New Telegraphy and Morse Code Exhibit

The MoST has recently added a new exhibit to the Telecommunications Laboratory with a number of displays in the exhibit allowing hands-on experimentation with this mode of communication.

Have you ever watched an old western movie where the actors were in a railroad station and you could hear a “click clack” sound in the background? What you were hearing was the sound of the telegraph sounder that the early telegraphers used to send Morse Code. They could decode the sequences of sounds into letters of the alphabet and the experienced ones could send and receive at rates of 25 words per minute. Try out the working telegraph sounder and see how much sense you can make of the sounds.

Well, if your sending and receiving skills aren’t as good as the old time telegraphers, try out the keyboard-to-Morse display. Type a single character, or a string of characters on the keyboard and see what they sound like in Morse code. Of course, this display is operating at a very slow speed – only about 10 words a minute, and the old time telegraphers would think that was pretty slow.

Think you’re ready to send a message using Morse code? Then try out the operating Morse code system. Sending and receiving stations are located at opposite ends of the exhibit, and connected by the telephone wires strung along the wall. Step up to one of the stations and use the telegraph key to send a message to the other station, and then see if you can decipher what message the other station is sending back to you!

The Telecommunications Laboratory is open during the Museum’s normal hours.

Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology. Syracuse, NY.
500 South Franklin Street, Syracuse, New York 13202. Phone (315)425-9068