[GreenKeys] Odd Paper Tape

[Duncan Brown]

Early on (c1920), WU used page printers.  They had the advantage of 
being able to print directly onto message forms.

But then they had a problem with messages getting hits and/or garble and 
with the page printer, the whole message had to be repeated.  WU 
realized that with a tape printer, they cold just repeat the bad section 
of the message and "cut & paste" the corrected message segment.  They 
also didn't need to "waste" time sending CR & LF with a tape printer!

WU was very efficiency-minded!

Have fun,

Duncan
K2OEQ


On 01-Aug-21 19:51, Harold Hallikainen wrote:
>> Similar width tape but yellow with a gummed backing
>> was used by Western Union to receive incoming telegrams;
>> the tape was ripped off the printer and pasted onto the
>> yellow telegram forms with a 'moistener device' which was
>> hand held, with a water reservoir and a wick that the tape
>> passed over to moisten it.
>>
>>   de Jim  w2jc
> I remember reading that WU considered page printers but decided to stay
> with tape printers. In the 1950s, my father's company had a tape printer
> in the office. I don't remember why WU decided to stay with tape.
>
> Harold
> https://w6iwi.org
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