Subj : Morse Code
To   : Andy Ball
From : Roy Witt
Date : Fri Sep 01 2000 09:37 am

Hello Andy.

30 Aug 00 15:25, you wrote to me:

 RW>> Since marine and aircraft no longer use CW, there's no need for
 >> CW beacons. I think you'll find that they're all using digital
 >> communications now.  I think it was France who announced back
 >> in 1998 that the end of that year (or the following February)
 >> signaled the end of their CW in their maritime service. I
 >> believe the announcement said that they were the last country to
 >> do so.

 AB>     I think Britain still has maritime non-directional beacons (NDBs)
 AB> that identify themselves in Morse,

Maybe so.

 AB> and I'd be surprised if our coast guard were not equipped to receive
 AB> it.

According to a friend of mine, who's a HAM (K7DCG) and a (retired now)
Coast Guardsman, they quit using morse code and went digital in the early
eighties.  His last job with the CG was as a radio station manager on our
Point Loma CG radio station here in San Diego.

 AB>     I can understand the reduction of Morse code use, and I don't
 AB> necessarily believe it should be compulsory for amateurs -

As you know, the requirements are being phased out in the FCC testing.
That doesn't mean that MC will be going away very soon, as there are still
dedicated frequencies and individuals who won't give it up anytime soon.
Nor should they.

 AB> but I think it's important to recognise it's potential as a fall-back
 AB> system.

Maybe 100 years from now, somebody will make a war movie where a platoon
is cut off from headquarters and their radio is broken. Pretty soon some
old Master Sargent remembers his great grandpappy taught him enough Morse
Code to be dangerous.  So he rigs a switch to the finals and uses a couple
of empty cartridges for the make and break.  He's all set up and sending
code, but the people at headquarters don't have the slightest clue what
that clickety clack interfering noise is in their speaker...

 AB> Even if you can't modulate a carrier for some reason - if you
 AB> can oscillate, you can communicate.

{:)


.... No wanna work... wanna play with satellites!!!
--- Twit(t) Filter v2.1 (C) 2000
 * Origin:  (1:10/22)

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