CW - Living language (RE: Prosign confusion)

[Darwin, Keith]

Some examples of morse as a living language.

In the mid 70's, when I first started, QSOs were ended with "Shave and a
hair cut" to which the other replied "2 bits".  Of course it was all
done by sending dits to the rhythm.  I went QRT for several years.  When
I came back in the mid 80's the exchanged was shortened to just the "2
bits" part, hence the adding of the little "dit dit" to the end of a
QSO.

It used to be one would say oops by sending 8 dits in a row.  Now, I
routinely hear a couple of short odd spaced dits instead.  I suppose it
works but it is more risky.

I also hear people (myself included) who have become wordy with Q
signals.  We send "the QTH here is Gary, IN" rather than "QTH Gary, IN".
I worked a guy a few weeks ago who really opened up my eyes to this.  He
sent something like "GE OM TNX. RST 55N 55N.  QTH Pittsburgh, PA.  OP
Gary.  HW?"  Wow, he gave a lot in a short space and even though he was
at 15 wpm it didn't take long at all.  I liked it and am trying to model
it although I still tend to fall back to "TNX FER CALL OM.  UR RST IS
55N  QTH HERE IS ..."

Way OT:  I copied a guy on 40 SSB a couple of days ago complaining about
his Icom rig.  He called it a "RAY-diddey-oh".  Oh boy, did I hate that.
I felt like interrupting with "hey good buddy, ya got yer ears on?".  Ah
the joys of CW.

- Keith -

-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of [hidden email]

>-----Original Message-----
>From: Ron D'Eau Claire <[hidden email]>
>
>> To me it's that CW or Morse is a language
>> and, like most languages it goes through a process of evolution and
>> change according to popular usage.
 
> I agree to a point. But we amateurs are the last widespread users of
> Morse Code - the keepers of the flame, as it were. I think it's up to
> us to preserve its unique character.
 
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[Leigh L. Klotz Jr WA5ZNU]

When I was learning CW I made the mistake of telling my kindergarten
class about this novice custom, and the entire school bus began chanting
"dit-diddle-it-dit" until I got off.  Despite this early trauma, I
managed to get my license.

Bill W9ZN, the CW powerhouse of Chicago, will happily do the whole
dit-diddle-it-dit with you, and send EISH5 and BENS BEST BENT WIRE/5
too.
Leigh/WA5ZNU
On Thu, 12 Jan 2006 10:27 am, Darwin, Keith wrote:
> Some examples of morse as a living language.
>
> In the mid 70's, when I first started, QSOs were ended with "Shave and
> a
> hair cut" to which the other replied "2 bits".  Of course it was all
> done by sending dits to the rhythm.
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[Vic K2VCO]

Darwin, Keith wrote:
> Some examples of morse as a living language.
>
> In the mid 70's, when I first started, QSOs were ended with "Shave and a
> hair cut" to which the other replied "2 bits".  Of course it was all
> done by sending dits to the rhythm.  I went QRT for several years.  When
> I came back in the mid 80's the exchanged was shortened to just the "2
> bits" part, hence the adding of the little "dit dit" to the end of a
> QSO.

Not exactly.

Dit dit was used by commercial/military operators to indicate that the
contact on a particular frequency was finished.  After sending the
*last* transmission before going QRT or moving to another frequency to
pass traffic, an operator would send "dit dit".  The other would
respond, indicating that he understood and was also finished.

The "shave and a haircut" business started in the 1950's, and generally
indicated that the user was a lid.
--
73,
Vic, K2VCO
Fresno CA
http://www.qsl.net/k2vco
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[Thom LaCosta]

On Thu, 12 Jan 2006, Darwin, Keith wrote:

>
> Way OT:  I copied a guy on 40 SSB a couple of days ago complaining about
> his Icom rig.  He called it a "RAY-diddey-oh".  Oh boy, did I hate that.
> I felt like interrupting with "hey good buddy, ya got yer ears on?".  Ah
> the joys of CW.
>

In some areas it would be pronounced "Rah-Did-e-oh"...expecially when we're
waiting for the man to come down the chimbly in Dezember.

Thom
www.baltimorehon.com ... where we prove you talk funny.
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[Thom LaCosta]

On Thu, 12 Jan 2006, Vic K2VCO wrote:

>
> The "shave and a haircut" business started in the 1950's, and generally
> indicated that the user was a lid.

How things change....now it's a contest or something like that.

Thom

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[W2AGN]

Thom R LaCosta wrote:

> On Thu, 12 Jan 2006, Vic K2VCO wrote:
>
>>
>> The "shave and a haircut" business started in the 1950's, and
>> generally indicated that the user was a lid.
>
>
> How things change....now it's a contest or something like that.

Not changed that much. Still lids.


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[David A. Belsley]

On Jan 12, 2006, at 1:26 PM, Darwin, Keith wrote:

> It used to be one would say oops by sending 8 dits in a row.  Now, I
> routinely hear a couple of short odd spaced dits instead.  I  
> suppose it
> works but it is more risky.

This phenomenon is actually a very interesting and natural evolution  
to cw's conversational style.  When sending at relatively slow  
speeds, particularly -- but not only -- with a straight key, the 8-
dits error sign made a good contrast and served psychologically to  
clean the slate for a fresh start.  When sending with a keyer,  
however, at higher speeds (say 25 wpm or above -- and certainly above  
30 wpm), the string of dits no longer provides the kind of contrast  
that makes the mind say, whoa, let's do that again, and instead often  
just sounds like unintended noise.  Indeed it a couple of well spaced  
dots that do provide this contrast, and hence serve better to the  
purpose.  I think this notion grew naturally and independently to a  
large number of operators, and I suspect it is going to stay.  As  
Keith says, "it is more risky," but this risk can all but be removed  
if the sender takes the pains not to make the dots "oddly spaced" but  
rather, say, three dits spaced evenly with the between-word spacing.

best wishes,

dave belsley, w1euy

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[Thom LaCosta]

On Thu, 12 Jan 2006, w2agn wrote:

> Thom R LaCosta wrote:
>
>> On Thu, 12 Jan 2006, Vic K2VCO wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> The "shave and a haircut" business started in the 1950's, and generally
>>> indicated that the user was a lid.
>>
>>
>> How things change....now it's a contest or something like that.
>
> Not changed that much. Still lids.
>

N N M A

Thom

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[Joe-aa4nn]

>> The "shave and a haircut" business started in the 1950's, and generally
>> indicated that the user was a lid.
>How things change....now it's a contest or something like that.
--------------
More about the Barbershop Contest at:
http://www.io.com/~n5fc/barbershop_contest.htm
Lots of K2s and K1s in there

de Joe, K5ESE
aka AA4NN


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