A low-barrier, expanded implementation of the "tapcode" communications protocol. LowTap can be used effictively in minutes with no memorization to become proficient! It really is easy enough to learn by doing. Low-barrier tapcode - LowTap
You will know LowTap if you read these 3 rules and write out a chart
- The vertical number on the left of the grid comes first. Think of the saying "Up and over!" if you need a reminder.
- When sending LowTap code, leave a short pause between the first and second grid coordinates
- Leave a longer pause between sets of coordinates (letters)
The recommended approach to pause timing is to keep a beat in your head, like a ticking clock. In time with the beat, tap out the first number, pause for a single beat, then tap out the second number. Pause for 3 beats between letters.
26 33 45 spells LOW
With the chart in hand, you can now use LowTap! There is no need to memorize grid numbers. A good middle ground is to memorize the left column, A G M S Y 4, so you can easily count down to the correct row from the first grid and count over with the second.
Proficiency is about consistent timing but pause lengths are relative and flexible. Consistency is good for everyone but don't stress it. Start slow and read straight from the chart on your first attempt. Memorization will happen naturally if you use LowTap frequently but you only need to memorize if you want to become fast, fluent without the chart, or enjoy the learning process.
Any means of interacting with the 5 senses will work without modification. It's all about the timing of presence and absence.
- Tapping with your fingers
- Radio (using common CW rigs, DTMF buttons, electronic keyers, etc.)
- Hammer bangs
- Gun shots Encrypted communications over gun fire. What a time to be alive.
- Hand claps
- Whistles
- Sweeping a floor
- Flashing lights
- Flag waves
- Hand signals
- Knots in a rope
- Dots or some other known object/symbol in a picture
- Flowers in your garden
- Tattoos (this is real, look it up in the context of early ciphers)
- Signal mirrors
- Placing objects with proper timing
- Smoke signals
- Hand waves
- Baseball scores
- Sweeping a floor
- Jumping rope
- Tapping someone's leg
- Banging on a wall or pipe to someone on the other end
- Plucking a long, tight string
- Face punches. Not recommended. If you say something mean it adds insult to injury.
- Taking bites with careful pauses between
- Bites of steak are taps and bites of potato are pauses?
- You can literally fart LowTap with enough beans and practice. With enough gumption this also counts as hearing.
LowTap is a continuation of an idea but far from new. The root of this protocol is the Polybius square of ancient Greece and adaptations have been used in many contexts, usually by the improsoned and oppressed. The concept became well known in the United States, and received the name tapcode, through use in Vietnam's Prisoner of War camps. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tap_code
Nothing! However, the addition of numbers and the expansion to a 6x6 grid add clarity and additional functionality. Tapcode is a 5x5 grid which cannot fit the 26 characters of the English alphabet. To solve this the C and K letters are combined (or sometimes I and J) and context determines which letter is correct. By expanding the grid to 6x6, all 26 letters and 0-9 fit nicely into the 36 character grid with no overlap or context needed. Each coordinate indicates one, and only one character.
Additionally, a 6x6 grid allows for unbreakable encryption (if implemented correctly) with trivial difficulty and no electronics required. NOTE: Amateur Radio does not allow encryption but other uses of LowTap are unrestricted. Because LowTap is most likely to be used for Radio, the encrypted variant is discussed in another repository to reduce confusion and misuse. Look for SlowTap (Secure LowTap).
Low-barrier doesn't mean much in the context of ultra simple tapcode but means a great deal in the context of unbreakable encryption in a few minutes of training. Encryption is new and scary to most LowTap removes that barrier.
Morse Code is brilliant. It's simple enough to be highly effective, even through inconsistent radio noise, yet complex enough to accommodate entire books of information easily. On-off keying protocols provide an amazing signal to noise ratio, especially considering how simple they are. Morse Code is a digital mode that doesn't require a computer, complicated radios, or much power to enable worldwide communication. It's the best bang for the buck in communications.
Despite all the benefits, Morse Code is hard to learn. My lifestyle could not consistently acommodate the intensity and consistency of Morse Code training. I also found the people I most want to communicate with completely averse to learning Morse Code with me. Aside from random contacts on the radio I was going to be isolated.
While tapping out Morse Code dits and dahs on my leg for practice, I realized that a tap works great for a dit but what about dahs? A short swipe action is close but made me wonder if information could be sent through a single action instead of a combination of two. The obvious prior art is tapcode. Though not as useful in prisons, the convenience and clarity of numbers for other contexts far outweigh the addition of a single row and column.
When all else is stripped away, whether by imprisonment, oppresson, or natural disaster, the ability to communicate and the option to communicate securely are critical. Modern communication should be encrypted and LowTap is no exception.
- Inherently faster and more efficient than LowTap
- In the context of Ham Radio, Morse Code is practiced worldwide
- The challenge of learning is itself satisfying to many
If you don't mind the steep learning curve and love the thrill of random, often international communications, Morse Code is the better tool for your needs.
- Effectively no learning curve
- Easier to convince specific users to learn who may be averse to Morse Code
- Easily encrypted for non-Amateur Radio use only
Morse Code prosigns, q codes, and shorthand in general have intentionally been left out of LowTap. There is value in these tools but the greatest value of all is simplicity and ease of learning. An excellent tool you can't use isn't excellent. Though it won't be part of LowTap itself, just like prosigns are not part of International Morse Code, feel free to use them in the context of LowTap or create your own as you need!