[GreenKeys] AN/FGC-38 Torn-Tape Relay Equipment

[Paul Birkel]

A fascinating thread (for me, anyway :->).  What sorts of tape-lengths would
one expect to typically encounter?  Feet, tens-of-feet, hundreds-of-feet?
Were there any maximum message-length strictures in place?

 

I now understand the purpose (or at least one purpose) for the M14 typing
reperforator :->.

 

What were the other reasons for print-on-tape capability?  Simple avoidance
of learning to sight-read Baudot :->?

 

From: greenkeys-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:greenkeys-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Dave F via GreenKeys
Sent: Sunday, August 27, 2017 1:26 AM
To: greenkeys at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [GreenKeys] AN/FGC-38 Torn-Tape Relay Equipment

 

.

 

We had a few TGC-1s in Europe in the early 60s. Operators did not

normally get in each others way, since an operator was often assigned

to a "bank" of about 3 or 4 Chesters to work. Rather than one op moving

from one Chester to another to send or receive tapes, it was common

practice to toss tapes from one op to another. In order to do this, tapes

were hand-rolled into a figure eight and either handed to a bank op by

an expediter (an expediter is a person who moved traffic within the relay

bay), or tapes were sometimes just tossed back and forth if the working

ops were in close proximity. When tapes were handled by an expediter,

they were NOT rolled into the figure eight; he wore them around his neck

bandolier style as he moved from position to positon or operator to
operator. 

As he moved around the relay bay, he read the Routing Indicators to where
the tape(s)

were destined and then delivered the tape(s) to the appropriate operator,

or hung it on the tape holder for that circuit. (Routing Indicators == Sort
of

like a Call Sign in the tape relay world consisting of a series of letters
(no numbers

or figures unlike ham radio Call Signs). See ACP-121 to understand Routing

Indicator formulation and ACP-117 Routing Indicator Lists.

 

.

 

Dave

 

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