[CW] Fwd: [BrassPounders] Interesting subject!!

[George Maurer]

Ah ha, that clears up a misunderstanding I had. I remember reading an article 
some 50 years ago that described the signal as being sent as SOSOSOS. . .. All 
else I remember being as David J. Ring, Jr. wrote. It makes more sense the way  
he sites it. 
73
George k6ite

On 11 Jan 2006 at 0:52, David J. Ring, Jr. wrote:

> Ed, you might want to post this to the NOGA reflector for me as it will help 
> end the spread of wrong information.
> 
> CQD was the Marconi Wireless Company's signal for Distress which was adopted
> in 1904.
> 
> SOS was adopted at the Berlin Telegraphic Conference as the International 
> Distress signal in 1906.  (German wireless regulations had adopted SOS a 
> year earlier in 1905, the German equivalent of CQ was SOE)
> 
> The signal "CQ" was used preceeding broadcast messages such as time signals 
> on the telegraph landlines.
> 
> Use of the Marconi CQD lingered on with the British ships and Chief Radio 
> Officer of the "Titanic" (Callsign: MGY) Jack Phillips sent out CQD first, 
> then at the suggestion of 2nd R/O Harold Bride, he sent out the 
> international distress signal.
> 
> Neither CQD or SOS have any meaning, they are simply signals.  They stand 
> for nothing else.  They do NOT stand for "Come Quick Danger" or "Save Our 
> Souls" - these cute associations were made up and have NO basis in 
> historical fact.
> 
> SOS is simply a signal consisting of three dots three dashes three dots.
> 
> According to international radio regulations, the three dashes are to be 
> sent elongated.  Common practice is to elongate the dashes to double to 
> triple a normal dash.
> 
> SOS is sent as one continuous signal. It is NOT sent as S O S (three 
> individual letters) it is sent as
> dit-dit-dit-daaaaaaaaah-daaaaaaaaah-daaaaaaaaah-dit-dit-dit.  SOS is 
> repeated three times and this group is followed by the signal for "General 
> Call" or CQ.
> 
> Thus the ship "Prinsendam" (callsign PJTA) sent out her SOS on October 4, 
> 1980 thus:
> 
> SOS SOS SOS CQ CQ CQ DE PJTA PJTA PJTA = PASSENGER SHIP PRINSENDAM/PJTA ON
> FIRE IN POSITION ... ... ...
> 
> There is an excellent article about this by Neal McEwan, K5RW on the 
> internet:
> http://www.telegraph-office.com/pages/arc2-2.html
> 
> Neal used some great sources, including one of the most knowledgeable men on 
> Morse Code and its use, Don de Neuf, WA1STO (SK), a friend of mine who was 
> President of Press Wireless, a radio based news transmission service (they 
> did what Associated Press did on the Morse wire).  Don was a fabulous morse 
> operator.
> 
> 73
> 
> David J. Ring, Jr.
> N1EA
> 
> 
> 
> 
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