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Dot Dash: Teachdairean na Mara/The Wave Messengers

Episode 11 of 18

The use of Morse Code at sea. Former Radio Officer Hamish Taylor examines the importance of the seldom-mentioned sea messengers.

Morse Code, sreath de chomharran goirid is fada a dh'fhaodadh gn矛omhaiche r猫idio ealanta a chleachdadh son teachdaireachd de she貌rsa sam bith a chur air feadh an t-saoghail. Faodaidh streapadair ann an 猫iginn cuideachd an aon ch貌d a chleachdadh aig an 矛re as bunaitiche son teachdaireachd S.O.S. a chur air falbh le bi霉gan. Chan fh脿gadh b脿ta m貌r port 脿s aonais an oifigear-r猫idio. Le pr矛omh uallach airson s脿bhailteachd aig muir, sna l脿ithean ro saideal agus conaltradh telex, b' e obair an luchd-r猫idio sgileil seo an aon d貌igh anns am b' urrainn dha soithichean teachdaireachd fhaighinn dhachaigh. Bho thoiseach an fhicheadamh linn deug, bha na h-Oifigearan R猫idio nan dreuchd fad cha mh貌r ceud bliadhna. B' ann ach aig deireadh an linn a chaidh siostaman saideil a chur nan 脿ite. Morse Code, a series of dots and dashes that can be used by a skilled operator to send almost any message across the world using radio waves. The same code can be used in its most basic form by a mountaineer in distress to send an S.O.S. using only a flashlight. The ship's radio officer was the only member of crew without whom a big ship couldn't leave port. Primarily responsible for safety of life at sea, in the age before satellite and telex communications, these highly qualified radiomen were the only channel through which ships could send messages home. Beginning at the turn of the 20th century, Radio Officers manned the airwaves for almost 100 years. They were only replaced with satellite based systems towards the end of the last century. Ex R.O. Hamish Taylor of Harris guides us through this programme which seeks to recognise the importance of the seldom mentioned sea messengers.

1 hour

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Role Contributor
Presenter Cailean MacLean

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