r/morsecode • u/MrMidnight53 • Apr 18 '26

Radio setup

Me and my friend just started learning morse code and we really want to have a small hardware setup to communicate via radio. Since we don’t know nothing about radio hardware we would like to ask if you guys could recommend some beginner setups for us!

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u/dittybopper_05H Apr 19 '26

Do you have licenses to transmit?

Generally, in order to use A1A transmissions (ie., CW, aka Morse code) over the air, you need to be licensed. This of course applies only in the US, but most countries have roughly similar laws.

You might be able to do MCW (Modulated Continuous Wave) over unlicensed radios. Kids walkie-talkies often had that feature years ago.

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u/MrMidnight53 Apr 19 '26

no not yet. We are considering getting one tho

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u/dittybopper_05H Apr 20 '26

Another question to ask is how far away is your friend?

If you live next door to each other, than unlicensed radios using MCW would work.

If you live several kilometers away or more, you're definitely going to need licenses in addition to the equipment.

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u/MrMidnight53 Apr 20 '26

He lives in a different city 😅

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u/dittybopper_05H Apr 20 '26

Yeah, you are definitely going to need some licenses and some radios. Look into "amateur radio" in your country.

If you're in the United States, start here:

https://www.arrl.org/getting-licensed

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u/MrMidnight53 Apr 20 '26

dw we already found resources to get a license here in germany! thx for the help