[Elecraft] What does 72 mean

[Helmut Usbeck]

72 in the radiogram code, which was bases on the land telegraph code
means "wishing you and yours the best this holiday season"

--Helm.  WB2ADT

Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:
> 
> > ...guess I'm just a traditionalist.
> 
>    then maybe 73/2 would appeal more to you?
> 
>    73(/2), Eddi ._._.
> 
> I don't have any quarrel with anyone who says "72". I take it as a QRP
> equivalent of 73. I'm not criticizing that choice at all. I only said
> that I don't use it because I enjoy the authentic connection to our
> roots. These numbers come from the standards set up for handling
> messages back in the railroad telegraph and Western Union days. I
> believe it was known as the '92 code' and assigned meanings to the
> numbers from 1 to 92, much like the "Q" codes we use today.
> 
> As for doing something different now, I can't recall a QRP QSO in which
> our rigs and power levels weren't discussed, so what's the point?
> 
> If that should happen, it was because there was something more important
> to discuss was at hand. So why the distraction?
> 
> I do sign /QRP when calling running 5 watts or less. That's to alert
> other stations who may be looking for QRP contacts. And that's in
> accordance with very long-standing practice started by the FCC decades
> ago and something the FCC currently recommends American hams use as
> needed to designate any unusual status of the station.
> 
> If enough operators use "72" long enough, it will eventually become
> incorporated into usage no doubt. Like another of the old number codes,
> "30" that means "End of Message" . 30 in landline Morse was sent as
> di-di-di-dah-dit, daaaaah. (The long dash was a zero as those of us who
> use manual keys are still apt to send it). Over time it started being
> sent as di-di-di-dah-di-dah which is usually written as the prosign SK
> today and used by Hams world wide to signify "End of Message".
> 
> Something similar may happen to 73 due to the use of 72 nowadays. I'll
> leave that for future generations to sort out.
> 
> With that I'll go "21" (stop and eat) for now. It's lunch time.
> 
> Ron AC7AC
> K2 # 1289
> 
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