Signalman Sam's Signaling Resource Page

BSA Signaling Merit Badge

• Signaling is one of four historic merit badges which Scouts
  may once again earn only during our centennial year of 2010.
• Here are the requirements for the Signaling merit badge.
• Here is the Signaling merit badge pamphlet in electronic form.
  The BSA did not reprint these pamphlets.
  This is the entire booklet. The file is about 22Mb.

On Signaling

• Here is a Campfire Yarn by Baden Powell about Signaling.
• Send a SamOGram. Signalman Sam will deliver a short message
  to your buddy in either Morse Code or Semaphore Flag Code.
• Practice Receiving With Your Keyboard.

Build a Signaling Device

• Here's Boy's Life (February, 1953) on Building an Electric Code Practice Buzzer.
  You could also make a blinker by substituting a flashlight bulb for the buzzer.
• Here's a page from MiniScience.com showing how to Make a Telegraph Key and Sounder.
  A link on that page shows you how to convert your sounder into a buzzer.
  Of course they would like to sell you a kit to build them,
  but the parts are so simple that you could gather them yourself.
• Here are a couple of (more) modern Electronic Code Practice Oscillators

Semaphore Flag Code Pages

• Signalman Sam's Semaphore Flagman is a dynamic Semaphore Code training aid.
  You can control the speed and whether or not each letter is displayed.
• Signalman Sam's Semaphore Flag Code Course is an organized and progressive
  way to use Signalman Sam's flagman to learn Semaphore Code.
• The Drill Sergeant is a static semaphore code training aid by William Horton.
  Sarge will generate random groups of six or less letters.
  You can take as much time as you need to decode them.
• The Semaphore Page of the 3rd Billericay Scout Troop, U.K.,
  contains a sequential Semaphore Code training aid. It sends
  words letter-by-letter, no time limit, but you are timed and scored.
  This one is also good touch-typing practice.
• Make Semaphore Flag Code "banners" on this page.
  You can even make an animated GIF.
• Here's a Semaphore Flag Code table arranged alphabetically.
• Here's a Semaphore Flag Code table arranged by arm positions.
• Semaphore Flag Code by Phone! A secret code for signalmen.

Morse Code Pages

• Here's Signalman Sam's Morse Code Transmitter page.
  Both Java and JavaScript must be enabled on your browser.
• Signalman Sam's Morse Code Course is an organized and progressive
  way to use Signalman Sam's transmitter to learn Morse Code.
• Here's a Morse code translator and sender page by Stephen C. Phillips.
  Both Java and JavaScript must be enabled on your browser.
• The Boys Life Morse Code Machine can help you begin.
• Here's an International Morse Code table.
• If you're just beginning, check out this International Morse Decoding Tree.
• The American Radio Relay League also has good Morse code resources.
• Today Morse Code is giving computer access to the disabled:
  Morse Codes for Computer Access
  Morseall - A Morse Code User Interface
  Hands Free Computing on YouTube
  

WIGWAG Code

• Here's Boy's Life (October, 1961) on Sending WIGWAG Code.

Downloadable Morse Code Programs

• Be sure you have permission to install software!
• Download the flexible DK5CI MorseCat 2 trainer program here.
• Download the realistic G4FON Morse trainer program here.

International Maritime Signal Flags (Nautical Flag Code)

• The Nautical Flag Code is not a requirement for the Signaling merit badge,
  but certainly is still of interest to the Scout signalman.
• The Nautical Flag Code is a static code. You do not show character codes one-by-one.
  Rather, there is a flag with a unique pattern and colors for each letter of the alphabet.
  The flags representing an entire message are flown together, often vertically on ships.
• Here are the flags representing the letters of the alphabet and the digits.
  This page comes from the TampaDiving.com web site.