Dot, Dash and Atlantic Reach: The Morse Revival in Las Palmas

LAS PALMAS DE GRAN CANARIA — While most of Europe heads further into the digital unknown, a small collective on this Atlantic outpost is quietly rewinding the clock—on purpose. Nestled on Alférez Provisional 22, the local section EA8URL of the Unión de Radioaficionados Españoles is not only keeping amateur radio alive in Gran Canaria; it is rekindling the dying art of Morse code with remarkable flair.

Back to Class

At the heart of this movement is a surprisingly nostalgic initiative: “la vuelta al cole”—the return to school. Since 2022, EA8URL has been offering free Morse code tutorials, an unassuming but highly disciplined training program led by veteran operator Alberto Guersi (EA8AGF). It is not a gimmick. These are serious, methodical sessions designed to instill fluency in CW (continuous wave), the backbone of early 20th-century wireless communication.

The club's leadership, particularly Jesús Alberto de Lorenzo Santana (EA8DHC), views Morse not as an outdated relic but as a mental discipline, a linguistic exercise, and a universal radio language immune to noise, accent, or lag. In a world of voice recognition AI and 5G redundancy, the rhythmic efficiency of dot and dash still manages to feel radical.

A Beacon in the East Atlantic

Geography helps. Las Palmas sits at the crossroads of maritime and aerial corridors linking Europe, Africa, and the Americas. From this perch, EA8URL maintains a strong on-air presence, with its members participating in global contests, supporting civil protection simulations, and facilitating DXpeditions to lesser-known islands in the Canarian archipelago.

The club's headquarters, open every Tuesday evening, is both a technical workshop and a cultural sanctuary. With its rows of aging transceivers, meticulously maintained logbooks, and animated debates about propagation curves, it feels almost like a temple to signal integrity.

Their modest web presence—ea8url.blogspot.com.es—offers a glimpse into the club's vibrant inner life. One video, produced by EA8CNR, documents their activities with a blend of humility and pride. It’s a reminder that not everything needs to be livestreamed in 4K to be worth sharing.

A Quiet but Firm Signal

The Morse revival in Las Palmas isn’t a rejection of progress. Rather, it's a layered embrace of it—acknowledging that the most reliable tools often endure not because they’re modern, but because they’re proven. For EA8URL, the true power of communication lies not in convenience, but in continuity.

In a world increasingly defined by fleeting messages and ephemeral platforms, Las Palmas’ quiet beacons stand as monuments to deliberate communication. When the noise floor rises and the batteries of modernity drain, one imagines their members still tapping out messages—slow, sure, and heard across oceans.