[GreenKeys] When The World Was Young

[WA5CAB at cs.com]

George & Group,

Well, it looks like "ITTY" is "In".  :-)

With a continuous random (encrypted) data stream using 1.0 unit stop bits it 
could take quite a while for a machine (or a program) to sync if it wasn't 
on-line when the first character was sent.  I guess diddle or filler using LTRS 
would sync quickly but although I was around the KWR/KWT-nn machines freely at 
one period I never knew anything about the guts and can only assume that 
encrypted diddle would also be random.  With a 1.42 unit (or other longer than 1.0) 
stop bit it is obvious upon inspection where the characters are.

If you peruse the chart in TM 11-487 (10/44) you will see 25 CPS, DC (and a 
couple of other oddities) scattered around the world.  In general (WW-II 
through Korean War time frame) the smallest tactical TTY sets had DC governed motors 
as the set included a 115 VDC gasoline engine powered generator for the loop 
and relay supplies.  Slightly larger on up sets more commonly had AC governed 
motors.  Shipboard sets had whichever matched the ship's buss (older ships 
were DC, either 115 or 230V; newer were AC).

In a message dated 2/25/2005 9:17:26 AM Central Standard Time, 
w7tty at readysetsurf.com writes: 
> The extended stop bit was implimented because, back in them greasy,
> smelly days, the U.S. power grid was not a locked-in,
> you-can-count-on-it source of power guaranteed accurate within three
> milli-radians of a rats ass. I believe some parts of New York had both
> 25-cycle power, as well as Edison's DC distribution system.

Robert Downs - Houston
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