Morse Code Machine

When people say "Morse code machine," they usually mean the telegraph: a key on one end to send, and a device on the other end that clicks or marks paper when the signal arrives. Over 180 years the hardware changed a lot, but the job stayed the same, which was turning a hand movement into dots and dashes.

Don't have a telegraph handy? The Morse code translator converts text both ways, and the Morse code keyboard lets you key with your spacebar the way an operator would with a straight key.

The first line: 1844

Congress paid for Samuel Morse's test line in 1843, after the bill squeaked through the House 89 to 83 (Library of Congress). On May 24, 1844, Morse sat in the U.S. Capitol and sent "What hath God wrought" about 40 miles to his partner Alfred Vail in Baltimore. The paper tape from that day is now in the Smithsonian.

In Morse today, that message reads:

.-- .... .- - / .... .- - .... / --. --- -.. / .-- .-. --- ..- --. .... -

The parts of a Morse code machine

The key (sending)

The telegraph key is a spring-loaded lever. Press it and the circuit closes; let go and it opens. A quick press makes a dot and a longer press makes a dash. The Smithsonian has a Morse-Vail key believed to be from the first Baltimore to Washington line, and the basic "straight key" design stayed in use for over 150 years (Wikipedia).

The register (receiving on paper)

Morse's first receiver was the register. An electromagnet pushed a stylus against a moving paper tape, pressing dots and dashes into it while a clockwork motor pulled the tape along (Smithsonian). An operator then read the tape and wrote out the message.

The sounder (receiving by ear)

Operators soon found they could read the clicking of the register faster than the tape. That led to the sounder, which drops the paper and just clicks, with the space between the clicks telling you dot from dash. The Library of Congress notes this move from paper tape to reading by sound. Sounders were used from the 1850s into the 1970s (Wikipedia). To hear what reading by ear is like, try the audio translator.

The relay (going farther)

Signals got weaker over long wires. A relay used the weak incoming current to switch a fresh, strong current onto the next stretch of wire, so a message could keep going as far as needed. Morse patented one in 1840 (Wikipedia).

Faster keys: bugs, paddles and keyers

Sending by hand all day was hard on the arm. Operators even had a name for the strain injury: "glass arm." Inventors came up with keys that did some of the work.

Key type	How it works	When
Straight key	Up and down. You time every dot and dash yourself.	1840s on
Sideswiper ("cootie")	Side to side, alternating contacts. Easier on the wrist.	Alongside straight keys
Semi-automatic "bug"	Push one way for a string of automatic dots, the other way for hand-timed dashes	Patented 1904
Paddles + electronic keyer	Two paddles; the keyer makes perfectly timed dots and dashes	Mid-1900s on

The best-known bug is the Vibroplex, patented by Horace Martin in 1904 and still made today (Wikipedia). A weighted arm swings back and forth to make the dots, and good operators can top 40 words per minute on one (Wikipedia). The Smithsonian has a Western Union bug in its collection.

From wires to radio

Around 1900, Morse went wireless. Early spark-gap transmitters could only send Morse, switched on and off with a telegraph key. They carried the Titanic's distress calls in 1912 (Wikipedia), and that's the story behind SOS in Morse code. Ships, armies and navies used radio Morse for most of the next century, which we cover on the military Morse code page.

Are Morse code machines still used?

Mostly by hobbyists. Western Union sent its last telegram in January 2006, down from a peak of 200 million a year in 1929 (Computerworld). But amateur radio operators still send Morse (they call it CW) with straight keys, bugs and paddles, and the ARRL calls it amateur radio's original mode. U.S. ham licenses haven't required a Morse test since 2007, but plenty of hams learn it anyway (ARRL).

If you want to see the real thing, the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History has keys, registers and sounders in its collection. If you want to buy one, ham radio suppliers sell new keys and paddles, and old telegraph gear turns up at hamfests and online auctions.

Frequently asked questions

What is a Morse code machine called? It's a telegraph. The sending part is the key, and the receiving part is a register (paper tape) or a sounder (clicks).

How does a Morse code key work? It's a switch on a spring. Pressing it closes a circuit and sends current down the line. A short press is a dot and a longer press is a dash.

What was the first message sent by Morse code machine? "What hath God wrought," sent from Washington to Baltimore on May 24, 1844.

What's the difference between a straight key and a bug? On a straight key you time every dot and dash by hand. A bug makes the dots automatically with a swinging weight, so you only time the dashes.

Can I send Morse code without a machine? Yes. Use the translator to convert text, then send it as sound, light, or keys on the Morse code keyboard.