[Boatanchors] Distress "Q" signal like, CQD SOS MAYDAY etc

[Glen Zook]

It was an invention of the ARRL and is recognized nowhere these days!  I have seen instances, over the years, when the ARRL has really recognized SOS and "May Day" as the proper ways when there is a situation where a true emergency exists.


QRRR is like the various phonetic alphabets that the ARRL pushed over the years.  There were at least three phonetic alphabets in the ARRL Handbook and none of them were like the old military phonetic alphabets or the APCO phonetic alphabet used by police departments in this country.  Finally, the ARRL started using the ICAO phonetic alphabet like the U.S. military had adopted.  Even the ARRL headquarters staff did not use the ARRL phonetic alphabet!  The only amateur radio operators who used that alphabet were brand new operators who did not have anyone around to mentor them and "assumed" that the ARRL phonetic alphabet was "proper" because it was in the Handbook!

 Glen, K9STH 
Website: http://k9sth.net

      From: Rob Atkinson <ranchorobbo at gmail.com>
 To: Howie WA3MCK <wa3mck at gmail.com> 
Cc: Boatanchor group <boatanchors at mailman.qth.net>
 Sent: Wednesday, January 18, 2017 9:14 PM
 Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] Distress "Q" signal like, CQD SOS MAYDAY etc
   
I think QRRR is an ARRL invention.