Morse Code charts for every taste

In my travels around the internet I’ve come across many and varied versions of Morse-code charts. From the incomprehensible through to the impenetrable, through to incorrect, incomplete and more.

• Here’s one that is mostly right, though incomplete, but refers to the elements as dots and dashes: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b5/International_Morse_Code.svg/315px-International_Morse_Code.svg.png

• Here’s an example of something that tries, but if you actually attempt to use it, you’ll go insane: http://www.learnmorsecode.com/pix/learn.gif

  

• Here’s one that adds a whole lot of complexity, invents a few new characters – in the form of “Abbreviated Numerals” and refers to Pro-Signs with phrases, “Closing Down” is apparently the same as the Pro-Sign “SK”: https://i0.wp.com/wildernessarena.com/main/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/The-International-Morse-Code.jpg?resize=1024%2C769

• This one adds the International Phonetic alphabet, but is inconsistent in its use, compare “Niner” and “One”, or “Four”: https://www.otasurvivalschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Morse-Code-and-Phonetic-Chart.jpg

• If you think the representative bodies make it easier for you, nope. The ARRL has this abomination – which you can’t even link to, under “Morse Code Alphabet”: http://www.arrl.org/learning-morse-code

• The WIA in Australia doesn’t appear to have a reference, referring you to the FISTS Down Under Morse Preservation Society, which also doesn’t actually appear to have a reference. The regulator in Australia, the ACMA has this as a reference, but appears to have invented a few new signals – “End of Transmission”, for example: https://www.acma.gov.au/Industry/Spectrum/Radiocomms-licensing/Apparatus-licences/morse-code-signals

• This abomination finds its way onto social media every few weeks: http://www.learnmorsecode.info/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/ditdah.png

  

• Here’s a marginally better version, which actually shows the code in order: https://www.vectorstock.com/royalty-free-vector/latin-alphabet-in-international-morse-code-vector-9898048

• This one is labelled for survival, so you know it’s good: https://survivalized.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/MorseCodeAlphabet.jpg

• This invents the number “10” in the name of poetry: https://thatsmaths.files.wordpress.com/2017/06/morse-code-symbols.jpg?w=553&h=411

• This appears to be what was state of the art in 1916 to educate the Girl Guides with: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/69/Morse_Code_Mnemonic_chart_from_Girl_Guides_handbook_1916.jpg

• This one introduces a “fraction bar”, whatever that is, or a “parenthesis”, not sure which one or how to use it, not to mention that the dits are bigger than the dahs: https://www.omniglot.com/images/writing/morsecode.gif

• This one is from the Encyclopaedia, so you “know” it’s “right”: https://cdn.britannica.com/668×448/87/2787-004-637257B2.jpg

• This one has lots of pretty colours: https://ece.uwaterloo.ca/~dwharder/Morse_code/images/examples.png

• This one helps you understand by showing both the UPPER and lower case letters: https://de.tek.com/sites/default/files/media/image/morse%20code.jpg

• It’s always helpful to refer to symbols by their name, so you know which one it is: http://web.cecs.pdx.edu/~caleb/aa7ou/ham_pages/images/morseb4.gif

• It’s important to get numbers right if you’re playing Call of Duty, but don’t stress about the letters: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/callofduty/images/f/f0/Morse_Code_Guide_IW.png/revision/latest?cb=20170425145920

• If you prefer power-point, there’s 16 pages here: https://www.slideshare.net/JosephAmes1/introduction-to-the-international-morse-code

• Nothing like switching from one type of Morse to another, or introducing new terms: https://st3.depositphotos.com/1032239/16730/v/1600/depositphotos_167302398-stock-illustration-morse-code-letters-and-numbers.jpg

• By the time you’ve figured out which letter came past, you’ll have died of old age: https://www.dcode.fr/tools/morse/images/tree-dot.png

• Apparently if you use dots to make a font, that’s Morse too: https://creativemarket.com/funfontshop/250620-Morse-Code-Font

• This one was missing some bits, so they were scribbled in: https://s3.amazonaws.com/gs-geo-images/df016c5a-bd7e-4e40-997c-87d853942311.jpg

• Apparently it’s OK to use the same code for a T and a 0, as well as for a 5 and an S (this is American Morse, historical interest only): https://www.willowbunchtelegraphoffice.ca/media/american_morse_code.png

• And then there’s this one. Words fail to express (NOT American Morse, check out the A and the N): http://cdn1us.denofgeek.com/sites/denofgeekus/files/2016/11/the-walking-dead-morse-code-michonne.jpg

My point?

Well, it’s hard enough to learn the code, but a definitive reference I have yet to find that shows all the code, with their standard symbols, the pro-signs, their usage and meaning.

Should it really be this hard?

Edit: Added the hilarity that the Walking Dead TV Series contributed to the conversation.

Edit 2: Pointed out that the Walking Dead chart is actually wrong, not just American Morse.

FINAL NOTE: The definitive reference—for the International Morse Code, anyway—is ITU Recommendation M.1677-1 (10/2009) – International Morse Code. Unfortunately, the standard does not have a chart like the ones above.

You should check out the original post. If you’re interested in this kind of thing, the comments are worth reading.