[GreenKeys] WRU key code

[steve.n4tty at gmail.com]

Paul,

 

As Paul, W2TTY, indicates the 28s you’ve seen with “WRU” as the FIGS character on the “D” key was used in Telex communications.  The “$” on the FIGS “D” key was a standard communications setup (not Telex).  I have a “$” FIGS “D” key on all my 28s.  But I used them on the iTelex service from Henning and the guys in Germany.  If the other end type their “WRU” key the software on the iTelex board that sits on my intranet router sends back an “ANSWER BACK” message that is programmed right now as “30083 N4TTY” which I can change if I so desire on the iTelex board.  The iTelex board sends that ANSWER BACK sting back to the other end and also send it to my 28 so I can see what is happening.  Most Telex machines also had another key called the “HERE IS” key that also sent the same string of characters if you were initiating the ANSWER BACK instead of wait or expecting a “WRU.”

 

There was a drum with 12 or 13 (or so) blades that had each of the characters in the answerback string encoded on them.  I’ve never actually seen an ANSWER BACK mechanism on a 28, but would imagine that the reception of the FIGS D sequence would trip the mechanism and cause the string to be sent over the loop, which may have caused it to print locally as well as at the other end.  And if the operator pressed the HERE IS key the same think would happen.  I’m also guessing that the reception od the FIGS D suppressed printing until the ANSWER BACK drum kicked into action.  That way if you had a normal comms type box you probably would not see the “$.”

 

Others feel free to jump in and help me out here, as I’m definitely not an expert on the matter.

 

I can say that if I send an apostrophe from my keyboard they (real Telex machines) hear the bell on their end.  And if I send the BELL character they see an apostrophe.  And in reverse, if they send an apostrophe I hear my bell and if they send their bell I see an apostrophe.   A little disconcerting until you get used to it.  I tend to shy away from the apostrophe and the bell unless I really need them.  And for new iTelex users, especially across the pond, I find I have to sometimes explain this difference.

 

Steve G./N4TTY

iTelex  #: 30083

 

 

 

From: greenkeys-bounces at mailman.qth.net <greenkeys-bounces at mailman.qth.net> On Behalf Of ad7i
Sent: Tuesday, October 1, 2019 12:31 PM
To: greenkeys at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [GreenKeys] WRU key code

 

I know that for ITA2 TTYs that the WRU command is FIGS-D.  In looking at photos of what I presume to be USA Model 28 keyboards most have the D key marked "$ over D" (FIGS-D prints as $) but I have seen a few USA Model 28 with the D key marked as "WRU over D". 

 

In the USA was it typical for those TTY systems that made use of WRU/Answerback that FIGS-D was always used as the WRU command?  In the USA if a WRU command was received by a TTY would that received FIGS-D result in the "$" character being printed on the paper in addition to triggering the Answerback generator (if one was installed), or was FIGS-D a "command only, no key printed" type of thing?

 

thanks,

 

Paul, ad7i

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/greenkeys/attachments/20191001/5b36b21c/attachment.html>