How To: Create a Morse Code Telegraph in Minecraft

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For last week's Workshop, we decided to attempt to communicate long distance without the use of the chat bar. To accomplish this, we built an elementary redstone pulser that would allow us to communicate in Morse Code. Morse Code has been used for over a hundred years to transmit information over long distances and relies on a system of short pulses (dots) and long pulses (dashes) to convey letters of the alphabet. These letters made up of dashes and dots convey words and ultimately a message. 

For more information on how to use our Morse Code telegraph, see step 5 below.

How to Create a Morse Code Telegraph in Minecraft

Step 1 Create the Telegraph Input

Step 2 Create the Telegraph Input

Step 3 Repeat Steps 1 & 2 for the Second End of Your Telegraph

As stated above, the real trick to this Morse Code telegraph is timing. Dots are quick instant pulses with about a second in between each one and dashes are longer pulses with about two seconds in between each one. To make this easier, you may choose to add an optional dash lever as illustrated in step 4.

Step 4 Add the Dot-Dash Input (Optional)

Step 5 How to Use the Telegraph

When we built this telegraph for last Saturday's Workshop, it took a bit of practice to understand what the other player was sending, but don't give up! With just a little bit of trial and error user Wikey and I were able to correspond from a long distance fairly easily. The best thing to do is to write down (or type) the signal as you see (or hear) it come in and then reference a Morse Code chart. If you don't want to spend the time looking up Morse Code on a chart, use this handy More Code translator instead. 

Thanks to those of you who showed up and helped us with the Morse Code telegraph this week!

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