Kurt Zoglmann ’01 shares his passion for Morse code and creating connection

Posted October 19, 2023

Morse code

When Kurt Zoglmann ’01 was a teenager, he remembers watching his grandfather, an amateur radio operator, using Morse code to talk to someone in South America. Although his grandfather couldn’t see the face of the person he was communicating with and no words were spoken, they were sharing a moment of connection. 

“I was just transfixed by this,” Zoglmann recalls. “You could just talk to someone across the world using this magical form of communication. I knew that was something I wanted to do someday.”

Fast forward to now, where Zoglmann — an assistant director of application services with K-State’s Division of Information Technology — is regarded as one of the foremost Morse code experts in the world. He has created thousands of hours of training materials, all of which are public domain and accessible for free.

Morse code is a method of telecommunication where letters and numbers are represented by standardized sequences of two different durations, known as dots and dashes. For example, to send the letters KSU in Morse code, you would use (K) – • – (S) • • • (U) • • –. The communication system is named for Samuel Morse, one of the inventors of the telegraph.

“Morse code was absolutely revolutionary,” Zoglmann says. “It allowed instant communication over vast distances.”

Although it is not used as often for formal messaging since the advent of the telephone and the Internet, Morse code is still a world-wide hobby — one that transcends language barriers and national borders.

After Zoglmann graduated from college, he was offered a job at K-State. He started trying to learn Morse code but stalled out and eventually stepped away from the hobby.

Then around five years ago, he experienced a serious health event, possibly caused by a blood clot, that made him realize he’d been neglecting his personal health and wellness.

“There are certain things in life that are important for me to achieve,” he remembers thinking. “This dream of learning Morse code is one of them.”

Inspired by his desire to learn the system and carry on the legacy of his late grandfather, he jumped back into the hobby and discovered a vibrant community ready to teach and mentor learners of all ages. His first contact over the air using Morse code occurred when he took his portable radio out to Randolph State Park and made contact with another operator in Vancouver, Canada.

“I found a wonderful community of people that genuinely care and have a pride and really want to share their passion,” Zoglmann said.

As Zoglmann delved deeper into the hobby, he wanted to help capture and preserve information about Morse code so it would be easier for future generations to pick up the hobby.

He started the Morse Code Ninja website and developed a training format where a person is given a short bit of Morse code, followed by spoken word, and then repeated in Morse code.

He also came up with a format called speed racing, which helps people increase their proficiency in a way that’s not overwhelming, by starting fast and then slowing down. Let’s say a Morse code operator feels comfortable copying 20 words a minute. Zoglmann’s program gives them short bursts of 30-words-per-minute assignments, then slows back down to their more comfortable rate of 20 words a minute.

Through Zoglmann’s work on Morse Code Ninja, people started reaching out to him with more questions and to let him know how his work had impacted their own development as Morse code operators.

About a year and a half ago, Bob (WO6W), a retired electrical engineer, contacted him about a device the other man had constructed to convert audible Morse code to flashes of light and strong vibrations. This new device would allow people with a hearing impairment to also participate in the hobby. Zoglmann wrote an algorithm to analyze audio and create precise closed captioning for his Morse code lessons on YouTube, allowing the hearing impaired to learn Morse code using this device.

“I was able to give back to the community,” Zoglmann said. “I want people to continue to find joy, and I want to make it as easy as possible for people to learn Morse code.”

Morse code does require effort to learn, and the hobby might have moments of frustration in the beginning. However, Zoglmann said it's important to remember it’s a process, not a destination.

Once you reach a certain level of proficiency — around 30 to 35 words a minute — Morse code becomes more like a spoken language, where you’re focused more on the meaning and less on the mechanics, Zoglmann says. Using Morse code to communicate creates an opportunity to slow down and be more intentional about what we’re saying and what we want the other person to come away with from the conversation.

Morse code peacefully connects citizens across the world, even in times of war, and preserves an important piece of communications history.

“Technology has done the opposite of what we hoped, with the introduction of the Internet,” Zoglmann reflects. “The promise was that it would bring us together. And as we see how — in particular social media, but there's other factors — it's really been an isolating force. Increasingly, what we are yearning for is connection. It's important to have a shared story to rally behind, to have a sense of pride in what we've achieved and the legacy that we're leaving to our children.”

And Zoglmann and the community of Morse code operators are helping to make that connection, one dot and dash at a time.

“I am really inspired to see the community continue to flourish and grow. It does give me hope for a brighter future,” he said. “Technology itself is not going to make the world a better place just on its own. We really do have a choice on the future we want to create. And I hope it's one where we aspire to have the most meaningful lives and create vibrant communities that are deeply connected and have a shared passion for the human experience.”

Images courtesy of MorseCode.Ninja