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