[Elecraft] Samuel Morse's birthday (Friday, April 27th); good excuse to break out your old hand keys

Sat Apr 28 13:32:58 EDT 2018

Historians, apparently, still argue over this issue.  There exists at 
least two letters in which Vail attributes the new code (replacing the 
original all number code with corresponding dictionary) to Morse and not 
himself.  So, some historians put a lot of weigh on those references and 
still give credit to Morse for the code with combinations of dits and 
das for various letters and numbers.  Others look at other evidence and 
think Vail was the key guy in this code system.  So, the truth is we 
still don't know for sure.  -- 73 de Carl N8VZ

> Fred Jensen <mailto:k6dgw at foothill.net>
> Friday, April 27, 2018 1:50 PM
> Ahh yes, if life were fair, it would be the American Vail Code.  
> Unlike Sam, Alfred had access to the family machine shop, was an 
> accomplished machinist, and could build just about anything.  He even 
> crafted his code so the most prevalent letters in English have the 
> shortest codes.
>
> In the mid 19th century, a wagon train was formed [in St Joseph MO, I 
> think] for the trip to California led by a fellow named Donner.  It 
> was a hugely dysfunctional group from the start, a homicide before 
> they left and several more on the way.  Unlike the others, they 
> managed to tee off the Paiute Chief near Pyramid Lake in NV, split up 
> amid huge arguments, and, without guides [pissed off Chief, remember] 
> were wiped out in the winter snows crossing the Sierra Nevada.
>
> Conversely, the Stephens group, formed up, made good time, followed 
> the advice of the Paiute guides provided by the Chief, and arrived in 
> Sacramento with more people than when they left [several babies born 
> on the way].  They spread out over northern and central California, 
> were instrumental in founding several towns which became cities today, 
> were active in government, and began some of the agricultural industry 
> that marks the Central Valley today.  Legend has it that Stevens Creek 
> in San Jose is named for their leader, misspelling his name in the 
> process, although that may be urban legend too.
>
> So what is the pass over the Sierra Nevada [originally the Lincoln 
> Hwy, then US40, and now I-80] named for?  If life were fair, it would 
> be Stephens Pass with Stephens Lake at it's eastern base, after a 
> truly successful example of the western migration.  But life is rarely 
> fair and it's Donner Pass and Donner Lake, named after the 
> dysfunctional party racked by homicides, dumb decisions and, it is 
> alleged, cannibalism, in a futile attempt to survive the winter.  
> Alfred Vail is not alone.
>
> 73,
>
> Fred ["Skip"] K6DGW
> Sparks NV DM09dn
> Washoe County
>
>
>
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> Chris R. NW6V <mailto:chrisrut7 at gmail.com>
> Friday, April 27, 2018 7:55 AM
> Good Idea Wayne!
>
> And I'll remind the assembled masses that the unsung hero in the story of
> Morse code was a fellow named Alfred Vail - who played Wozniak to Morse's
> "Steve Jobs." Vail pretty much invented the dash-dot code as we know 
> it, as
> well as the hand key. But it's Morse's name, as owner of the company that
> paid for it, on the patents. Sic transit Gloria.
>
> Searching archives, I found a note where Morse urged Vail to increase the
> spacing between the characters he was sending because they were running
> together. Imagine that! Morse was the first guy ever to complain about
> somebody's fist!
>
> 73 Chris NW6V
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 8
> Date: Wed, 25 Apr 2018 20:24:40 -0700
> From: Wayne Burdick <n6kr at elecraft.com>
> Subject:
> Message-ID: <48F17A07-A981-4CED-A8C2-4131BDB53194 at elecraft.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
>
> No matter how busy I am tomorrow, I aim to make at least one QSO on this
> coming Friday in honor of Samuel Morse?s birth (227 years ago!). I?ll be
> dusting off my oldest hand key for the occasion, one with a leg strap and
> Levi?s-style button that was used by the South African army circa WW2.
>
> If you have an even older hand key, and you manage to get its contacts
> cleaned in time for this auspicious date, please send me a photo of it.
> I?ll collect the photos and post them on the Elecraft website photo 
> gallery.
>
> 73,
> Wayne
> N6KR
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