[GreenKeys] do the length of stop bits affect clutch wear?

[Ralph Irish]

HiGuys

WE also had a Model 28 in our Crypto center.  It was connected to the Adonis/KL47 machines.  I guess
there was an "A-B" switch since we had two KL47s.  There was also some kind of TD into which a tape
with those interesting five letter groups would be fed, to become plain text.

I didn't have a lot of 'savvy' about Teletypes, but operated a number of 28s, 19s and 14s.  I was told
in later years that that 28 had some kind of non-standard speed gears, something close to 65 WPM.
Since it was never connected (or connectable) to anything else, there was no means of comparing anyway.

Like any other 'newbie' I was fascinated at the way it worked and turned letter groups into readable
text.  There was always a bit of 'awe' as the two machines interacted with each other.  On several
occasions, with a very short message, I hand typed the 'groups' into the keyboard and watched and
listened to the KL-47 doing its thing.  There was always that one rotor that was covered up during
operation.  That always made me curious.  

Some of my questions were answered and many not.  Each message seemed to start and end with a five
numeral number, all odd digits.  I was told, when I inquired, that even numbers were used by NATO
and some allied commands.  EVERYTHING that came our way, to us or not, was five odd digits.

Prior to getting my clearance, I watched with fascination, again, the messages as they came in on
the Teletype from the Fleet Broadcast.  Each was initialed and the time of receipt (TOR) and my
initials added as he who pulled it from the Teletype.  The guy sitting next to me would take it
and decode the header, if needed.  This used a thing called "PENELOPE".  'She' would take a four
letter coded address and turn it into a standard address which could be looked up in one of the
publications nearby.  That fellow did this for all coded and 'open' addresses.  NExt stop was in
the next space, Radio Central.  Someone there scanned each message and determined if it would be
'written up', duplicated on a  "DITTO"  machine and circulated to various offices on the ship.
This took place in "Main Communications" just a few feet through a doorless hatchway.

RTTY Room to Radio Central to Main Communications.  Click-click-click.  A total distance of maybe
25 feet.

No one wanted to be the guy to tell the Comm officer that a tape was not available for an encoded
message.  This meant that a repeat of the message had to be requested or the Comm Officer would
have to hand key it into the Model 28.  One mistake and he had to start from scratch!  Reset the
basket and give it another go.

Quite often, if it was partially decoded, it would be determined if it needed immediate action.
If so, then it had to be hand typed, or risk waiting for the 'rerun' of the Message.  Let's face it.
Radio is not and was not perfect, and the occasional 'glitch or static burst' could mess up those
cute five letter groups.

Ralph - W8ROI

-   -   -   -   -   -   -   -

On Nov 23, 2018, at 4:54 PM, WAYNE wrote:

> Interesting!
> 
> 
> 
> Since I was in Crypto Maintenance but unaware of Teletypes workings (walked right past them to the crypto room) and now find myself with about 45 years of Teletype experience and still have a lot to learn.  
> 
> 
> 
> We did have a 28 KSR in the crypto room for testing and daily routine stuff.
> 
> 
> 
> Western Union had the Autodin circuit and we worked with the WU tech and that interested me in working for WU after the USAF.  WU paid well after about 4 years.
> 
> 
> 
> 73,
> 
> 
> 
> Wayne
> 
> KB1FDW
> 
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