[Elecraft] Prosign Confusion

[JohnChanceRead at aol.com]

I learnt my morse procedures with the Royal Navy.  Every  operator could send 
good morse at 22 wpm and followed the WRITTEN  procedure rigidly, if he did 
not, and was overheard by authority, he was in  trouble. During that period I 
worked with the U.S. Navy who were  faster but didn't follow the same 
procedure. I also had a stint in a Commercial  Shore station where again morse was very 
good and procedure almost the same  as the R.N. but not so rigid in its 
interpretation.
I then joined the British Army where morse proficientcy was slow and  
procedure erratic. During  that time our Special Communication  Regiment of old morse 
men, consisted of R.N operators, RAF flight operators,  Parachute Regiment 
operators and selected Amateur operators - they had a very  simple but strict 
morse, which was initially diregarded but eventually adopted  equally as rigidly 
as the R.N.
I think I can say from experience that I agree wholeheartedly that Morse is  
a language but a one that should be intelligently construed and adhered  to.
The ITU has issued lists of Prosigns and of course print them with a single  
bar over the letters to indicate that they are joined together - I do not know 
 of a way to type examples but when I was in the Royal Navy school we had to 
put  the bar on top when we copied are morse with pen and pencil.  Later when 
we  used typewriter this could not be done but some prosigns were given  
symbols  e.g. AR (meaning end of exchange) could be written as a '+'
The current discussion about prosigns could be wound up by simply locating  a 
formal (official) document on the subject and recognising that only those  
characters which are joined by an overline (as apposed to an underline) should  
be sent without spaces.
The word amateur means 'non-professional' not 'lacksadaisically' and  we 
should use the procedures laid down for our use - they do  exsist. 
Other points raised were :-
1.    The use of BK or B K. I understand that K means  'go ahead' an offer to 
the other station to transmit - I do not see the logic in  sending a B.
2.    Whist being trained as a RN  operator  it was required that both called 
and calling callsigns were to be sent on every  transmission.  However in the 
'amateur radio exam'  I was told  that EACH initial  call (transmission) also 
required both callsigns to  be used but from then on one could begin with 
'DE' (not overlined)  followed by one own callsign, but not necessarily included 
the station  called (in an exchange).   My understanding was that the GPO (the 
British  Licencing Authority, now passed into history) needed to have the  
ability to locate the origin of every transmission.  
This isn't followed any longer but since I have been out of the hobby for  15 
years, there may well be a new procedural publication issued that I know  not 
of.  Some how I doubt it.
Its a language, as the man said - enjoy it.
John G4BOU