The Morse code is the same but some of the skills are different. Out of curiosity, has anyone tried decoding Morse code sent by torchlight (flashlight)? It’s very hard even for experienced CW ops. Without prior training (e.g. in the navy) you end looking consciously at the individual dots and dashes to match with the Morse alphabet – which severely limits your receiving speed.
Just like understanding speech involves both lower parts of the brain (for hearing) and higher parts (for listening and interpretation), decoding Morse is the same.
The rule about using amateur bands is sensible but badly expressed. The idea is to encourage operation on amateur bands. So 10m yes, 11m no. 430-450MHz yes, 446.0-446.2MHz no.
In the UK radio “stops” at 275GHz. However, we all know that there are uses and investigations happening higher. In the UK full licence holders can apply for a free NoV (licence extension) for 275GHz - 3THz. That’s a lot of spectrum but if you look there are plenty of frequencies in there which are off limits (radio astronomy for example). Similar licence extensions are available in some other countries. But 3THz is the top.
Above that you can experiment. You don’t need a licence to use a LED torch which emits at 470-650THz! Significant work is being done by amateurs at 30THz (Barry G8AGN et al.) So in my view, saying that optical comms is not allowed for SOTA removes a valid reason to experiment. My original licence says “self training in wireless telegraphy”. I’d have thought that a few hams using modulated lasers to communicate over 25km say from hill tops is pushing the boundaries a little. Likewise use of non-LOS optical paths (cloud bounce) is another moderately cool comms method. I know that modulated laser links have been used between satellites, the people doing this have a little more money to spend on technology than most hams.
In my view then restricting SOTA to named amateur bands and thus stopping optical and near optical comms is an unintended side effect and I shall be pushing to get the rules updated so those who want to play and experiment can do so.
And talking of rules updates, I think it’s well and truely time to close the loophole that allows people to use multiple calls on an activation to count as separate stations. i.e. I hear someone on 70cm and chase them using my 4 different calls. They work me 4 times whilst I use the same radio / antenna and it counts as the 4 chases they need to claim the points. It was a lifesaver 20 years ago, but with the number of SOTA chasers active 24/7, this “feature” has run it’s course.
Andy, I don’t remember anyone I worked with having that particular problem.
The hardest issue was making sure you only blinked during spaces between words!!! Long signals you preferably needed someone to write the msg down for you. Heaven help u if it was pouring down and blowing a gale
I’ve driven in a small vehicle convoy at night where navigating instructions were communicated using an ordinary torch. Using light of any kind you must make the characters (the dots/dashes a little more separated out than you would than radio. Dit Dit Dit Dash Dit Rather than Dit dit dit dash dit perhaps.
Unlike radio each word was acknowledged by the receiving operator sending a single flash on his lamp. No flash and u simply sent the word agn.
The exception that proves the rule? I believe you are ex-RN. Did you receive training there on sending & receiving Morse by flash light?
EDIT UPDATE: David, you updated your entire post since I replied ….
You appear to be talking about people who were trained or learned to do it by flashlight. I never doubted that: how many war films have we seen where the Navy ships are sending messages to each other that way.
My point was that switching from hearing Morse to viewing it is not trivial. Of course any normally-sighted person who knows Morse well could do it with practice.
Going back 15 years or so, Gordon G0EWN was a keen SOTA participant and also an early experimentor / record setter with LED communication. I am not sure he combined the 2, but pretty sure he would have, as he was active with microwave SOTA.
I currently have his 6cm system, but would not want to carry that amp up any hill. It’s a struggle carrying it anywhere!
