[CW] Morse signals that used to be

[Darrel]

DR said:

/"Also any other contributions about Morse signals that "used to be" are 
welcome."/

I just sent the following to the SSN-ML group.  I'm sending a copy to 
this group too in case it's of any interest.

Cheers,
       Darrel, aa7fv.
============================================
[K9TJL had asked about my use of "-.-.-"] .

    Below is a snapshot from ITU Recommendation ITU-R M.1677-1, which 
defines the currently accepted International Morse code. It was last 
updated in 2009, at which time the symbol for "@" (.--.-.) was added.  
As you see,  "-.-.-" is defined as "/Starting signal to precede every 
transmission/".



In my youth, I was considering a career as a marine radio operator. My 
life took a different turn, but in my much-thumbed 1961 copy of 
"Handbook for Radio Operators", published by Her Majesty's Stationery 
Office, it similarly defines "-.-.-" as "Commencing Signal."

That brings up another, historical note.  When I was first licensed back 
in 1964 as G3SYS, it was usual to begin a transmission on the ham bands 
with "...-." or [VE].  Almost everybody, at least in the south of 
England did.  As you know, and can see from the above ITU Morse 
definition, [VE] now means "Understood".  I recently tried to follow up 
how or why it had changed.  I found the following, from a 1937 edition 
of "Signals", a publication for the British Royal Navy.


Under "PROCEDURE SIGNS" on the left page, it lists "...-." as GENERAL CALL.

I've since acquired a 1946 edition of the same, published by "His 
Majesty's Stationery Office", which includes the same definition of 
[VE].  I've found that the Canadian Navy used the same publication.  
However, in a 1955 edition of the same publication, [VE] has been 
removed.   At the time I was first licensed, there were many ex British 
armed forces operators on the ham bands, and so I'm presuming that this 
armed forces use of [VE] got taken over into the ham bands.  Years 
later, I was surprised to find that nobody in the USA knew of that 
meaning of [VE].
========================================================
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/cw/attachments/20210214/b02c685f/attachment-0001.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: bpicdolinlmgjkda.png
Type: image/png
Size: 34787 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/cw/attachments/20210214/b02c685f/attachment-0002.png>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: cncjdnmkiimkifmp.png
Type: image/png
Size: 601867 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/cw/attachments/20210214/b02c685f/attachment-0003.png>