[GreenKeys] The "Low Down" on Bell Ringers

[Ralph Irish]

(After a short discussion with Gil about "Digest" and "Moderated", I decided to get off of
the Digest and see what happened.  This is my first post to the group in this manner.  I
hope I have it so that the entire group can see this.  I have made two 'off list' replies to
people so far.)

Sorry I was not more specific in the original "Bell Ringer" post.  I was thinking in terms of
the ham radio operators who used the RTTY mode at some time in their careers.

Every once in a while, Dusty Dunn, W8CQ, SK) the Editor and Publisher of the RTTY Journal
would print lists of "Definitions" at they might apply to the Teletype Mode.  Many of them were
'tongue in cheek' and definitely humorous.  I am sorry I didn't take the time to sift through a
few dozen years of the RTTY Journal to find some of these lists.

The one definition that always stuck with me was the one for  "The Bell Ringer".

This was the fellow, whose excessive use of the Bell character
(usually upper case "S") finally convinced you to disconnect or
disable your bell.

Some felt that each of their sentences deserved to be followed by a few bells for emphasis.

When printed in the Journal, it served a purpose.  Hopefully some 'Bell Ringer' would
recognize himself and change his ways a bit.  

So, after hearing the bell ringing far more than one's ears could stand, a guy running a
Model 28 could simply lift one wire going to the bell to silence it.  Those using a Model 19
had a slightly larger task.  The bell was run mechanically.  It just took a bit more work, but
could be done.

Sorry for the confusion.  I should have indicated the Ham RTTY Mode when I made the
post.  There are a number of non-hams on GreenKeys that think in terms of Teletypes
in use in the commercial world of news forwarding, corporate TELEX communications,
Western Union Telegrams and in later days, as a parts ordering medium for auto dealers
and other large businesses.

One way or another, don't be a Bell Ringer!



Ralph - W8ROI

PS   Then, around Christmas, one was bound to hear someone playing "Jingle Bells"
         on the air.  The real creative hams could generate a picture simultaneously
         with the bells ringing.   That was borderline due to the graphic content and
         the season.

R.

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