about 1938. 
However the name Columbia came from an arrangement it had with 
CBS very early in its formation to buy lots of advertising time 
provided the network would identify itself as the "Columbia 
Phonograph Broadcasting Company."  This arrangement lasted a very 
short time but William Paley decided to keep the name, at least 
as far as calling the company The Columbia Broadcasting System. 
In about 1938 Paley decided to buy the American Record 
Manufacturing Company, which by then owned Columbia Records along 
with Okeh and a couple of others. They changed the trademark of 
Columbia Records a bit. I think Paley was mainly interested in 
competing with David Sarnoff of RCA. In any case the Blue labels 
with thick lettering were the old trade mark and mean the discs 
were pre CBS or earlier than about 1938.
     The U.S. Signal Corps also had training records. I 
downloaded the set. I think it was at archive.org but have not 
looked to be sure and it was some time ago.
     I am always interested in practice material. I learned 
Continental Morse when I was about 12. Could always send fine but 
have struggled since then to get my reading speed up. Some people 
are able to read at astonishing speeds almost right away, but not 
me. So I practice every day. My hearing loss doesn't help but I 
probably understand code better than speech.  I also had a short 
period where I was working a fellow who was a retired railroad 
operator in American Morse. Have not used it in a long time. I 
have not been able to find a source of practice material. Also, 
even with Continental Morse I have trouble understanding a 
sounder (I have a couple). Suggestions are welcome.

On 5/25/2018 7:12 PM, D.J.J. Ring, Jr. wrote:
> I finally found some fast Morse recording with a straight key.
> 
> http://www.normanfield.com/hmvb629a.mp3 
> <http://www.normanfield.com/hmvb629a.mp3>
> 
> and
> 
> http://www.normanfield.com/co3264.mp3
> 
>  From page:
> http://www.normanfield.com/morse.htm 
> <http://www.normanfield.com/morse.htm>
> 
> Thanks to Norman Field, G4LQF.
> 
> The recording of a New York news station with high speed Morse is 
> probably on his site.

-- 
Richard Knoppow
1oldlens1 at ix.netcom.com
WB6KBL