Whether you’re new to ham radio or a longtime operator, it’s extremely eye-opening to discover that this seemingly niche hobby has such a far reach in popular culture. From “NCIS” to Paul McCartney, ham radio and Morse code have left their mark and continue to do so for a new generation of folks who incorporate the hobby into their creative output.
That includes animated shows and video games, believe it or not. Below is a popular long-running TV show and a couple video games that reference or make ham radio/Morse code a central point of their stories.
Bob’s Burgers
“Bob’s Burgers” is a personal favorite of mine. I’ve watched every episode of this show at least five times! So, imagine my delight when I realized that episode nine of season nine, “UFO No You Didn’t”, is about Tina trying to contact extraterrestrial life using a radio telescope and Morse code for a school project.
The story is clearly a riff on the transmission sent at the Arecibo Observatory in the 1970s. Tina and her friend send a basic language key aliens could use to communicate back. Of course, while in real life we never got a response (that we know of), Tina and her friend do—albeit not by who they think.
We won’t spoil the episode for you, but we will say the response starts with “Dear idiots of Earth.”
Watch it on Hulu. You won’t be disappointed.
Firewatch
Indie video games have flourished the past 15 years because of the creativity unbound by larger studios looking to make a quick buck. Firewatch, a mystery adventure game, is one such example of what video games can do in both creativity and storytelling.
Set in the Wyoming wilderness, you play as Henry, who has volunteered to be a fire watcher—someone who holes up in a massive tower overlooking national parks to stay alert for any signs of a potential wildfire. Released in 2016, the game centers around a years-old mystery that Henry must uncover with the help of his supervisor.
While they communicate using walkie talkies, one of the pieces of the mystery is a ham radio diagram that provides more backstory to the dark forces surrounding the main character.
However, I wouldn’t say this is the most accurate representation of how radio frequencies work. So don’t go in thinking this will teach your kid about amateur radio!
MORSE
If you are trying to teach your kids about Morse code, “MORSE” by Alex Johannson does exactly that in the form of an engaging strategy game.
The game is a take on the classic “Battleship” game, where you fight waves of enemies on land, sea, and air. Set in World War I, the goal is to defend your side of the map while also getting your troops across to the enemy’s side—all by using Morse code.
While that seems pretty cut and paste, the complexity of the game is how all areas of the battlefield are interconnected. Not only will you need to direct your ships to deliver your ground troops and then guide your troops, planes overhead provide vision for where you need to go. Keep in mind, the enemy does the same thing, so eventually it becomes a real race to the finish.
The creator of this game even designed a Morse code controller when developing the game using a clothespin and a plank of wood! You can check that out here.
***
And if you’re looking to take advantage of CW operating for fun or serious communications, you’ll find everything you need—including straight keys, paddles, PaddlePads, CW reference books, and more—at DXEngineering.com.
