Telegraph office · straight key · sounder
Morse Code Converter
Type the telegram and the tape fills with dots and dashes; paste Morse on the tape and the telegram is written out. Press Play and the key taps it out at real Morse timing.
Telegram
Send the following message, subject to the terms on back, which are hereby agreed toThe Morse alphabet
Text to Morse, Morse to text
International Morse code writes every letter, digit and common punctuation mark as a pattern of short and long signals: dots and dashes on paper, dits and dahs by ear. This page converts both ways as you type. Letters are separated by a space and words by a slash, the usual written form, and the tape below the form draws the same message the way a Morse register inked it.
Timing
Everything is measured in dots. A dash is three dots long, the gap inside a letter is one dot, the gap between letters three and between words seven. Speed is set in words per minute using the standard word PARIS, so at 15 wpm a dot lasts 80 milliseconds. Play uses those exact ratios; the key presses and the sounder lamp flashes with each element.
Why a telegraph desk
Morse was made for the wire. An operator wrote the message on a telegram blank, sent it with a straight key, and the office at the other end heard it on a sounder and wrote it down. The first public message, "What hath God wrought", went from Washington to Baltimore in 1844.
How do I decode Morse I have received?
Type or paste it into the Morse line on the form: dots and dashes (underscores and bullets work too), one space between letters, a slash or three spaces between words. The message line fills in; unknown groups show as #.
What characters are supported?
A to Z, 0 to 9 and . , ? ' ! / ( ) & : ; = + - _ " $ @. Accented letters are converted to their plain form; anything else is skipped and counted under the form.
Why does Play need a click?
Browsers only allow sound after you interact with the page. Press Play once and it will keep working.
Is anything uploaded?
No. The whole desk runs in your browser, sound included.