[ARC5] OT: CW from NSS (or was it NPG?)

[Richard Knoppow]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Stinson" <arc5 at ix.netcom.com>
To: "ARC-5 List" <arc5 at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Saturday, November 30, 2013 9:05 AM
Subject: [ARC5] OT: CW from NSS (or was it NPG?)


> The last time I heard CW on VLF was NSS at, IIRC, 17 KC. I 
> was still a boy- about 14.
> They were sending:
>
>   "VVV VVV VVV DE NSS NSS NSS BT NOW IS THE TIME FOR ALL 
> GOOD MEN TO COME TO THE AID OF THE AID OF THEIR COUNTRY" 
> BT AR"
>
> over and over at about 15 WPM, but each cycle they
> introduced a seemingly random error- dropping a letter
> or a single misspelling.   Dunno why.
>
> That was a long time ago, and I sure do miss it.
> 73 DE Dave AB5S
>
> P.S.  Something in the back of my head is telling me this 
> was NPG, not NSS.  It's possible;
> we're talking over 40 years ago.
>
    It might have been both keyed together. I often heard 
NPG keying with NLK.  I never heard the test signal you 
describe but it might have been a test to see if the errors 
were spotted or else some sort of strange cypher. I used to 
try to copy NPG here but they mostly sent at quite high 
speeds, around 30WPM I think. For a while I recorded them 
and played the signal at half-speed to get practice 
material. I had only a makeshift regenerative receiver for 
VLF and no antenna to speak of so I heard mostly local stuff 
on 500 khz and beacons.


--
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles
WB6KBL
dickburk at ix.netcom.com