Difference between revisions of "AY Honors/Communications/Semaphore Code"

From Pathfinder Wiki

Revision as of 02:22, 21 August 2008

The newer flag semaphore system uses two short poles with square flags, which a flagperson holds in different positions to signal letters of the alphabet and numbers. The flagperson holds one pole in each hand, and extends each arm in one of eight possible directions. Except for in the rest position, the flags cannot overlap. The flags are colored differently based on whether the signals are sent by sea or by land. At sea, the flags are colored red and yellow. While on land, they are red and white.

The following semaphore characters are presented as one would face the signalman (in other words, pretend you can see the signalman's face in the illustrations). The letters almost follow a perfect, regular pattern, but don't be fooled by the first several. J, V, and Y break the pattern. We present them here in alphabetical order, and then again by position in a series of circles.

Alphabetic Order

80px
Rest position 		80px
Numerals 		80px
Attention 		80px
Cancel
80px
A / 1 		80px
B / 2 		80px
C / 3 / Ack 		80px
D / 4 		80px
E / 5 / Error 9x's 		80px
F / 6
80px
G / 7 		Semaphore Hotel.svg
H / 8 		Semaphore India.svg
I / 9 		Semaphore Juliet.svg
J / Letters 		Semaphore Kilo.svg
K / 0
Semaphore Lima.svg
L 		Semaphore Mike.svg
M 		Semaphore November.svg
N 		Semaphore Oscar.svg
O 		Semaphore Papa.svg
P
Semaphore Quebec.svg
Q 		Semaphore Romeo.svg
R 		Semaphore Sierra.svg
S 		Semaphore Tango.svg
T 		File:Semaphore Uniform.svg
U
File:Semaphore Victor.svg
V 		File:Semaphore Whiskey.svg
W 		File:Semaphore X-ray.svg
X 		File:Semaphore Yankee.svg
Y 		File:Semaphore Zulu.svg
Z

By position

The Grand Circle 80px
A 		80px
B 		80px
C 		80px
D 		80px
E 		80px
F 		80px
G
A Circle 80px Semaphore Hotel.svg
H 		Semaphore India.svg
I 		Semaphore Kilo.svg
K 		Semaphore Lima.svg
L 		Semaphore Mike.svg
M 		Semaphore November.svg
N
B Circle 80px 80px Semaphore Oscar.svg
O 		Semaphore Papa.svg
P 		Semaphore Quebec.svg
Q 		Semaphore Romeo.svg
R 		Semaphore Sierra.svg
S
C Circle 80px 80px 80px Semaphore Tango.svg
T 		File:Semaphore Uniform.svg
U 		File:Semaphore Yankee.svg
Y 		80px
Cancel
D Circle 80px 80px 80px 80px 80px
Numerals 		Semaphore Juliet.svg
J 		File:Semaphore Victor.svg
V
E Circle 80px 80px 80px 80px 80px File:Semaphore Whiskey.svg
W 		File:Semaphore X-ray.svg
X
F Circle 80px 80px 80px 80px 80px 80px File:Semaphore Zulu.svg
Z

Tips

When you are first learning semaphores, a good Bible text to practice with is Philippians 4:8, as it repeats the phrase "whatever is" several times. Since it is so repetitive, You should be able to quickly signal the "whatever is" portion to get your speed up. This verse contains all the letters of the alphabet except j, q, and z which can be learned afterwards.




Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
— Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

Graphically

60pxF File:Semaphore India.svgI File:Semaphore November.svgN 60px
A 		File:Semaphore Lima.svgL File:Semaphore Lima.svgL File:Semaphore Yankee.svgY 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px
60pxB File:Semaphore Romeo.svgR File:Semaphore Oscar.svgO File:Semaphore Tango.svgT File:Semaphore Hotel.svgH 60pxE File:Semaphore Romeo.svgR File:Semaphore Sierra.svgS 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px
File:Semaphore Whiskey.svgW File:Semaphore Hotel.svgH 60px
A 		File:Semaphore Tango.svgT 60pxE File:Semaphore Victor.svgV 60pxE File:Semaphore Romeo.svgR 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px
File:Semaphore India.svgI File:Semaphore Sierra.svgS 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px
File:Semaphore Tango.svgT File:Semaphore Romeo.svgR File:Semaphore Uniform.svgU 60pxE 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px
File:Semaphore Whiskey.svgW File:Semaphore Hotel.svgH 60px
A 		File:Semaphore Tango.svgT 60pxE File:Semaphore Victor.svgV 60pxE File:Semaphore Romeo.svgR 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px
File:Semaphore India.svgI File:Semaphore Sierra.svgS 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px
File:Semaphore November.svgN File:Semaphore Oscar.svgO 60pxB File:Semaphore Lima.svgL 60pxE 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px
File:Semaphore Whiskey.svgW File:Semaphore Hotel.svgH 60px
A 		File:Semaphore Tango.svgT 60pxE File:Semaphore Victor.svgV 60pxE File:Semaphore Romeo.svgR 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px
File:Semaphore India.svgI File:Semaphore Sierra.svgS 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px
File:Semaphore Romeo.svgR File:Semaphore India.svgI 60pxG File:Semaphore Hotel.svgH File:Semaphore Tango.svgT 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px
File:Semaphore Whiskey.svgW File:Semaphore Hotel.svgH 60px
A 		File:Semaphore Tango.svgT 60pxE File:Semaphore Victor.svgV 60pxE File:Semaphore Romeo.svgR 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px
File:Semaphore India.svgI File:Semaphore Sierra.svgS 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px
File:Semaphore Papa.svgP File:Semaphore Uniform.svgU File:Semaphore Romeo.svgR 60pxE 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px
File:Semaphore Whiskey.svgW File:Semaphore Hotel.svgH 60px
A 		File:Semaphore Tango.svgT 60pxE File:Semaphore Victor.svgV 60pxE File:Semaphore Romeo.svgR 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px
File:Semaphore India.svgI File:Semaphore Sierra.svgS 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px
File:Semaphore Lima.svgL File:Semaphore Oscar.svgO File:Semaphore Victor.svgV 60pxE File:Semaphore Lima.svgL File:Semaphore Yankee.svgY 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px
File:Semaphore Whiskey.svgW File:Semaphore Hotel.svgH 60px
A 		File:Semaphore Tango.svgT 60pxE File:Semaphore Victor.svgV 60pxE File:Semaphore Romeo.svgR 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px
File:Semaphore India.svgI File:Semaphore Sierra.svgS 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px
60px
A 		60pxD File:Semaphore Mike.svgM File:Semaphore India.svgI File:Semaphore Romeo.svgR 60px
A 		60pxB File:Semaphore Lima.svgL 60pxE 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px

More Tips

Learn some landmark letters first and commit them to memory. Groups of related letters are a good choice. For example, these two make vertical lines:

60pxD File:Semaphore Romeo.svgR File:Semaphore Lima.svgL 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px

These four are made by holding the flags 90° to one another, but all are at 45° to the signaler:

File:Semaphore Uniform.svgU File:Semaphore November.svgN File:Semaphore India.svgI File:Semaphore X-ray.svgX 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px

These four are made by holding the flags 45° apart:

60px
A 		File:Semaphore Hotel.svgH File:Semaphore Oscar.svgO File:Semaphore Tango.svgT 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px

Most of these are fairly common letters (except for X), so knowing them will allow you to spell the better part of most words. Add an A and an S to the mix:

60px
A 		File:Semaphore Sierra.svgS 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px

and you can spell a quick sentence:

File:Semaphore Uniform.svgU File:Semaphore November.svgN File:Semaphore India.svgI File:Semaphore X-ray.svgX 60pxRest File:Semaphore India.svgI File:Semaphore Sierra.svgS 60pxRest 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px 60px
60px
A 		60pxRest File:Semaphore Hotel.svgH File:Semaphore Oscar.svgO File:Semaphore Tango.svgT File:Semaphore Romeo.svgR File:Semaphore Oscar.svgO 60pxD 60pxRest File:Semaphore Oscar.svgO File:Semaphore Sierra.svgS 60pxRest 60px 60px 60px
Retrieved from "https://wiki.pathfindersonline.org/index.php?title=AY_Honors/Communications/Semaphore_Code&oldid=22758"