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Aug 13
#74361
Greeting
All.
My translation of Friedrich Clemens Gerke's 1851
book, "The Practical Telegraphist," is now available
in paperback on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HC3LR82G
As
a reminder, Gerke,
a German, invented what most call "Morse" code
in 1848. His code was the basis of
"International" Morse - which was used
everywhere except on America's telegraph lines.
It's what we still use on the ham bands today.
Gerke
wrote a book about it, in 1851,"The Practical
Telegraphist." However, it was all but unknown
in the English-speaking world. Then last
summer,
Dr. Stephen Phillips of Morse Code World (https://morsecode.world)
gave me a link to the German version he found on
Google Books EU. Its very existence made it
historically important, but I soon realized it
was far more.
Along with how to build and troubleshoot a Morse Telegraph system (like a Radio Amateur's Handbook, circa 1851) Gerke explains why he made his own alphabet - our Morse code - then sets out the theory and practice of the straight key used to "write" it at the 20+ WPM (expected even then). We learn how and why "uniform motion" in musical half- and quarter-note timing generates a perfectly proportioned 3:1 code, which set the model for today's ITU standard. The
rhythms came before the standards.
This is: "How to make perfect code," - from the guy who invented the code :-) There is nothing else like this in the historic record. Oh, and Gerke's explanations about code rhythm apply to ALL key types. Bugs. Sideswipers. Even paddles. So It's relevant to us all. 73
Chris NW6V
Author:
"The CW Way of Life."
There was an interesting discussion on another list about the date and sources so the author added this.Here's the source I
used:
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