[GreenKeys] Slightly OT: CW keyer for a transmitter?

[Richard Knoppow]

-----Original Message-----
>From: Roy Morgan <k1lky68 at gmail.com>
>Sent: Jan 3, 2014 11:45 AM
>To: Dave <dave.g4ugm at gmail.com>, greenkeys at mailman.qth.net
>Subject: Re: [GreenKeys] Slightly OT: CW keyer for a transmitter?
>
>
>On Jan 3, 2014, at 3:41 AM, Dave <dave.g4ugm at gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>>> 
>> Definitely CW it looks like the bit we can see sends "ris" but it seems a very expensive way to send a short phrase in Morse.  
>
>As I understand it, such machines were used by the maritime service shore stations. They were called “the wheel”.   The thing would run for hours on end, for years, to send the call and short message on the shore station frequency so the marine at-sea operators could tune in the signal and know the station was ready for business.
>
>At that time, teletype and marine stations used equipment that was meant to last, and last, and last ….
>
>Also, the transmitting station might well be separated from the receive site by many miles (perhaps 30 or more) so  a “dit” sent by a ship between characters of the shore station would be heard by the op on duty, and he would shift to the hand key to answer the calling station.
>
     Boy, does this make me feel old!  Coastal stations sent marker signals to indicate they were open for traffic. A typical "wheel" might be:
V V V  DE KPH KPH KPH  QRU?  QSX 6   8   12  MCS  AR K