[CW] WW2 Use of V instead of DE

[Richard Knoppow]

    The linked handbook is very interesting, thank you. Evidently 
the Navy used many variations of the conventional signals during 
the war. They seem to have decided to use the question mark sighn 
IMI to mean repeat all of a questioned transmission and 
introduced IMT, meaning interrogatory as the general question 
mark sign. All of this was probably thought out and made sense at 
the time like the change to V for DE.
    The 1938 telecommunications convention resulted in some 
musical chairs for CW conventional signals. Period had been III 
and was changed to AAA. AAA was formerly the sign for the comma. 
That was changed to MIM, formerly the sign for the exclamation 
point. The exclamation point was the odd one out with no new sign.
    Curiously enough the 4th edition of "Reference Data for Radio 
Engineers" (ITT 1954) still shows III as the period symbol some 
sixteen years after it was changed by international convention.
    There were several international radio conventions resulting 
in changes to procedure. The change from CQD to SOS for distress 
was the result of one of the earlier ones (1912 I think). 
Dropping QST as a general call for all stations came from another 
early one. Currently, and for a long time past, QST is used 
pretty much only by the ARRL for its general transmissions. There 
have been continuous changes in Q signals, many of the first ones 
became obsolete with the elimination of spark and changes in 
operating procedures.  Old lists of Q sigs are not hard to find 
on the web.


On 1/2/2019 6:11 AM, D.J.J. Ring, Jr. wrote:
> Just like the predecessor of "CQ" is "QST" the letter "V" was 
> used like "DE" is used today.  The group "III" was originally the 
> symbol for period orb"full stop."
> 
> According to our friend, Bill, KA8VIT:
> 
> In WW2 'V' was used instead of 'DE' when calling a station.
> 
> Example: NECO V NPY K
> 
> Meaning: Pearl Harbor (Submarines) calling the USS COD.
> 
> Nick K4NYW has a WW2 comms manual on his website for those 
> interested at...
> 
> http://www.navy-radio.com/manuals/dnc5/dnc5-1944-ch6-radio.pdf
> 
> 73 - Bill KA8VIT / W8COD
> 
> ============
> 
> 73
> DR
> N1EA
> 
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-- 
Richard Knoppow
1oldlens1 at ix.netcom.com
WB6KBL